Scottish Borders Ride

Julie and I decided a UK weekend excursion was in order with the Scottish Borders being an ideal and often overlooked destination. We were joined on this trip by Alan and Carol on their Suzuki Bandit and, on their recommendation, we chose our accommodation from the Farm stay UK guide. Our first choice was a biker friendly place in Hawick but, due to a large local wedding, no one could offer us Saturday night accommodation anywhere in Hawick. So we opted for the excellent Billerwell Farm B & B near Bonchester Bridge mid way between Hawick and Jedburgh. Thank goodness for the wedding I say. This place was tranquillity personified, the only noise being the burbling of the nearby river and sounds of the local wildlife although it was too far out of the village to walk to the pub for our evening meal. It never stopped raining for a second anyway so walking was out of the question!!

Our journey took us northbound via the A1, stopping at Scotch Corner for a break accompanied by a cuppa and  bacon roll. Suitably nourished we left the monotonous A1 for the more exciting A68 from Darlington all the way up to the outskirts of Jedburgh, Traffic was light, as was the rain, but the riding was good, no hurry and plenty of time to take in the magnificent scenery. I have travelled this road many times during my truck driving years but this was the first time Alan or I had ridden it on our bikes. We were not disappointed despite the inclement weather. Unfortunately, the spectacular view from the border point at Carter Bar was obscured by clouds  – wasn’t  that an album by Pink Floyd – LOL – and the Piper looked distinctly soggy.

Our rooms were spotless and spacious with what has to be one of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in. Breakfast was a top notch Scottish special with black pudding and Haggis nestling alongside the usual fare. Plenty of tea and toast followed so a hearty lunch would not be required. Sadly the rain had not abated overnight. Undeterred, we set off for a circular local ride taking in  Hawick and Jedburgh where we wiled away a couple of hours, filled up with fuel and a had a light lunch. As we entered the cafe, a couple were stood outside in full Harley clobber which included a pocket dog in it’s own leather Harley waistcoat. Apparently this mini mutt is well known in Harley circles as it travels everywhere on the bike with the owners!!

The following day we headed off to Berwick on Tweed and Holy Island or Lindisfarne whichever suits you, a place I have passed often travelling the A1 but one I have never managed to visit. We opted for a main road route as the rain was relentless but the forecast hinted at a brighter afternoon. We opted for Berwick as first stop arriving just as the rain began to clear – whoopee. A lightening quick tour the ancient city walls gave the old legs a stretch before mounting up and heading south to Holy Island. If you have never been here yourself, the island is accessed by a long causeway exposed at low tide only. There are several warning photo’s of clever buggers in 4 x 4’s who have tried to beat the tide and failed – very funny. It is quite a surreal experience crossing by bike as even at low tide the causeway is not particularly proud of the sea.

The car park is basically a field with a hard standing at each end specifically for motorcycles, how cool and thoughtful is that. We were all surprised to find a village and community on the Island complete with tourist trap cafe’s and shops plying their trade. I have to confess to buying a Lindisfarne T-shirt, a bottle of Mead – samples on offer – and a bottle of what is in essence Bailey’s. Julie was not amused!!! The sun stayed out all afternoon, so we had an hour laying on the grass bank  at the foot of the old castle overlooking the sea. We headed back to Bonchester Bridge on a more scenic, B road route passing through Kirk Yetholm, the official end of the Pennine Way long distance footpath. There appeared to be only one pub in the village, a little worse for wear too, but we were hungry by now so in we went in search of an evening meal. The old saying “Never judge a book by its’ cover” must have been written for this place. The inside looked tired too but staff and locals were friendly enough and they had recently employed a new chef. The food was bang on, pub food but very good pub food and plenty of it

Sadly, the rain returned overnight, so a wet ride south was a on the cards. We bade farewell to our hosts and headed south along B roads that skirted the massive Kielder Forest. A damn good ride in the wet which must be stunning in the dry. Crossing the A 69 at Haydon Bridge we headed into another area I have frequently circumnavigated but never entered – the North Pennines and Weardale. What a spectacular surprise, the B6295 through Allendale to Stanhope on the A689 was breathtaking with the dark, brooding rain clouds adding to the drama. This continued all the way down the B6278 to Barnard Castle – fantastic – we will have to return to explore more of this area.

