Motivation?

Just thought I'd share these with you, they kind of motivate me anyway!!

Last Ride Out Of 2010?

Got out of bed Thursday morning and looked out the window. No rain, no wind and fairly clear skies. Time to get the bike out and have a good ride out! It had been a while since I had been to Edinburgh on the good old A7 so I decided on this as a start for my route. I packed a few things in the tank bag and shoved my "best biking roads" A5 atlas in the map pocket, Checked tyre pressures and lubed the chain. With i-Pod fired up and suited and booted I set out on the first leg which was up to Carlisle and without stopping I got on the glorious A7. I enjoyed the ride on only marginally damp roads to Langholm where a stop for coffee and ciggies was in order. I stopped at the Whitsheil Cafe on the top side of the town where I ordered a mug of coffee and a bacon butty. I was amazed when I was asked for £2.90!Bargain! Bacon roll and coffee devoured and ciggies smoked I set off once more on dry roads and wound the wick up a bit. The ride was fantastic on to Hawick where it was time to fill up with fuel . Tanking up and having another ciggie took only a few minutes and I studied the map and added a little extra loop to my route. Leaving Hawick in lovely sunshine on the A698 I reached the A68 and turned north to Newton St.Boswell where there is a cracking road back across to Selkirk(A699).This was a good idea and well worth the extra miles.
Upon reaching Selkirk the route was pretty much back to original. The A707 is a lovely road with a good surface and nice scenery and I was enjoying it to the full as I motored along with some great tunes on the i-pod and the pipes on the bike playing a superb symphony. The next waypoint was Caddonfoot where the B710 takes you back onto the A7 above Galasheils and I carried on all the way up to the Edinburgh ring road. All my memories of this great road were dredged up and reinforced and I even considered just going back down it!
Instead I found a fuel station on the ring road that also sold a really nice Latte.The bike was nowhere near empty but after my near miss last time out it seemed a good idea to fill up whenever I'm not sure where the next fuel station is. As I indulged in coffee and cigarettes the beautiful weather started to take a turn. The sun disappeared and the sky turned grey. I didn't care, I was enjoying myself and had plenty of time to spare so the A701 beckoned me. The 701 didn't start too brilliantly as it is a bit straight with a few roundabouts but after that it turned into an open flowing road with a few dodgy areas of surfacing.Staying on this until Leadburn where the A703 was my choice to take me down to Peebles. This road wends its way over and through some stunning moorland scenery. It was still dry and I was riding it to the best of my ability(limited as that may be) and enjoying every mile and bend.Such a simple soul really!
Peebles appeared sooner than I expected and it was the A72 to take me back over to the A701. The A 72 is a pretty good road and very enjoyable. The weather was deteriorating steadily with mist coming down as I hit the 701 and a light drizzle soon followed. There is a famous landmark on this stretch of road called The Devil's Beeftub and I wanted to get a picture before the weather made it impossible so I bashed on and got to the viewpoint and took the photos. This is an impressive sight and I enjoyed the scene and a cigarette before motoring on to Moffat. The rain started coming down in earnest and the wind was picking up so I found a nice little cafe in the town called Rumbly Tums and indulged in ,Yes you've guessed it, a bowl of lovely hot soup! That,a double shot latte and a scone with clotted cream and jam put the stuffing back in me. I also had to visit the local public toilets which cost 20p but was really impressive being warm ,spotlessly clean and fragrant! I wish all public conveniences were this nice.
The run from Moffat to Dumfries is great in the dry but it was chucking it down by this stage and the visibility was bad with lots of spray and mist. This combined with lots of artic wagons made it entertaining to say the least!By this point I was wishing I had put on the cordura jacket instead of my leathers. Once I reached the A75 the conditions got even worse but I was determined to bash on to Carlisle where the wet and cold had got to me and I stopped for a coffee and fuel. As I was drinking my coffee and smoking my spirits revived and I saddled up and headed home.
As usual the bike performed flawlessly and the run was a roaring success with loads of different conditions and scenery. I was a bit wet when I got home but that did not matter after a nice cuppa at Mayhem's house and a hot shower. If you are ever in that area give the route a try, 300 miles with fuel available in most decent sized towns , cafes and pubs aplenty and of course , Great biking roads.
I also joined a website called http://www.bestbikingroads.com/index.php
If you are ever after a route for europe or Britain give it a try,they even have an app for i-Phone. You can join and add routes or coment on existing ones.
Well, that may have been the last ride of this year. If it was then it was worthy, if not then I hope the next one is half as good! Mayhem is working away at the moment and was not available so I was on my own again. God I must seem to be a right Billy No Mates! Hope it gets better next year.

