Explorer
Registered user
Just got back from a solo UK journey: south coast (Devon) to north coast (John O'Groats and Cape Wrath) and back. Went up the East and back down the West. The idea of this, my first longish ride, was to shake down for a European trip next year.
Trip details:
Bike: 1150 GS
Miles travelled: 1903
Outer points: Exmouth, John O’Groats, Cape Wrath, Exmouth
Nights camping: 2
Nights with friends: 2
Nights in hotels/B+B: 5
Salmon caught: 1 (stopped for 3 days fishing en route)
Best roads: Caithness and Sutherland, W Coast of Scotland, Lake District (especially Wrynose and Hardknott passes)
Worst roads: Motorways (boring)and any road with strong cross-winds (W Coast)
Midge count: 1.34 million
Rain: Nearly all the time
Lessons learnt: SATNAV and ritzy metal panniers are not essential; travelling alone is fine; good waterproofs are vital (wore old sailing ones over bike clothing); don't have a camera that breaks down halfway as mine did ; don’t go past fuel in remote places (or trust the fuel guage - it jammed on 'full' twice); don't get off the bike without putting the side stand down - it falls over; when you do put the side stand down as you should, a Rugged Roads foot pad was a great way of stopping the stand and then the whole bike sinking into the depths of Caithness
Trip details:
Bike: 1150 GS
Miles travelled: 1903
Outer points: Exmouth, John O’Groats, Cape Wrath, Exmouth
Nights camping: 2
Nights with friends: 2
Nights in hotels/B+B: 5
Salmon caught: 1 (stopped for 3 days fishing en route)
Best roads: Caithness and Sutherland, W Coast of Scotland, Lake District (especially Wrynose and Hardknott passes)
Worst roads: Motorways (boring)and any road with strong cross-winds (W Coast)
Midge count: 1.34 million
Rain: Nearly all the time
Lessons learnt: SATNAV and ritzy metal panniers are not essential; travelling alone is fine; good waterproofs are vital (wore old sailing ones over bike clothing); don't have a camera that breaks down halfway as mine did ; don’t go past fuel in remote places (or trust the fuel guage - it jammed on 'full' twice); don't get off the bike without putting the side stand down - it falls over; when you do put the side stand down as you should, a Rugged Roads foot pad was a great way of stopping the stand and then the whole bike sinking into the depths of Caithness
