Christmas 2015 : All Wrapped Up!

Well that’s Christmas all wrapped up for another year.  364 Sleeps until the Big Man issanta-with-babes1 back.  Make sure you behave to keep yourself off the naughty list!

I hope you got all you wished for, and if not, never worry, there is always next year!

Have a safe Holiday Season and onto the next stage… A Happy New Year!

 

Honda Announce Pricing for Africa Twin CRF1000L Travel Edition :

Honda announces the prices for the Travel Edition of their all-new, highly anticipated CRF1000L Africa Twin, a bike that comes in standard and DCT trims, and which is equipped with travel-focused accessories.

The CRF1000L Africa Twin Travel Edition package consists of a pair of side cases, a top case, crash bars, heated grips, central stand, LED fog lights, and a 12V socket. Bought separately, these add to the sum of €3,152, the equivalent of £2,320. The package is €2,750 ($2,024), and you don’t have to do any self fitting.

Honda are offering four models that can be equipped with the Travel Edition, and this doesn’t include the basic version. ABS and DCT models are the only ones than can be had in Travel trim, for the following prices:

– 15,650 euro(ABS flat color), equivalent to £11,519 / $17,000
– 15,950 euro (ABS Tricolor), equivalent to £11,740 / $17,327
– 16,800 euro (DCT flat color), equivalent to £12,365 / $18,250
– 17,100 euro (DCT Tricolor), equivalent to £12,585 / $18,576.

Of course these prices have not yet been confirmed in the UK, and with the fact that Rip-Off Britain will no doubt be a factor take these GBP prices as a best case scenario, remembering they are likely to be much more!

It does look great though…

IMG_1723

Honda Africa Twin CRF1000L – Release Imminent

With the imminent (UK) release of the new Honda Africa Twin (CRF1000L) I thought it only fitting to throw together a little gallery to wet your appitite towards what is one of the most highly anticipated adventure style / dual sport motorcycles to be released in a decade.

As an owner of a 2002 RD07a Africa Twin I am excited, but will it be enough to draw me away from  my excellent BMW F800 GSA Travel Edition?  Who knows!

In the meantime and on the run up to release here is a little teaser…

Instagram : HondaAfricaTwinCRF1000L – Follow this Account on Instagram from more photos of and dedicated to the New Honda Africa Twin :

Read more

Be Absolutely Certain Mark Zuckerberg is NOT giving Away Millions to Facebook Users…

You may have seen a post similar to this floating about Facebook today…

THANK YOU, MARK ZUCKERBERG, for your forward-thinking generosity! And congrats on becoming a dad!

 Mark Zuckerberg has announced that he is giving away $45 billion of Facebook stock. What you may not have heard is that he plans to give 10% of it away to people like YOU and ME! All you have to do is copy and paste this message into a post IMMEDIATELY. At midnight PST, Facebook will search through the day’s posts and award 1000 people with $4.5 million EACH as a way of saying thank you for making Facebook such a powerful vehicle for connection and philanthropy. ?

It is an absolute load of rubbish, a hoax, untrue, lies. Whatever you want to call it, $4.5 Million will not be given away at midnight. Not a single cent will. 

Don’t feed the trolls and don’t share such nonsense on your Wall News Feed. 

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2015/12/08/facebook-hoax-alert-no-mark-zuckerberg-is-not-giving-4-5m-to-people-like-you-and-me/
http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/hoax-alert-no-zuckerberg-isnt-giving-millions-facebook-users-n476551
In fact pretty much all news sources online are covering this in case you need any further proof. 

Coming Soon : The Game of Thrones Locations : Motorcycle Tour

With the pretty huge success my WAWIn1Week posts received and the great feedback that came with it I just thought I would let you know that I have another dedicated motorcycle post coming soon.

With the massive current popularity of Game of Thrones, and the fact that I live in the country where so much filming of it happens I took the opportunity this summer to follow the Northern Ireland Tourist’s Board Map of Game of Thrones Filming Locations.

From this I have put together some nice photographs of the locations themselves and then for the bike fans, some pics of these locations with my bike, combining scenery and machinery!

