Selling bikes is a nightmare

Something we don't do very often is selling bikes, we tend to buy them and keep them but we really need a wee clear out especially as another big trip is in the planning stage and the fleet seems to have grown to ridiculous levels recently. The sidecar we have been trying to sell for a year or so, not easy things to sell as there is a limited market, however we have dropped the price, advertised it and all we seem to get are fantasists who enjoy wasting my fecking time, question after question, Ebay, Gumtree and other such marketplaces and all filled with willy pulling fantasists probably telling their mates down the pub they are thinking of buying a sidecar!

Just the job for 2 fat ladies, 2 fat men or a mix of both

Our VFR, nice honest 21 year old Honda, 41K miles and very clean £1300 and yet everybody seems to be an expert haggler now, trying to get it for a pound and a box of old Beano's plus they want a full documented service history!

Genuine bike sir, suits you!

I suspect the bike game is going through hard times, especially secondhand bikes, thank god I don't do this for a living! I suppose the question is why would you buy an older bike when you can walk into a dealer with no money and walk (or ride out) with a new bike for £3 a month for three years by which time you'll be bored of this biking lark and go back to the golf club, badminton Club or wherever these morons came from in the first place. I do despair for the future of two wheels, the Scottish government trying to dissuade youngsters by declaring a climate emergency! It's all our fault, people with too much money and old bikes burning petrol for the sake of it, remember when we had heatwaves in the past? Everybody enjoyed it and said how marvellous it was, now it's the end of the world.
Rant over, and so is the good weather, now its pissing down, so does that mean the emergency is over?
We did during todays climate emergency manage a great jaunt to Kenmore for an average cup of tea served by average waiting staff, the run though was excellent and we managed Glen Quaich both ways (I will not mention the complete retards who have no idea how to drive on a single track roads) It was joyous, the red Commando burbling away, Fiona relieved to be riding her comfortable and very faithful ER6 which has just come out of a long hibernation, sunshine (well it was cloudy but my head said sunshine)   Perthshire truly has some marvellous roads and scenery and its great to be able to enjoy it, BTW that Commando is for sale at a rather high price of £8K but that's how much its cost me so far, runs well, starter works and it shines up well also!

This was last week in Aberfeldy and I think the T3 deserved a photo

The mighty Norton in a mighty setting

Very tidy bike sir, an appreciating classic

Fiona was the pathfinder!

Norton meeting Strontian

Well the summer is shaping up to be a Scottish summer, unlike last year when the jet stream gave us a very hot dry Summer 2019 is proving to be cool (not in a cool, way out man way) and wet. Our by now annual trip to Strontian on the Ardnamurchan peninsula started off dry but at St Fillans we stopped to pull on the waterproofs as it was looking damp the further west we travelled, at least the St Fillans Ducks were enjoying the weather, us less so. Fiona was on her yellow 750 Commando , myself on the 850 Mk3 and Alex following as tail gunner on his V7 Guzzi, the trip through Tyndrum was crap with a 3 mile tailback due to roadworks (which they were in the process of lifting just as we bullied our way to the front) The Green Wellie, a popular stop with motorcyclists was still busy (God knows why most of Central Scotland's motorcyclists congregate on this overpriced place) The run through Glencoe was actually better than expected, the high cloud meaning you could see to occasionally overtake the hordes of tourists who blight what used to be one of my favourite roads, Motorhomes being driven by complete cretins, Caravans being driven erratically, hire cars being driven by people who drive with no consideration for locals trying to go about their business, Minibuses and coaches constantly spewing out hundreds of people taking photos and selfies of Scotlands splendor, sometimes I wish they would all just FUCK OFF!
We arrived as expected at the Corran Ferry which transported us away from tourist hell to the peninsula where all is good and the roads a pleasure. We were staying at the Campsite in Strontian but Fi & I had the foresight to book a hut when we were up earlier in the year, because of the damp weather the midges were doing their best to get a fill of everyone's blood, most of the regulars were unrecognisable as they were all wearing midge nets, not the most flattering of facial attire.
Friday night at the pub was excellent, many tales being told and slight falling over from me as we left at closing time due to losing my footing in a pothole, the whisky had no bearing on this whatsoever.
Saturday was due to piss it down all day however it didn't. Some went for a run, some stayed , walked took in the local flora and fauna and went to the pub.
Saturday night we had a BBQ at the Bothy onsite, thanks to the owner Tim for the coals and firelighters, thanks to Bill for BBQ Lighting and burger duties, thanks to Fiona and Lesley for general organisation and preparation of what was an excellent spread and all for a fiver a head and thanks to everyone else for their input, banter and for a great night.
Sunday appeared just after Saturday which made the world space time continuum appear at peace, some who had been midgeed to death made an early exit, we left at around 10.30 for a very wet run home, people leaving earlier missed the rain, my brother John left later and missed the rain also, the Nortons are obviously just a big rain magnet. One observation I made as we rode down through a very busy Glencoe on Sunday was that at one point there were more Chinese tourists on the hills than sheep, maybe now the sheep have met their match, the sheep (owners) displaced the indigenous population, now maybe the Chinese will displace the sheep, remember you read it here first!
A great weekend as usual, looking forward to the next one, hopefully more Nortons next time, it appeared to be more of an Italian Motorcycle convention last weekend?

Waterproofs stop

Waiting for the Ferry

Our ferry on the other side

Random Triumph guys we met

Beard a flappin

Some of the team

Lesley, Fiona and our barmaid for the evening

Brace of Nortons

Alex's V7

Relaxing

Tim, the campsite owner setting off on a wee holiday

Phil, out on his Ducati

Forfar John ripping it up on his v4 Aprilla (same engine in the TT Norton)

John and Lesley's bikes

The Burn

Dark skies

Tide out on the Loch

Brother John cooking

The team. Snibs wearing full midge gear

Splendid presentation !