Skinning knuckles on summer days

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Busy time at the moment getting my Panzer ready for the up-coming Mountains:Alps tour around the Swiss Alps and Mont Blanc in early September. After the Scotland trip last month I noticed a slight fork seal leak developing so thought it best to get it looked at. New tyres are needed anyway since I want the best profile for all of those upcoming twisties and with a favourable 7000 miles out of the current set of Metzeler Tourance 'Next', decided to go for the same again ( that's the 3rd set now the OEM Tourance EXPs were good but only managed 4K). Last week thanks to Lindsay's loan of his professional tool kit I grabbed an oil filter from a Nippy Norman's and bought some 15/50 Semi synthetic Castrol through Amazon and did my first oil change at 21K - proving I can at least follow a Haynes Manual ! Also 'wipped' the front brake pads out to find two thirds of the pad left on all four, despite 21K, just goes to show how the GS Boxer braking helps, The number of times I follow Lindsay on his 650 and his rear brake light flickers on every bend !! I also removed the flappy valve from the exhaust (see earlier post) as it finally seized up and costs £200 to replace. The valve is for EU noise emission law only and not tested in the MOT, so managed to get an off cut of exhaust pipe from those nice chaps at A44 exhausts in Worcester to fill the space left behind and using some exhaust seal I now have a straight through section. I removed the Bowden cables completely too. Seems much smoother and less popping on the overrun now.

So, in for new tyres and fork seal at a Benhams Motorrad  in Wolvo' today, they lent me this F800GT after I asked for a bike I'm least likely to fall in love with. A few weeks ago I test rode the new LC GS standard from Blade Motorrad with that quick shift pro and did enjoy riding it for many reasons, great power delivery, zero buffeting from the stock screen and narrower profile seat. A few things I didn't like not least the £15k price tag and the tinny sound - I'd have to have an Akropovich fitted to make it sound like a Boxer,  but at least I know what my next bike is going to be if ever I get tired of riding 'Lupin Lou'. I didn't want to risk falling in love with a new bike before I ride the Alps, so wise decision to get a loan bike I'm not going to want to own. As for the F800GT? Well, nice machine. A bit cramped for my gangly legs though and doesn't quite have that punch I love from the 1200, but quite smooth with the belt drive and the inline twin, and goes round corners well too !

Just a quick note on a great book I'm reading in the garden on these hot sunny days where full on bike gear makes hard work of a ride out. The Mrs bought me another Neil Peart book (Rock drummer from Rush). Been a big fan of the professor since I was about 15, seen them live many times over the years and read many of his books ( he rides a GS too you know ha ha), this one is more of an autobiography, interspersed with his music influences while on a winter road trip in his Z8. Great to read how his idol was Keith 'the loon' Moon, but when he tried to follow his chaotic yet incredible drumming style didn't like drumming like that at all and forced him to create an original style of his own. If anyone has ever watched and listened to a live drum solo by the 'professor on a drum kit' you will know what he means. Good read!

Scotland - Applecross and Ullapool

Myself and Lindsay just back from a great weekend in Scotland. Up to the West coast to Applecross, Ullapool and back down via Braemar. Thanks Andy !!

See the Blog from the tab above for photos etc.

2016 BMW Motorrad UK GS Challenge

Last weekend (Spring Bank Holiday) I took part in this years UK GS Challenge as a team member alongside Andy, Mike and Ron (members of the GSClubUK). The was held in and around the Brecons, using BMW's own off-road  skills school at the off-road venue - Walters Arena in South Wales.

What a great experience. The event is managed like a small rally stage, where we are given a start time (09:33) and a list of challenges in the form of a 3 page road book of navigation instructions. The idea was to complete all of the challenges by following the route precisely to way-points and stopping at various locations on the way. There were various challenges ranging from packing bike luggage in under 3 minutes, fault diagnosis on a bike to avoid injury, orienteering exercises and at the off-road centre a range of bike riding challenges using their range of GS's e.g. F700, F800 and R1200 LC boxers all kitted with Enduro tyres a trials session, road book, Le Mans style start on gravel with sudden stop. So much fun, and come Saturday evening at 6PM we were still banging away at it riding some of South Wales amazing roads - real green lane stuff less than a cars width.

