BootsnAll Travel Blogs

had some good rides thru August – mainly with Tucker on his panzer and joined by a few of the scots lot:
We headed up to Selkirk where we met up with Grumpy, Alzo and Macfazer. The ride continued on the well worn path thru St. Marys loch (not literally) to Moffat for lunch and then after some deliberation on which road was being shown as closed on the signposts (we all read the same first line and no-one actually got to the 2nd line that had the road number written on it!) up the A7 (and a passed Selkirk a gazillion times) to Leith, where we joined Chyrel and Macfazers wife
We had a night on the tiles starting with a good meal at a local bar, before heading to a gay bar (I kid you not…. well OK its not normally a gay bar…..oh hang on, that doesnt sound right either…) was a good night anyhoo
next morning, Chyrel produced the usual fabulous breakfast (was it 2 or 3 types of ‘black’ pudding this time!?)
then we chilled for a while and watched the motogp, before saying our goodbyes and heading back down thru the borders
Tucker and I hd a few good runs round the usual MiT/alston loop including a really nice run one evning with a stop for fish & chips in MiT (and meeting his aunt and her friend) …sadly I found I had a flat tyre on the way back..tho that didnt stop me getting my knee down on the roundabout in Shields
……what it did mean was that I needed a new set of tyres, seeing as the flatty was due to 3!!!!!! punctures in the rear!….. a trip to Hunters relieved me of £169 and left me with a set of Maxxis new Diamond tyres on my bike
…within a week I had just about 1300 miles on those tyres….. LIKING them too! ..for a budget priced tyre, they grip and seem to have low wear too
Another trip up to Selkirk ensued thru the borders…stopping for coffee at NCL airport, then the buddhist monastery in Jockland, at Selkirk and then St. Marys loch! ..all before lunchtime too! when we eventually arrived at Moffat, we met up with Grumpy, Chyrel and Rhino on his Trumpet.
lunch kindly paid for by grumpy and after they all swapped bikes and congratulated themselves on having great taste 😉 and we were off again for a very quick ride thru the usual culprits including a trip thru Kelso which was new to me. With time getting short (I had a night out planned, Tucker and I set off south and had a very quick ride down from Carter Bar, after cching a gixxer and R1 who were a bit ponderous thru th bends….I passed them only for them to tag on behind me…not wanting them in front I went faster and fater till we were averaging 110…GREAT ride, very exhilerating.

Finally, Tucker and I headed down to Brough to meet up with Kenny and then scoot down to Cadwell Park for the BSB meeting. A good day out, if a little cold.
Back in Brough for a few drinks that night (and a nice meal from Pam) WE kipped in the conservatory that night, then headed down to Cadwell again for Race Day. a lovely day weather wise and a good tun out to watch some great racing. Gordy was there and so were Chez and Dougie.
Very sadly a young rider was killed on the Mountain as he fell and was hit by other bikes. quite annoyingly, the death wasnt broadcast till the end of the day, despite it being announced on TV (and therefore everyone knowing from friends who were watching at home texting)
Tuxkr and I set off home in the dark that night….which was nice using the HID lights on both bikes, but not so great for Tucker with his tinted visor!

Just back from Israel and its time for the annual Scots Memorial ride in memory of Has2 – a fallen ninja rider.
Tucker and I rode down to Middleton in Teesdale for coffee and to meet up with the suthern softies riding up from doon sooth.
they eventually arrived after we’d feasted on bacon sarnies and fresh coffee…..JUST as the rain arrived too.
We had a fairly brisk ride thru to Alston and then up to Hartside. Unfortunately we were a couple of riders short when we got there!: Gaz (bless ‘im) had run out of fuel! ….and the exhaust on Emma’s (Shezza) bike had separated into its component parts! An easy fix for both and after another coffee and lunch, we set off North past Kielder, and Bonchester bridge, to Hawick for a petrol stop, then Selkirk and the dreaded A7 up to Edinburgh.
At Edinburgh we lost a couple of riders at traffic control lights etc. but eventually – in the rain – we all managed to meet up at Davy/Grumpy and Chyrel’s house in Leith.
A goodly old night out in town that night with a smashing meal (mmmm blackpudding starter) and a bizarre cross-dressing local and it was ime to fall asleep in a chair somewhere 😉
Next morning, Chyrel produced one of her amazing breakfasts and after watching – and waiting for – Big Al to clean his rear wheel….. we set off to Stirling services to meet everyone else.
The weather was perfect and was so good to meet up with Jarse, Glenmac, Alzo, Davy and to meet Gayle.
next we were all off to the Green Welly, where we parked up in a layby and waited for nothing in particular to happen……thats when I noticed my fork seal was leaking again! …2nd one this year!!! hey ho.
Off to Oban next, for chips and for Glenmac to feed the seagulls. Tucker and I set off fairly sharply from here and rode alone to the petrol station at Glencoe. Eventually everyone arrived and after saying farewell to the masses, some of the english contingent set off further north to Eilan Donan castle. A fab and very quick ride got us there in double quick time (that road is sooo grippy) and after a petrol stop and a gander at teh castle, we headed off again north to Ullapool – our destination for the night.
Some of us were a little later than others to Ullapool 😉 but we all got there safely…complete with broken luggage rail, destroyed tyre, lost bag cover etc. etc.
Me and Tucker were in a hotel whilst most others were in the hostel and a couple were in a B&B
We had a nice evening – though I had to cut it short to sleep again 🙁 then a good sleep and great brekkie and we all met up again. I decided to hang around for a day or so, whilst the majority were heading to Inverness and then down the Lecht road to Edinburgh to stay at Grumpy’s again …one fella had to ride straight home with the canvas showing thru his tyre!
I headed thru to Lochinver and then north again to Durness right on the north coast, before having to head back to Scoura for petrol. Then a slow almost walking pace ride down some single track thru awesome scenery back to the main road back into Ullapool – great day ….fab roads…and lush coffee!
Next day I as up with the larks and had a walk around the harbour, before waiting for the petrol station to open at 7:30 and heading down to Grantown on Spey, where I HAD to stop for coffee and a hot sandwich – I was sooo cold on the bike, I hadnt put my jacket on over my leathers and paid the price dearly …. shivering uncontrollably inside the cafe.
After warming up, it was south on the Lecht road past the ski resorts – incredible road…very fast and very scenic too. I stopped at Breamar for coffee and had a chat with a lady on an SV. Then further south till I turned off for Dunkeld, where I sat at teh side of the river after dining on chicken salad and coffee.
West from there, thru Milton, Aberfeldy adn then along Loch Tay to Killin, where I found a great hotel with B&B for £43 !! … a couple of beers and a chilli later and it was time to rest up till the morning.
I decided to ride thru Dunblane next day to see what I could remember from staying there in 1985 (?) ..not a lot was the answer! ..I was thru it before I recognised anywhere!, then thru Stirling and into Edinburgh for petrol, then down the A68 towards home.
AS I crossed into England at Carter Bar, I came up on a caravan and a couple of cars …one of which looked a little suspicious – an unmarked, white Volvo. yep, the Rozzers. End of ride…I thought.
But not quite! ..at a suitably clear point in the road, the Volvo sped off. hmmm I thought …if an unmarlked car displaying “driver under training” can do that, then so can I! ..so I followed…..for the next 60 miles or so to Ponteland, we travelled at a minimum of 95mph – with the copper occasionally going over the ton (I decided discretion was the better part of valour and stayed <100mph 😉 ) was a great ride! …never thought I would sit behind a copper at those speeds!! 🙂