2014 Road Trip

Galloway

 For 2014 we decided to re visit Galloway as we had unfinished business on the Dalvine pass (A702).
When we were there in 2012, we had 4 rain filled days somewhat spoiling the twisty roads promised by magazines and internet site, so we planned to return. To save some money we only did a 3 night trip which gave us 2 full days in Galloway.
 We set off on a hot sunny afternoon, but an hour late as Col had an issue getting his pants into his luggage bag, we had arranged to meet Rich up on Junction 38 of the motorway by the lake district and we made good time reaching him. We refueled at the next services on the motorway, heading off Scotland bound. After about 40 minutes I realized I still had 1 more gear to go and had been running in 5th gear since the last fill up. We had to stop once more for fuel and that had cost me £1 more than Col on the same bike.
 We arrived at The Buccleuch Arms in Moffat and was met by John who showed us to the bike garages. We unloaded checked in and enjoyed our first taste of Innis and Gunn beer (Recommended).

  The following day we got up to a dry sunny day, the sky had a few big dark grey clouds lingering around but it looked mostly dry. Waterproofs strapped to the back seats just incase we set off straight to the Dalvine Pass. We decided "lets just do what we came for while its dry!".
 The road out of Moffat (A701) is a good warm up with plenty of twists to get you started. We then turned onto the pass which starts under a motorway bridge. We stopped under the bridge, reving the bikes making them sound sporty as the noise echoed and bounced off the bridges walls while we cam'ed up.
 We pulled out into sunshine, and headed for the hills. The scenery here is beautiful, but the road didn't give you time to see much as the ribbon of tarmac was smooth, dry and twisty. Col and Jon passed me as the road became damp and the pace was a little more careful.

 We head west and down the valley eventually joining the A76 and turned right up to the next road that took us back towards Abington. This road was similar to the pass through the lake district, with a Welshmans fantasy having lots of sheep on every corner. They were even waiting for a bus!

Locals waiting for the bus!

 We got to Abington and decide its was coffee time, so found a truck stop for a brew. Rich is not big on road signs and this became obvious when stopped here.

We set off in the direction of New Cummnock and joined the B741, definately the worse road of the trip. On the map it looked nice and twisty and scenic in reality its a patchwork of poorly filled pot holes, we were pleased to see the end of that section of road at Dalmellington and joined the A713, which was a little bit better but still had poor tarmac. We stopped for a chat along side Loch Much and noticed that we were in Ayr, the Tarmac for Galloway started only a few metres away and it was perfect.

We crossed the boarder, hungry so found a place for dinner in a village called Carsphairn. We set off and as about a dozen guys on BMW touring style bikes went past so tagged onto the back of them. 10 minutes later i cornered to find one of them had come off around a bend and was in the ditch at the side of the road. Two of his mates had pulled in just infront of him so we stopped to check all was ok. His bike seemed to be mostly covered in dirt and the guy was a bit dazed but no serious injuries were obvious so we carried on on way.
 We headed back along tha A712 to Dumfries and then back to Moffat. We had been lucky with the weather only encountering a few damp roads and dodged the rain all day.

 The following day we decided to visit Caerlaverock Castle after seeing it in a magazine in the hotel. We headed off via the Dalveen pass and hit some heavy rain so stopped to shelter under the motorway bridge. The sky was blue over the pass so as soon as the rain cloud had passed we set off riding through some prettys damp conditions but fun was still had. We rode down through Dumfries and down alongside the river Nith eventually arriving at the castle bathed in hot sunshine. We stopped for a coffee before having a look around and then using the castle which made a stunning backdrop for some photo's.

 

 We headed back the way we had came, the weather now was with us, we turned onto the A702, stopped at the bottom and prepared for a dry run.
 I had the camera on the bike, so sent Jon 1st, then Col, Rich and me at the back hoping to get some good footage of the bikes leaning one after the other into the corners.