I will post up the Galleries in the coming weeks so please feel free to subscribe to this blog, or follow me on Twitter or Instagram (@TomBoyNI) for regular updates.

For further information on the locations themselves here is a handy link :

https://www.discovernorthernireland.com/gameofthrones/

(There are plenty of Tours in action in relation to these locations, however if an organised Tour isn’t your thing, just remember this.  Northern Ireland is in itself a small country.  Nothing is too hard to find or too far away, a good sat nav will easily take you to all of these locations, I will add specific addresses etc to each posting to make it even easier).  Half the fun is exploring yourself so don’t be afraid to take yourself, in fact I recommend it!  And even if you do get lost you are never to far away from a pub, or local shop to stop in for a coffee and some sound free local advice!)

Screen Shot 2015-04-01 at 13.14.27.png
Game of Thrones Filming Locations – Northern Ireland

Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way : The World’s Longest Dedicated Coastal Route – In 1 Week : #WAWIn1Week

WAWIn1Week #WAWIn1Week Logo

Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way :

Here are the links to the complete ride report on my #WAWIn1Week Trip, there is plenty of other interesting stuff on the site, I hope, so feel free to have a look about, but if you have come here for the Wild Atlantic Way reports, here is everything you need.  Thanks for stopping by and having a look and hopefully you enjoy the photos and reports!

#WAWIN1WEEK – WILD ATLANTIC WAY IN 1 WEEK – THE GEAR… : https://tbni.blog/2015/08/10/wawin1week-wild-atlantic-way-in-1-week-the-gear/

#WAWIN1WEEK : WILD ATLANTIC WAY IN 1 WEEK : DAY 0 – TRAVEL DAY : https://tbni.blog/2015/08/18/wawin1week-wild-atlantic-way-in-1-week-day-0-travel-day/

#WAWIN1WEEK : WILD ATLANTIC WAY IN 1 WEEK : DAY 1 – KINSALE TO KENMARE : https://tbni.blog/2015/09/02/wawin1week-wild-atlantic-way-in-1-week-day-1-kinsale-to-kenmare/

#WAWIN1WEEK : WILD ATLANTIC WAY IN 1 WEEK : DAY 2 – KENMARE TO BALLYBUNION : https://tbni.blog/2015/09/13/wawin1week-wild-atlantic-way-in-1-week-day-2-kenmare-to-ballybunion/

#WAWIN1WEEK : WILD ATLANTIC WAY IN 1 WEEK : DAY 3 – BALLYBUNION TO CLIFDEN : https://tbni.blog/2015/09/20/wawin1week-wild-atlantic-way-in-1-week-day-3-ballybunion-to-clifden/

#WAWIN1WEEK : WILD ATLANTIC WAY IN 1 WEEK : DAY 4 – CLIFDEN TO SLIGO : https://tbni.blog/2015/10/11/wawin1week-wild-atlantic-way-in-1-week-day-4-clifden-to-sligo/

#WAWIN1WEEK : WILD ATLANTIC WAY IN 1 WEEK : DAY 5 – SLIGO TO LETTERKENNY : https://tbni.blog/2015/11/06/wawin1week-wild-atlantic-way-in-1-week-day-5-sligo-to-letterkenny/

#WAWIN1WEEK : WILD ATLANTIC WAY IN 1 WEEK : DAY 6 – LETTERKENNY TO MUFF (DONEGAL) : https://tbni.blog/2015/11/17/wawin1week-wild-atlantic-way-in-1-week-day-6-letterkenny-to-muff-donegal-2/

Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way - The Route
Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way – The Route

Please feel free to tag your images with the WAWIn1Week hashtag!

INSTAGRAM #WAWIn1Week : https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/wawin1week/

TWITTER #WAWIn1Week : https://twitter.com/search?q=WAWIn1Week&src=typd

 

Wild Atlantic Way In 1 Week : DAY 6 – Letterkenny To Muff (Donegal) : #WAWIn1Week

WAWIn1Week #WAWIn1Week Logo

WILD ATLANTIC WAY IN 1 WEEK : DAY 6 – Letterkenny To Muff (Donegal)

Update : The YouTube video of Day 6 is now available for your viewing pleasure…Enjoy!

