Johnnymac
Registered user
Had a good ride out yesterday...(Sat 22nd) with the aim of putting some miles on my almost two years old F800 30TH Anniv model.
Starting point, home....York
Got up painfully early for a Saturday morning, and was on the road at 6.52am. It was colder than I expected. Temp gauge was saying 3.5C, but I thought it would warm up as the sun came through. Chugging up a near deserted A1M at a steady 75-ish, it flickered briefly up to 5.5C, but mostly stuck around 3.5-4C. I turned off onto the A68, but the temperature sooned dropped. Noticed frost in the shadows - it was still before 8.00am, and the temp gauge was telling me 1.C at one point. Eek! Heated grips on to full!
I kept hoping it would get warmer as the sun cam up, but by Carter Bar just after nine, it was still only 4C. Despite the grips being on full, my fingers were still getting quite cold, to the extent that I though they'd stopped working. They hadn't, it was just very cold! I'd also been worried where the road was under trees that there might be some ice, as there was still very little traffic around. Toes also cold. Could've have done with those big hot sticky-out sideways footwarmers from my R80ST....
Down the hill from Carter Bar
and into Jedburgh looking for a decent cafe to warm up in. Toes very cold by now! 137 miles done. Probably the longest cold ride I've done, though I did ride through the 78-79 snow from York to Harrogate most days on my old GT500. But that's another story.
And I found it...probably the best cafe breakfast I've ever had! So, try the Cookie Jar Cafe in Jedburgh. Proper old fashioned cooked breakfast, and a good cuppa. Got the blood flowing again. Wonderful!
Next stop was Peebles for refuelling. I'd last filled it 176 miles back, and the gauge was telling me 50 miles range left. It took 13.41l (2.95 galls) so had done 59.6 mpg for that tankfull. A lot of that had been 75-85ish.
I carried on along the A72, and then took a left on the B712 and had a couple of hours wandering around Dawyck Arboretum. What a stunning place. Great cafe too, and I was made very very welcome, especially when I told them I'd come up from York that morning to visit the place. "What? On a motorbike!?" They let me leave my Tourance jacket at the reception so I wouldn't have to wander around in it.
If you get the chance, visit the place, it's quite beautifull, and will be more so in a month or when the leaves turn.
I like trees...especially the big 'uns. Some nice Redwoods and Douglas firs in there.
I left there just before 2.00pm, back on to the B712 south, and down to the
A701. The intention was to cut over the minor road via Talla and Megget reservoirs, but somehow I missed the turn, so I carried on down to Moffat - what a lovely little town, and quite a few bikes in the centre - and then turned back north up the A708. What a spectacular road! Stunning views all the way. Then turned right at the Gordon Arms hotel, and onto the B709, down through Ettrick, Davington and Eskdalemuir to Langholm. I don't think I saw more than half a dozen cars and not a single motorbike anywhere on that entire road. It's very isolated, but a great ride, again, loads of stunning views. Then Langholm down the A7 to Longtown, A6071 to Brampton, A689 to Alston, B6277 to Middleton-in-Teesdale and Barnard Castle, A66 to Scotch Corner and then a quick thrash down the A1M, and back in York at just after half six. 390 miles total. And that's 229 miles since filling up in Peebles, and the range gauge tells me I've got 22 miles left to go before empty.
When I refill I'll work it out exactly, but over 10,700 miles, it's averaged 62mpg.
What a bike.
That is all.
Starting point, home....York
Got up painfully early for a Saturday morning, and was on the road at 6.52am. It was colder than I expected. Temp gauge was saying 3.5C, but I thought it would warm up as the sun came through. Chugging up a near deserted A1M at a steady 75-ish, it flickered briefly up to 5.5C, but mostly stuck around 3.5-4C. I turned off onto the A68, but the temperature sooned dropped. Noticed frost in the shadows - it was still before 8.00am, and the temp gauge was telling me 1.C at one point. Eek! Heated grips on to full!
I kept hoping it would get warmer as the sun cam up, but by Carter Bar just after nine, it was still only 4C. Despite the grips being on full, my fingers were still getting quite cold, to the extent that I though they'd stopped working. They hadn't, it was just very cold! I'd also been worried where the road was under trees that there might be some ice, as there was still very little traffic around. Toes also cold. Could've have done with those big hot sticky-out sideways footwarmers from my R80ST....
Down the hill from Carter Bar
and into Jedburgh looking for a decent cafe to warm up in. Toes very cold by now! 137 miles done. Probably the longest cold ride I've done, though I did ride through the 78-79 snow from York to Harrogate most days on my old GT500. But that's another story. And I found it...probably the best cafe breakfast I've ever had! So, try the Cookie Jar Cafe in Jedburgh. Proper old fashioned cooked breakfast, and a good cuppa. Got the blood flowing again. Wonderful!
Next stop was Peebles for refuelling. I'd last filled it 176 miles back, and the gauge was telling me 50 miles range left. It took 13.41l (2.95 galls) so had done 59.6 mpg for that tankfull. A lot of that had been 75-85ish.
I carried on along the A72, and then took a left on the B712 and had a couple of hours wandering around Dawyck Arboretum. What a stunning place. Great cafe too, and I was made very very welcome, especially when I told them I'd come up from York that morning to visit the place. "What? On a motorbike!?" They let me leave my Tourance jacket at the reception so I wouldn't have to wander around in it.
If you get the chance, visit the place, it's quite beautifull, and will be more so in a month or when the leaves turn.
I like trees...especially the big 'uns. Some nice Redwoods and Douglas firs in there.
I left there just before 2.00pm, back on to the B712 south, and down to the
A701. The intention was to cut over the minor road via Talla and Megget reservoirs, but somehow I missed the turn, so I carried on down to Moffat - what a lovely little town, and quite a few bikes in the centre - and then turned back north up the A708. What a spectacular road! Stunning views all the way. Then turned right at the Gordon Arms hotel, and onto the B709, down through Ettrick, Davington and Eskdalemuir to Langholm. I don't think I saw more than half a dozen cars and not a single motorbike anywhere on that entire road. It's very isolated, but a great ride, again, loads of stunning views. Then Langholm down the A7 to Longtown, A6071 to Brampton, A689 to Alston, B6277 to Middleton-in-Teesdale and Barnard Castle, A66 to Scotch Corner and then a quick thrash down the A1M, and back in York at just after half six. 390 miles total. And that's 229 miles since filling up in Peebles, and the range gauge tells me I've got 22 miles left to go before empty.
When I refill I'll work it out exactly, but over 10,700 miles, it's averaged 62mpg.
What a bike.
That is all.