Scotch Corner saw the rain end just as it had started here on our northbound leg, the A1 was it’s usual 2 lanes solid 50 mph crawl all the way to the M18 but hey, you have to take the rough with the smooth.

Great ride

Autumn is with us, most sport bikes are now in hibernation, safely tucked up in the garage with their Optimate’s attached until the first signs of spring. What a pity, the weather has been pretty good of late. Avoid, or take extra care when riding before midday as damp, fallen leaves or even isolated frost may be lurking in the shade. Not to mention blinding, low lying sun – ensure the visor is spotless. Negatives aside, autumn is a great time for motorcycle riding.

Due to various work commitments, I have only ridden with Danny and Blag together on 3 or 4 occasions this year, Saturday was one such occasion. We were also accompanied by GS Adventure pilot Rob, one of Blag’s trail biking buddies from Chesterfield. I took point and headed off to the Regency Cafe in Mablethorpe, the best fry up in town, via Gainsborough, Brandy Wharf and Caistor. Traffic was non existent once off the main drags and the late morning sun warmed the roads enough to maintain decent grip. As we passed Willingham Woods, a biking Mecca throughout the “season”, there was just a couple of hardy riders in for a tea stop.

Arriving at the Regency, we were gutted to find it closed with the shutters down – bugger – apparently trade is so low out of season it is not economically viable to open. Fish and Chips seemed a suitable alternative, after all, we were at the seaside. Two brews apiece accompanied by freshly fried fish, chips and pea’s provided more than enough calories for the return ride. And more than enough indigestion an hour later!! Our return route, a firm favourite of mine, includes a few mile of narrow, slow riding towards Caythorpe Mill before joining Bluestone Heath road, a pre Roman route with spectacular views of the Wolds. From Baumber we head to Bardney, a superb road with fantastic corners of all types. The pace slows again as we travel through the pretty villages of Potterhanworth and Nocton before joining the arrow straight road to Navenby. Blag indicated the KTM required fuel asap, he has the smallest tank and poorest fuel consumption! Not to worry, Leadenham provided the necessary petrol enabling us to continue home via the A17, Newark by pass and A617 to Cuckney via Wellow. 180 miles of riding enjoyed by all who took part, you can’t grumble at that.

Blackbird replacement – VFR 1200 F

Few, if any, bikes could generate the shear volume of conjecture, supposition, rumour, fervour and, in some instances, down right lies as the forthcoming replacement for Honda’s venerable Blackbird and VFR. For many months we have had to suffer shoddy, manipulated images purporting to be genuine, leaked shots of the new model accompanied by fantasised specifications. Well, the waiting is almost over. I say almost as, according to two dealers, the VF 1200F as it will be known, is not due in showrooms until February 14th 2010. Valentines Day, how apt. The day when we all shower lots of cash on the things we love the most!! However, for me it is not love at first sight.

I, like most none press folk, have only seen the Honda publicity shots and videos shown on the dedicated VFR 1200 F microsite. My initial reaction to these images was – OH MY GOD – and not in a positive, thank goodness it’s finally here way. I don’t like the weird looking fairing, I don’t like the minimalist cut down rear end, the seat doesn’t look that comfy, the rear end will offer a passenger no protection from spray and the exhaust is, without any shadow of a doubt, the most hideous monstrosity I have ever laid eyes on. Looking at the specs, the fuel tank is a mere 18.5 litres which, if this includes reserve, is almost a gallon less than the Blackbird. Unless it does 50 plus to the gallon, which I doubt, this lowly capacity is a step in the wrong direction. It is also a lardy bugger with a claimed, fully fuelled weight of 267 kgs, that is a mere 20 kgs less than my K1300GT which includes 6 litres more fuel!!

The other problem for me is, who exactly are Honda targeting with this bike. It is potentially replacing 2 or even 3 models.
VFR owners – far too big and lardy plus it has shaft drive so will lose fans.
CBR1100XX owners – don’t know yet as there are no performance figures. Yes it is aerodynamic, yes it produces 172 hp but it is heavier than the outgoing Blackbird and it has shaft drive.
Pan European owners – despite having shaft drive it is far too sporty with too little touring luxuries and what appears to be a crap passenger perch. The Honda dealers I spoke too reckon there may be a touring variant out in 2011. Jeez, what will that weigh??

