I wanted something to potter around the B roads and chemins of SW France. I couldn’t bring myself to sell my Street Triple. After a lot of research I bought one of these. Early days but no regrets so far

Just wanted to say thank you to @dannybgoode for setting it up.

Hope I haven’t missed the boat

Marmite4u

I’d like to join in as well. I’ve just got an acc on chess.com. Not played very much lately but I’m enjoying it a lot.

Thanks everyone, I will give it a go.

Italy healthcare… First buy insurance, which is a couple of hundred for a year. Once you are resident and paying taxes you can sign on to the local system I think… I’ve not actually done this bit yet.

it sounds v similar to France. I’m just collecting quotes for insurance. Once residency is granted we will be in the system proper. Good luck.

We moved here a year ago and the process has been super simple (a few visits to local offices etc) and we can now stay for 5 years.

I’m hoping to do the same. How does health care work in Italy?

Citizenship is different (far more complex) to residency. The French have made residency a lot easier of late, especially for anyone who has lived here for more than 5 years.

I live here but have never needed residency. Brexit has changed that so an application for residency is pending.

I was lucky enough to retire at 52, to be honest it had nothing to do with luck, I planned it. I moved to SW France. I live a very simple life. I have no regrets. I am typing from a small isolated cottage, wood burner is burning chunks of home grown oak and my lovely Cocker curled by my feet. Life is good.

I spend very little money, which suits me. if you think you can afford retirement you almost certainly can.

Meet Marmite, he’s been a big part of our family for 7 years now. Kip, I hope your new addition brings you as much happiness as Marmite has to us.

I’m not getting involved in all that nastiness above.

Meet Marmite, he’s been a big part of our family for 7 years now. Kip, I hope your new addition brings you as much happiness as Marmite has to us.

Image failed!

Thanks to all that gave helpful replies. I just checked again and it has been extended to November. That’s one less headache to deal with.

The comment that you don’t want to be without it suggests you know there are issues that would result in a fail?

Not at all. I am “shielding” so don’t want the extra hassle of getting it done if the gov say I don’t have to.

Just because your car has an mot does not mean it is still road worthy, if you are not getting it mot’d because you know it will fail then why are you still willing to drive it?

It’s a motorbike. I can’t imagine anyone would ride a bike knowing it to be unroadworthy.

Thanks everyone. I will check again tomorrow.

We use Bravecto in very rural France too. It works very well for us, though it certainly isn’t cheap but it works which is the main thing.

A word of caution re the collars. We had one of those for a brief period on our previous Springer. One day I was out with him, he shot off after a deer, straight through a dense patch of brambles. it took ages to get in and cut him free, luckily no harm done but it could have turned out differently.

Thanks everyone. I shall order a leather skip rope, a knackered cassette, wooly tank top, pigtails and a small child (female) to get started.

@smokey_jo I’m in Haute Vienne, about 45 km N of Limoges, 87290.

So jumping the gun a bit, but locks? Not for home garage use but on the road, eg a night left outside a formula1 (shudder) hotel if I’m bringing it back that way?

I travel through France quite a bit on mine. I use an Oxford disc lock with alarm included which gives some peace of mind but to be honest I pay much more attention to the location of the hotel and the security of its parking space. I now have two very good stopover places (Wimmereux and Orleans) for my journey back and forth to Limousin.

More expensive than F1 but I do sleep very well at both.

I did mine at 53. It has brought me much pleasure in my retirement. First “big” bike. No L plates/CBT nonsense. It puts a smile on my face whether I am riding it or just walking past it in the garage.

TBH at 48 I don’t think many ships should have sailed!

All the best if you decide to give it a go.

I’ve got a Triumph Street Triple 675 R. It really is a very nice bike, I can’t really imagine wanting anything anymore powerful. I think my next bike will be a Street Twin, probably in about two years time. I plan on buying a new, or nearly new, one and keeping it till I can no longer ride.

