Just Back From A Wee Ride Out

[Jaws]

Welllll.. Not JUST back as we got back on Tuesday..
Did most of Scotland, from Gretna to Fort William to Skye to John O'groats to ... well you get the picture..

We did a total of 2300 miles in the week we was away so a nice relaxed ride.
Must say was somewhat disappointed with the west coast of Scotland due to the roads being so bad, but the east coast was an absolute delight.

The Lorry ( AKA the GL1800 ) seems to have LOVED the whole Scottish thing as it definitely wanted to stay there.. I know this as it dropped bits of its self all over the frigging place !!!!
Cost of replacement parts lost amounts to nearly £200 !! Link Removed ( west coast roads Link Removed )

All in all we had a decent ride though.. The midges ate me alive ( something like 150 bites.. gave up counting after that ) and we did suffer the Scottish equivalent of bright sunshine for three days.. it poured with rain all day and virtually all night ), but as I have often mentioned, I long ago proved I do not melt in the rain so no worries Link Removed

The GL was great at mile munching.. The ride home Was from Edinburgh... 365 miles... Taken at a leisurely pace it took 7 hours. When we got back I was still fresh enough to start cleaning and tidying up everything ( including putting up the tent to let it dry out.. It was so wet water ran out of the thing when it came out of the bag !! )

The GL managed a creditable 44mpg over the whole trip.. And a lot of the roads covered were def fuel gobblers due to constant gear chasing

Tips for would be travellers
Buy a midge hat ! You might look daft ( picture to follow ! ) but they work really well
Do not bother with ANY anti midge stuff.. Nothing works.. Darrell spent about £40 + on just about every possible product including Avon skin so soft, Smidge, sticks of this and that, some weird coil things that you burn like joss sticks and lord knows what else.. Most of the shite attracts them !!!!!
If you aint on a BMW GS avoid the west cost ! Beautiful scenery and wonderful people, but so called A roads that were often worse than a D road anywhere else in the world !
Even Darrell's GS finally succumbed and he now needs the rear shock rebuilt Link Removed
Do not even think about getting fuel on a Sunday over the west side..
There is simply nothing open .. full stop.
The east side is like a different country.
Great roads ( even the small ones were very reasonable though I reckon Thorpe Park would LOVE to emulate some of them.. Talk about roller coasters !!

Best quote heard..
Whilst plotted up at one site in the very heart of the highlands we got talking to a crowd of lads out on a stag week end.

We mentioned that we had the midge hats but they looked so bloody daft we were embarrassed to wear them !!
Och no.. dinna worry about that.. All us locals have them .......
So we whipped out our bank robber masks ( 'cos that is what they look like ! ) and popped them on..
At which point the same guy said..

Yes, we all have them too.. But we aint stupid enough to wear the f'ing things !!!

I have posted a few pics on an album..
Link Removed

 

[hilldweller]

Touring Scotland on a bike is why we bought a MH !

I parked up on a Loch Lomand car park last year, saw wardens van arrive, two wardens got out and started spraying themselves with the biggest can you hold, you could have painted an HGV with the amount they sprayed, they asked me if I wanted a coating, and like an idiot I said no and suffered for it and I was only there an hour.

2300 miles in a week, you are one crazy person.

Was 'er indoors on the back ?

 

[irnbru]

Haha thanks for the laugh.

 

[martin1485]

At least you did not have holes in the awning, a knackered gearbox and a written off trailer this time John.

 

[Jaws]

Touring Scotland on a bike is why we bought a MH !

I parked up on a Loch Lomand car park last year, saw wardens van arrive, two wardens got out and started spraying themselves with the biggest can you hold, you could have painted an HGV with the amount they sprayed, they asked me if I wanted a coating, and like an idiot I said no and suffered for it and I was only there an hour.

2300 miles in a week, you are one crazy person.

Was 'er indoors on the back ?

No mate.. Like the Garda run it was lads only !

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[icantremember]

Hi John, I know exactly what you mean about bits falling off on the Scottish roads. ... we pulled the front off the toad yesterday on the D & G roads and now it's finding it's own way home courtesy of the RAC.

 

[Jaws]

Damn Brian !!! I feel your pain mate !

 

[golly]

Know what you mean about the roads, this is the A890 when we crossed from the west to the east coast in June, about 2 min into the video is interesting

 

[Jaws]

That road is huge and lovely and smooth !!
I will upload one of the vids taken on one of the ride outs later

 

[Gellyneck]

Haha thanks for the laugh.

See Sandra, this is the type of info you give oot to keep Johnny Foreigner oot of oor luverley bit o' the world!

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