Fun in the Rain?

If you ride a motorcycle in Scotland you will not be unfamiliar with rain. Although nowadays I mostly ride for pleasure and can choose when I travel I usually avoid the wet stuff. It was different in my commuting days when I had to ride whatever was coming from the sky but that was only for 30 minutes at a time.

The weather here for some time now had been what the weatherman calls "changeable", changing about every 10 minutes I estimate. We're away next week so I was keen to get out on the bike but the forecast was dire. Then I thought "can you have a pleasant day out in bad weather?" I looked out gear that I thought would keep me dry and set off for the coast.

I knew what I was heading into

The wet gear

The CBF at Loch Thom

Abandoned farmhouse

Largs. By now it was raining hard and I couldn't take any more photos because the lens was soaked and I had no way of drying it. Time to head for home.

So to answer my question "can you have a pleasant day out in bad weather?". Well, no, not really. On the plus side my gear did keep me reasonably dry and the little CBF is great in the wet. It's light and the lack of power is an advantage in slippery conditions. 

Featured Bike - Honda CB250RS 1980-84

For Sale. Very good condition for 37 years old.

I recently saw a Honda CB250RS for sale locally. This brought back fond memories of an RS I owned many years ago. Well, not exactly owned but…

In the past the 250cc class was big in the UK. Between 1960 and 1983 learners (ie those who hadn't passed a test) were restricted to under 250cc bikes. Honda's main bike in this class was the CB250N Super Dream. The RS was added in 1980 using an engine based on the XL250 trail bike. This was a sohc air cooled single with balance shafts. In the RS it produced a nimble lightweight roadster with good performance and little vibration. In my opinion preferable to the tubby Super Dream.

My girlfriend Gwen had got into motorcycles in 1981 with a Honda CG125. The RS followed in 1982. I can remember riding to a tenement flat on Glasgow's south side to look at and buy a very nice two year old bike.

The RS soon after it was bought. Note Gwen's "L" plate below the number plate

In 1984 we bought our first house together and the RS became our commuting bike carrying the pair of us to work year-round. It fulfilled this role reliably for eight years. As well as commuting the RS was also a fun little bike to ride. It had reasonable power, good handling and the willing little single cylinder engine had lots of character. 

August '90 - Resprayed white by this time

The bike was kickstart only. This wasn't a problem, the bike had an automatic de-compressor. This momentarily opened the exhaust valve when kicked giving an easier action. In 1983 Honda added a "Deluxe" version of the bike with an electric starter. This had a significant addition cost and was therefore rare. The bike was replaced in 1985 by the CBX250RS that had a twin cam engine. This bike was not a success because, by that time, the bottom had fallen out of the 250cc market due to licence restrictions.

CBX250RS

There was another version of the RS. The CL250 "Silk Road". This was a semi off-roader. I'm not sure that it was ever sold in this country.

CL250 "Silk Road"

By 1993 the RS was suffering the ravages of commuting year-round in the Scottish climate. I sold it to my brother's friend David who breathed new life into the little machine. He reads this blog so perhaps he'll respond with his memories of the bike.

I eventually replaced the RS with an MZ ETZ125. Not a step up you might say and I'd have to agree.

MZ ETZ125

My current "small bike" is a CBF250. Very much a similar concept to the RS and a bike I very much enjoy riding. 

***UPDATE*** 

You can tour on a single (as my brother doesn't say) I just found this photo. It’s Gwen and the RS failing to make the crossing to Lindisfarne in July 1984. We wanted to go away for the weekend but my GSX750 was under repair so we took the RS. We're travelling light with just a small bag on the back of the bike.

The Bays of Galloway

I was planning on going somewhere else but the weatherman said that it would be best in the south west of the country so that's where I headed.

I remembered that there were some impressive bays heading for the Mull of Galloway so I went looking for them.

As usual (for some odd reason) I'm visiting the coast at low tide.

Loch Ryan from Stranraer

Portpatrick

Sandhead Bay. I'm standing where the seaweed finishes so the tide goes out a long way here.

Sandhead Bay

Drumantrae Bay

New England Bay. I can't find the reason for the name. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the USA.

I brought some lunch and the bay made a pleasant setting for lunch

Drummore Bay

Drummore Bay

Port Logan Bay

Luce Bay

Journey to the Edge of Britain

Yesterday I took a run to the furthest west point in the British mainland. Ardnamurchan is a peninsular west of Fort William. It is a wild, remote and sparsely populated area. But it is possible for me to do a day visit.

The route

On the way there Glencoe had some low cloud but I hoped that this is would clear.

The SV at Loch Ailort

Glenuig Bay

Loch Moidart

Looking over Loch Sunart

Camas nan Geall (Bay of Strangers)

Near the end of the peninsular I took a diversion to Sanna to see this magnificent sandy beach. On the deserted road there I thought I might have it to myself but the car park was busy and there a fair amount of people enjoying the beach.

Loch Sunart at the village of Strontain

River Gour flows into Loch Linnhe

I took the Corran Ferry over Loch Linnhe to avoid having to go back to Fort William.

This was great day out in a really beautiful and remote area. Progress can be slow because many of the roads are single track and liberally coated in gravel. But worth it for the seclusion, a rare thing in out crowded country.

I've tried to get the locations correct but it is hard in this area of twisting roads, many bodies of water and few towns.

Classic Show in Fife

Yesterday I went over to Fife to meet my friend Malcolm at a classic vehicle show in Ladybank. There were a lot of interesting vehicles.

Here are a couple of Yamaha two stroke twins from the early '70's

An AS1 125cc and…

….a YR5 350cc

Mod style scooters

I always feel a twinge of guilt when I see a BSA Bantam having killed one many years ago.

A rare one, I think. A 350cc Norton Navigator(?)

Indian Scout

If you were a kid in the '70's a Raleigh Chopper was the bike to have

An Isetta bubble car. Although an Italian design this one was made by BMW (see badge)

I liked this little crawler tractor. Intended for use in market gardens. It must be like having your own mini tank.

A British sports car I'd never heard of. It's a Healey Elliot. This car has a racing heritage. It won the touring car class in the 1948 Italian road races, the Mille Miglia & Targa Florio.  

This truck took my interest. It's a Sentinel DG4 made in England by the Glasgow engineering company Alley and MacLellan. It's steam powered and amazingly produced until the late 1930's. My mother worked in the Glasgow factory before I was born.

Malcolm thinking - what the hell is this thing? - It's a 1992 Suzuki 250 SW1.

Back on the SV

I've enjoyed riding the CBF this summer. It's nice looking at the scenery as you trundle along at a modest pace and getting a whole day's riding on a single tank. But with the SV repaired and a fresh MOT obtained it's time for some speed.

It's not that the SV is crazy fast - it has brisk performance. But with the combination of light weight, great handling and a willing, revvy V-twin engine it just begs to be trashed. Of course I'll be keeping it sensible today. I'm keen to avoid any more dealings with the medical profession for a while.

I headed to the Scottish Borders and Berwick upon Tweed.

This is a favourite view of mine. Looking north from Lammermuir Hills to the Firth of Forth and Fife. (try saying that quickly three times) 

I'm not superstitious but some lucky heather can't do any harm.

I took this photo of a wind farm for the purple heather in bloom

Berwick

The old bridge in Berwick

Looking across the River Tweed to the town

Another favourite view - the River Tweed near Broughton