Do I really need to write this? (Ok, I probably do if you came here from the prompt and not as a follower of my blog).
I’m going on a cross country trip. Heck, I’m going anywhere and my first choice is ALWAYS my motorbike.
It usually only gets swapped for some other mode due to either too many people to bring as well, I have to carry something that doesn’t fit, or I have to leave Australia, or I suppose, last option, the time to get there and back on the bike will be too long to fit into my life.
That’s probably been the case for the past 25 years now.
2003 – My learner bike, the might ZZR250. Loaded for Sydney to Canberra.2007 – The VFR800, loaded for Sydney to Phillip Is, MotoGP2018 – Daytona, also on the way to the MotoGP2022 – The Ninja, to the MotoGP, with camping!
So I am thinking about getting a new bike, but I’m a bit lost.
So the obvious option is to get a new 2026 Ninja 1100SX. Get the bike I really enjoy, but updated. LED headlights (really want these), cruise control, as well as improved suspension and such.
But I have been thinking about adding a bike instead, I can see about maybe 3 different groups to look at.
Something Learner approved* is one group. This could be a naked styled bike, something like a CB500 or a Z400 or something. This would be for riding around town and if anyone else in the house suddenly got the bug to learn to ride. Definitely not a full fairing Ninja 400, but something that is cheap to run, to buy and to keep. I would still commute to work on the Ninja as there’s a big chunk of freeway where the bigger bike shines. The smaller one would be for getting about in town or …. ….well, does that really happen these days with the shop, not really. And after a quick survey of the kids, this category seems pointless.
Next group, something Learner approved that can go on dirt. Now I’m thinking of something that I might be able to travel some different places, but might still work for the girls to learn on (thought we had just dismissed that as a requirement?). Something like the CB500X or the new BMW 450GS or something. Maybe the new KLE500 from Kawasaki. Dirt wise my experience is limited to very slow rides along gravel roads on my road bikes so anything in this category would be something for me to learn dirt on as well. And, as for the next group, something that can cope with a few hours along the asphalt because that is almost a certainty to get anywhere.
Third and final group – something dirt capable, but not a tourer (because I already have one). So looking at something that is quite dirt capable, but still fine long distance on asphalt as basically from Sydney, getting to dirt is a hour or a few hours on the blacktop to get anywhere. I would also be a beginner on dirt, so something that would not bad to learn on, without becoming a limitation after a few trips. Here, maybe the 800/900GS series (would seem too big for what I’m thinking), again the KLE500, perhaps the new Transalp 750? Some of these are a lot less expensive that I expected. I think in this category, it would be more dirt focused, so looking at spoked wheels, larger front wheel type bikes. Not the tall tourer type bikes with forged wheels, because then I may as well stick with the Ninja, it tours better than them on the asphalt.
(I note the KLE500 has knobbier tyres from stock, see above)
It has to be something distinct from the Ninja, otherwise what is the point?
I don’t know what I want. And I don’t know that if I do get something with the idea to get out to some different places, when I would even get to go out there.
Ok then, let’s flip it around and think about what I want to do on this bike. If I think about that, maybe it will help decide.
What I want to do is explore some more of Australia. Nothing wrong with the current Ninja for some of that. Heck, you can do a big lap now and stay on asphalt (as far as I know). BUT, there is a massive part of this country that is NOT on asphalt, far more than a place like USA or Europe. I’m curious about where I might explore if I am able to use dirt roads more. And to be honest, it is a side effect of watching too much YouTube, as most “tourer” YouTubers are on dirt and going to out of the way places. Hence the dirt interest. And don’t seem to have families/kids or jobs that can’t be remote.
Or maybe I just need to go riding to other places. Perhaps this is the silver lining from the change in the MotoGP for 2027. Not locked into dates so much and not locked in to destination. Maybe a ride out to Broken Hill, or north past Newcastle. The driver is a bit of boredom with the roads immediately around Sydney. The big ones – Putty, Nasho, Old Pac don’t really stir my interest as much. Nnot that they don’t have amazing sections, but there’s all the getting to those roads in the first place that seem to get in the way.
Or, here’s a random option, maybe I get a new mountain bike, like an e-bike. I mean that’s getting away for a half day, not a few days and I usually enjoy those rides too. Of course, it would need to stop raining here. Maybe take a couple of days to Canberra now and then. Or Kosciuszko in summer? I hear that’s pretty epic.
Please throw your thoughts at me. Maybe I just need to get out for a ride for a day or two…. it’s been a while. I just checked – 2022 was my last ride further than a day, no wonder I’m feeling a bit lost.