 We got to the best bit just at the bottom of the climb over the mountain, I saw Col pull out to pass Jon and thought I am going too. I knocked it into 2nd and opened the throttle, my bike kicked into action and 170 horses all sprang into life, Col was now passing Jon.  I quickly passed Rich and caught Jon at the next bend, out of the bend I could hear the GSXR's exhaust wailing as he tried to keep infront but my Fireblade was in a gear lower giving me the run on him, the next corner approached and I followed him around opening the throttle slightly earlier and got past. Col was now 50 metres ahead, I hung onto the gears catching a metre here and there until the unwelcome damp roads stopped our fun about three quarters of the way up. We slowed to a more suitable pace for the conditions stopping at the bridge with big grins and heroic stories.
  We decided we had still time to go to St. Marys Loch, for a coffee and another great photo opportunity. The wet weather was catching us, so we split up. Col wanted to go back to the hotel, the rest of us wanter to pass the Beeftub along the A701 another cracking bit of road. Col left us and we carried on. The A701 was fun the corners are all open and easy to read we were getting some good lean angles along there until we caught up with some traffic. Jon was at the front but passed the Beeftub layby so Rich and me pulled in for a look. After a few minutes we carried on back towards the hotel and the rain started. I absolutely hammered it down. I dont think I have ridden in rain that hard since the first trip to Germany. It lasted all of 5 minutes but the water was dripping inside your boots and i could feel my toes getting wet.
 We arrived at the hotel, it was hot and had missed the rain so we put the bikes away, hung the leathers in the shed and went to find our evenings entertainment.

 Jon told us the next day he needed to get moving early as he was doing a night shift at work when we got back!
 9am the bikes were loaded and ready to roll, Col sat on his bike but the rear tyre was flat, but not totally so we went to the petrol station filled up with air and fuel and set off to the motorway and the 1st services. Cols tyre was holding up, loosing 5lb pressure here and there but we got back just in time for a last 10 minute soaking. Cols tyre had started to degrade having lots of tiny splits around the centre for about half the circumfrence. Rich's front tyre is now done and needs replacing. Jon's and My bikes both went good.

 Fuel wise.
 Rich's ZX6R was cheapest to take
My Fireblade was next (apart from the 1 section of motorway where it was in 5th gear)
Jon was next
Col seemed to be putting a minimum of 50p - a maximum £1 more than me on most fill ups.

 All in all it was a good few days, I wouldn't have been the same without you guys, thanks and see you next time : )

Summary
Date:- 5th July - 8th July 2014
Weather:- 4 dry days, occasional drizzle
Hotels:- Buccleuch Arms - Moffat
Miles:- 811.
Fuel cost per litre:- 1.26p to 1.36p a ltr (8 petrol stations)
EDSBK Riders:- Phill,Col,Jon and Rich
Aim:- To ride the Dalveen Pass A702
We decided as we had unfinished business still over the boarder of Scotland that we would return to the area and try to get a dry ride along the A702. The section of road we wanted was the part that ran between A74 and A76, which winds its way through the mountains, we had 4 attempts did we do it?. Click here to find out more.

The EDSBK 2013 Road Trip

The Black Forest and Eifel Region Trip
 On the afternoon of Sunday 30th June we left home in the glorious hot sunshine and headed for Ashford in Kent as from past experience its nice to break up the journey and have an early start when going through the tunnel into France. On the way down we put up with lots of heavy traffic on the M40 due to the F1 Grand Prix at Silverstone, then the M25 was very slow and eventually we came to a complete stop for just over an hour on the M26 due to a fatal accident, a poor guy came off his motorbike, quite alot of people seeing us on motorbikes came to tell us the gory details and told us to be careful... RIP rider.

 We arrived at the hotel hot, tired and hungry. The accident above was definitely on our minds as we sat in MacDonlads and we discussed what could have happened. We had an early start the next morning so called it a night.
 Up at 5am, we set off to Folkestone. I checked the weather app on the phone, rain due everyday and all day on 2 of the days we were away when in Germany, great I thought another damp trip. The Kent sky was heavy with dark grey clouds as we boarded the train. The train pulled into the tunnel and I said we had better decide on our route to Strasbourg. The sat nav suggested 3 ways the shortest was the A26 Toll road through France a 6 hour 20 minute journey, so we opted to take that.
 Having never used a toll road before we approached the 1st set of booths with some anticipation and wondered what to do. A press of a button and a ticket arrived, that was it, no need to pay yet so we headed off with tickets in safe places.

