When we get it right in the UK… well we just get in right. Mary and I have just come back from Kimmeridge and the South Coast footpath with the dogs and the tent and the van. It will be one of those “where were you when you heard” trips as we raised a glass to the passing of Queen Elizabeth.
Or “Day Trips on the XT660Z in Mid Wales”… Just down the road from the Overland Workshop is Llyn Brianne, test rides and day trips over the Epynt Army Range will lead inevitable to the circular route round Brianne, and in all honesty it is possible to ride a few hundred miles in 7 or 8 hours and avoid most of the traffic on the coastal roads running south from Aberstwyth. I have like many, missed the opportunity for overseas tours so have been making the most of what we have to offer here in the UK, which to be honest, is quite a lot. I dragged the XT660Z out of the workshop and loaded up the MetalMules with lunch and randomly set off on a back road bumble – 7 hours later I was back home… time flies for me on the bike – its a great mental health reset.
In my opinion, there is nothing quite like it… end of a long day, cold beer in hand, sitting round a campfire with friends and colleagues, sharing a tale or two of travels completed and actions yet to take. It got me thinking of the things I love most when on the road so in no particular order… the sound of rain on my tent, snuggling back into my Rab Sleeping Bag on a cold morning, that first cup of coffee (maybe in the same sleeping bag), the jet like roar of my MSR XGK-EX stove, clean socks and pants after a long day on the bike, therapeutic bike maintenance the morning of the ride (and the strange reassurance of correct tyre pressures) and the soothing rustle of my Terra Nova Quasar – maybe its just me then…
First bit of preplanned roadside maintenance required on the Honda in the form of replacement rear pads – after about 11,500km on the DCT and a lot of mountain and track work the rear pads are looking decidedly worn with less than 1mm left of the 8mm original – I have to say the bike is very balanced, but dragging the rear brake and using the DCT G mode is the best way I have found to maintain effective low speed control on the loose stuff. The job is best done early in the comfort of my present location, with a small swimming pool handy and in the shade rather than later in the next week or so by the side of the road in +33 degree temperatures. I am sticking to conventional organic fibre pads (EBCFA174) and the job is simple, a couple of torx and a slider pin to move followed by maybe a cold beer… These will see me out for the rest of this trip and beyond… and before anyone comments, apart from tubes and my puncture kit and tools these were the only parts I carried with me as I could foresee this happening looking at the existing wear rate, but they were not worn enough to change pre trip. One questions remains… why is it EBC fibre pads smell so badly of fish?
“Life on the road is hard. I talked to my bike. It’s a bit crazy, but I talked to it every day, not to abandon me, not to let me down, not to break down, my motorcycle represents my life, more than just a bike”. I though it was just me but this quote is from Cyril Neveu so I guess its normal behaviour from a solo motorcyclist in a strange far away land. If you are planing a trip, long or short my advice is just do it… you will remember the sites you saw and the things you did, they will travel with you forever and if you go… I promise you this… you will not come back the same.
This year I am returning to one of the most beautiful group of countries I have been privileged to see – Scandinavia but more importantly to me, Central and Northern Sweden – any thoughts on the route?