Devil's Beeftub

Newcastle by accident!

After reading Bungles' last post I got a bit down myself to be honest. I can fully understand where he is coming from. Trying to arrange things for a group of people is exceptionally difficult. Everyone has different ideas and commitments , work and family as well as financial constraints. I have tried to arrange meets with just three people and found it was next to impossible!
I thought about it for a while and I can honestly say that I think he has done the right thing.I hope you come back to biking soon Mr.Bungle but only when it's right for you.
One of the big problems I face when it comes to getting out on my bike is that I am at work 3 out of every four weekends. I get days off in the week and ten days off evey five weeks but Mayhem (Martin) works Mon. to Fri. I also have friends from work who ride but are on different shifts to me and so getting out in a group is VERY difficult to sort. As a consequence of this I have found myself going out more and more on my own. When I get days off I see if my missus is working and if she is I take off.
Last Sunday was a really nice day and I was on morning shift. Instead of finishing at 2pm I wangled an early finish and got away for 12. Mayhem was available and we took off on the bikes at 12.30. We had a blast down through the Lakes and went over Kirkstone pass and up Hartside(it was foooking chilly up there and blowing like hell). We then went back down Hartside to Penrith and back over Kirkstone into a lowering sun which was interesting to say the least! Windermere back to Workington was accomplished as the sun set and we put the bikes to rest in near darkness.Just 177 miles covered but it was fantastic. My but the nights are cutting in!
Today (Friday) I got up early(day off,missus at work) and thought that the weather looked just about good enough for a run off. I got out the winter cordura jacket though. The temperature has definitely dropped to Autumnal freshness around here. Where to go? I had all day so I got togged up and i-Podded and Pointed the 'Bird towards Carlisle. Had an absolute blast on the A66 to Cockermouth and then the A595 to"The Border City". Getting through Carlisle can be a pain at the best of times but there was an accident which caused massive tailbacks.I filtered with care and got out to the McDonalds where I stopped for breakfast and ciggie.While smoking and finishing my coffee I thought about my last attempt to get round Kielder Water which was foiled by a road being closed. I decided to try again.
Getting onto the A7 I trundled along to Canonbie and turned onto the B6357. This was one of the best ideas I've had in ages. What an awsome road.Decent road surface for the most part and plenty of twisty bits as well as changes in elevation. The scenery is majestic too. Think I've just found another road to add to my "must do as often as possible" list! I cracked on along this road and eventually came to a junction where I turned right. I imediately recognised the new road and realised I was on the A6088 which is part of a run Mayhem and I have done many times. It takes you out onto the A68 at Carter Bar which is the border of England and Scotland. The 6088 is a cracking road as is the A68. I was getting low on fuel and knew that there was a petrol station about 5 miles along the 68 . I pulled in at Carter Bar for coffee and obligatory ciggie.
Carter Bar A68






From here I thought I would get onto the Kielder road which is just after the Petrol station at Byrness but this was not to be. The fuel station had gone bust and I was on fumes! I carried on along the 68 but knew from experience that there were no fuel stops before Hexham which was way further than I would manage. I had never been on the A696 before but figured there would be a fuel station somewhere so I turned onto it and kept going. After passing through Otterburn(no petrol) I saw a sign that said "Border Riever Shop and Petrol 8 miles". Huge sigh of relief! I carried on and got to the station at Kirkwhelpington where I filled the bike to the gunwhales with fuel and then did a double take at the price. £1.29.4 a liter! Cost me £27 to fill up. No wonder it was called the "Border Riever", Dick Turpin would have been proud of the guy that owns this spot! The cashier explained that it was the only fuel between Jedburgh and Ponteland and therefore he could charge what he wanted. Got to say that if I'd noticed before I had filled up I would have only put a tenner in and filled up in Ponteland!
Anyway, tank brimming and ready to boogie I got back on the road and carried on the 696 to Ponteland. Nice road with lots of lovely sweeping fast bends and I really enjoyed the ride. I started to get the feeling that I kind of recognised the road and then I saw a hotel called The Highlander. Suddenly it dawned on me that I had been in that hotel for my brothers' Wedding reception. Next thing I know I am on familiar roads into Newcastle. I didn't hang around and got myself out on the A69 and as soon as I figured a route ,got onto the A695 for Hexham from where ,via theB6035, I could get onto the brilliant A686 for Alston. This scenic and challenging road also incorperates Hartside where I stopped for another coffee and fags.