1 of the many fuel stops along the A26

 Drizzle covered the visor as we pulled in to our 1st petrol stop. We stopped for a while watching the sky and Jon said I am gonna risk not using water proofs yet, a good call as the sky started to clear and patches of blue appeared. We came to the 1st set of pay booths 13 Euros it said so entered the cash into the machine and collected a new card and set off again heading towards Reims some 240km away. More fuel needed so we stopped again, Metz had appeared on the signs over 300km away. We realised the journey was gonna be a long one, but with each fuel stop we made the weather got better.
 We eventually arrived at the last set of booths Jon and Rich went to a different booth and that's where I messed up and was in the credit card payment booth. I inserted my ticket and a price appeared on the screen but I couldn't find my credit card quick enough and the price disappeared. I had to call for assistance as I wasn't able to get through the barrier without paying, luckily someone came to help even if she was pretty useless and kept me waiting ages in the now very hot sunshine. Col had his credit card ready so paid for us both and we moved on somewhat frustrated with the system.
  Some 45 minutes later we arrived at the Pension Williams in the Black Forest. Nice, I thought as we pulled in.

 We were greeted by David one of the hotel owners who gave us our room keys and told us where to get a meal. We showered and changed and set off to the restaurant to have dinner, "drie beers bitte" and a tea.
"A what?" the owner asked,
" A Tea ", Rich said
" oh!" she replied.
   The next day at breakfast I asked David about the B500, he told us that at the end of the lane if we were to go to the right, that was the bit that people come to see. He says that an unpopular politician with a funny mustache had had the road built back in the 1940s as a training road for the motorcycle police to practice high speed pursuits and each corner has a constant radius which enable riders to find the best approach and hold corner speed. I thought that sounded good so we headed straight there.
  What a road! why cant it be in England? stuck somewhere down by the cross gates Cafe end of the A483, it would make the best road better.

Part of the 10km best bit of the B500

Black Forest Gateaux in the Black Forest

 It twists up and down the hills and every corner is just perfect, apart
from the cars, buses and lorries that keep getting in the way. We all enjoyed that part of the road. We then headed towards Baden Baden, the road was still twisty, more enclosed and tighter corners, but with a lot of speed limits and other traffic, so not quite so much fun.
    I noticed a place near the top so we headed there for some food and a cool drink. Jon and I decided it seemed appropriate to have a slice of Black Forest Gateaux in the Black forest.
  The views were great from up there. I wish we had of had more time to explore the area as there was a lot more to see. (maybe another time) We headed back to the hotel for a beer or 2 and soaked up the sun, we were on holiday!

A view of France from the B500  

  The next morning we awoke to the sound of running water and looked out onto a miserable day. We were moving north to stay at Dollendorf by the Nurburgring so packed our things and headed off.

 Jon had the sat nav on so we were following him, we got on to the Motorway and headed south, the wrong way, 10 km later we turned back and headed North. The journey was horrible. It hammered it down at times, our boots had water in them, the route was heavy with trucks and the spray made the guy in front almost disappear. Eventually we arrived at Sliders Guest House and Brendan the owner met us and showed us to the rooms. I noticed the Berlingo and remembered the ride we had in it 3 years ago.  (see trip 2010) I said I don't want to go out in that this time to Col, and he laughed. It carried on raining so we put the bikes in the garage and stopped in for the evening.

 We awoke the following morning to the smell of breakfast cooking, Brendon does a great full English, and he gave us a route to try out to while waiting for the Nurburgring to open. We headed off and 15 miles later my R1 flashed up ERR 1 on the display and shut down. Remembering my IT trainging, I turned it off and on again, it started and I thought just a glitch maybe yesterdays rain had caused a problem.

 2 minutes later the bike stopped again, I noticed the electrics were going, so pulled the headlight connections off to save some power. I said to the others I want to head back to Sliders and check it out. Unfortunately I didn't make it, as it stopped time and time again until the battery was totally flat.

