I'm off tomorrow from Kent to fort Augustus in Scotland for a week's riding with friends. I was going on my 796 monster when two days ago my dad suggested I take his 821 instead. So the watercooled bike it is!. Google reckons going direct m_way is 585 miles. I'm staying at a friend's house in Widnes and we will all set off together. Think we are m_way to Glasgow then the twisty route. Had a quick spin on the 821 last night and it seems so smooth and quite compared to mine. Nice top end rush also. Looking forward to it as done several weeks away in Europe on bikes but never been to Scotland. Fingers crossed for the weather.
I ride an 821 Stripe and love it and I'm sure you'll enjoy the 821 too. They're so smooth, have lots of torque and handle brilliantly in the twisties. I ride a lot of great twisty biking roads at home in N. Ireland and generally sit in 3rd & 4th and just roll on and off the power which gives you great engine breaking through the bends and instant power deliver on the exit, you rarely need to touch the breaks. Good luck with the weather but I'm sure you'll have a great ride regardless.
weathers not looking good for this week. for the four years or so i have been on here i have been advising people not to come late july early august because it always rains then (glasgow fair). i have upgraded that advise to "dont come in 2017" worst year ever.
Watch out for the tourists on the Loch Ness road. They like to stop or slow down to take a pretty picture without thinking what's behind them sometimes. School holidays is silly season.
What a great trip . 2300 miles for the week . Mainly dry with a couple of showers . Beautiful scenery, empty roads, everything a bike trip should be . The monster 821 was brilliant, comfy, quick and so econimical . 60mpg for the whole week. Mate' 1299 Panigale for the same week was doing 35mpg!! . As promised some pics . Went right upto Tongue one day . Also went to Maliag, Applecross, and Isle of skye . It shows how times have changed, a few years ago we would have all been on sportsbikes . This trip was the three Ducati's , two KTM's and only one GSXR . The thing that struck me most was the total lack of traffic! but that's not hard living in the overcrowded south east! . Never been to Scotland in my 43 years and it was superb, in fact the wife liked the pics so much she has booked a cottage for a family hols next month! . As usual picks don't do it justice . [/url
Fantastic! Was in Applecross in May. 24deg one day, 5deg and wet the next, going over the pass was a complete washout but 1/2 doz oysters and a plate full of langustines at the Applecross Inn made up for it. I'd also never been to the highlands - the combination of scale of the landscape, remoteness and lack of traffic was incredible (even more so than the Alps).
The past 5/6 years I've been to Scotland and the riding is brilliant. Pity the weather isn't. Last year it took TEN days to dry all my gear out!!! This year we went to Italy with the bikes. Fuck the rain !!
Looks amazing, sounds amazing and glad you enjoyed the 821. I'm off over there with a few friends next month, I've been really looking forward it, but I am even more now.
Take plenty of jumpers and waterproofs!. Don't think the temperature got above 15c all week. Felt tropical today back home at 24c and back in my shorts!
Six weeks to go. Skye to Tongue and wander. Traffic in Skye has been silly for the last two years. Not a big fan of Fort Augustus. Did you know that Loch Ness holds seven times as as much water as the Caspian Sea?
Im thinking of going up myself in Late April/May. First time up that way... still trying to work out a route and accommodation.. reckon Ill use 5-7 days from down here in the North West. Ive got a bit of a problem tho.. (depends how you look at it). 3 bikes in the garage.. the most practical is the 999R. Its kinda mint... didnt want to fook it with shitty roads and the like. Worth taking that up or should I hire something up in Glasgow or whatever? Just no idea on the routes road surfaces, security etc so wanted to ask. Not the most comfortable bike or seat .. my main concern was security overnight more than anything. I usually only do day trips on it. On the plus side if I do use the 999R my bum and thigh will stay warm that time of year. Might need to stick the quieter cans on it.
I'll be up with a group at end of April. Weather is a bit hit or miss at that time but if it's dry it's great. Haven't had any issues with security but apart from Inverness we're usually in small villages. Take the 999. Enjoy the ride.
