Richard, thanks. Yes, comfort will be a major factor in my next bike choice. You are right about the Honda CRF. I've had this type of bike before. It wasn't comfortable. But I was young, fit and resilient. It was fun though. My last bike, before a many year gap, was a Harley Davidson - that was like an arm chair. Cheers, Paul

Paul, thanks. As we know, there is no perfect motorcycle for all uses. Maybe I need 3 or 4. I used to have a 400 cc Yamaha trail bike that I used for everything. But I was young and tough back then. My heart longs for a Husvana, my head says go for a Honda NC750X. But in the end, it will be my back and backside that will have the deciding votes. Cheers, Paul

@@verynearlyaboutsailing8114 Indeed! An off-road bike for hooning around the green lanes (I did that on my Husky, where I lived in Devon before setting off on my sailing adventures) and a bike more suited for touring. I still like the Honda VFR750; I do not know if they still make them (or something similar). Bikes I've had in the past include GPZ600, CBR600, CBR1000, Triumph 595i (later renamed 955i) and the Husqvarna. I don't think my back or wrists would take a sports bike these days! I took a Triumph Rocket Three for a test for a day. It was an utterly mental bike, but it was so comfy 🙂. I also used to race 250s with BMRC (TZR250 and TZ250) - one of my favourite tracks was Lydden Hill, not far from you 👍.

Thanks for the info. It's a great looking bike and people do massive tours on them. I used to love my big old trailie (Yamaha DT400MX). A lot depends on just how fit I can get. My body has taken a bit of a knocking over the last few years and (shock horror) I'm not as young as I used to be. Cheers, Paul

Thanks. This is a really great comment. Funnily enough I was talking about how I see motorcycling and sailing being very similar when I did one of the original introductions. But the wind noise was too bad. I will revisit this and cover it in a lot more depth. Of course, it is always down to personal preferences. We often do the 'same' thing as other people, but with very different motivations. Cheers, Paul

Thanks very much. Happy New Year back to you too. Part of me doesn't like this time of the year - short days, cold weather etc. But another part of me likes it a lot - you get to be optimistic and make positive plans for the rest of the year. I am very happy with my developing view of the next 12 months. Cheers, Paul

Yep - all good news! Cheers, Paul

It's all good news. Biking is fun and good for the soul. Cheers, Paul

In all honesty, I don't know the answer to your question. I do remember that there was a diagram in the instructions that showed various 'permissible' heights of heater, pump and diesel tank. I have, of course, lost the instructions. I I were to guess, I would have thought that the height of the pump to the heater would be the more critical measurement. But that is a guess. Sorry I can't be of much help. Cheers, Paul

@ thanks Paul. Will keep digging. Safe travels.

Thanks very much. Same straight back at you. Cheers, Paul

Thanks James, have a good and healthy New Year. Cheers, Paul

Thanks. There is work going on regarding that. I had some comments that people would prefer a much more structured format. IE One chapter per step in the process and a specific list of things to do after each chapter. I've now done that (quite a big re-write) and am on the final edit of getting it ready for an audiobook version as well. Hopefully, everything will be ready sometime in early Spring. I will mention it on the channel, and I believe that Amazon allows me to do a special on the Kindle version where I can offer it for 7 days for free. So, keep a look out for that and grab a free copy (Kindle only unfortunately) when it's available. Cheers, Paul

Indeed! Unfortunately, we seem to live our lives as if we had multiple chances. Maybe that's just cats. Wise words. Thanks. Cheers, Paul

I have resolved that in my next life I am going to retire earlier.

Yes, traditions should be upheld even if they are painful to the ears. It's important for reasons that currently escape me. Have a good Christmas. Cheers, Paul

Enjoyed it really! 🎉

Everything is no governed by the KZbin algorithm. Apparently, many people who have not been good this year are surprised and bemused when my Christmas Video appears in their suggested watch list. Cheers, Paul

Steve, thanks. Yep, I'm hoping that there will be a real mix of things this year - including Serenity being ready for a launch. Lucy is well aware that the sooner Serenity is back in the water, the sooner she can borrow her and go off for a sail. I will insist that she videos whatever she gets up to - that would be both interesting and scary. Cheers, Paul

Yes, the Oxford (almost) soft luggage is a bit of a stop gap. It was cheap and I know it works well enough because it's what I had on my Ducati. However, eventually I do want to get hard luggage. I prefer soft luggage. But hard luggage is so much more practical. - plus, of course, you can lock it. Security is a big factor, particularly when you are carrying everything with you on a tour. Once I get a longer distance bike, the Honda 250 will be mostly used for shorter UK journeys - the tail bag is plenty for most of them. Cheers, Paul

Beyond physical security from theft the waterproof element of good hard bags is their main selling point IMHO Not having to store a helmet on the exposed side of the bike using the helmet lock and experiencing a wet helmet from rain (or a joker who came out of the pub across the street with a full bladder on a dark night) is the best part of hard spacious luggage.

