The Capper Rally, final edition

The second week in February is the traditional time for the Capper rally, weather over the years has been mixed, we have had it all and sometimes on the same day! This year we headed down on the Saturday just as the predicted storm front was taking hold, bright Sun making it difficult to see, heavy rain (often at the same time) and gale force winds, perfect motorcycling weather!
My house keys fell out of my jacket pocket minutes after leaving the house, luckily Fiona spotted that and no harm done, then Fi's mirror was loose which meant a quick pitstop at Cherrybank garage to borrow a spanner, this was looking like an omen, of course everybody said "there's a storm coming in , you can't go motorcycling and camping in that" but of course we did.
We arrived at Path head and quickly put the tent up, realised it was like a sail in the wind so we moved it and it looked slightly better. Signing on Kevin told us this was the last Capper rally, dwindling support make it inevitable really, the age dynamic is going up, less people are mad enough to camp in winter so after 38 years this was the last one, sad. We walked up to the pub for a beer and to watch 30 grown men knocking seven bars of shit out of each other on the TV (Rugby home International) suitably refreshed and before the next downpour we walked back to the site to see our tent throwing some unusual shapes in the field, oops, move 3 then took place to a more sheltered area but the tent sustained a bit of damage so had to be repaired with duct tape.
A great night was had by all, good company with most of the night laughing with the Mumfords. Just a shame its the last one. A wet and windy night but we stayed dry and a very windy and wet run home, not a lot of fun, wind is not the motorcyclists friend.

Bikes and portaloo

Cheers

Geoff collecting his best bike prize

Droning and Motorcycling

As part of our ever increasing electronic gadgets inventory Fiona has just got a drone, we are still getting used to it and today was the first time we tried to use it whilst out motorcycling. It was a very dreich day when we set off from Perth this morning but despite that we were going out anyway, Fiona had a chance to try out the rebuilt and rejuvenated BMW which i'm glad to say got a favourable review. A stop at the bridge in the sma glen to play with our other toy and then a run back via Dunkeld and Murthly avoiding the main roads, roads were mucky but bikes wash, a braw day it turned out to be, now feeling rejuvenated for the seasonal madness. I do think its a shame to put bikes away for the winter, you get days like this which although wet, cold and a bit mucky help re focus the mind and of course burning fossil fuels help the economy, sorry Greta :-)

The pilot

Pretty Triumph

Where did the damn thing go?

Moody sky

Sun did appear

Sanity restored

Like many others I get a bit fed up at this time of year, the constant cold and darkness grinds the soul. Last weekend I tried to get out on the bike but our street (and therefore most small roads) was sheet ice, not fancying any further injuries or repair bills I abandoned the thought. Today though although bleak was frost free so an excellent chance to bimble along the small roads in Perthshire, the roads were mucky and slippy, rain came and went but so what I was out on the bike, wind in my face and definite sanity restored :-)
In other news, Fiona's BMW is almost completed after its extensive refurbish in preparation for our upcoming Scotland to Siberia tour, once I finish hers mines will be next on the operating table!

At rest

Winter gear on!

Dreich

Applecross

The decision eventually was to travel to Applecross this weekend by four wheeled transport, the forecast showed snow on the Saturday and having come over the pass before in icy and snowy conditions I have no inclination to repeat it. We did see some bikes on the road and some with luggage including some Europeans, I take my hat off to you all but only for a second as my ears will get cold. I did wish I was on the bike about 90% of the time but as we went over the Bealach in the fading light and with ice in all the puddles and lochans I was glad we made the call. What can I say, stunning scenery and the light was fantastic, 2 hours to get the 17 miles from Perth to Ballinluig was a bit of a pain but that's what happens when you live in a country that's run by idiots, how businesses can work and make a profit around the chaos of our rapidly worsening road network is beyond me.
Great weekend in good company, nice to catch up with the locals who have become good friends over the years, the 46% whisky Judith had us drinking on Friday wasn't so good for my hangover! We ended up with two fellow motorcyclists on the Satuday, Robert from Braemar and Keith who was on an extended stay from the North West of England, we met as strangers and departed as friends, a common trait in the Highlands. Slainte!

Clouds remained as clouds thankfully

Lochaber with a dusting of snow as people in an aluminium tube fly by

The Commando memorial

Fitting on remembrance weekend

The light is impressive this time of year

Loch Carron

Moon rising

The Bealach in the evening

I bet the heating bills are high but what scenery to wake up to

Going back to nature

Trawler heading home across the sound

Herron and his pals looking for their dinner

Heiland coos enjoying the last of the sun

Keith Triumph, not a huge fan of the Scrambler but I was really taken with this one...Hmmm 

And heading home, you can never get enough photos of the Bealach

Stunning weekend

So this weekend marks the start of the long dark nights and even more crap weather than usual but it was also sunny and there's no better place to ride the small roads at this time of year than Scotland (OK the South of France or Spain....or Italy......or anywhere its bloody warmer) but we have the most wonderful colours on display, the tourists have pissed off back to where they came from and the Motorhomes are mainly packed away so there is a short window of opportunity to enjoy the bliss of quiet roads. I think the salt is already down as there was some salt on the bikes but not enough of that rust inducing, brake seizing stuff that the local council seems to love lathering on the roads in winter.
Saturday cooking at the roadside, very satisfying, Sunday a bacon roll at Tullybannocher and a wobble on the very small roads, it was cold though, bloody cold, heated jackets are a lifesaver!

A stop by the burn (stream) 

Cold, this is before Fi's heated jacket stopped working

Masterchef at work

Stunning colours (and the trees aint bad either)

Smile

Cold enough for the full balaclava

through the tunnel of trees

October Norton meeting

So our traditional end of season Norton meeting at Comrie, now renamed the "Tattie howkers" took place in a typical "tattie howkers" day, fresh , a hint of frost but sunny. We left early meaning we had very quiet roads for the short run to Comrie, quite often this meeting gets the bikes filthy as it can be a bit dreich, not so this year, as the day wore on every motorcyclist in Scotland must have been taking the opportunity to get their bikes out, I've never seen so many bikes, funnily enough next month we will be lucky to see another bike on the road no doubt.
Great to catch up with everybody and at least we had a handful of Nortons in attendance, hopefully everybody got home safe and with their bikes as clean as when they left.
 

Nice line up

period panniers set this off

Phil brought his Ducati , thing of beauty

Peter appeared on his Laverda (That I sold him about 25 years ago!)

David T's Norton with the heavily customised seat

Our bikes at rest (The red one may be for sale.......) 

Another pic of Phils Duke, braw! 

Distinguished Gentleman's Ride

Once again we took part in the Perth DGR ride ably organised by Geoff Mumford. The ride isn't really about "the ride" it is to raise awareness into two issues that affect mens health, namely mental health and prostrate cancer and of course to raise funds for these charities. It is a worldwide phenomenon so around the world men and women get dressed and look a bit silly to raise cash, silliness, motorcycles and fun, whats not to like. For some reason the Perth run doesn't attract the numbers it should but its a great day out anyway, if you are a motorcyclist you should give it a try sometime, no need to buy tweeds etc just make a little effort, for me I already have a moustache so I'm halfway there.
Oh and the ignorant couple in Dunkeld who said they had called the police because we had parked our bikes in view of their rented house despite being told we were on a charity run could do with some mental help themselves, or even some soap!

 

Waiting for the off

eclectic mix of bikes

Fiona and snibs 

Snibs looking the part

Gary and Dana

Our moustachiod trio

Geoff and Heather, matching moustaches

Ready to go

Our team of Dapper riders!