 Jon and Rich headed back to see if there was a battery I could borrow, as we knew Brendon liked his R1's using them to do many of the fastest of fast laps of the Nordschleif and there was a few bits of R1 knocking about his garage. They returned in the Berlingo, saying Brendon says bring it back in here, we loaded my bike and we headed back.

Berlingo's Ideal cars to move motorbikes in!

 We got back to the hotel and I took the bike to bits, trying different regulators, batteries and cleaning connections but nothing fixed the problem. I said to the others to go and have some time at the track then bring me a Subway while I tried to sort out the bike, but had already decided the problem was more serious than I was going to be able to deal with.
  I rang the RAC breakdown for assistance and then the true meaning of fully comprehensive European breakdown cover was discovered. Repatriate only means me not the bike. The nice lady at RAC in Lille told me the bike would need to be fixed before it could return home and I was going to have to fly home then come back to fetch it once it was fixed. They said the cost was going to be 500 Euros to fix it, plus this and that and storage and this and that and the figures she quoted went up over 1200 Euros! She said she would send a mechanic to look at it first but he would need to take it away. 90 Minutes later he arrived with a car and trailer, but no tools.
 He said "I have come to collect the bike and take it to a Yamaha dealer in Cologne who will repair it".
 I was not going to be able to collect it for over a week and weekends were no good as the work shop was closed.

 Shite, I thought. 

I said wait here and went to see Brendon to ask if he knew a van hire company that might be a cheaper option to get me to Calais, and he said, tell you what you pay for a driver and the fuel and you can take it in the Berlingo! I couldn't believe it, this was the best thing I could have heard at the time :) I told the RAC guy to go away and spoke to his boss on the phone, who said we will reimburse any costs.

 I spoke with Brendons friend Roy who was going to drive and arranged to set off at 9am the following morning. I rang a guy at work (Goughy of CG Transport) and asked if he might help me out and send a van to pick me up and he said,

" leave it with me, dont worry, I ll sort you out."

My battery was on charge and we shut the garage, I sat down for a beer with the guys and thought I hope this is all going to go to plan. 

 The guys told me about there lap on the track, Col was well impressed with his new Fireblade and Jon found some new vibration that put him off. Rich waited on the car park for them to return, unsure if he wanted to try a lap and see what speeds over 150mph felt like.

 The following morning Roy was there 10 minutes early, he didnt look like I expected him too after speaking to him on the phone. He turned up on a Ducatti 996, and I thought great a biker, we have something in common, as it was going to be a 270km drive to Calais. Roy was great and I enjoyed the few hours we spent travelling from Germany through Belgium and into France, but all the time I was thinking how are we going to get the bike out of the Berlingo? its too heavy for just 2 of us and the other 3 guys would need to make 2-3 more fuel stops than us, I didnt want to hold Roy up as he was going to have to drive back and was working that evening.

 Roy said " Hows your French?"

I said "not good ",

 I could ask the way to the butchers shop, the time, tell someone to open the window and string together a few words but not really understand what a French person says back to me.

"oh, same here" Roy said.

Roy suggested we stopped at the junction just before the entrance to Calais end of the Channel tunnel and asked at the Honda dealer to help us out with the bike. I thought that was a great idea and Roy pulled off the Motorway.

 The French guys we spoke too didn't understand what we wanted but eventually an English speaking guy came and said,

 "So you want the bike out of the,CAR!, Ah! a Berlingo, what a great car, its made in France you know", We both agreed it was a good motor and he looked at the bike.

"Hmm!" he said 

"wait here"

He came back with a ramp and said,

 "let me wheel it out." 

The R1 was back on the tarmac, I put my leathers on shook hands with Roy, paid him his money and pressed the starter. click it went.

Shite,I thought.

Roy said," I ll push you, if it starts just go", so he gave me a shove and it started and I was off.
I checked in, the queue was huge for passport control, then a further check of the ticket and then I waited for all the cars to get on and then got on the train. I turned off the engine and we headed off to England. I text Jon to say see you in the UK and he said they had just arrived at passport control and were booked on the next train.