Thanks. I haven't tried Mapsource. The frustrating thing about BaseCamp is that it has great functionality, but a dreadful user interface. At the moment, I am using the map on my actual device. You can plug it into the PC with a USB cable and then select which map you want (in my case just the one). However, my device map is at least 10 years old and I have never updated it. I didn't want to invest in a new Garmin map until I was convinced that it would do what I wanted it for. It seems to be OK if you set up a specific route and then stick to it. But if you take a few detours en route, it became confused. And having both the rider and the SatNav confused at the same time is not a good thing. On the way back from my destination I just let it do its own thing and it was fine. Cheers, Paul

@ You will struggle (but not impossible) to find a useable copy of Mapsource - Garmin binned it ten years ago. M/C touring almost demands full control of route selection and disabling of route recalculation, however the GPS market is for A to B solutions.

Biggest problem with the piano is that there are loads of pieces for each key... then times that by 85 (could have been worse - modern pianos have 88 keys). Cheers, Paul

Thanks. Yes an iconic bike with over 17,000 sold in the UK. But I wasn't interested at all in it when it came out. I guess I just needed to warm to the idea ;). I intend to put a lot of miles on this bike. The small screws are M5. I got them from ebay for about £8. Just search for Motorcycle CARB balance adapter - of something similar. The gauges were dirt cheap from Amazon - but, bizarrely, only came with one M5 and one M6 adapter. Cheers, Paul

@ Thks for info, really helpful

Ken I always used to use the 'listening' to the hiss technique. But the gauges are so cheap nowadays, and so much easier. I have stripped more A Series engines than I care to remember (first one when I was about 10 years old). Fantastic engines. But they have all been single carb ones. The Midget is a great little car - and built in my old home town. We also had Oselli tuning nearby in Oxford - now moved. They could (still can) do you a nice Stage III tune on the Midget if you want to get rid of some money ;). Have fun. Yes, Christmas special will happen. Haven't decided on a 'tune' (I use that word very loosely) yet. Cheers, Paul

Yep, the 250 is looking more and more capable. Although, I am on strict doctor's order to ramp things up very gradually (at the moment). But I am getting up to speed and there will be plenty of shared adventures next year. Greece? I'd like to think so. As my daughter often says, "We'll burn that bridge when we get to it". Cheers, Paul

Thanks James. I am being encouraged by my consultant to pace myself back up to speed. So, I am going to be sensible... but not very sensible. Cheers, Paul

Yes, I know. I should be able to do something like that with one hand whilst solving a Rubik Cube with the other - in the dark. I feel ashamed. Seriously though. I have rebuilt many carburettors over the years and that was a pretty basic mistake. Cheers, Paul

Chocolate is a great currency. She would never buy a huge bar for herself. - It's not the expense, it just feels so indulgent. So when I give her a (cheap) bar of chocolate for several hours work, she doesn't feel bad about eating the whole thing in one go. Cheers, Paul

I got it from ebay. The original link isn't working any more. I believe that you can get (expensive) ones from Webasto or Eberspacher. I think the one I got was made in Turkey - but supplied in the UK. I just played around with some searches on ebay. Try, "22MM EXHAUST DRAIN CONNECTOR EBERSPACHER WEBASTO DIESEL MARINE BOAT HEATER" I got a result from that - but it will depend on which country you are searching in. Good luck. Cheers, Paul

I'm sure you are right that the Honda 250 would be fine for a trip down to Greece. I will try a few longish trips in the UK before I decide what bike to take. I'm thinking that the NC500 around the Scottish coast could be fun. Also. I could make plenty of detours to Marinas etc and scope out some places to take Serenity. It really all depends on comfort. I'm way past the days of spending all day on a cramped sportsbike. Having said that, the Honda is surprisingly comfortable - and it would be quite quirky to do the Greece journey on a 44 year old bike. Cheers, Paul

