Gino's Travels: May 2025

Tuesday, 27 May 2025

Wee Smokey

The weather had changed from the previous few weeks hot and sunny climate to being a bit windy and the occasional heavy downpour but that didn't stop a couple of hundred hardy souls going to Arbroath to celebrate the 10th Year of "Wee Smokeys" our Hosts Eric and Amy did a sterling job assisted by some of the SCMC helpers.

We rode up via Forfar and then got lost (well kind of lost, we knew roughly where we were) but eventually we saw some Classic bikes and followed them. We arrived just after 10.30 and I was surprised to see the already big turnout. The usual Classics were there and some were not, I suspect some people took their modern bikes to save some cleaning. After Eric had done his prizegiving the rain started and a few disappeared but there was still talking to be done and a short while after it was sunny again. A good run home and we only caught the rain as we headed into Perth so a great day indeed.

Thanks to Eric and Amy for their organisation and also the classic club for helping.

Old (and even new motorbikes, what's not to like) met some nice people and generally talked nonsense all day, brilliant!

Tidy Triple

nice Ducati

Don't see many of these

Eric in full flow

Fettling

Plenty to look at

Bill's Duke

Very nice Inter

AJS Twin

Bills Commando

Ready for the off

One of the Guzzi corners

tidy pair

Now very much a classic

AJS

Very smart goldie

Much pointing going on

Guzzi and Indian

Talking nonsense, and thats the way it should be

Monday, 19 May 2025

Another cracking weekend

The weather is still holding up so we took the opportunity to get out on the Mk3 LeMans's on Saturday, over the Glen Quaich road where because of photo taking we got help up with some cars which are too wide for this road and got a bit fed up as the road was busier than we thought so instead of going over Ben Lawers which was the original plan we took a right at the bottom of the hill along the south side of Loch Tay a smaller road but quieter. It's a while since I rode this road but it got us away from the tourists (almost), the occasional glimpse of the Loch were stunning it drops you into Killin and then back via Loch Earn but we took the Sma Glen road to avoid the traffic and lunatics in Crieff, heading to Monzie and Glenalmond and home in a much more chilled fashion.

Sunday, Fiona was Yoga bound so I was left to my own devices, I took out the T3 to Comrie for the Vintage club Ride an Old bike day to take some photos and meet up with some friends, David T and I were thinking about the camp as a potential meeting place for a Norton get together but after a look we aren't so sure. We met Alan and Peter who were clearing out Peters workshop there, plenty talking was had about all sorts of nonsense. I probably Knew about 1/3 of the people there and talked my hind legs off speaking to them. Dr Don on his very smart and well sorted V11 made me a little jealous that I have ignored mine for a while so I must rectify that soon. I took the small roads home and had a great morning, all in all a great weekend, next week the Wee Smokey at Arbroath, looking forward to it!

A brace of Guzzis

Stunning

Loch Earn

Lavera

Nice

Ner-a -car, rare unless you are from round these parts

Ducati

Dr Dons nice V11

And a Velo, never watched him starting it

Back to Saturday pics

Fionas mount for the day

Stunning road and scenery

Tuesday, 13 May 2025

Strontian Norton meeting

Well we knocked it off this weekend, incredible weather and the midges only came out to say goodbye early Sunday morning (if we had stayed in our beds a couple of hours longer they had gone again apparently) Two Commandos an Airhead a triumph tiger 800 and a modern Guzzi left our house at about 11am. The A82 past Tyndrum just got busier and busier, despite the weather and the fantastic scenery the constant motorhome traffic made it unenjoyable and dangerous. The larger motorhomes are too wide for this road, the people driving them have no idea how wide they actually are and most trucks and busses have to slow down or stop to let them go by. There has to be a case for increasing the tax on these things to at least £1000 a year and charging for parking in layby's, £50 a night would be reasonable oh and charge the Europeans for cluttering up the roads as well, the motorhome movement is a scourge in modern society, mostly freeloaders doing nothing for the local economy.

When we got off the ferry on the short but stunning ride to Strontian, it was wonderful, hardly any traffic and this 14 miles made up for the frustration of the previous 100 ( I didn't even mention the multiple roadworks with not much happening in them!)

Arriving in the campsite and Richard has beaten us on his Dommi, a well used bike and before he retired it was his daily commuting bike from Kinlochleven to Fort William. Philly appeared on his Commando and then David and Anne on their Commando, it was starting to look like a Norton meeting and eventually Robert appeared on his Commando from Inverness. Bert (on his Brough) and Laurenne were staying at the hotel alongside Bill Parr on his Honda behemoth. Friday night was messy, a great time was had by all ably looked after by Debbie and Jodie. Saturday was a bit of a Hangover day, some rode to Mull, Budge and John done the loop by Glenfinnan and back. It was an excellent day to just wander about and sit in the Sun. John and Leslie appeared later on the Saturday as did Alan on his recently acquired very smart T3 Guzzi.

Saturday night was a fair bit more subdued with most of us calling it a night early. We were up and tents packed by 7.30 in the morning and the five of us made the first ferry comfortably before having a far more enjoyable run down the A82, a stop at the green welly and home before 12, a great weekend in great company, looking forward to the next one.