*Like many countries, Australia has a graduated licencing system for motorcyclists, restricting power and/or engine capacity for new riders. NSW is limited to under 660cc and a power to weight as well (that I can’t remember), for about the first 3-4 years of riding. I am well past that, but if anyone in the family wanted to learn the bike would need to comply.
I spent 27 years full time in my first career. Walking away from that was very hard. It had supported me, and then my family. It wasn’t glamorous and while I was comfortable, I was never going to be rich (I still joke that we are the poorest people in our neighbourhood), but I also wasn’t worried about losing the house, or not being able to eat or that the kids couldn’t go to school (though they weren’t going to some expensive private school).
Generally the job had variety, every two or three years my role would change. I had moved past any chance of promotion, but everyone was satisfied that I was doing an excellent job at my level. I occasionally got trips to places, even a few times overseas. It even turned out to be pretty flexible during the COVID and working from home. Day to day, if there were things I needed to do such as kids doctors appointments, almost every supervisor was flexible.
It was almost the job I wanted when I was a kid even, well it was at least in a support role to that job. I guess you’d call it dream job adjacent?
There were a few downsides, the mid level pay being one. But probably the biggest was that every few years, we had to move. Before I was married this wasn’t really a problem. Then after marriage, but before the kids were born, my wife went along grudgingly with a couple of these relocations. And a couple of times, I probably reduced my chance at promotion by electing to remain in location. Later I did a stint where I lived in one town and commuted back on the weekends. Not ideal, but it was a reset for me location wise.
After a few more of these cycles and staying in one place, I knew that time was running out for another move. I discussed it with the family and the decision was to stay here, even if that meant leaving the career behind (and hence the training to be a teacher).
That time came in 2021, so at the end of that year I left. I took a significant pay cut (about 40-45%), I lost some flexibility, day to day, and started out as a teacher.
However, I didn’t need to say goodbye completely. I was able to continue to work in my old career as a casual, originally just during the school holidays (that’s changed last year, when I went casual in both).
I carry a lot of habits and ways of thinking from my previous role into my teaching career. Thankfully in most cases that been useful or at worst just a quirk.
Now I’m kind of part time back, it is not that I need to say goodbye, nor do I want to. I don’t have to any more. But if this casual work was finished up, my now 30 years (60% of my life!) will always be a part of me. Something that will be impossible to forget, even if I’m not working there anymore.
So saying goodbye to it. Well I think that’s impossible.
I don’t DIY very often, and if I do, it’s usually tech based. Trying to get old stuff working or connecting things that weren’t designed to be connected. So sit back for a story about one that isn’t complete.
I put a little bit of money into personalising my second car (it was my first brand new car) such as new wheels and I slightly lowered it, but I put a LOT more into the sound system. It was still a very modest setup, but the tech was pretty advanced at the time. This was 1999, and I was converted to MiniDiscs. I still think they were a great format to move away from cassettes and CDs, but just as they might have been hitting their stride, mp3 music and the iPod arrived, killing all 3 formats.
In the boot a 10″ Alpine Sub was mounted next to an Alpine Flex5 Amp. Hidden behind the original speaker grills across the car were Alpine S-Type speakers. I think 6″ at the rear and 5″ at the front. Almost unnoticeable.
The whole thing was controlled at the front by a matched pair, double DIN set up. The highlight of the setup. This was made up of an Alpine MDA-7755 Mini Disc Head Unit, mated with a CDA-5755 CD Player and Sound Field Processor.
About a year later I moved state and eventually the car needed a service. A few days after the first time the car had been to this new place for a service, it was broken into. The sub and amp were stolen, the head units were not. Nothing else in the car was touched and hence my suspicion regarding the service location. With the car parked in the underground park, the amp and sub cannot be seen (it was a sedan), the speakers are behind the factory grills and the stereo slots look like flat black plastic. No other parts of the car were searched, simply the car was bent open (at the top of the window) and the amp and the sub removed.
What I think saved the head units was that at the time Alpine had a system where you could unclip the face (the shiny light up part) of their head units. They provided a case, and you could slide them into your bag. Not really much bigger than a tv remote. I was very careful to do this, almost all the time the car was parked. Without a face, the head unit was a blank plastic box that they would need to order the parts for. Hard for them to sell off.
Fast forward about 10 years. I still had the two head units. I was mucking about with a computer PC supply when I realised that the supply from the PC matched the car’s supply and I could actually power the units. I started testing my idea.
About the same time I found some Alpine 6×9 speakers on sale and added them. Connecting the MDA to the PC supply and to the speakers was successful. I did have to be clear on exactly which connectors from the supply I was using. But these are detailed and standard. Anyway, I could play music from the system. It was a bit jury-rigged but it was working. I developed some rough plans to create a wooden box in which to mount it all. Get a power switch etc.
