Hooray for motorcycles

 The light at the end of the tunnel seems brighter, the days are getting longer and the battle against the lockdown disease seems to be turning so we can hopefully look forward to a Summer of fantastic motorcycle adventures. Our friends across the sea though seem to be lagging behind in the fight, my message to them, get it sorted, I need to come and spend money in your countries and enjoy the sunshine and company. We are still only permitted to go out for essential shopping and exercise which I managed this weekend, I exercised myself, our bikes and lifted some fog from my brain.

Imagine if you didn't have motorcycling as a hobby, what a shit world it would be, the politicians would drive you mental and there would be no escape. We will one day emerge from this version of Hell and life will be great again, shit I've got motorbikes, its great anyway. Oh and as a final thought, the lockdown has meant no motorhomes or caravans on the road, its almost heaven.

Take care out there, watch out for the potholes and remember, the future is today, Carpe Diem 

Some pictures not from history!

The River Garry

Guzzi at rest

Mrs R at rest

Hand warming time (it was a tad chilly)

Loch Rannoch

Guzzi again

Still snow

Nice view

Chief pilot

Big Hill

Just to stand and admire the view is medicine in itself

Cracking road

Lime Kiln

Explanation

Bikes at rest

Braw

Mair braw

A ride on a motorcycle is never Dull

Moto Guzzi T3 & ER6 enjoy a day out

A wee video, certainly cheered me up!  

Ragin

 The announcement today from the wee bauchle has really pissed me off, we have behaved through the most draconian lockdown in history bar none but still the people who pull the levers don't want us to have anything resembling a life. Our brilliant scientists have produced a vaccine in record time to help us escape this nightmare so how about ALL the idiots and "experts" give us some hope, without hope there is nothing, only emptiness and fear. 

I feel, I certainly hope the "people" will say no more, too many people have lost their lives (Governments fault) to many people have lost their livelihoods and or businesses, the children of the UK have lost a year out of their academic lives and a chance to hone social skills as have all the people studying in higher education in whatever form. 

Funny this week I received two replies from the Scottish Government on concerns I raised at the beginning of December, December!!!! Two months to reply by which time things have moved on, a joke, it appears none of our politicians could run a piss up in a Brewery (oops forgot, we aren't allowed to have piss ups now, that'll be why then) 

Anyhoo rant over, I'm sure it'll be great soon, not just good but bloody fantastic, the snow has almost gone and I can feel the metaphoric fog lifting , get yer bikes ready, this is going to be a great Summer and I promise no more non motorcycling rants from me.

Today a look back at a fantastic event from 2009 at Applecross, enjoy and remember it will get better!

I feel better already

Before the run

Hanging about

Still hanging about

Round the peninsula

Sunny days

Alex and Dan 

Shite being talked

Ilko grinning

The Bealach

The best view ever

I think Judy had "easy listening" on the sign

Warming up

Atmospheric

Guy, Tomas, Andrea and Karine enjoying the band

The view is free

Much dancing

Martin in good form

Judy counting the takings

Mair dancin

Geordie gieing it laldy 

Braw

Philly wi the dancin shoes on

The following day, hungover

Tomas, he really wasn't well and the barman thought this would be funny

Blasts from the past

 I dug out a few photos from a bit before we had digital cameras, its funny looking back and every one of these old photos spark a memory of a person or normally just great times, remember when the snow was warm, salt never harmed your bike, rain was fun, camping a treat (it still is) politics was for complete tossers (it still is) Road tax and Mot's were an optional extra (who would have thought) it was ok to have a few beers with your mates without worrying if the gestapo would be waiting for you in the morning. A time when one tube of Solvol would last years (now it lasts weeks,) polishing was what you did when you were really bored! Men were men, women were women, the sheep were scared. Great to see more snow today, it really cheers me up....... Not!!!!!

George Martin and Tim Ryan have been sending me loads of old photos as well, with their permission I might post a few because its biking history and its worth sharing! Mind you I now appreciate the work involved in scanning photos!

Anyhoo, a wee bit more of a description on the photo's than normal, enjoy, keep safe and remember, the good times are coming.

Years ago we used to meet in a layby on a Sunday at Lochearnhead for a brew up, there was always a great group on older guys there with great stories and great bikes (at that time almost everybody was older :-)  ), I vividly remember the Ramsay brothers from Glasgow, both Vincent guys (as were many of the attendees) Willie and George I think, I remember one day they were all excited as they were heading to the South of France on a trip that week (they were all well into their 70's), Willie unfortunately never came back as he had a medical issue which then caused him to crash. George though was still a regular attendee, he lost a leg through Diabetes I think but then put a sidecar on his BMW and was still a regular. One day George was in a wheelchair and looked a bit worse for wear, scars and bruising on his face, eventually I asked him if he was ok? Aye, I wondered when you'd ask, I was riding up near Parkhead in Glasgow when the suspension unit on my BMW collapsed (it was a monolever) I shot across the road oot o control and crashed head on into a car, the guy got oot and fainted when he saw my artificial leg lying 50 yards up the road! What a character, he eventually lost the other leg but the last time I spoke to him he was trying to convince the DVLA to give him his licence back to get back on the sidecar, unfortunately he passed away (well in his 80's) and never got that final few years

Regular Vincent, not sure if this is John Stainton or Harry fae Fifes bike

Building the fire for a brew up ( before i started to dye my hair and moustache, note the old faithful in the background) 

Admiring what would have been quite a new Guzzi V50 at the time

John Thomson, Pinkie and me looking like I am in shock

This was a camping weekend which escapes my mind, what I do remember is Rab Dixon who was on the Ducati rarely camped, we got terribly merry that night and Rab was very sick and I think decided to head home after only one night! That was when my Guzzi was just a motorbike and not a Classic!!! whatever that means

Classic meeting at Amulree

Hectors Norton at Amulree

This was a BSA B25 Fleetstar I bought as a winter bike, after restoring it (well giving it a clean and a service really) I had one 2 mile run on it and promptly sold it , sounded nice but jeez no power!

Ready for the Winter.......Not

The Begonia Rally in 97, my god 24 Years ago! George Peddie's Rotary and Phils Commando (I think this was the year he won best Commando, something he reminds me of often)

See I told you the snow was warm then

And finally catching a ferry for Bute I think, The Youngers on their Katana and FZR, Hacko on his z900 and me on my Guzzi