K1300GT Indicator Switch

The long, drawn out saga of my indicator switch has finally reached a satisfactory conclusion. As you may be aware, said switchgear had been suffering the same heat related issues as my starter switch – above 22 deg it failed, below this it worked. Unlike the starter switch, it was somewhat reluctant to give up the ghost permanently thus causing a little consternation for my dealer. “But sir, the indicators are working, how would I explain that to BMW Warranty Claims”. “There is a hairdryer in my top box, warm up the switch and it WILL fail” was my frustrated reply.

The saga began in mid September when the left indicators first failed. I requested the switch be replaced a week later during the 12,000 mile service as fairing panels would already be off and the job would be easy. Plus we were riding into France for a weeks holiday a mere 3 days after the service and I didn’t want the spectre of unreliability hanging over my head for this trip. When I collected the bike Rainbow had not fitted the new switch as the fault codes only showed one error incident therefore they could not be absolutely sure it was the switch at fault. A valid point to a degree I suppose but BMW have had plenty of problems with this switch so the argument was not valid in my opinion.

Off we toddled to France with fully functioning indicators, that is until day 3 when the heat got to them. First thing in the morning, they worked as the nights were fairly cool but come midday – nothing. The French do not seem to understand hand signals either!! I rang Rainbow from France and booked the bike in for repair the following Saturday morning. As usual, I arrived early to allow the bike to cool, sat around drinking coffee and stroking un-affordable BMW kit for 2 hours before being told “We have a problem”. The switch was used on another bike during the week, another one would have to be ordered and they would contact me when it arrived – goodbye. No grovelling or profuse apologies were forthcoming and I left the shop with my confidence severely dented.

Friday came and still no word from Rainbow about the switch so I called them. “Hold on, I will check to see if your right hand switch has arrived”. Er, NO. LEFT hand switch mate – the one with the indicators is on the left. “I’ll call you back”. !!! Half an hour later I was called back. Apparently the switch ordered for my bike service was still in the stores with my name on it but a mix up meant the mechanic was trying to fit a right hand switch – which they didn’t have. Doh. the new switch was finally fitted yesterday and still no grovelling, profuse apologies wee forthcoming. Now I’m an easy going, laid back bloke who seldom loses the plot in a shop but Rainbow need to raise there game a little when it comes to customer service. Other customers would not be so easily placated.

Second trip to France

We are off to France again this coming weekend, aboard the K1300GT of course. It will be a  much shorter venture than our summer trip to the Pyrenees as we only have a week, so it is off to the Atlantic coast around La Rochelle. Brittany ferries route to St Malo for the overnight outbound sailing and return via Caen as the sailing times are more favourable.

K1300GT 12,000 mile service

Yes that’s right, the mighty K1300GT has amassed 12,350 miles in a mere 7 months, so off it went to Rainbow Motorcycles in Rotherham for it’s 12,000 mile service and a new pair of tyres. I managed to get 6,395 miles out of this pair of Metzeller Roadtech Z6’s and as I am still waiting for BMW to put the K1300 through tyre approval tests with Michelin and Dunlop, it has got to be another set of the same. The service loan bike I was allocated was shod in Michelin Pilot Road 2’s and had less tread than my Z6’s!! They were due to be changed the following day, however, despite their awful flat  centres they handled very well indeed with none of the vagueness and tracking afforded by the worn out Metzellers.

Rainbow found nothing wrong with the bike and the mysterious indicator failure has still not raised it’s head again, very strange. Diagnostics showed it as a one off incident so no switch replacement today! I was informed an air filter had been ordered for the bike but had not arrived due to BMW currently having none available in Europe. It seems they didn’t expect anyone to have reached this mileage point yet!!! As soon as an air filter becomes available it will be fitted. I also paid extra again for the transmission oil to be changed even though the schedule says it is not required.

The grand total for service and tyres – £407.27p.

