Coast to coast.

[Red Mist]

Bit of a strange ride out at the weekend but I'm glad I did it.

Last year I was at an open day at the local Kawasaki dealers. I was approached by a chap who ran the local bike club and as I sometimes get stuck for places to go, I gave him my email so he could include me on circulars. Not taken him up on any of his kind invitations until he said he was planning a coast to coast ride last weekend. St Bees in Cumbria over to Robin Hood's Bay, about 400 miles in 12 hours. Seemed like a good way to round off Summer, so I said I'd go.

Which is how I ended up going for a ride with a Kwack Thou, a Bandit, a ZX6R and a BMW R1200RT for a change. My two Buell riding buddies came along as well. Everbody was very nice, but it was all a little bit top box and panniers for me really. The three touring bikes were at the front for the most part, riders wearing appropriate clothing, flip front helmets and intercoms, while us three hooligans took the rear. The bloke on the 600 seemed more in our camp.

Anyway, it was a good ride. The weather was amazingly favourable if chilly, especially considering the rain we had last week, and the torrents lashing against the window as I write this. We were all a bit unsure of each other at first, but were all good-ish friends after our first tea break.

Most enduring image was seeing my two mates on their Buells in my mirror early on in the ride. I'm used to that, but not seeing them seperated by some upright bloke in a hi-viz bib and a barn door fairing. He was sat right on one lads shoulder for the first 80 miles or so. At the first fuel stop he said he felt that his riding was being scrutinised and that it was unnerving as hell every time he looked in his mirror and there was the official looking bloke on a BM sitting right up his chuff.

For the next 30 miles he decided to sit behind me!! I was laughing my head off, but I decided to let him overtake. It came as no surprise when he told me he was IAM. Very worthy, but it didn't inspire me to try to join that august body of bikers.

Anyway, all very pleasant, but really I just like doing my own thing and riding with people more on my wavelength. Feel I've achieved something now though rather than just the usual aimless blat around the Dales that I normally do when I get the bike out.

[Crap Tartan]

shoulda give me a shout, I`m only a couple of miles from St Bees!!

I coulda put my hi viz and pretended i had an intercom and shown you the back roads into the lakes!!!

[Red Mist]

I've got to say that I was a bit disappointed with the route. Started off well enough up to St Bees. The south lakes road is one of my favourites. After that we were largely on the main roads when there were better options. But anyway, it made a change to go somebody else's way.

If I ever plan that far ahead, I'll let you know the next time I'm headed up that way CT. Be good to hook up with you.

[Red Mist]

Forgot to mention that my bike passed the 30k mark while we were out. Don't want to tempt fate but it was running beautifully apart from some jerkiness at low speed. I know that 'they all do that sir' but mine didn't until a few months ago.

Nearly MOT time so I might have it fettled a bit and see if I can get it back to running how it was.