 Back in the UK I tried to start the bike but it would go, the Guy cleaning the toilets came and gave me a push and the bike started, I knew it might not start again if I stopped so hit the motorway fast, I needed 13 miles of power, 10 minutes I thought, come on battery you can do it. At 11 miles the dash went off and half a mile later the bike came to a stop about quarter of a mile short of the junction. I found some shade and waited for the others to give me a push. Jon arrived 1st and then Col and they gave me a push and the R1 fired into action giving me another 2 minutes of power and getting me almost to the end of the motorway slip road. I wait ed for them to catch up to get another push. Col suggested I wait and watch the sequence of the traffic lights and time the next part so I didnt have to stop. His plan worked great, as soon as I got going the lights changed and I made it off the roundabout before the bike gave up for the last time of the day but it was all down hill to the hotel so I rolled my way there. I arrived on what looked like an electric powered bike, silently.
 The following morning CG Transports van was there waiting for me and Grant took me home with the R1 in the back. The others all arrived back at their homes an hour later than me, their bikes had covered over 500 miles more than mine.

  Once at home I got the workshop manual out, checked the readings and found the fault was definitely as Brendan and another Guy at the hotel had suggested, the Stator/Generator/Windings/Altinater had had it. Mark suggested a local bike mechanic to do the work. Kev from Projex in Cradley, he got the parts and fitted them for £150.
 The R1 is now back on the road!

I want to say a special thank you to Brendan from Sliders Guest House in Dollendorf, Roy, Chris(CG Transport) and Grant for getting me home and to Jon, Col and Rich for their help and support, and sorry that I couldn't ride the whole trip with you.
 Thanks Guys :)

The Eco challenge.
 To be fair to the others I didnt include any fuel after my breakdown, otherwise the only good thing to come out of this was my R1 doing over 500 miles on less than a gallon!(be it in the back of a Berlingo and a van)

1st  Phill Yamaha R1                 19pts - 54.8 MPG   £97
 2nd Rich Kawaski 636              20pts - 58.3 MPG   £91
 3rd Jon Suzuki GSXR 1000     31pts - 50.8 MPG   £105
 4th Col Honda Fireblade          38pts - 49.9MPG    £107

 If you are planning to have European Breakdown, I suggest you ask the question will you repatriate me and my bike back to the UK? I did take out the fully comprehensive breakdown cover at the extra cost. Also after the breakdown I was told be RAC France, as my bike is over 9 years old its value is not worth the cost of transporting it to Calais. I went with RAC as it was a name I thought I could trust, but really if the worst happens in my experience your best off to sort it out on your own. To be fair to RAC they have returned me my European costs but only after I complained.

Summary

Date:- 30th June - 6th July 2013
Weather:- 6 dry days, 1 raining
Hotels:- Ashford Travellodge, Pension Williams, Sliders Guest House
Miles:- 1563.
Fuel cost per litre:- 1.36p to 1.46p a ltr (17 petrol stations)

EDSBK Riders:- Phill,Col,Jon & Rich
Aim:- Ride around the Black Forest area especially along the legendary B500, then travel north to do laps of the Nordschleife.

2013 Road Trip

We decided as 2012 had been a washout to go abroard, and explore somewhere new. As Col had had a new bike and Rich had not been there before Col wanted to tag the Nurburgring onto the trip, unfortunately, not all went to plan during that part.

2012 EDSBK Road Trip. Part 1 (Moffat)

  We set out on Sunday 8th July headed for Moffat in Scotland, about 50 miles from the border with England. Col arrived first followed by Rich who was already wearing his water proofs and Jon arrived a few minutes later. The sun was trying to make an appearance as we set off and the odd patch of blue sky appeared on the horizon. We stopped for a cuppa and fuel and Rich said he was too hot, so took off his waterproof suit and we headed off. As we approached the climb up Shap in the lakes district the heavens opened and gave us a few minutes of rain, we decided to wear the water proofs until we arrived in Moffat.

