Tag Archives: motorcycle

On The Border

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After the relentless rain in Lancashire yesterday afternoon, it was a relief to wake to almost dry skies.

Harls and I hit the road bang on nine o’clock and headed North, through Gisburn and then to Settle, which is at the South end of the famous Settle and Carlisle Railway.

The fells looked fabulous, but I wanted to push on and get a sixty mile section of the M6 Motorway out of the way.
I generally dislike riding on Motorways, not just because they are boring, but mostly they can be dangerous for motorcyclists. Dangerous through poor lane discipline and bad driving habbits of many other road users and wow were those on full display today!

Because the weather was so nice when we got on the motorway, I was planning to stop at Shap and maybe watch a few trains pass on the famous climb from Tebay; a gradient that used to severely tax the old steam locomotives and even makes modern traction cough a bit!

In my railway career days, I’ve driven trains over it and I know how it can catch out the unwary. It’s a stunning location, but is mountainous country and the weather can change in an instant…. just like today.
We were happily travelling up the sunny Lune Gorge just South of Shap, up ahead I could see ominous black clouds and mist, this was going to be interesting! True to form, we rapidly moved into reduced visibility, biblical rain and gale force winds; I do like a challenge, but the Shap stop was scrubbed!

The Fells though, have a habit of changing their mind fairly quickly and by Carlisle we got back into sunshine and swung off the dreadful motorway and onto the A7 road through the Scottish Borders.

The A7, my kind of road!

This road has long been on my UK bucket list and I wasn’t disappointed. It starts of innocuously enough, then sort of develops into a lovely scenic twisty indulgent asphalt ribbon of happiness.
It has enough jeopardy at times to keep a motorcyclist alert without being dangerous and some glorious straight bits where you can soak in the views or burn up the fuel a bit quicker.

I’m afraid that on the best bit, between Langholm and Hawick, I didn’t stop to take photos, I was too busy enjoying myself!
North of Galashiels though I grabbed a few pictures, it’s not bad, eh?

Tonight we are in the Royal Burgh of Lauder, a delightful small town about 30 miles South of Edinburgh. 

Tomorrow, it’s a big push of 300 miles back home to Caithness, with a brief stop at Edinburgh Harley Davidson to discuss service plans; yes they really are my “local” Harley Davidson Dealership and service workshop!

We will be traversing the Queensferry Crossing over the Firth of Forth adjacent to the famous Forth Bridge built to carry the North British Railway’s line from Edinburgh to Aberdeen in 1890.

Then its off to Perth and the Highlands, following the A9 just about all the way home…

The Highlands are calling me …..

Are you coming along for the ride?
Good, stands up at 09:00; Screw it, Let’s ride!

“On the border 
Leave me be , I’m just walkin’ this line 
On the border” 

Catch you soon,
Dookes

What We Do For Love

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This blog is supposed to be about the my travels on my Harley Davidson motorcycles and to be honest, of late they haven’t featured very much.
Our move from one end of the UK to the other, Cornwall to Caithness has had a lot to do with that….not to mention that my beloved Softail, Harls, remained behind when we moved, waiting for me to collect her at a suitable date in the future.

Well that date has arrived!

I’m currently in Lancashire just over 300 miles from Cornwall and 450 still to go back to Caithness….and yes Harls is with me!

It’s Harls! Looking a bit road stained in the Lancashire rain.

We hit the road yesterday and wow, was it good to be sitting in her saddle again!
It had been a while since I last rode her, September last year to be honest, since then she has safely resided in my friend Peter’s workshop in Cornwall.
I’m pleased to say that after a thorough safety check, a wiff of air in the tyres and reconnecting the battery…she started first time, bursting back into life and happily burbling that familiar Harley “Potato, Potato” song from her exhaust.

I just fell in love with her all over again!

Yesterday we took a steady trundle up through the Welsh Marches to an ovenight stop in North Shropshire with two wonderful and special hosts, plus on the way meeting up with a very, very, special person who I hadn’t seen in years. That was quite some hug!!
It was quite an emotional day that left me feeling very happy and grateful for my many blessings.
Today we rode to Skipton, in the Yorkshire Dales, to drop in on to say hello and share a coffee with a mate. Tonight we are at the foot of Pendle Hill in Lancashire, made famous/infamous by the trial and execution of The Pendle Witches in 1612.

Yesterday and this morning we enjoyed glorious riding weather; this afternoon, not so great, with vicious winds and lashing rain. Let’s be honest, it was just the “Weather Clerk” checking out just how much I enjoy riding Harls…

How did it go?
Well, I will admit to being a bit “Ride Rusty” yesterday when we got going, not dangerously so, but I was having to think about what I was doing, but after a couple of hours I got into the groove and things became more instinctive and considerably more enjoyable.

It occurred to me that this is the first long distance ride that I have ever done in the UK and as such I really should embrace the same principle I apply to my long distance Continental trips.
In other words, as my late lamented mate Floyd used to say,
“To know a country, you must eat a country!”

Well OK Floyd; last night was Shropshire beef steak, beautifully cooked blue, just how I like it, accompanied by wonderful conversation and a toast to those we have lost

Tonight, it’s the local speciality of Pendle Pie a wonderfully calorie laden creation of beef in an ale gravy, topped with mash potatoes and cheese, served with seasonal vegetables. Accompanied with a pint, or two, of the local IPA.
“Only” 1055kcal, it’s how they keep the rain out in these parts!

It seems to be working!

Tomorrow we will get to Scotland, but with still a bunch of miles to follow on Saturday.
I could have had Harls shipped up, but I feel its only right to give her the dignity of arriving in her new home on her own two wheels.
I love that bike and for the people and things I love, I will do anything.

“Spread out the oil, the gasoline
I walk smooth, ride a mean, mean machine
Start it up”

Catch you soon,
Dookes

Big Skies

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Now you are going to have to indulge me a little with this post, mainly because I can’t decide which photographs to leave out!

Since we moved to Caithness I have fallen in love with the sky.
It’s a big sky, with far horizons, crystal clear air, amazing clouds, glorious sunrises, and majestic sunsets.

At night it is a black as ink and flushed through by a billion stars.
One day i will master the science of photographing the night sky, but for now I have to stand an gaze at the heavens in wonder.

Daytime. I’ve come to the conclusion it’s beyond just “daytime” in these parts.
It must be a combination of being so near the cold near Arctic Sea, the clean air and our Northern latitude, that makes the air sparkle and even overcast days seem vibrant.

The mountains add to that gin clear sky feeling by pushing clouds high and aside by their mass.

Someone once speculated that there are places where the gap between Earth and Heaven is thin….
I’m beginning to feel that this little corner of the world is one of those special spots!

Sunrise and Sunset are always special times too.
Until we moved here, I had never seen such fiery displays in the heaven; I frequently enjoy sitting and absorbing the solar kaleidoscope unfold above me.

Last weekend I managed to get out for a ride on one of my Harleys.
It was mind clearing, but also made me feel very small underneath those soaring skies.

If this is what motorcycling in the Far North is going to be like, I cant wait to do more of it!

It’s going to be hard to decide where to go to next really!

“Ride like the wind at double speed
I’ll take you places that you’ve never, never seen”

Catch you soon,

Dookes