K1300GT rear mudguard

I found this bugger by accident the other day during a thorough cleaning and polishing session. The lower portion of the rear mudguard is adjustable by almost 3 inches. Having lowered it right down I can confirm this keeps a significant amount of spray and crap off the rear of the bike. After a wet ride home tonight the rear light and topbox are almost spotless instead of being filthy. Why doesn’t the manual or dealer explain this very useful facility? To see the  single adjusting screw stick, your head between the mudguard and rear tyre.

K1300GT Indicator Switch Failure

On my way home from work yesterday the left hand indicator switch gave up the ghost, the right side and hazards worked fine. Oddly enough, this morning they worked again!! Yesterday was a hot day and it looks like the switch gear is going the same way as the starter switch. I contacted Rainbow and they have ordered a new switch assembly to be fitted at the 12,00 miles service which is booked for 2 weeks hence. Ironically, the bloody switch has started working again, so I’ll see what the dealer say’s at the service!!

K1300GT Front Brake Master Cylinder Recall

I took my K1300GT to have it’s right hand switch gear replaced under warranty following the failure of the starter button as mentioned previously on this blog. Whilst there, I was informed by my dealer, Rainbow Motorcycles of Rotherham, that there was a recall notice for a modification to the front brake master cylinder. Apparently, if you ride above 130 mph for any length of time the brake fluid can foam up in the master cylinder causing air to enter the system! Ride above 130mph for any length of time – are they insane!! Anyway, a foam “piston” was inserted into the master cylinder which cures the problem. A cheap, nasty fix for a cheap, nasty component. Remove the bloody wobbly, naff master cylinder and replace it with the K1200GT “hewn from granite” aluminium one and the problem will disappear on it’s own.
BMW are turning out some shoddy components over the last couple of years, not acceptable for a £14,000 bike in my opinion. Come on, what happened to German excellence.

Post Holiday Pleasures

No matter how pleasurable a holiday may be, upon my return, I invariably feel the need to indulge myself. This indulgence manifests itself in several ways, the most common being the absolute need to eat junk food.  I love France, I love the French and I love their food, although on pain of death, I confess that often it is over rated. After a while I find salads and light wholesome food becomes tiresome, I need a serious meat fix. A couple of barbeques whilst away helped  no end, but it’s not what I meant. The French just cannot do Bacon.

Once my feet are firmly planted on the terra firma of good old Blighty the hunger begins, a hunger that can only be satisfied by the intake of either a good old full English breakfast, a Donner Kebab and Chips or an luridly coloured Indian Curry. There are other pleasures, some which may appear perverse to our sun deprived British sensibilities, but I like the rain. I like the unique smell in the air as the first rain falls, I like to feel it on my skin and face, sometimes warm, sometimes cold, but always refreshing. It is good to return to my favourite roads, the bike liberated of overloaded luggage, no pillion, just me and a mate riding for nothing but fun on near empty, dry, warm Lincolnshire roads.

Today rates as a perfect, post vacation day. Julie was at work so Blag and I set off early for Lincolnshire. We rode from home via the Power Station villages to Gainsborough, on to Brandy Wharf via the B1205 joining the A46 to Market Rasen. Biking nirvana begins here, the B1202 to Wragby and on to Bardney, what a superb ride. It was fantastic to ride the bike solo again after two weeks riding two up with luggage, she felt so much livelier plus I needed to reduce the chicken strips – LOL. We took time out at the Bardney Heritage Centre, a new stop for us, where a Bacon baguette and coffee fulfilled my first “need”. From here we headed to Navenby and Newark on to Nottingham for a convoluted run to Pidcock’s in Long Eaton where I had a bill to pay. A fast blast home via the A50, A38 and M1 completed a 180 mile run on every conceivable type of road – need two fulfilled. A damn fine Chicken Tikka from The Bengal Cottage, our local Indian Takeaway, fulfilled the final “need” although initially they forgot my main dish. My generous tip ensured I had said dish very quickly – LOL.

The forecast rain stayed away until 9.05pm signalling time for my customary sit under the rear porch. I drew the air into my lungs, felt the cool, light rain on my skin, listened to kids a couple of houses down laughing and whooping as the rain added an edge to their trampolining. Now I know I’m home, another need fulfilled.