The Buccleuch Arms Hotel

The garages

  Moffat is just off the A74 (M) at junction 15.
The Buccleuch Arms Hotel was our destination in Moffat. We were met by the owner David, who showed each of us to our own garage for the bikes, then to our rooms in the hotel. (EDSBK Recommended)
 The following morning we decided over breakfast to follow a route that was recommended by a website called
  Motorcycle Scotland, through Dumfries to Galloway Forest following along the coast roads. After a while we needed a coffee so pulled in at Carsluith Castle over looking the bay towards Wigtown where we stopped and had a look around. We could see the clouds were once again getting dark and heavy so water proofed up in preparation for the next part of the ride.

Along the A712

Carsluith Castle

 We mostly avoided the rain only seeing a few seconds worth just before we reached a town called Newton Stewart, we headed through Galloway Forest along the twisty A712 until we came across Clatteringshaws Loch where we stopped for a few minutes to admire the views. Then we headed towards the village of  New Galloway where we found the A702 and followed it as it again twisted and dipped and climbed its way through the landscape. The route made it into our list of ultimate roads.
 We arrived at Thornhill not seeing any rain from the again threatening skies. Drumlanrig Castle was only a few miles away so we went off route to go and have a look.

Drumlanrig Castle

Clatteringshaws Loch

Once getting back on route (A702) we followed the road up through the valley which was Cols favourite section of road and then the heavens opened and it absolutely threw it down for the last 20 minutes of the ride, we headed back to the Hotel and parked the bikes back under cover and left the water proofs to dry out. Luckily the radiators were on in our rooms so all the wet clothing got dried overnight.

 The next Morning we awoke to more rain, that got heavier as we ate breakfast. We were heading to Kendal after dinner for the 2nd part of our trip, to the Lake District.
  David from the Buccleuch Arms had talked to us about a short route he used that went around an area known locally as The 3 Locks and The Devils Beef Tub, we thought it sounded an interesting route and long enough to give us something to do before heading off to Kendal. We put our now dry clothes on, packed our bags to collect later and set off along the A708 towards St. Mary's Loch and as it rained all the way we stopped at Glen Cafe for a drink.

Glen cafe looking towards Loch of the Lowes

 The rain carried on as we set off along the A708 and took the first road on the left heading towards Meggets Reservoir and Talla Reservoir linking the A708 to the A701. The road was steep, windy,  slippery from the covering of a mixture of sheep dung and slime, had loose gravel, puddles and was flooded in places, not really a sports bike type of road at all, but the scenery was beautiful.
 At the end of the road we turned left onto the A701 and rode through the forest, a winding fast section of tarmac, it felt good to be back on an A class road again, even if it was soaking wet.

The water proofs brigade!

 We had been told that the Devils Beef Tub is so called as it was a place that Scottish cattle rustlers used to bring the cattle from England too. The English used to chase after the cattle to get them back and the Scotts then attacked, killing the English and keeping the cattle. We stopped in a layby and looked down the valley at the Beef Tub and could see how the natural shape of the land played a part working in the favour of the Scotts.

The Devils Beef Tub

 We went back to the Hotel and collected our luggage then set off to Kendal.

2012 EDSBK Road Trip. Part 2 (Kendal)

 We were already soaked from the ride in the morning around Moffat.
As I got on to the motorway my feet, collar and gloves felt damp, and I thought if this rain would stop then they may dry out enough to stop me thinking about how soaked I was and wondered if the others felt like  I did? As soon as we entered England the sky was lighter and the rain stopped, thank goodness for that I thought. Forty minutes later the rain was back, but harder than the mornings effort. My drying boots, collar and gloves gave up any water proofing they had left and left me with soaked feet and hands and I could feel the water occasionally dripping down the insides of my Jacket on the inside of the water proof over suit.
 We arrived at the services ten minutes after the rain had stopped for a rest, Jon and me took our boots off and rang out our soaking socks, while Col and Rich talked up their boots that hadn't leaked at all.
I didn't bother to put my socks back on, it wasn't worth it.
 We left the motorway at the next junction after the services and followed the A684 into Kendal which turned out to be an unexpected bit of road offering some fun for the last 12 miles of the journey.

