[Dave]

The Black Country.

Isn't coal to blame for pollution there?

I spent two months riding a motorcycle round Europe in 2008. It was great fun, self indulgent? Of course, but it beat sitting indoors playing politics on the web by some distance. I am now busy saving some money to do it all again this year.
Dave is right, wrapping yourself in coton wool may be safer, but it is so boring. !5 minutes on a motorcycle is more fun than 15 hours on the web.

That sounds like a wonderful time! I hope to buy a new BMW "M" car later this year or in 2010 (depending on how much money I can make this year!) and take European delivery, and then do an Autobahn road trip.

[hannu]

Isn't coal to blame for pollution there?

No.

It's the " What do you want? We'll make it"attitude that pollutes. The black country & surrounding areas had that in spades. Priestley, Watt, Boulton, Chance all worked in the area.

eg. Some years ago someone from the US made an extremely small tube & sent it over to the UK to my mates uncle declaring "This tube is the smallest in the World"

My mates uncle made a smaller tube, put it inside the US tube & sent the pair back.

Industrial action pollutes much the same way as a street fight.

[guzzipat]

That sounds like a wonderful time! I hope to buy a new BMW "M" car later this year or in 2010 (depending on how much money I can make this year!) and take European delivery, and then do an Autobahn road trip.

Why waste a fine car like that on a straight autobahn? Anything will do that, a BMW M series is a good handler and cries out to be driven on twisty back roads.
Take it to the Nurburg Ring for a couple of laps, then head for the Alps and take the Stelvio Pass.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stelvio_Pass

Personally I hate autobahns, boring roads with bad food and expensive fuel, on the back roads wonderful family run Gasthofs abound with good food and reasonable prices. You actually get to meet people too.

[tallpaul]

You've not really had much experience of US automotive quality, have you?

I have. Two American-made cars - one 15 years old with 209K miles, and one 13 years old with 210K miles.

Do things break once in a while? Yup! But they will on ANY vehicle of that age.

[Dave]

Why waste a fine car like that on a straight autobahn? Anything will do that, a BMW M series is a good handler and cries out to be driven on twisty back roads.
Take it to the Nurburg Ring for a couple of laps, then head for the Alps and take the Stelvio Pass.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stelvio_Pass

Personally I hate autobahns, boring roads with bad food and expensive fuel, on the back roads wonderful family run Gasthofs abound with good food and reasonable prices. You actually get to meet people too.

I've never done anything like this before, and the Autobahn immediately came to mind. Opening up the throttle and letting your car go flat out can be very dangerous here! I will definitely take your advice into consideration. Thank you!

[Dr House]

Personally I can't afford a new M3, but I'm planning on getting a used E36 model in a couple of years.

[guzzipat]

I don't talk much about my car, It's a 13 year old Ford diesel, just a workhorse for getting shopping and carrying fishing gear. reliable old bus I have some affection for.

It's the Bike that's important, a Moto Guzzi, 1100cc Jackal. Italian, they don't sell that many, but the owners become fanatics. More expensive than the equivellent Japanese machine, but a real bike not a posing platform.
I'll be out on it this weekend going to a camping event in the New Forest, meeting up with other bikers, drinking beer and talking about nothing for two days.

[QatzelOk]

From now on, I will travel with a smoke detector attached to the handlebars of my bike.

Whenever I stop to lock up my bike, I will exhale some marijuana smoke into the device so that EVERYONE knows that I JUST LOCKED MY BIKE!!!

It's important to let everyone know you locked your bike. They need to stop what they're doing (or thinking) and pay attention to this important event.

[Dave]

It's the Bike that's important, a Moto Guzzi, 1100cc Jackal. Italian, they don't sell that many, but the owners become fanatics. More expensive than the equivellent Japanese machine, but a real bike not a posing platform.
I'll be out on it this weekend going to a camping event in the New Forest, meeting up with other bikers, drinking beer and talking about nothing for two days

Sounds like a lot of fun! Enjoy your weekend.

[QatzelOk]

Sounds like a lot of fun! Enjoy your weekend.

Yes, because no one else will with all the noise from your speedy bikes.

[Dave]

New Forest is a large tract of unenclosed pasture land. Who else is there exactly?

[hannu]

New Forest is a large tract of unenclosed pasture land. Who else is there exactly?

New Forest has lots of free roaming horses which is really unusual for the UK.

I doubt if a few harmless drunks camping out will do them much harm though.

I think the type of rallies that guzzipat goes to are aimed at the more mature type of touring rider rather than speed merchants wizzing around the place killing wildlife & young children.

[guzzipat]

Dave wrote:
New Forest is a large tract of unenclosed pasture land. Who else is there exactly?

New Forest has lots of free roaming horses which is really unusual for the UK.

I doubt if a few harmless drunks camping out will do them much harm though.

I think the type of rallies that guzzipat goes to are aimed at the more mature type of touring rider rather than speed merchants wizzing around the place killing wildlife & young children.

I missed all this posted and didn't look back, apologies.

You were right, average age of the riders would be around 30-40, maximum 50 people on private land about a mile ftom other residents. Just a matter of riding there camping and drinking beer for a couple of days. The bikes were mainly large tourers, not sports bikes and you don't ride fast on a gravel track. My bike didn't move from friday night till Sunday morning.

In August I will be back for a much bigger event called the V Twin Rally, around 700 riders all camping in the town of Fordingbridge on the edge of the Forest. We camp on the towns sports field at the invitation of the town council. Far from resenting our presence, the Major attends on Saturdaynight to give out trophies and they ask every year if the town can do anything to make it easier for us.

Nothing like the picture Quatz paints, then spouting off about things he knows nothing about isn't unusual for him.