Featured Bike - Honda X-ADV (2017)

Big scooters are popular and adventure bikes are popular. Put them together and you get… an adventure scooter? Honda showed this as a concept called the City Adventure last year but it now seems to be going into production next year as the X-ADV.

It is powered by the NC750 twin cylinder engine. This is already used in a scooter (the Integra) and adventure bike (NC750X) and will likely have a DCT automatic gearbox. 

"Teaser" video - you don't see much of the bike


***Update***
New video - you see a bit more in this one

A Run to Northumberland

On Wednesday the weatherman promised blue skies so I took a run down to the coast of Northumberland (northeast England)

Yester Parish Kirk in Gifford, east of Edinburgh, is a welcome sight. After 70 miles of motorway, this is where the fun begins.

South of Gifford the road climbs into the Lammermuir Hills. This is a view back to the Firth of Forth

Cottages at Flouden

I'm now in England. This is the mighty River Tweed at Berwick with Whiteadder Water on the right

Bamburgh Castle

The beach at Seahouses

The harbour at Craster

This little guy took a shine to me

Lobster pots at Amble

Beach huts

River Coquet and Warkworth Castle

Warkworth Bridge, looking good for 640 years old.

Japanese Kei Car

On my travels today I came across this funky little deliver van. It’s a Daihatsu Midget and is an example of the Japanese Kei (light) car. These are compact vehicles built to a specified size and engine capacity and have tax & insurance advantages in Japan. They are built as saloons, MPVs (minivans), sports cars and, as here, a commercial vehicle. They are not generally exported but are suitable for the UK because Japan also drives on the left. Not an issue here because the Midget only had one centrally located seat.

Ad Watching

I saw an advert on TV that gave me a chuckle. It was for Coco Chanel perfume and features British actress Keira Knightley "riding" a Ducati 750SS (in curious beige paintwork) In the advert the svelte Ms Knightley effortlessly kickstarts the bike - not something that would be easy on a big twin of that era.

This photograph (from Motorcycle News) spoils the illusion. The bike has stabilisers and that looks like a double (to do the actual riding) in the background.

Biggar Show

More old stuff from the show last Sunday

My friend Ron's Velocette MSS 500cc

British exotica - a Norvin - Vincent V twin engine in Norton featherbed frame

Talking of exotica, an MV Grand Prix racer…..or is it?

In 1970 when the British motorcycle industry was under pressure from Japan BSA hit back with….a three wheeler moped?

A better effort from BSA, the X65. Not one I'd seen before.

Rudge Ulster - note the bronze cylinder head

Very strange, the Ner-a-Car.

Alvis sports car with bare aluminium body.

The rally is run by the Albion club. Albion were a truck maker from Glasgow.

VMCC Rally, Blairgowrie

Every Picture Tells a Story #8 - York Flood, April 1983.

In the early '80's we often visited York at Easter. At that time of year the weather was generally getting good enough to travel and York is not too far away (about 200 miles)

This photograph shows Gwen (in black) sitting on a table at the Kings Arms pub as the River Ouse rises and starts to flood the quayside. A Honda CB125 is in danger of getting stranded by the rising water. The pub gets flooded so regularly that there is a plaque on the wall recording flood levels.

(from the web)

Other photos in the envelope were the railway museum....

....daffodils at the city walls....

......a run to the coast at Flamborough. The object bottom right is not a shaggy dog but Gwen's '80's perm