Saturday, 6 August 2022

Vintage Club Cultybraggan

 I decided to give the Commando a run to Comrie tonight to have a look at some of the bikes at the Stirling Castle VMCC annual run. I was late and therefore missed most of the bikes but it was worth the trip if only to give abuse to some of my friends which were there, I believe the run went well which was great, the Commando went well as well which was even better. Many familiar faces as well as familiar bikes. 

The first time I stayed at Cultybraggan was many a year ago when I was in the Army Cadet Force, my claim for having done service to my Queen and Country, strange you can be a Vet as the Americans call them at the ripe old age of 16, I was proud to have served in the Black Watch Cadets for a handful of weeks until I decided that taking orders were not my Forte, alas there was no fast track to a Generals position so I left but only after I learned to clean and shoot a rifle (at 14) ! 

My next visit was as an engineer, trusted with a top level security clearance to gain access to the "Secret Bunker" for a fault on the Telecom's circuit that would keep our country safe from a potential Russian Invasion! ( Even more of a Joke than the Army Cadets) And finally tonight as a Motorcyclist, the only thing I'm almost qualified to do, looking at some ancient bikes. Life is strange isn't it?

I had a Fish supper at Comrie Chippy and thoroughly enjoyed my run home, motorcycling is great!  


Denis admitting he prefers Nortons
Could have been a DR from WW2
Vincent Single has left the building
Great Scott
Denis's AJS
Model 20
Nice Sunbeam
Matchy
Aerial
Norton
My favorite bike
Well apart from my Commando and the BSA

Monday, 1 August 2022

Classic club meeting

We just got back from a Euro trip from Sardinia and have been busy so no time yet to write it up but thought I should post pictures of the Classic Club meeting at Pitcairngreen last Wednesday, it was very well attended with a fair few bikes there. An ideal place for the meeting as well, I took the T3 Guzzi whilst Fiona bicycled, she wanted a break from wearing the riding gear!


Matchless and Francis Barnett were early arrivals
Great location
Almost Classics
Tidy BMW
Alistair rode this from Blairgowrie
Francis Barnett
GT380
Frasers nice BSA
BSA Corner, Panther coming past in the background

Modified Falcone
Matchless
Alvis ?
Jakes Loop
Some of the crowd
A late arrival on a XS650




Monday, 4 July 2022

Hoolets

 Saturday was the annual party hosted by Bert and Laurenne at their house, a big undertaking with plenty food and drink on the go. We went down for a while but left before the drink took hold for most. An unbelievable run down and back on the T3, roads were ok, even the Edinburgh bypass was good (not often you can say that) Nice people and great to meet up with them after a 2 year break . Thanks to our hosts for their usual excellent hospitality.

Grumpy corner
Laurenne enjoying a beer
Ian arriving
Bert Special
Another Bert special
Bert special 3
Davie Clark arrived on his A7
Davie T on his new Triumph
Keith on his petrol saving Model 50
Overflow bike park
Daytona
Random bikes
Ians newly acquired Bonnie
Ed arrived on his sportster

Wednesday, 22 June 2022

Up North on the Nortons

 A long overdue run on the Nortons last weekend joined by Alex on the run up and some of the Tay Valley Norton guys, normally its on earlier in the year but for various reasons we decided to go on the weekend which strangely had very few midges. Alex arrived up Friday afternoon and we all set off after work on Friday, a stop at Tyndrum for a chippy and then a glorious very quiet run through the glen. The weekend was good but the weather on Saturday could have been better. Many of the guys set out on their own adventures on the Saturday and Phil won the prize for a few miles along a forest track road towards Glenfinnan, proving that once again the Norton Commando is a true adventure bike, especially when its clad in an adventure Blue petrol tank. We got up on Sunday to find a flat tyre on Fionas bike but campsite owner Tim came to our rescue with a compressor and after pumping it up the tyre stayed up and after a few checks on the way home it felt ok and got us home safely. The run home on Sunday was cool but dry and rounded off an enjoyable weekend, good fun, great company and nice roads, whats not to like!

Ready for the off
Alex almost ready
Chippy at Tyndrum
Glencoe
The whole team
Waiting for the ferry
Fuel
Ferry time
heading to Strontian
In the Pub
Tim giving a hand to a stricken Ducati (it eventually went)
Alex's non Norton
Philly's Norton in adventure stealth mode
Tidy
Nice to see a non bling well used Norton
Nice
Heading Home