Thanks for the comment. It is appreciated. I'm pleased that you have found things that help. Diet is definitely an important thing to focus on. I have tried a lot of things over the last 5 years - including diet. Nothing seemed to really make much, if any, difference. But I have stuck to the 'good' diet - it makes sense. In my case, they (medics) did find something that was missed out, and fixing that seems to have made a massive difference. More on that once the doctors have finished all their investigations. Fixing these difficult health problems always seems to work best when there is a true working partnership between doctor and patient. Plus an ongoing (professional) curiosity from the medical team) as to what might be at the cause. That doesn't always happen. Keep planning and not worrying. I'm just starting to understand what that feels like. Great isn't it. Cheers, Paul

Welcome aboard. I'm not sure how motorbike focused this channel will be. But as I said in the video, I really fee the need for some sort of adventure soon. It will take quite a few months to get the boat back in the water and voyage ready. The bike, on the other hand, is ready now. I'm amazed at how much interest people (older men of about my age usually) show in the Honda when I'm out and about on it. I am thinking round a few options. An 'obvious' one being the NC500 trip (round the North West of Scotland) - and getting there would be an adventure in its own right. Cheers, Paul

If your considering the nc500 there’s a guy on KZbin Rob Little UK he did the trip last year 70 years old on a Yamaha YB100 , very entertaining 👍

@@Paul.Gascoyneuk Thanks for recommending Rob Little. I've had a look at the first few videos - very impressive. I have now properly (vacuum) balanced the carbs and it has made a massive difference. I've got all the missing torque back. So, I now have no excuse not to do the NC500 on a 250 Superdream. Cheers, Paul

Thanks for the comment. I'm pleased to hear that things are now going in the right direction for you - and on two wheels as well! Yes, I think that both Sailing and Motorcycling can be very therapeutic. On a bike I find that I quickly get into that "flow" state where you are gently focused so much on the ride that nothing else comes into your head - time literally passes without you noticing. Similar thing with sailing. But my preferred way of sailing is to simply set a course, rig up the self-steering, and then just sit back and enjoy. I just watch the sea and listen to the sounds; no need for a book or any distraction. I have re-written the book (Edition 2) which should be out sometime early next year. (there will be an audio version - which is taking the time). A number of people said that they wanted me to align the format of the book with the individual stages of the process much more closely. A very valid point - and I agree (it makes it much easier to read and follow). When I publish, I will put the Kindle version up for free for a week (Amazon lets me do this) and let people on this channel know. I can't say what I think the medical problem was just yet. I have a pretty good idea, but need a few more medical checks. Keep the shiny side up. Cheers, Paul

That is 100% true. Everything else is just window dressing. Cheers, Paul

Yep, I could have sat round for ages and not come up with anything. And don't worry, the 'annoy your family' thing is already well under way. Cheers, Paul

Thanks James. It all feels a bit surreal at the moment. Still quite a few medical things to check out. But it's all good news. Cheers, Paul

Both Greece and Scotland have been on my list for ages. Shame that the bike isn't the 400 cc version. But I never bought it with the intention of going any further than the local shops. One advantage is that if I breaks down, I can just take it to the nearest scrap yard and carry on by bus. Thanks for the overwinter suggestions in Scotland. I've had a look at both (they both have really good promo videos). Cheers, Paul

Carburettors are a pain to work on (small and fiddly), but an even bigger pain if you don't work on them. It is perfect for small back roads - but not much fun on a bigger road with all the other traffic going at 65-80 mph. Luckily, there is some lovely countryside around here and loads of twisty roads with hardly any traffic. I've known Oxford products since they were a very small operation in... well, Oxford. I had a set of soft luggage on my Ducati many years ago and it all worked fine. Ideally, I would get some hard luggage on a bigger bike. I missspoke on the video. I meant to say that the external power bank went down from 100% to 99% after about 45 minutes. I always like to have a paper plan as well as a back up map/chart. Exactly the same with sailing. I tend to follow the paper instructions with just the ultimate destination typed into the SatNav - I can then take as many 'interesting' roads as I want without getting lost. Cheers, Paul

I adored the old basic Garmin GPS. It had no maps loaded into the device, but simply allowed one to input waypoints to navigate by. Usually when I went out for rides I would select my home as the destination waypoint and ride away from it in some general direction such as maybe Northeast that day for approximately 20-25% of the time I had budgeted to ride that day. When I had ridden about that far I would turn approximately 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise from my initial general heading and begin to slowly circle around my starting point keeping approximately the same distance to my home "destination" and just making turns on whatever road looked interesting. As long as I was going generally in the direction I needed to keep my home and return destination as the center of my circle trip It didn't matter if I was "lost." Getting lost was a feature and not a bug on these exploration rides. As long as I knew which way home was I could make a bee-line for it in time to get back when I intended -which was usually before darkness fell. I would avoid any road with painted lines and prefer the twisties and narrowest of back roads instead. Multilane highways were avoided unless there was no other way such as across major rivers if there were few bridges.