Just after a soaking on the services at Shap

Sundial Guest House

 We had stayed at the Sundial Guest House before and were made most welcome by Sue and Andy the owners so stayed there again this year. (Everyday Superbike Recommended) We arrived at the Sundial dried off then found The Miles Thompson for some food. Rich has relations in the area so went for a visit, leaving the rest of us to drink too much beer and talk about who has done the best in the Eco challenge, the best of the roads we had ridden so far, leading into the 5 pints later who of us is the biggest biking hero conversation which normally arises, with tales of who's seen the biggest speeds, who's had the most air, who's got the best cornering lines, endo's, wheelies, other shenanigans and who had had the closest of close shaves, all story's to be taken with a pinch of salt and have a laugh over!

 The following morning we awoke to some hope of dry weather and blue patches of sky. Unfortunately the heating in the Sundial was off so our damp boots, gloves and leathers had stayed damp so hoped the wind as we rode along would dry them out for us. We set off with water proofs bungied to the rear seats in case we needed them.
 The route was made from a list of recommended roads that we had strung together, being mindful of the few dark clouds towards the north we did the route backwards and headed south. Rich knew the area reasonably well so led for a while until we came across the A5804 which became a most entertaining bit of road that twisted a lot and eventually went along the side of lake Coniston.
 We turned left following the A593 and A595 both roads were fun to ride, until I gave my bike a big handful of throttle and the exhaust came apart. We stopped in a layby and assessed the problem, nothing major just a screw clip had come loose, so I did a roadside repair and we carried on eventually reaching Penrith as the A686 and the Hartside Cafe was not far from there. We arrived at Melmerby the start of the climb up the Hartside Pass and the clouds were dark and meaningful, looming above the hills. I think we had all guessed that the road was going to be damp. Luckily the rain didn't start while we were there, however there was a lot of water running off the hills and across the road, more than enough to spoil our fun, limiting us to a more careful accent. The menu in the cafe was the same as last year so we had Mars Bar cake and a coffee, Mmm yum!

We set off back down and the roads were still covered in water but Col and I exchanged the lead on a few occasions as we dropped back into Melmerby. Then finding the A6 towards Kendal we hit our next problem. Col pulled over and thought his chain was slapping as it went over the swing arm, he adjusted the chain, but it made little difference, we stopped again and re adjusted the chain but again it made little difference but Col said it seemed better than the first time we had stopped, also his Fireblade felt strange when braking and a warped front disk was suspected. The A6 turned out to be a nice route offering some good fast sections and some good corners. I passed Jon who seemed to be messing with something on the side of his bike and about a mile later pulled in to wait for the others in another layby. Col turned up shortly after still with a problem from the chain, then a few minute went by and Jon and Rich turned up. Jon informed me that his Mini DV camera had come off at 70 mph and he had had to go back to fetch it, luckily it still worked but looks battered!

We returned to the hotel and messed with the bikes, and I discovered my exhaust end can had rotted through around the area that meets the pipe, it was wobbling around but was not going to drop off.
The following morning we headed home and 2 of us were contemplating some unexpected repairs.

  Once at home I changed my exhaust can and now my R1 has the standard can refitted until I can afford to replace it. Cols Fireblade had crushed bearings in the rear wheel and a warped front disk, both problems have been repaired and our bikes are back on the road.

Summary

Date:- 8th - 12th July 2012
Weather:- 1 dry days, 4 raining
Hotels:- The Buccleuch Arms (Moffat) / Sundial Guest house (Kendal)
Miles:- 860.
Fuel cost per litre:- 1.36p to 1.39p a ltr (8 petrol stations)

EDSBK Riders:- Phill,Col,Jon & Rich
Aim:- Ride the best roads around Galloway, visit a Scottish Castle, have another go along the A686 Hartside pass and explore the area in search of more ultimate roads.

We decided as we had enjoyed the lake district in 2011 to return and explore the area to the south as we had not tested any roads down there, also Galloway has featured in articles I've read in the past so I thought why not combine the two areas into 1 trip.