Hartside and Cafe.

I like Hartside but it is tricky and also bloody cold no matter what time of year you are there. I took my time down to Penrith and thought about just blasting along the A66 to Workington. Still plenty of daylight left so I decide to go over the Kirkstone Pass to Windermere , Again. I love that road and it is so much more interesting than the A66! Windermere along to Ambleside and Keswick was tricky too because the road surface is poor and it was very busy. The road was slightly damp although it was not raining until I got to Keswick. It was a quick blast to Workington after that as it was getting very wet and a bit dark. All in all a very satisfying ride even though I was on my own. Around 260miles of some of the best roads you can get. Thats why I do it.
I swear I will get round Kielder Water one day!

The Times They Are A Changing

Oh Dear!

Well..........Hello peeps.....I know, I know it's been ages since I last posted. A few explanations are in order me thinks............Starting with..........

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2093216.htm

I have been dreading posting that little link, but there you go.

I have been getting more and more frustrated with biking life over the past 18 months. I have tried and tried to keep things fresh and involve the guys in this blog and in runs and weekend trips. But the problem is that apart from those very weekends away not a lot gets done. I started this blog to encourage the guys to become more proactive and to come up with ideas for further adventures and such like.

I think it all started to go wrong when K.G (Remember him?) chucked in the towel due to a biking injury and he was soon followed by H-Boss who had to sell his bike to try and bail out his failing business. Now, I'm not knocking these guys for doing that, of course, after all there are far more important things in life than biking, and I am assured that both will be back with a bang next year.

It was K.G who organised the trips and the days out and would not take no for an answer, whereas I just don't have the balls to shout at people and make people feel guilty like K.G used to (He truly is great at that).

As far as the rest of the guys go, I think I am closest to Zippy, in terms of riding and in terms of family life (we took our tests together and supported each other every step of the way) but Zippy rarely reads this blog, unless he is told about a particular article.

Fruit'n'Barley is pretty much the same and is a very infrequent visitor. Papa Phallus, on the other hand, has been a star. He supports everything we try and do and regularly comments and posts on the blog. Also outside of the blog he is very generous in loaning me garage space for my(?) Blackbird.

I am not trying to knock people or apportion blame for my current state of mind, I was sort of hoping that our Scotland trip would re-ignite fires in us but in all honesty since then I have been on one short blast to Whitby and back, and poor Zippy has not been out at all.

One of the real positives to come out of Scotland was meeting Scotch Broth, I have said it before but he really taught us all a lot and I know my riding is better for it. He is really keen to post on this blog and does so very well, and I hope he continues to do so, and but for a huge amount of lethargy on our part we would (and should) have joined him on his recent trips over to our side of the country. Sorry dude.

Now, before I took up motorcycling I used to do a fair bit of mountain biking and I must be frank and say that nothing, and I mean nothing, comes close to the exhilaration of flying down a sketchy trail on a mountain bike. I stopped mountain biking about 5 years ago, mainly because the job I do was at that time stupidly time consuming and I got very little time off, so the expensive mountain bike had to go. fast forward 2 years and work had calmed down but I didn't think I had it in me to go back to mountain biking so I chose a different path and took up motorcycling. But, fast forward again another 3 years and my youngest son (nippage) buys himself a mountain bike and I promise him that I would buy another bike and show him the ropes. Well, what can I say. It all came back to me within a couple of rides and it was fantastic. I was out riding with both of my sons (we have been out over a dozen times now) getting a little fitter and healthier each ride and just enjoying time spent with my two lads.

So, if the Blackbird sells, (I have had a bit of interest) I think I will be taking a year out of biking and coming back fresh and fired up next year with the rest of the guys. I think Zippy is thinking along the same lines and, in fact, he is already sans bike.

I will continue to post on the blog and keep you informed on what is going on and when I have my new GSXR750 (whoops, let the cat out of the bag there) I will let you all know.....

Sorry for the miserable post

Bungle

NorthYorkshire Again!

