I hit the big five-o. Quit my business. Got rid of my stuff. Got my motorbike licence. I then spent a year building a Mercedes Sprinter campervan with a Honda CRF300 Rally motorbike in the back. I now live full time in the campervan, travelling the world and exploring the dirt tracks on the adventure bike along the way. Come along 😀
I'm 37 and have had a bee in my bonnet about bikes for ages. Never even sat on one. What I'd really like is a taster session, just to take the controls and drive around a yard to get a feel for it, but none of the rider schools around here do that in isolation. That's the morning part of the full CBT course that I'd have to commit to for maybe £200 or so. You know what, I might just treat myself to the CBT and get the curiosity out of the way. If I pass I've then got two years to think about it. The average age of a female rider in my part of the UK is very roughly my age (give or take a year or two), so it even feels ike a weird dating opportunity.
Enjoyed the video mate, I'm 29 and going through the same process (drove a car for 10 years, never had a single thought about getting a motorbike licence until 2 months ago) but having a lot of the same trepidations you are haha. Got my theory next week then hopefully I can get my modules 1+2 done without too much trouble 😅
I like yr water bottle! I was also in Albacete about 12 years ago. But i stayed near the university. all i remember about albacete was that yes it was hot really hot in the summer, the knife museum, a large park, and across from where i was staying 3 swimming pools.
Always wanted to learn to ride a bike but never had the confidence and my girlfriend would kill me LOL if i even suggested it but i would want to see if i could do it maybe give me more confidence
@@projectmidlifecrisis awesome. Thank you Nigel that be amazing to see as your van is unique and nothing found on any Camper tour. I have just got into riding and just passed DAS. Next camper build is going to incorporate something like your build but very Interested to see how you winch and secure bike in the back. Looking at relays/ boxers / ducttos as they seem the widest base to mimic similar design to your build 😃
Loved this episode, you're really funny. Beautiful towns and landscapes, though the editing was a little bit too fast for my taste in the beginning (I am not a gamer) but I definitively appreciate your marvellous storytelling. Thank you for taking the time again to inform us about your adventures. Have a good time in Portugal!
@@projectmidlifecrisis I understand. Perhaps some clips only need a few seconds more, so the cuts don't follow each other so quickly. By the way, longer videos - as far as I'm concerned - are also totally ok. As long as you have the time and inclination to produce them, of course. I also imagine that you are trying to find the balance between how you need to express yourself and what you see the audience likes.
To be honest, I try to make the videos for me and it's a bonus if other people like them 😀. I think that's important. I'm very conscious I don't want my hobby to become my job. I'm flattered that people, like yourself, watch and like them ❤️
@@projectmidlifecrisis I think that's important too and it's the best mindset for creating. As Rick Rubin says (I'm reading his book): "...The audience comes last". Authenticity is powerful and people are longing for it. Good to hear you're 'protecting' your time and your fun.
When I open that drain and take the cap off the reservoir only about 3 qt of antifreeze comes out. After flushing for a half an hour with fresh water through the reservoir I Closed the drain filled with water and the flushing agent. Ran the car until it was warm and everything was pink again not as dark pink but there's a lot left inside somewhere and I can't figure out how to get it all out. Any ideas they're supposed to be 10 qt I'm getting 3 maybe 4 out???
@@projectmidlifecrisis Thanks for the advice I definitely had the heat on. I went through about 7 gallons of distilled water. refill, run it, drained, refill, running drain it, over and over never got more than a gallon out at a time. But feel pretty confident i had it down to mostly dostilled water and then I just finally added the antifreeze. Gonna check my mix tomorrow and ajust It till I get 50/50... took the top radiator hose off every time because that lets more water out even tried running it like that briefly hoping more would come out but nothing did. I did not run a hose off of the petcock and down. Starting to work on a theory that this might be necessary causing a siphon to drain the entire engine. Just a theory...
@@projectmidlifecrisis hi thanks mate. It's a bit weird I went through the coolant part of the manual and checked the vessel but no info on how much so I've just had it filled as best I could without air bubbles. If it needs more can always top it up as there is a sensor and I'll just keep an eye if more is needed. Thanks.
Agree or disagree. But as far as I'm concerned, bike tests these days are just a money-making scam. When I was younger, you took your test on the road with one guy standing and watching you. and it must have taken half an hour. All this crap now is just to con people out of a lot of money, and I don't like being conned. I haven't passed my test, but I was riding a 250-cc for years and never had any accidents. It may be important if you intend to ride a high-powered bike but not a 250-cc There is nothing they could teach me that would make me ride any better. I only wish I had taken my test before they brought all this bullsh*t in.
some great footage & your vid making is improving no end, as well as still living the life a lot dream of but daren't try. I recently rented a 125cc scooter on holiday on a greek island and had to off-road coz of the lack of tarmac, and had a whale of a time even though it was scary at times, having no training and even less experience than u, (as well being a bit chickenshit and a decade older lol), but you aint reckless so im sure your confidence & ability will improve even if you don't get any immediate training. GL
Hiya. The RU-vid algorithm sent you my way. Thoroughly enjoyed your video with the van & bike combo. I've been doing the same for around 6 years now, France, Spain & UK. I'm lucky to have a base too, I've got a hidden caravan & storage in Cumbria. I'm currently semi-planning where to go next, I'm so sick of the rotten rain. Might head down through France to the Alps, then get my Fantic 500 scrambler into those hairpins! I'll make a point of viewing your previous videos too.