I still want to get back on Serenity and take some leisurely cruises. I think there is a link between sailing and motorcycling. You are out in the elements with both. Same feeling of freedom too. Anyone can sit in a car and drive to somewhere or sit in a motorboat and do the same. And as for "fast" - I think that the video might have exaggerated the look of how fast the Honda was going. It is not a speedy motorcycle. But maybe that's exactly what my licence needs. Cheers, Paul

Ken, keeping going with small projects was absolutely key in keeping my moral going. With the added benefit that I have learned a few new skills along the way. Yes, 750 was always the 'big bike' capacity. I still think that way. I have had a couple of bikes bigger than that, but the most fun bike I ever had was actually a 650. Plenty powerful enough and very light and manageable. Good to hear from you, Paul

Richard, there are many different 'configurations' for a parallel twin engine. On my bike, the pistons go up and down together (IE 360 degrees). But because it's a four stroke, they only fire once every second revolution. The pistons effectively take it in turn to fire. As you can imagine, all this weight going up and down (both pistons at the same time) at up to 10,000 revs per minute can cause a lot of vibration. Sometimes that can be offset by the 'character' of the bike. But often, it's just annoying and you feel it through the foot pegs, handgrips and the mirrors go blurry. So what Honda have done is put in two shafts with eccentric weights on them just in front of and behind the crankshaft. They are attached by a chain to the crankshaft. Everything is finely calculated so that the spinning of the eccentric weights cancels out (IE balances) the natural vibration from the pistons. However, when the chain starts to stretch (even a little bit), the balance shafts get slightly out of synchronisation and you start to feel some vibrations. Hence the need to adjust the balance shaft chain (that's the proper full name) on a regular basis. And it really makes a difference. I hope that makes sense. If not just buy a 90 degree V twin (like a Ducati) - they have natural primary balance - and still feel and sound great. Cheers, Paul

@@verynearlyaboutsailing8114 well explained Paul, many thanks for such a detailed explanation, it makes perfect sense….. even to me ! Having understood your description I wonder why the pistons don’t just fire 180 degrees out of sync to produce the equilibrium? I’m no expert but I believe my old 2cv did the same as your Honda, ie: both cylinders firing in unison, I don’t remember ever having to adjust anything to smooth out the running….. but then again…. Hey ! how could you tell ?? It was a 2cv after all ! 😉 Thanks again for the reply Paul. Cheers, Richard

@@Scruffy1000 Yes you can get 180 degree parallel twins, but then you have the problem that the firing (for a four-stroke) isn't even, so the ignition pulses cause vibration (or character). You can even get 270 and 285 degree parallel twins. There is always a compromise of some sort. The reason your 2CV was OK is that the pistons are in a 'boxer' configuration - IE opposite each other rather than side by side - everything happens at the same time on each side and evens things out. In that way, the 2CV is similar to a Porsche... but in no other way whatsoever. Fun stuff :) Paul

I used to have a Honda VF750 (not sure what year). It was the model before the VFR and had a camchain - and a really bad reputation for cam problems. It was nicknames the 'Cadburycam' bike because the cams would eventually wear to a round shape. However, despite the fact that it took hours to adjust the tappets, and you needed to do it often, I never had any problems with mine. Lovely bike to ride. I've never ridden a bike with linked brakes, but really don't like the idea at all. I was taught that the front and rear brakes have very different functions, and have always like to balance them out myself. I have also (been lucky) and never had a bike with ABS - maybe I'm just old-fashioned. Cheers, Paul

Excellent! Good luck with that - I'm sure it will go well. Honda's are a dream to work on (pun intended). They just seem to work and do what they are supposed to do. Although, as I said in the video, I was never particularly interested in the 250N at the time - but it is starting to grow on me now. Aside from anything else, it is so comfortable to sit on and ride. Cheers, Paul