Take a look at xlmoto.co.uk

I just bought the Course Drift jeans. They seem quite well made and a bargain at £45.

I retired at 50 a few years back. I was slightly concerned how I would fill my time (I’m not good at sitting around watching TV etc). I needn’t have worried. I have got back in to motorcycling, so I’m doing some advanced rider training. I have rediscovered my love of art so have joined an Art Club at the local library. Strangely, I have discovered I enjoy “pottering” in the garden. And I am cycling and walking more than ever. No regrets here.

Best of luck with whatever you decide to do.

Thanks everyone. Having read the replies and done some more research I don’t think the Beeline is quite what I am after.

Interesting, thank you. I’d suggested 1 piece as I assumed it would be more water tight but if separates are better then I shall go for those instead. Anymore suggestions very gratefully received.

As a long term sufferer myself my best advice would be to get her ask her GP to refer her to the local Rheumatologist.

Early intervention of any sort is really important and can make a huge difference.

All the best to you and your wife.

Ian

I love this time of year. We pick loads of them whilst out walking then drop by the local chemists who will happily point out the good from the bad. He’s not got it wrong so far. Fresh ceps are so tasty!

I’ve had my Street Triple R for a few months now and still love it. I thought I might regret selling my Duke 390 but not a bit of it.

Weirdly, the wife says, just bloody buy it and stop talking about it

I had the same thing! After talking it over for about two months my wife dialled the dealership on her mob, asked for the salesperson and then passed the phone to me and told me to order it! Who was I to say no!

V nice looking bike. I started off with a Duke 390 which I loved (first bike after passing test) but never totally gelled with. I now have a Triumph Street Triple that is spot on for me. I hope the 690 does the same for you! Good luck and stay safe.

just buy it if you can afford it!

This.

I can’t really comment on the bike, as it is not my sort of thing, I’m more into nakeds than adventure bikes. But if it puts a smile on your face every time you even think of riding it then go for it. I went over my budget to get the Triumph Street Triple that I desperately wanted. Any regrets 3 months later? Not one. I would much rather have my bike than a few extra K in the bank.

I travel back and forth through France quite regularly and my advice would be to check the cost of each individual toll road you are using. Not all tolls are created equally. Some are very low cost and will save you a lot of time and fuel. Others can seem really expensive when there are good alternatives that can be used.

@Weeksy Can I ask where you got 50 floor tiles for £30 from? I quite like the idea of using them in my garage.

Spaniels are the best. Marmite (our 9 year old Cocker) and I spend virtually all day everyday together. He is fantastic and has lost none of his zest for life. He lives most of his life with a smile on his face and rarely fails to put one on mine too at some point of the day. I dread the day he is no longer around.

More here.

What an interesting thread this has evolved in to. As an older rider with very limited experience on a M/C but 40-odd years of driving and riding pushbikes some of the advice from much more experienced riders is great. Keep it coming!

I’m having a 121 session with an advanced motor cycle trainer on Friday, organised through Norfolk county Council. I don’t know if they are available in other areas. The guy is employed as a Road Safety Officer which he took up after a career as a motorcycle police officer. He comes very highly recommended and I cannot wait. I will report back.

Thanks everyone, plenty to ponder. No pics though.

I picked my Triple up on Friday morning, went for a little ride around on the way home and then parked it in the garage. It has not stopped raining since!

Proof that it did indeed happen!

Super excited, after 6 months of loving my Duke 390 the time has come to say farewell. New bike Friday has arrived!

I’m quite new to biking so can’t offer much to this thread but …….

I do feel the cold a lot when I am out on my bike, being just 73kg probably doesn’t help. So when I saw people were recommending a Pertex layer I thought I would give it a try today so I found my old Montane Featherlight. I spent two hours on the bike wearing a Helly Henson base layer, the Montane on top of that then my Dianese leather jacket as the outer layer. Wow, what a difference that vertex made. Toasty warm after two hours, I have never been able to say that before.

@GlenQuagmire

Thank you!