Fine ride out from London on one of the warmest days of this summer on the hired VFR800A9. Lots of fun in the Cotswolds, coming down the challenging curves of Fish Hill, there’s a convenient roundabout at the bottom at Broadway to turn around and run the curves uphill. One lap to check it out and then a couple more for fun.
The Malvern Hills aren’t huge but the roads are good for some careful sport. Pause for a family lunch and then back down interesting roads to ride along the west side of the Severn Estuary to Chepstow. No toll eastbound on the bridge to leave Wales, pause for tea with GSXR Tony in Bradley Stoke, then the M4 back to The Smoke, beautiful sunset in the mirrors. About 375 miles, I saw 28°C highest temperature, and even after sunset, nothing lower than 21°C: what a treat!

Read more: Cotswold-Malvern-Severn

VFR800A9 (2013) on hire for a couple of days. V-four engine that's quite lively, plus Honda's friendly handling. This one pudders a bit at low revs as if it is a twin, maybe they all do it or maybe this one could do with a tune. Hope this hire works out better than the last one: A problem

Huge hurrah for Cal Crutchlow, clear winner of the Czech MotoGP 2016. Fingers crossed for Silverstone in ten days time. Britain hasn’t had a winner of a premier class motorbike Grand Prix since London’s Barry Sheene won five 500cc Grands Prix in 1976, bringing him the 1976 World Championship, he retained the Championship again in the 1977 season with six victories. Barry Sheene’s last win was the 1981 Swedish Grand Prix, that was on a privateer Yamaha bike. My photo from the January 1980 Motorcycle Show at Alexandra Palace shows me astride Barry Sheene’s Heron-Suzuki RG500 that had been his ride when I saw his battle at Silverstone for the hard-fought 1979 British Motorcycle Grand Prix.

Taking a break in the relative cool of the oak forest at about 600m. altitude on Mont Ste. Baume; circadas chattering at an almost deafening racket  This afternoon's heat is too hot to ride a motorbike - I've seen thermometers showing 35°C and more today since riding out from Marseille after a coffee and croissant petit déjeuner. Back on the road, refreshed by a diet cola and an orange, I enjoyed riding down that favourite road, the route down from the Col de l'Espigoulier (723 m.)