Welcome aboard David. I like the sound of your setup. I actually looked at a plot in Cumbria last year but nothing came of it. My 90 days are almost up in the EU, so I'm slowly heading back to the UK through the pyranees. Epic roads and scenery. Thanks for coming along 🙏
Found your channel 3 days ago because I watched your video on doing your motorbike license, watched all the subsequent videos the same day. Keep at it, were all routing for you !
Enjoyed your vlog mate, thanks for that. In a similar boat to you, right on cue for the MLC turning 40 this year, passed CBT, theory and mod 1 and have mod 2 coming up in a few weeks. Also keep stopping and thinking, why am I doing this again? But at other times the SV650 I'm training on just brings a smile to my face! Ride safe, brother!
i feel the same when i cycled across north africa, through europe and parts of the middle east in the early 80's, then backpacking in Aus for a year a few years after, so glad i know the difference too, coz wherever you go now both home and abroad you usually just feel like you're being skanked at every opportunity, 'coz they can'. Youngsters have grown up & got used to it, but yeah, things were much better in every way, & it's not just nostalgia talking, GL and keep going m8
Hi Bob, what an experience you've had 😊 and such a privilege. It's sad that no one can now have the same experience, but amazing that you did. I'm hopeful I'll be seeking out and finding some 'old world' traditional places and people along my journey. In fact, I think I already have. How long they'll last against the tide of mass tourism, who knows? Thank you so much for sharing and coming along with me ☺️
@@projectmidlifecrisis i think anyone who has travelled for an extended time and more than a holiday has stories to tell, and you get a better feel for the country when you work there for a while if you can too. while i have many tales myself and like to relay them from time to time as we all do, (and try not to bore people too much haha) i felt like a day tripper compared to some people i met with incredible tours behind them, some continuous for years. while theres always things you just have to see and do, I always preferred back then, and still do now, visiting non tourist areas where no-one really goes, such as the spanish interior, or the rif mountains in morocco, staying in tiny villages where u don't know what to expect that look like something out of a western. Apart from it being more budget friendly, the people tended to be more friendly and interested in helping you, and maybe their day was brightened up a little by a mad english kid on a pushbike, just as mine was by them, & you don't really get this in bigger towns and cities as you know. GL
I love this area of France so much. And I dream of going offroad too, in a landscape like this. It's amazing you are riding on this small road in the mountains, with the offroad experience you have. Quite inspiring! And now I have to catch up on the videos I missed 😁
Epic episode. You're living THE life! Wonderful to 'travel' with you and see all these wonderful places. Reminds me of Corsica a bit. Your editing is getting better each episode, you must be multi-talented. Have a good time and safe kilometers!
Hi Rod, it's good to keep some mystery, don't you think? All will be revealed (mostly) in good time 😄 I really don't know about the bouncy front wheel. A professional just this week made some adjustments to the bike (a future episode) and releasing some tension from the front forks was part of that. So, time will tell. I think I'm ready for some new tyres anyway.
Sorry to hear that. Been following you in the background since your CBT and just wanted to say well done on following up with it.... Yin and Yang on your comment regarding confidence and skill... They are an intertwined pair... Let's face it, untill you have a bit of a spill here and there you'll never know what either you can and can't do - or what is and isn't possible. E.G. You'll learn more about the physics and dynamics of the lead up to a front end skid in 0.5 seconds of having one than 6 months in the classroom pontificating theory.... Take this one as a win! Metal can be bent back, plastics can be swapped out and confidence can be rebuilt.... Just be thankful it happened whilst enjoying the scenery and wasn't a 50mph a side swipe by a lorry on a mundane journey in miserable weather.
Thank you for your wise words of support. It's greatly appreciated 😊 I'm about to go for a ride in the hills of... Well that's for a future video... and this time I have a very special person with me, to help me build my off road skills. I realise how right you are in that I need to put the hours in 😀 Thanks for coming along 😁
@@projectmidlifecrisis Mc season in Norway is deffinetly best between May and Septemper. its really nice nature and fun roads. specially the west side. Cant garentee the weather though 😀😀
One tip is to deflate your tires when off-road. Greatly increases grip on the ground. I really enjoyed sharing images of the trip and your outlook on life. Congratulations to everyone!
I can only recommend training. Watching videos is not enough as there is nobody to tell you when are doing things wrong. Gear is a must, especially when you are alone and go off the beaten track.
Enjoyed the video sharing your off road experience with us all the more you do it the better you will get maybe a little less front brake and a bit more back brake next time but keep going I want to see where this journey is going to take us(you)
we only learn from our mistakes, I wouldn't worry too much about it as long as it's only pride that hurt, i think it's great to see 'wart's and all' coz we all mess up, and TBH it makes me feel better about my own errors lol. We can see sanitized and heavily edited shit anywhere. when i look at my old bike and see the dent's, cracks and scratches it's like a visible history and i can remember what i did wrong to get each one, and after a while you aint bothered anymore. BTW last week i learned how to bend back a brake lever to original without snapping it, and remove the scratches and make an engine bar look like new on my new bike after a stupid no-speed drop coz of lack of concentration. hey-ho, keep on living the life you want m8 & GL