Getting an old bike like this can be a very cheap way of getting (back) on the road. There was a small, but absolutely vital, problem with the carbs. The previous owner must have been pulling his hair out wondering why none of his adjustments worked. Unfortunately a lot of the swearing will be cut out - family friendly channel and all that. Cheers, Paul

@@verynearlyaboutsailing8114 Agree with the cost thing, back in the day I was into vintage, ( for ‘vintage’ read ‘old’!), mopeds. Great fun and back then dead cheap, but my interest was more in resurrecting them, getting them working and registered once more, once I’d done that I kind of lost interest and moved on to the next one. I just enjoyed the challenge, much like you and the various skills you’re learning for the boat. Keep it going Paul, I’m loving your journey….. wherever it may end up ! Cheers, Richard.

Ooooo. Boldor 900! Very nice. Lovely looking bike. Yes, Honda kept the styling theme pretty similar throughout their road bike range back then. From a distance you'd be hard pushed to tell them apart. Until the lights turned green that is. I never rode the 900 - but I absolutely loved the 750F2. Maybe I need to get one... As for the flat battery. I used to have a Ducati 750ss. It was a real Italian Prima Donna. I had to keep it in a heated shed with a trickle charger (battery conditioner) hooked up all the time. That worked a treat. Cheers, Paul

I think that one of the reasons it was so popular at the time was simply the fact that it was a four stroke. A lot of people didn't like the high revving two strokes - personally, I didn't mind either. Plus, of course, Honda had a really good reputation for reliability. I am surprised at how well it rides. Nothing feels worn out at all. Noting spectacular - but it is fun. As for price, there are always a few bargains to be had. But you really have to be happy to do the necessary restoration/fettling work yourself, otherwise it can become really expensive. The main thing for me was getting the carbs right. It didn't cost any money, but took several hours (and a lot of swearing). Cheers, Paul

Yes, indeed. As I say, I had every opportunity to ride one back when it was launched - but never did. It was truly the slowest and least desirable 250 at the time. However, it was also the best seller - by a long way. Go figure. But it has been a fun project and will be useful for me to pop down the shops and buy my crochet and knitting supplies. And even the slowest bike is better than the fastest car. Cheers, Paul

There is something about the Mirage 28 that is a bit magical. I have met a few Mirage 28 owners - and they all love their boats. I certainly love mine. Cheers, Paul

Richard, my apology was to Bob Dylan. However, having said that, I once queued up for 24 hours to buy a ticket to his Earls Court show (1978?) - so I feel he owes me one. This motorbike is not really a project as it is actually a 'runner'. Although it needs a bit of work to make it safe - plus a service etc. But it will be the subject of the next video. I see a lot of similarities between motorcycling and sailing. Quite a few sailors seem to ride bikes. Cheers, Paul

@@verynearlyaboutsailing8114 I may be lambasted for this but I went to see Bob Dylan at the Docklands Arena in the early 2000’s…… I lasted 10 mins……. Sorry, but it was awful 😞 Yes a lot of the freedoms are associated with both bikes and boats, just don’t get ‘em confused 🫤 boats float…. bikes don’t ! Love your videos Paul, now stop reading this and get on with something useful 😉 All the best R. Ps: how’s the piano ?

I really should have practiced doing that before I hit record. Oh well. Yes, there will definitely be some looping going on in the Christmas special. I have tried it before on a different setup ... and its' not easy. Hats off to Ed. Cheers, Paul

I only recently in the last month or so discovered Ed and looping. A cruising friend showed me some.videos of him performing. I had no idea that your soundboard project had a looper included or even what that was before this. It looks impossible to me what Ed does with his looping. But then again I can't play guitar -or even sing. I cant even remember any lyrics other than a few words of most songs.

Ed is probably the best looper out there. His pedalboard rig is astonishing (and cost many 10s of thousands of pounds). He sells a couple of (very cut down) versions of his rig under his own brand. I need to do a lot of practice to learn how to use my feet as well as my hands. I think you will probably have to wait for the Christmas Special before any 'proper' looping happens.

Funnily enough, the KZbin copyright checking algorithm didn't recognise it at all. Either that, or Bob Dylan (famous Welsh poet) had a quick listen and decided he wanted nothing to do with it. Cheers, Paul

Yes, literally awful and completely unfit for purpose. Cheers, Paul