It is now Saturday 1st August 2015, the last day of my Wild Atlantic Way Trip.  From start of the trail to this point has been five full, long days, today being the sixth.  My target – The Wild Atlantic Way in 1 Week.  I have only one more leg to do and it will be achieved, with a full day to spare.  Result, almost.

Today’s leg looks a short one, Letterkenny to Muff in Donegal.  Muff as you can already expect must be one of the most photographed town signs on the whole island.  It is called Muff after all!  I estimated today leg about 200 miles, for once this estimate was reasonably accurate!

Yesterday’s horrendous weather is a distant memory, but there are still a few very dark and ominous clouds floating about.  Fingers crossed!

WAWIn1Week – Letterkenny to Muff – Day 6
WAWIn1Week – Letterkenny to Muff – Day 6

One Signature Point on the Route today :  (The most Westerly point on the above map is Fanned Head which was covered on 31/07/2015).

  1.  Malin Head :
Wild Atlantic Way – Malin Head
Wild Atlantic Way – Malin Head

Rugged yet inviting, Donegal’s Malin Head is steeped in history and offers activities such as walking, fishing, swimming and bird watching. Here, north of Trawbreaga Bay, you can view Five Finger Strand, home to some of Europe’s largest sand dunes. At low tide, you can even spot the wreckage of the ‘Twilight’, which sank in 1889 while sailing to Derry. For more history, follow the coast road. You’ll pass the old radio station, built in 1910, and The Tower, a derelict signal station located on Banba’s Crown, the most northerly point in Ireland. It’s the perfect place to relax with a picnic, as the stunning panorama includes Inistrahull and Tory islands, as well as the Scottish hills on a clear day. Plus, you can work off any extra indulgences with a walk along the cliffs to Hell’s Hole, a chasm where the tide rushes in with impressive force. If treasure hunting is more your speed, head east to Ballyhillion beach, which dates back to the ice age and is known for its many semi-precious stones.

Read more

Wild Atlantic Way In 1 Week : Day 5 – Sligo to Letterkenny : #WAWIn1Week

WAWIn1Week #WAWIn1Week Logo

Wild Atlantic Way In 1 Week : Day 5 – Sligo to Letterkenny

Update : The YouTube video of Day 5 is now available for your viewing pleasure…Enjoy!

Friday 31st July 2015 takes me onto the penultimate day of my Wild Atlantic Way adventure.  I mentioned previously that by Day 4 I was really enjoying myself and after a long day yesterday, and a night in a great hotel I am thinking I need to get back here and do this whole thing a whole lot more slowly.  I remember the few things that were annoying me over the first couple of days and now realise they weren’t really that annoying, just a fact of travelling on a tourist route growing in popularity.

I take a look over the map, the route taking me from Sligo to Letterkenny, and it looks like it is another long day, but then I look at the weather.  Oh dear.  This does not look too promising, there is a yellow warning for rain!  I’m going to get wet!  Also my initial and completely inaccurate distance calculations have me travelling 186 miles today.  So I’m definitely more than that!

Leaving the hotel and things are dry, however the sky is very dark, grey and ominous and it doesn’t take too long for the skies to open and boy they open!  I got wet on my journey down to the start of the WAW, and that only took me 4 hours, today I’m sure I have 10 -12 hours of it it looks like the only question will be how will the gear hold out?

WAWIn1Week – Sligo to Letterkenny – Day 5
WAWIn1Week – Sligo to Letterkenny – Day 5

Three more Signature Points to visit today (Downpatrick Head is the most Southerly Signature Point on the map, however it was visited yesterday).  Today’s points are :

  1.  Mullaghmore Head.
  2. Sliabh Liag.
  3. Fannad Head.

(The other point on the map above between Sliabh Liag and Fannad Head is Donegal Airport – a small airport with services Dublin with two daily flights.)

Read more