Three Bridges Run (B4363)

Entering the Wyre Forest

  Col has been at the Isle of Man TT for the last few weekends, Jon and Rich couldn't make it for one reason or another so I decided as the sun was out and the sky was blue I should keep the EDSBK flag flying and take the R1 out for a run. I planned to go to the usual petrol station in Bridgnorth and decide a route once I got there.
 I left Bridgnorth and found myself riding over the bridge and the river Severn and at the roundabout turning towards Ludlow on the B4364 where we usually head for. Then it hit me I hadn't been along an old favourite route of mine for ages so detoured towards the B4363. I like to think of it as the 3 bridges run.
  The B4363 is 14 miles long and runs between Bridgnorth and Cleobury Mortimer in Shropshire. The road itself is a mostly twisty road that has a lot of elevation changes as it twists it way through the landscape. Each of the 3 bridges are close to or part of near hairpin sharp corners. The road goes through a few villages with 30mph speed limits and passes lots of farms.
   I turned off at the village of Kinlet and headed towards Buttonoak and through the Wyre Forest.As I went through the Forest I noticed 4 Deer standing watching me ride past.
 After going through Bewdley I headed along the A422 and around one of our favourite bends before heading home.

Fast Corners on A422

Yamaha R1 on A422

The Clun Run

We often head to Clun on the borders of England and Wales, mainly as it has 5 good riding routes that get us there, but it also is a good destination boasting a Castle, a river, a few coffee shops and a nice spot to park with an excellent khazi!
 We have been going to Clun for years and they still havent finished building the castle, the scafolding has been up for ages!  No, the castle was built in the 13th Century and has been the scene of many battle between the English and the Welsh, unfortunaltely theres not too much of it left, just the 80 feet high Keep and some short bits of the surrounding walls, but its free to visit, surrounded by beautiful scenery and well worth a look.

Ahead is the bridge over the river and the castle carpark to the left

Many routes to go in, as the sign post suggests

The Routes
 Route 1. Hope Valley Run:-
 From Shrewsbury follow the twisty A488 up through Hope Valley, over the hills and down to Lydham then past Bishops Castle to Clun.
 Always a pleaser this route putting together in a mix of long sweeping bends, good overtaking oppotunities and a few tigher corners thrown in to make it intresting. Going up Hope Valley theres a stream runs along side the road. Trees cover the climb up to Hope so watch for damp roads and tree debris.

 Route 2, Lydham Route:- 
  From Craven Arms head north towards Shrewsbury, just after leaving Craven Arms take the A489 towards Lydham and then go left on to the A488 and follow it to Clun.
 The route follows along the base of the Long Mynd hills. This one is a personal favourite of mine, having long sweeping corners that tighten in places and plenty of passing opportunities which are needed as there can be heavy traffic during week days. Its reasonably flat and offers plenty of vision once out of the trees for most of the way. Once on the A488 there's still plenty to keep you busy until you get to Clun.

Route 3, Craven Arms:-
 From Craven Arms follow B4368 through Aston on Clun to Clun.
 This is the short way to Craven Arms, again it has a good mix of corners and passing oppotunies however there is a fair bit more traffic this way. We tend to use this road when time is of the esscence.

Route 4, Knighton:-
 From Knighton another town surrounded by great roads, follow the A488 down the valley through New Invention then on to Clun.
 Plenty of steep hills and a multitude of corners this way, it makes a welcome bonus to our routes when weve been to Crossgates Cafe. Never seen much traffic along here and its easy pickings if you should come across the occasional vehicle.

Route 5, Kerry:-
  Follow the winding B4368 up over the hills through Newcastle village to Clun.
 This route is not a regular one of ours for 2 reasons, firstly it goes the wrong way as we are normally heading home after a stop in Clun and as the other road to Kerry is more straight forward we tend to use that one if heading out that way. The road itself is slightly narrower than the other routes and has alot more farm traffic in places. The road over the hills has some great corners and the views from the top are most splendid.

Jon, Phill and Col in 2003 at the Castle

The bridge in the distance

The first days of Everyday Superbikes



Rich and Jon getting ready to head home