Superb weekend, definitely up for another one. Quite fancy the Off-Road Skills two day training sessions now. That's another one for the bucket list !!

 

 

Met Andy at Ironbridge on his brand new GSA. A hearty breakfast in a nice cafe over the road and on to a route down to Wales via some of the twisties in Shropshire.

Long Mynd

Camp Site at the Ancient Britain. 

Mike, Ron and Andy just before the midge attack.

They were unrelenting !!

Myself and Mike at the first location.

William Williams - the Hymn writer.

me in white Motocross boots !!

Views across the Brecons.

Black Mountain

  Off Road Centre

Ride with Andy Saturday (GS Challenge)

Next Saturday (28th May), Bluemooner (Andy) will be passing through Shropshire riding his new GSA on our way to meet up with other members of GSCLUBUK the  GS Challenge.

Riding the Best of Shropshire and Mid-Wales (Powys).

Meet at Ironbridge, then across to Much Wenlock, over Long Mynd down to Clun, then to the Bikers Cafe, Crossgates, Rhayader, Elan Valley (optional), then past the Red Kite centre before dropping down into the Brecons.

130 Miles. This should get him there for just after 3PM, if not sooner !

Get the GPX here: Ironbridge to Ancient Briton

Meet Address:
Darbys of IronbridgeCafe
10 Tontine Hill, Ironbridge, Telford TF8 7AL
View Map

The Wye Valley; in the shadow of the Black Mountains

Today's ride saw myself and Lindsay on a figure eight route through Herefordshire and a brief hop across the border into Powys. We made an early morning start leaving my house at 7:15, a cool eight degrees in bright sunshine meant my choice of summer gloves was way too optimistic, the temperature remained too cool throughout, prompting me to 'flick' the heated grip switch somewhere south of Bromyard.



It was so good to have the roads to ourselves, a lesson taken from the ride in the Cotswolds last weekend meant there was simply nothing else on the road allowing us to 'bat' along at a decent speed through some of the counties best 'B' road twists and turns passing apple orchards and cider farm shops along the way.

The pre-planned route (another late night session hunting for new/different roads of interest) took us just south of Hereford past Stirling Lines at Credenhill (the SAS base I pointed out to Lindsay) and along the edge of those formidable looking 'Black Mountains' just north of the Brecons near Whitney on Wye.  I really enjoy riding that fast A438 as it hugs up near the River Wye and passes by Baskerville Hall up high on the right where Arthur Conan Doyle used to stay as a guest and inspired his Sherlock Holmes story The Hounds of the Baskerville.

Baskerville Hall

We dropped down on to the B4350 having a lot of fun in the sun now as I could simply roll on and off the throttle in an out of bends taking care to avoid the occasional collection of gravel on each apex. Not sure where all of that gravel comes from, it occasionally catches me off guard causing a quick adjust without using the brakes and extra care with the throttle as I come out of the tighter bends. We stopped by a Cafe in Hay on Wye, after a short wait for them to open and a warm in the sun we ordered a couple of ham and cheese Omelettes. 

Moccas Park

From Hay on Wye we cut back east through Bredwardine and passed by Moccas Park - I must stop and take a look next time, the medieval deer park and lake looked like a typical English country estate with what looked like large Oak trees - hundreds of years old. To quote the Government publication of Hereford's Natural Nature Reserves: 

"The land shows evidence of habitation dating back to at least the Bronze Age, with a wealth of well preserved features, including at least 1 Bronze Age round barrow, a Norman motte and bailey and an 18th century park wall and lime kiln."

"The ancient trees host a large variety of epiphytic plants (plants that grow non-parasitically on other plants). More than 200 species of lichen have been recorded and a wide range of fungi grow in the forest and grassland, some of them very rare."

The ride north then took us over Bishops Frome and the Bromyard Downs before taking us up to Tenbury Wells via the sublime B4203. I love that road, a typical 'B' road but well surfaced with fantastic views of the Herefordshire countryside, remembering to also look at the view in the mirrors as we climbed up hills and dropped back down the other side.  From Tenbury we took the usual route home via Bewdley - made it back for just after midday. 130 miles round trip for me and a bit more for Lindsay!

