![La Belle Etoile - Never too old, never too young](https://cdn.magzter.com/1387429354/1704206726/articles/uoumhxgxU1704276185076/LA-BELLE-ETOILE-NEVER-TOO-OLD-NEVER-TOO-YOUNG.jpg)
However, fate took a turn, my wife found it and picking up on the La Belle Etoile 'Rider Tour', suggested it may be an opportunity for myself and son to share our biking passion. The last chance' she called it; you never know, I'm 74 years old, he's just 22!
It could be an interesting dynamic, given the age difference and the experience of riders that often go for these tours, with a newly-qualified A2 licence holder, where circumstances dictated only 300 post-test miles had been covered and about to go on 1600 miles worth of roads, mostly on the wrong side! For a while I've been concerned as to the amount of testing and training, not to mention the cost, and its impact on getting new younger riders into biking before they can head off into the wide-open spaces and enjoy the freedom that motorcycling offers. So how did the 'suitable for all riders' tour go?..
The three days of touring France started on Monday, June 5. Before that we had to get to our base, La Belle Êtoile - a farmhouse in the Parthenay-Gâtine region of the Deux-Sèvres in western France - 300 miles from our home in North Wales to Portsmouth, followed by the 220 miles or so from Caen.
We'd booked through MSL Tours so it was all hassle-free, Brittany Ferries was, as ever, efficient, and before we knew it we were having early-morning breakfast on board before disembarking and heading south down the A88 to Le Mans. We figured starting on the autoroute was the best way to settle ourselves into the French roads, remembering our A2 rider was by this stage 600 miles into his post test riding experience. Using the A88 was definitely a good choice and we were getting some miles under our belt.
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![Mossy's Knowledge](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5237/1684809/i2p5y0bj81714635990435/MOSSYS-KNOWLEDGE.jpg)
Mossy's Knowledge
Spec sheet terminology - chassis
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Test fleet: Suzuki GSX-S1000GX
Out with the old and in with the new, as Stu picks up a GSX-S1000GX
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Test fleet: Suzuki V-Strom 800RE
I've only had it a few days, but I've liked it since mile one. Hopefully my affection for the Suzuki will continue well into the future
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Test fleet: Yamaha Ténéré World Raid
A lack of a daily commute doesn't mean that mileage is kept to a minimum
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The Longest Day Teapot
While it would've been truly wonderful to have spent time preparing myself and the bike for that one long day of riding in June, there's rather more preliminary work than hoped...
![Premier peninsula perambulations](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5237/1684809/sO8xQuxqu1714635108732/PREMIER-PENINSULA-PERAMBULATIONS.jpg)
Premier peninsula perambulations
Riding locally is all well and good, but Helen wanted some adventure and to get some miles under her wheels
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Around Gran Canaria in three days
What better way to expand your riding CV than with some winter riding in the sunshine of the Canary Islands, and some dramatic mountainous roads
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Pass-ing the time of day
Three of Europe's most well-known mountain passes, all covered in day of mind-bending scenery and nerve-wrenching hairpins one
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Troubleshooting common 12V battery problems
Diagnosing and tracing faults with a motorcycle's electrical charging system can be a daunting prospect, but with a basic understanding of the bike's charging system you can usually get to the nub of what's wrong. We asked the battery-saving experts at OptiMate to outline the main components of the charging system, and the symptoms of the most common problems encountered with them
![Worth Waiting For?](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5237/1684809/HE8NLoac-1714633721717/WORTH-WAITING-FOR.jpg)
Worth Waiting For?
Moto Guzzi is Italy's oldest bike manufacturer in continuous production since its birth in 1921, though Covid forced the postponement by a year of its 100th birthday celebrations held at its Mandello del Lario factory on the shores of Lake Como