So the next step was to connect the CDA which needed an Alpine Ai-Net cable, no worries as I still had my original one. One connection and then power and response from the CDA. Excellent.
But no sound.
You see, once you connect the CDA, the sound signal no longer uses the speaker terminals at the back of the MDA, but uses the RCA connections at the back of the CDA. This is designed to run to an amp.
Which I didn’t have.
And still don’t.
So it’s all sitting in a shoe box in my garage. The speakers carefully packed back into their original box. Until I get around to an Amp. I wouldn’t likely need anything to amazing and certainly with only a pair of speakers an equivalent to the Flex5 is probably not needed. A basic two channel one.
Someday I’ll get back to it. I’ve put it down as my most ambitious as it’s probably one of the few that I haven’t finished.
Ok, so this isn’t a single pair of boots. The boots have been replaced several times, but their role has always been the same. They’re not made for walking, in fact most of the ones I’ve had really suck for walking.
My favourite shoes are my motorcycle boots. Originally I used a pair of my work boots for the purpose, but over the past 20 something years of riding I’ve gone through several pairs. Occasionally I’ve even had multiple at the same time, with specific kinds of riding in mind.
I’m almost in that position now, but the glue holding the sole on my race boots has just died and my newest boots, my tourers, have turned out to be uncomfortable. So a pair of my work boots have ended up back in the role.
Where have they taken me?
A lot of time to work, which also means back home as well.
To the shops, or movies or out for dinner, or just for a ride. And home again.
Around a racetrack, and back home.
Sometimes to friends houses, and back home.
Around some really interesting places in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Victoria. Many of those stories are here on these pages.
The battle has been fought. A winner found and a loser decided.
Partway through these last turns, I had a go at using 1d12 to roll the ‘to hit’, and roll one each for each damage point. This seemed to have the effect of smoothing out the damage over the turns, rather than nothing, nothing, BAM, it was a couple points here, a couple there. I didn’t mind it.
Then for a couple of turns I went back to AS rules, but used a suggestion from the book, to roll the usual 2d6 but roll for each point. Luckily, while I’m not a total dice goblin, I do have several sets of die, so I could easily make 7 sets of 2d6 that were different styles. So I could roll all at once and just pair them up. Oh and that new dice tray from the TMNT KS was handy too.
Overall I didn’t mind Alpha Strike. It is certainly faster, and there is no way I could have completed this game in the 8 or so hours that I managed it in. However, having grown up on Classic, I just felt that I didn’t have as much control, and the mechs were evened out much more. Further, the Clan advantage (at least at the start of the invasion) of better range, better heat management and better skills didn’t seem as noticeable as it is in Classic. *Note – the Inner Sphere mech details I used were for as close to 3050 as I could find, so some may have been upgraded. It’s something I’m going to investigate.
It felt like driving an automatic (AS) vs a manual (Classic). Yes, easier, but you don’t feel like you’re in as much control over what happens.
As for the game itself. The Clan had a rough time. Having lost proportionally more mechs in the first half of the battle, they continued to lose mechs at the same pace as the Inner Sphere. But the IS side had a lot more to start with and the numbers began to tell.
This is as far as the Clan got.
The Clan stopped pressing forward and began to move back and together. 2 groups of Clan formed, but were too far apart for any mutual support.
IS forces pressed forward (they had been retreating, partly out of fear, but also to trap the Clan in a pocket). They split as well, with a group of mechs closing as best they could with the two Clan groups.
The Clan circled the wagons, allowing them to focus fire, but it was too late. The remaining two stars worth faced approximately a company each. They were ground down further.
Grouping up, a last gasp tacticThe Demolishers (tank) put in a good effort in the battle.
As a last play, a Grendel made a run for the back edge of the map. A couple of nice initiative rolls and he was off the map, defeated, but operational. IS had held the day.
Grendel reaches the map edge. 5 mechs in pursuit!
Even with the Clan having better pilot skill (I set them at 3, IS at 4) they didn’t seem to dominate. Perhaps a better plan (maybe a wedge down one side) might have proved smarter. Outnumbered by a full company plus vehicles their charge across the field probably didn’t play to their strengths.
It’s done now. Clan lost 24+both elementals, IS lost 23 + 5 vehicles
Though I wonder about Classic. And some better star/lance compositions, and maybe a bit of a plan…..
Ever since the last BT minis arrived I’ve had this evil idea to do an all-in every mini on the map battle. This would be over 60 mechs. A lot to manage using Classic BT rules.