After 8 solid weeks of work I have finally got some time off! Of course the first thing I did was waste two days recuperating and sleeping. So Wednesday dawned grey and not very promising but the weather forecast assured me that the best weather in the country would be North Yorkshire. Dithering and wondering if I should trust the forecast cost me about an hour and then I thought "bugger the weather , I need to get out and enjoy myself". I chucked some clean clothes into my tankbag, checked the i-pod was charged and got out my new "Skull-candy" earphones. Yorkshire here we come!
Predictably as I got the bike out and checked oil,tyre pressures and lubed chain it started to rain. I ignored the rain and pretended it was sunny and warm.Didn't even bother with the waterproofs and just saddled up and pushed on. I took a pretty indirect route down to Kendal by going down the A595 and turning of at Silecroft and going round to Coniston and then Ambleside and then Kendal. I was really looking forward to the A684 and I was not disappointed as the road was bone dry and the sun was shining. I really got a wriggle on and was in Sedburgh in no time only to find that the road to Hawes was closed. A diversion up the A683 to Kirby Stephen and back down the B6259 to Garsdale Head got me back on track. I did not realise that I had missed the famous Buttertubs Pass by a few miles. I cracked on along the A684 through Hawes and Wensleydale to Leyburn where my stomach reminded me that I was not part of a Honda and that it required sustenance. A lovely cup of coffee and a Masham Pork sausage butty refuelled me and I was off again towards Northallerton where I decided to go to Thirsk where I desperately had to refuel. That is the first time ever I've got 175 miles on one tank. The A170 and Sutton Bank were next and after negotiating that I decided to get onto the B1257 for Malton.
Malton to Pickering and on to the Hole of Horcum where I stopped for a photo or two and then a visit to Goathland. The scenery was stunning and the village is immaculate and there are even a couple of Ford Anglia police cars and a steam train! From Goathland I stayed on the minor roads to join the A171 for Whitby and after a quick visit there I got back on the 171 and continued down the coast to Scarborough where I had a coffee,fag and photo stop. I also had a chat with a chap on a Rizla liveried GSXR1000 who had a sticker on his bike that said he had been on the Timmelsjoch Pass between Italy and Austria. We had a reminisce about that as I have been over it too(2840m and snow flurries in August). He also told me where the Buttertubs Pass was and I new I wouldn't get to do that on this run. It was now about 6.30 pm and the clouds had come down and it was looking decidedly murky. Having put some clothes and a pair of trainers in the tankbag "just in case" I thought about looking for a B&B and staying over. I headed back along the A170 and down Sutton bank to Thirsk where it started to rain in earnest and I thought the B&B was a winning idea. I pulled in at a pub but they were full and so was the next, the Vale of York, but the manager phoned around and found me a room at the Poplars which was only 50yds down the road. Quick shower and shave(I always carry toiletries in my tankbag) and back to the Vale of York for tea and a few libations to cure the aches and pains. I was absolutely bushed and after my tea and drinks I headed back to the Poplars for a well earned kip. (Quick aside here; My mrs was not too chuffed with me, she was on a nightshift!)
Thursday dawned bright and sunny. No it bloody didn't! It was bloody pissing down and misty. After a quick fag (and nicoteen rush) I was provided with a sumptuous breakfast of finest Yorkshire produce and then I had to brave the Elements and don my waterproof jacket. Yes, its still too tight but the magic still works! As I motored along the A61 the sun broke through and I quickly re-evaluated my options and after reaching Ripon the Buttertubs Pass beckoned. Up the A6108 to Leyburn(quick stop for fuel, antacid tablets,water and fags) and then along to Hawes where I found the turnoff and ,with some trepidation, headed ove the pass. The Blackbird is probably not the best tool for this sort of road but it was still fun even with standing water and dubious road surface. I thoroughly recommend it , preferably in the dry.
By this time I was trying to think of ways to prolong my ride out and delay the homeward trail. From Thwaite along to Nateby and back down the B6259 to Garsdale Head and then back to Hawes for a trip down theB6255 and past the incredible Ribblehead Viaduct. Forgot to stop for a photo, Doh! This road took me onto the A65 to Kirby Lonsdale and Devil's Bridge where I stopped for a cup of tea and a chat with a chap on a BMW1150RT. Nice bloke and enjoyed the chat.
I put off going home by getting on the A583 back up to Sedburgh and then the A684 back to Kendal where it started raining but I kept going and soon ran out into sunshine again.The run to Windermere was uneventful and Ambleside came into view. Time for a pee stop and a decision on my route home. Ambleside to Workington via Keswick 38miles , Ambleside to Workington via Coniston, Broughton-in-Furness, Holmrook and Whitehaven 68miles. Coniston it is then!
On the way home just after Whitehaven it started to rain like it was trying to re-enact the Flood of Noah and I got thoroughly soaked in the last 8 miles of my nearly 600 mile journey! Still ,I will not complain and it was bloody brilliant. I am so glad I took the chance to get away , all that would have made it better would have been some company.

