Featured Bike - Kawasaki W650

I recently saw one of these parked in Helensburgh and thought that it looked like a neat retro. The bike is an accurate modern reproduction of the trad British twin of the '60s. Although it could also be said to be an updating of Kawasaki's own W1/2/3. These were based on the 500cc BSA A7 and produced from 1967-75. Yes, amazingly, Kawasaki were building a pushrod non-unit engine in the mid '70s along side the Z1 & two stroke triples. Not imported to the UK I'm pretty sure. The W650 was build from 1999-07 and replaced with the W800 from 2011. The bike has all the period details - spoked wheels, peashooter silencers and even a kickstarter. The engine is an eight valve single overhead cam twin strangely with a bevel drive to the cam.

It's a good looking bike and no doubt appeals to those wanting the classic bike experience without the hassle of an old Brit. I'm maybe still too young for one and anyway they are expensive - price from £3,000 on Biketrader.  

W650

Bevel drive can be seen in cutaway

'60s W1

'70s W3

Landmarks Challenge 2012

Way back in February "mr combo" set us a Landmarks Challenge . It's taken all year, but here's mine.

No.1 - Castle - One of Scotland's best known: Eilean Donan

No.2 - Telephone Box - Cowal Peninsular

No. 3 - Mail Box  - South Queensferry

No. 4 - Flag - Eyemouth

No 5 - Animal - Highland Coo, Glen Douglas

No. 6 - Bridge - Tay Rail Bridge, Dundee

No. 7 - Body of Water - Firth of Forth at Burntisland, Fife

No 8 - Church - Kilfinan Parish Church

No. 9 -  Barbers - Shawlands, Glasgow

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No. 10 - Scrap yard - Gartocharn. This was the hardest to find. The old fashioned scrap yard with junk piled high is a thing of the past - in the West of Scotland anyway. Planning rules mean they are screened from public view. This vehicle recycler is the nearest I could get. 

No. 11 - Station - Maxwell Park, Glasgow

No. 12 - Stadium - St James, Newcastle

No. 13 - Ship - Inverarary

No. 14 - Graffiti - Or is it art?, St Andrews

No. 15 - Statue - Ayr

No. 16 - Rust - FJ disc after winter lay-up

No. 17 - Rain - CBF filler cap

No. 18 - Petrol Pump - Old pump at Portinnisherrich on Loch Awe

No. 19 - Road Sign - At the start of the Bealach na Ba, Wester Ross

No. 20 - Memorial - War memorial, Sandbank, Dunoon on the Holy Loch

Solway Coast Run - Part 3

For the final part of our journey we cross the border into England.

Burgh by Sands to St Bees Head

The River Esk flows into the Solway just south of the border

King Edward I monument, Burgh by Sands. He died here in 1307 on the way to fight the Scots.

Salt marshes outside Burgh by Sands

Radio station at Anthorn. This is a NATO facility for submarine communications using very low frequency transmitters

Seafront at Silloth

Ice Cream at Silloth

The harbour at Maryport

The FJ at the marina at Whitehaven. In the past this was a major port exporting coal but has been redeveloped.

The end of the journey - St Bees Head.

Well that's the journey completed. I really enjoyed touring this area that is, especially on the Scottish side, quiet and undeveloped and not full of tourists even in high summer. The route was about 250 miles and took a bit of planning since, in general, the main roads in Scotland are remote from the coast. I did this trip in three journeys from home covering over 800 miles in total.

Solway Coast Run - Part 2

Part#2 - Kirkcudbright to Annan

 Fishing Boats in Kirkcudbright

 Dundrennan Abbey

Wickerman near Dalbeattie. I think human sacrifice may still be practiced in this area.

Hestan Island

Orchardson Tower - a unique 15C round house near Dalbeattie

Rockcliffe

Southerness Lighthouse - the second oldest in Scotland completed 1749

Dumfries

Glencaple - south of Dumfries the River Nith flows into the Solway.

Bankend - Lochar Water swollen from recent rains with the ruins of Isle Tower in the distance.

The harbour at Annan - I've never seen water in it but the boats must have got there somehow.

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Solway Coast Run - Part 1

As we trudge towards winter I remember a trip I took during the summer. I'd been thinking about this for a while. Ride the length of the Solway coast. This is between the Mull of Galloway in the west to Annan in the east (Scotland) and Burgh by Sands to St Bees Head (England)

Here's the map of the route

Part#1 - Mull of Galloway to Kirkcudbright

The end of Scotland at the Mull of Galloway

 The Mull of Galloway lighthouse dates from 1830

 

New England Bay 

Luce Bay

 

The harbour at Isle of Whithorn 

Wigton Bay

The spooky ruin of Sorbie Tower, the ancestral seat of the Clan Hannay

  

The parish church at Borgue

Carrick Bay with Fleet Bay behind

Ross Bay

Approaching Kirkcudbright (kir-coo-bray for non Scots)