A friend suggested Alpha Strike, an official BT ruleset I’ve never played, but one that plays faster and simpler. It converts the super math crunchy simulation style of classic, into a Warhammer 40K (I guess, I’ve never played W40K) rapid and simple game.
First up, find the stats for all the mechs in AS. Easily done using the Master Unit List, which provides AS cards for so many mechs and such and is completely above board with Catalyst, the owners of BT. I turned these all into a spreadsheet, with all the IS on one side, and all the Clan on the other. 39 IS (plus 8 vehicles) vs 25 Clan (plus 2 points of Elementals). I put this onto two A4 pages, this would be much easier than trying to shuffle through 70+ cards every combat/move.
Next, AS is usually played on a map that doesn’t have hexes. However, the AS rules include a conversion so you can use all your BT maps with AS (it’s basically divide all distances by 2 to get the number of hexes).
The last hurdle. Where and When could I set this up and play. With my hectic life it would need to be set up for days. I might get a hour or two here or there and it had to stay out of the way of any shop stuff.
Then my Mrs went home for 10 days to see her family (btw, all turned out ok). And there’s that large empty dining table….
I don’t have the AS box set, but I did get the terrain pack from it.
And then the mechs deployed….
I will admit, I haven’t been putting much thought into tactics. It’s so far been a charge forward to the enemy and engage.
So with about, I think, (I just realised, that I haven’t been tracking it) about 4 hours of gameplay, Turn 7 is about to begin.
There are mechs all over the place. Losses have been mounting on both sides.
In fact, interestingly, while the number of mechs lost on both sides is pretty even, it’s actually going worse for the clan. There’s two reasons I think this. They have less mechs to lose, so losing the same number is a bigger percentage of their force. And their mechs are more spread across the weight classes, while the IS losses are mostly lights and mediums.
Clan have lost 13 mechs, including a Timber Wolf, Summoner, Gargoyle and Hellbringer. While the IS has been losing things like Locusts or Fleas alongside some Griffon/Wolverine/Shadow Hawks. Though there are heavier IS mechs still walking that are significantly damaged.
I guess we will see what happens in the second half….
Clicking around WordPress and this prompt came up. So here goes.
Back in 1981, I was just starting Primary school and we picked up a ZX81. It was a tiny thing (well compared to the big bulky TV box it would plug into) with a really awkward keyboard built on to the top. Not keys like you might find on the keyboard, but almost like a touch screen keypad, with no movement.
I will admit to some confused memories here. I remember that ZX81, but then I remember one where someone had built a keyboard for it. I don’t remember if that was our one or one I saw at the time. It had been built into a wooden box with the ZX81 inside and the more normal keyboard on the top.
I do remember we also got a tape drive for it, saving us from having to constantly retype games into it. I don’t think it was any special one, just a normal portable cassette recorder. The games mostly came from books/magazines from the library (I think). I remember having to code them in, or hopefully convincing my mum to type them in, because she could touch type.
Looking back, I don’t remember anyone else having a computer that we knew. A little while later someone in the family convinced my grandad to buy a Commodore 64 (with the floppy drive and monitor as well). My dad has always been interested in the “latest gadgets” even though I would never consider him a bookish or nerdy person. Heck, his main job was originally to do with demolitions. But we always had some new computer, or mobile phone (back when they were brick sized) or the new little PDA (you know, the ones that were like big calculators and you had to carefully type everything into, I’m talking the old Casio things, before Palms etc).
It may have even been because I showed interest in it, as all through our various computers after that, I would be the main user.
After the ZX81, we had an Atari 800XL, then some clone IBM-XT, then a 286. After that I left home, I bought my own first one, an Apple PowerBook 145B. Next was a 486DX4/100. Then there was a bit of a gap, partially filled by a Playstation. Next up, a first generation i7, which only recently transformed into a 11th gen i5. Simultaneously, a 27″iMac replaced later by this one I’m typing on, one of the last Intel 27″ iMacs. I am holding out for a Apple Silicon 27″ but I think that isn’t happening…
I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it here, but I am an enormous fan of The Expanse. I have read and listened to the books multiple times, and watched the series probably getting close to double figures. I am part way through the comics (though these are not written by the same authors). I admit, I haven’t played the Telltale game, but that’s more about me not liking Telltale games than anything.
I was recently watching a YouTube discussing the science of the show. Now while I’m not an astrophysicist or such, I do have some understanding of physics through other parts of my life (pilot training for example). The Expanse universe does have a couple of “made up for plot” devices, like most sci-fi shows. However, while the effect is significant (mostly their Epstein Drive, and the whole protomolecule and aliens) they are actually very restrained. I mean that they don’t use some made up thing to explain everything.