Whitby and Yorkshire moors

What a fantastic day i have just had! Myself and Mayhem decided to make a day of it and set off this morning at 9.30 to get over to the East coast and enjoy the Yorkshire Moors. We set off from Workington and got to Keswick in short order. We got onto the A591 and enjoyed the ride down to Kendal and then onto the A684. What an absolute treat this road is,twisty and challenging. I had never been this way before and was blown away by the road and the scenery .I will definitely be doing this road again although I hope the stretches of Tar-and-chipping resurfacing will have a bit less loose gravel next time!
We stopped at Leyburn for a smoke and a drink and then carried on to Northallerton,Brompton and A19. A quick blast up to the A172 and Stokesly where we turned onto the B1257. Although this is classed as a B road it is a two carriageway road and is really good. It does have the obligatory "number of Motorcyclist casualty" signs as do most of the roads in this area. This does cause me to wonder why there aren't signs saying how many four wheeled accidents there have been as well. Surely someone must realise that roads like this attracts bikers so there are likely to be more accidents, probably not helped by the number of car drivers that don't know what mirrors are for!
I decided to follow the B1257 all the way down to Malton and then turn onto the A169 and go up to Pickering and over the Goathland Moor. What an incredible experience it was with the sun shining on the heather and a very enjoyable road. I hope to do this route again very soon.
Arriving in Whitby we quickly found the famous Whistlestop Cafe. I was looking forward to some Whitby Scampi and chips but it turned out we were too late and I settled for a bit of Quiche and the biggest slice of chocolate cake I have ever seen. Mayhem went over the road to a chippy and got fish and chips(smartarse). After refreshments and ciggies it was time to head for home and as I was in charge of navigation I got on the A171 and then over to Darlington. I then got onto the A68 and followed this until I could get onto the A689 for Alston and over Hartside to Penrith.This stretch of road from the cafe down to Melmerby was as demanding as ever with its tight hairpins,blind corners and the usual traffic.You just have to relax and take it steady. A quick blast along the A66 saw us arrive home at 8pm having completed over 360 bloody great miles,two tanks of fuel and some fantastic Yorkshire scenery. I still have a stupid big grin as I write this!
Mayhem had enjoyed himself as much as I did and we both hope to do it again in the company of Mr.Bungle,Zippy and crew. Hope to see you soon guys!

Going Home

The Scotland Trip has been very excellently documented by Mr. Bungle and there is not much that I can add except to say that I did not do much waiting for anybody . It was great fun on and off the bikes. When we reached Dumbarton I had to split from the guys as I was heading to Dumfries to visit my brother. We headed over the Erskine Bridge and I got on the M8 to head for the coast and get onto the A76 to Dumfries. The sky was black and it appeared that I would be able to skirt the storm , or I would if I hadn't took the wrong turn that was taking me right into it! All of a sudden the visibility was down to 20 Meters and the motorway was inches deep in water. The cars were making bigger bowwaves than the ferry had! I looked for the next exit and managed to get turned in the right direction but the delay meant that instead of skirting the edge of the storm I would be in and out of the front all the way to Dumfries. Hey Ho, thats the way it goes sometimes. I dont mind riding in the rain but the wind was really bad at times and that can be scary.
I had meant to get onto the A737 but had turned onto the Westbound side of the M8 and after I had got onto the Eastbound carriageway I had to ride in that freakish wind and rain back to where I wanted to be. On the A737 down to Irvine I could get the speed back up a bit and even enjoyed the road. It is pretty damn good in the dry. Some of the idiot car drivers were driving along in the spray off the vehicles in front with no lights on . Apart from the spray it really was pretty dark. Irvine to Kilmarnock was fairly dry but as it is dual cabbageway there was no shelter from the bloody wind and as Mr.Bungle said when you are leaning over to go in a straight line it kinda puts a dent in your fun!
From Kilmarnock to Dumfries was great as always as it is fairly sheltered and once again I was out of the rain. I really got the hammer down and enjoyed this fantastic road. I got to my brothers house where he showed me his new Arai and his wifes new Flip front helmet with built in sun visor. The Box was really smart but the Arai was just really special. (Green with envy) He then showed me the route he has planned for his two week motorbike holiday in the alps and Lake Maggiorre in Italy. (Positively bloody Green with envy) . After spending some time with him and his wife I headed back to Workington. On getting to the outskirts of Carlisle the wind was not trying to push me sideways, instead it was trying to lift my helmet off and I can say that last 35 mileswas the most uncomfortable ride I've ever had!
It was still the best fun you can have with your clothes on and I would travel anywhere with this bunch! Can't wait to get over to the North East to see what the roads are like over that way.