Rendezvous with the Captain ... 09:30 hrs

Last week I took orders to attend a brief with my captain down in the Cotswold village of Burford. It had been five long years since I last met with him, so I was much pleased to ride down on on such a fine Spring Sunday morning remembering that last campaign I served under him; the defeat of Ralph the Red Barron at that infamous 'bridge'. History recounts the campaign well, with such clarity and accuracy thanks to the excellent report in dispatches. You can read the full account here.

The weather forecast predicted a warm day at last, with slight rain early in the morning. I was due to meet Steve at 09:30 so left home around 07:30, the route planned as described in the previous post would take me across country through B roads into Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds taking in small villages like Toddington, Ford, Temple Guiting and Guiting Powers, then on through Naunton, Bourton on the Water and Great Rissington . Very few bikes on the road at this time either, though I did pass Mick - one of Lindsay's mates coming in the opposite direction just south of Pershore, unmistakable on his white R80/GS, we exchanged a wave but I doubt he recognised me.

It was so good to ride through the Cotswolds with zero traffic for a change. The early start, cool after slight rain as the day warmed up I couldn't get over the fragrance of Spring in the air with the unmistakable intense blossom and rapeseed fields in bright yellow bloom.

For this ride down I had plotted the journey using MotoGoLoco - on-line motorcycle route planning software that uses Google Maps. As I understand Ride magazine now use this site to host their download routes. The software is a lot easier to use than the Garmin Basecamp software, so I was interested in how it would perform. The basic idea is to plot a route using Way points to force the Garmin GPS to take your chosen route. You can view the route I made in MotoGoLoco here.

Zumo showing the Waypoint at Naunton.

I'm pleased to say the route I plotted worked flawlessly. My concern at first would be how the Garmin would interpret the way-points, as each route to a way-point showed on the unit as a separate route with an individual 'Go' button. I wondered if following the route I would be expected to pull over and select the next part of the route. Fortunately, the Garmin continued the route seamlessly, moving from one way-point route to the next without issue.

I couldn't resist pulling over to take a few pictures of the Cotswold countryside, lit up with the carpet of rapeseed yellow fields. That distinctive aroma that reminds me of bike trips away in Northern France on Harley tours with Rob, where we first met up with Steve all those years ago in some French town I can't remember now.

Sea of rapeseed

I arrived at Burford just as Steve was arriving too. It was great to see him after so long. I couldn't believe it was almost five years since we last met at the MotoGP, Silverstone where Steve got me in the BDRC area for a great day out watching the racing. Today we discussed plans for an upcoming tour we have planned, I'm really looking forward to it.

Steve and his very smart K1200GT

Parked up outside some pile in Guiting Powers. 

 For the route home I chose the 'TracBac' function on the Garmin. The function reversed the route I came down, but then I adjusted it slightly heading back through Pershore and then Upton on Severn before skirting around Worcester and down to Martley where I met with a chap on very nice matt grey Ducati Multistrada - we had a bit of fun on the twisty run up to Martley, but I'm afraid he left me for dust as we approached Great Witley. A quick blast along the switchbacks in Bewdley .. arriving home about 2:30pm.

This house will do !

Super ride and great scenery but you must get up early before the tourists clog the roads up though. Also, avoid the main roads and pick as many B roads as you can to experience the best of the Cotswolds. I'm really impressed with MotoGoLoco so far. It's the easiest/fastest software I have used for route planning. I will definitely be using it again! 

Motogoloco

Have been experimenting with some great on line GPS mapping software today called MotGoLoco. 

I really like it so far, an absolute breeze to use compared to Basecamp or even Tyre for that matter. The software works while you are on line via Google Maps, and allows you to build up your own on-line database of routes. You can export the route to a .GPX (Garmin/TomTom file), ITN (TomTom), KML (Google Map),  CSV and other formats locally to your system. The Software runs in your browser (I used Chrome), and can even connect direct to your GPS device to save the file, or write it out to a file (export). It requires registration, but is really fast at plotting and easy to use.

For a simple test, I saved a route I will be riding this weekend to a GPX file ready for my Garmin 390, but also exported to a KML file, and dragged it in to the 'My Maps' within Google Maps, set it to public share and embedded it here in my blog. Hopefully, if it all went well you should see the route below:



Here's the same route via the MotoGoLoco website: Ride to Burford in the Cotswolds

I'll do a write up how the actual MotoGoLoco route ride went  later. Watch this space as they say.