There are several YouTube videos that discuss the well thought out and accurate portrayals of physics within the show. Effects of acceleration, the speed of light and the enormous distances just within our solar system are usually high on this list.
This isn’t what annoyed me.
It’s the “The show did this, the show did that, they even thought to include this real physics………” and so on.
The show did this because THE BOOKS DID IT THAT WAY! The authors, (authors, because S.A. Corey is a pseudonym for two writers: Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) wrote the books to include all this real physics and it OFTEN plays a significant role in the plot.
Now I’ll give credit to the show to keep it they way that they did. They could have taken the ideas in the books, added artificial gravity, instant communications, warp drive, laser weapons and teleportation and created something quite different. I’m sure sticking to some of the ‘rules’ cost extra money and time. But I think you would have ended up with something quite different to The Expanse as all this real world physics often creates the story’s scene and creates some (or a lot) of the dramatic tension in the story. Changing that may have ended up with a show that was SO MUCH LESS than the books (which happens so often).
I would just like these YouTubers to also acknowledge that a lot of this reality is because the AUTHORS of the BOOKS made it this way in the beginning.
And maybe more people will read the books.
Because they are really good.
You might recognise some episode names from these book titles.
They do have some differences, especially later in the stories, but they are really good.
So go read them if you haven’t.
Or listen to the audiobooks, these are excellent too.
2025 was a year of almost two halves for me. I was full-time in my newish career and supporting my wife’s side hustle. Then it was 5 days of work and all weekend in our job, it couldn’t go on. And so I went part time in two jobs while still doing the bigger and bigger side hustle.
Then in the second half of the year we opened our shop and suddenly we’re shopkeepers. This is an EVERY day thing. And suddenly I’m part time this, part time that, part time (feels like full time) shop as well.
About Bikes
Again, mostly disappointing here. No MotoGP trip again. I only lost the money I had spent on tickets. Everything else was booked but not paid. Very expensive repairs were also a part of that.
On the plus side, I have been riding a lot more regularly (commutes mostly) and I am halfway to saving for a new bike.
Riding this expensive eMTB was great fun in Rotorua
About Babes
Eldest is working hard at uni. Second one is changing school, again, but I think this new one will really let her shine. So I’m excited to see how it goes.
Mrs is looking at going full time for the shop, so that will be interesting (and hopefully take some of the load off me).
The Shop
We did have a great trip to Singapore. Lots of amazing food and lots to see and do.
Singapore. Highly recommended as a destination
There has been some reconciliation between my parents and my wife. To the point where the girls and I actually visited them for a week or so in NZ. This was a big positive from my point of view.
About Bytes
Not much going on tech wise. I’ve managed to crack my iPad Pro (M1) screen, but it’s still working. I will see about maybe getting a current or the next iPad Air as they are already up to the M3 chip. Picked up a free Samsung tablet that I have been sort of mucking about with.
Computer gaming – nothing to report. I really need to get back into BG3 and actually finish it.
RPGs – I bought into two franchises that I’ve been a long fan of. Dr Who, which includes sourcebooks for EVERY doctor, including a summary of every episode. An interesting style of game. And a new kickstarter for Matsume Shirow’s Ghost in the Shell (Arise). I jumped in and hope to see it in, maybe 2027?
TMNT kickstarter delivered just before Christmas, that was really nice. Keen to find a way to run a game, once I have a proper go at it.
And of course D&D. After a year of missing half the regular Friday night online games, I’ve finally dropped out of that group. Saturday is a big day in the shop and so Friday is spent organising. It might change in the new year.
But weirdly it has meant I am usually available for the face to face game. To be honest I do prefer that way of playing. Lastly, we successfully ran a series of Play By Email games. I’m currently DM the newest one. This time it’s my own module.
About Me
Goodnight 2025
I was kind of thinking as I quit full time at the end of Term 1 that I would be transitioning into a sort of almost retirement. Instead I am busier than ever, and only manage my own stuff when I steal a day here and there. Cashflow is tight too, though the business is going steady. I also fear any sick days or injuries as I don’t get paid sick leave from any of my jobs. 2025 really didn’t go the way I thought it was going to go. It was hard work and to be honest, I didn’t really enjoy it.
What am I hoping for 2026? Well I think we need to get into a bit of a routine for the shop, and I do think it will be easier with my wife’s plans. I am desperate to travel somewhere on my motorbike, hopefully the MotoGP. Again, I have tickets already. Mainly, I’m hoping I will enjoy 2026 more than this year.
bikesbabesbytes 