Scotland Trip Day 4

"Gusty Gusty Windflap"

And so, after three superb days of riding some of the best roads our little island possesses. It was time to head home. Five weary but happy travellers facing all that the weather Gods could throw at them.

It had been pretty much persisting down all night and the morning seemed no better as we headed up the singletrack road out of the village. The little babbling brook that followed the line of the road was by now a raging torrent of copper coloured, foam topped water that was being fed by water streaming down the sides of the mountains. It was awe inspiring to witness. It was like Mother Nature had decided to put on a display of power and majesty to make sure we would never forget our little foray into this truly beautiful part of the world.

None of us had breakfast that morning so we agreed we would call in to a suitable café in Arrochar for a bacon butty and a warming mug of coffee. We found a suitable place just on the outskirts of Arrochar, it was a converted church. The bacon butties were excellent, and gave us a bit of respite from the driving rain.

We got ourselves suited and booted once again, but this time in glorious sunshine. Zippy approached his bike ready for the off, turned the ignition on and the bikes alarm/immobiliser kicks in. Zippy tried to disarm the alarm, but nothing would turn the bloody thing off. The poor lad. What with all the MOT trouble he‘d suffered, he didn’t need this. He made a quick call to enquire about using the breakdown cover on his insurance, it was good to use but would take an hour two to reach us.

We decided to have a look and see if we could sort the problem ourselves. Myself and Scotch Broth both come from a mechanical background, so we had a little usable knowledge on tap.

We stripped off the nose cone and screen to get at the alarm which was mounted just underneath the clocks. Scotch Broth pulled out the alarm multiplug, bridged a couple of terminals, and hey presto, the bike started. Zippy was a happy chappy. And Mr. Broth, you’re a genius…

Back on the bikes we headed of along the A82 past Loch Lomond and onto a fuel stop at Dumbarton. After fuelling up Scotch Broth told us that he would be heading back down the A76 to Dumfries to visit family, where as we were going to blast along the M8 and down the M74 and get home in time for Sunday dinner. So we said our farewell’s and parted company just after the Erskine Bridge crossing.

The wind was really starting to pick up by now and felt almost gale force in strength. It was going to be no fun at all traversing the moors on the M74.

In actual fact the wind on the M74 was bad, but nowhere near as bad as it got around Carlisle and the open sections of the M6. For quite long stretches we found ourselves in the inside lane doing 55-60 mph just to avoid being blown across two lanes. After 30 minutes of buttock clenching we reached the relative sanctuary of the A66, the wind was now at our backs so we could relax a little and make up for lost time.

Before long we were home, the bikes were filthy, we were knackered but very happy.

It was a fantastically successful trip. On a personal note, I have learned loads over the four days and I can’t thank Scotch Broth enough for joining us and putting up with our limited abilities and basically being an all round good egg. You’re a top man Mr. Broth.

And so another year, another OMP road trip. So where to next year guys??????????

Bungle

Scotland Trip Day 3

"I Neeeeeeed Alcohol"

Day 3 started with another visit to the shop in the middle of the holiday complex. Myself, F’n’B (naturally) and Zippy elected to walk rather than ride this time, for 2 reasons, to get a bit of fresh air and also to give Scotch Broth time to finish his colossal breakfast banquet.

Inside the shop we, once again, noticed the shop assistant giving F’n’B the eye. I nudged him and tried to get him to go across for a chat but I think the poor lad was a little shy and resisted all attempts.

we picked up our Crunchy nut Cornflakes (tut!) and milk and headed to the counter. Zippy was stood perusing the chocolate bars and shouted across “Anybody want owt?”. To which F’n’B replied “Yeah, I’ll have a Lion Bar”. Once again we all fell about laughing, in front of a very confused shop assistant.

Today’s ride was going to be a short blast to Stirling. Basically to try and find a bike dealer. F’n’B’s visor had turned opaque the previous day and now Papa Phallus’ had gone the same way. We still have no idea what caused the problem, it looked like both visors had been cleaned with a petrol soaked rag, but of course this wasn’t the case. It would have to be a case of, grin and bear it until we found replacements in a suitable bike dealers.

We had no idea if Stirling had any bike dealers, but being a fairly major city, it was reasonable to assume that at least one dealer would be found. Checking beforehand on Google was out of the question because mobile phone signals were none existent in Lochgoilhead.

The clouds overhead looked a touch angry as we set off along the Lochgoilhead to Rest and be Thankful singletrack road. This could be the day we all get a good soaking.

Next it was along the A83 to Arrochar and then Tarbet and onto the A82 which hugs the coast of Loch Lomond. This is a very twisty stretch of road and would be superb but for hundreds of tourist cars and caravans and quite a few sections of road works. Not that I’m complaining about the tourists mind, that is what we were after all and who am I to deny people access to this beautiful area.

We passed through Inverarnan and continued on to Crianlarich in search of a fuel stop, none found, we continued a little further north to Tyndrum where we found fuel and a great little café with dedicated motorcycle parking. Their were about 2 dozen bikes parked up, all manner of types on show from Fireblades through Fazers to a group of three 500cc Scooters (Ahem, Mr. Broth).

The coffee’s we ordered and the smattering of bikes on display gave us a much needed distraction from the heavy rain shower now passing through the area, we timed that one perfectly.

So, back on to our main objective. Re-tracing our steps soon found us back at Crianlarich and from here we picked up the A85 to Callander and Stirling. The journey to Callander (now on the A84) was pretty uneventful with both F’n’B and Papa Phallus taking it steady due to poor visibility, one or two heavy downpours didn’t help matters, but we soon found ourselves in heavier traffic on the outskirts of Stirling.

One small point to note, we once again bumped into the three 500cc scoots (ahem!). Made good headway they did….

In Stirling we parked up at McDonalds for a healthy, nutritious lunch. Well, apart from Scotch Broth of course who was still full from breakfast. We now had a full mobile signal and could search around for a dealer. One found, we set off in search. It had closed down a while back, we were informed. The nearest one was now in Falkirk, Oh hum!

A short blast and we were parked outside of Jim Allan Motorcycles. A quick chat with the very helpful staff, two visors fitted and we were on our way back, re-tracing our steps back to Lochgoilhead.

The journey back was superb, the roads had dried out completely and were now virtually empty so good progress was made.

The A85 back to Crianlarich was fantastic, not particularly challenging but stretches of the road were nice and wide with good long straights. Perfect for getting a bit of wind in you’re sails. Papa Phallus and Scotch Broth were like men possessed and soon disappeared out of sight, only to wait a few miles up the road for the rest of us lagging behind.

Before we knew it we were back at our digs and getting ready for a night on the er….village.

It was Papa Phallus’ birthday so we were determined to get a bit drunk and celebrate in style. Rumours of us throwing him in the Loch were totally unfounded although the thought did cross our minds.

We sampled a bit of local fair in the shape of Haggis lasagne, doesn’t sound right but is actually superb. A good few beers, a few single malts and rums and everyone was starting to relax and basically look totally knackered but a good time was had by all. It was time to call it a night, so we gathered outside the pub where Scotch Broth was doing his utmost to add to his fine array of midge bites (he is an avid collector) when we were approached by the local wrecking crew (actually 2 girls and a guy) they said they had been to a party at the local village hall but were now on the lookout for alcohol. “I neeeeeeeed Alcochol” shouted one of the girls. Poor Nippage looked a little nervous in the face of this outburst as he was the only one carrying any booze, namely a half drunk bottle of Bud. But in all honesty they seemed nice kids and soon went on their way to find a suitable supplier.

Which left us to retreat to our apartment for a lovely game of Buckaroo and Operation, and you will be pleased to find out we managed to complete both games quite easily with a fine array of extra furnishings, stories about which we will leave for another day

Bungle