North Devon coast, Exmoor and back to the Somerset Levels – the only problem was the seat…
Settling into an excessively sized latte on Minehead’s high street, the urge to keep looking over at Low-Fat across the street is irresistible. Low-Fat is my motorcycle – Bavaria’s finest F650, pleasingly devoid of modern fripperies such as ABS, semi-active suspension and cruise-control. Or indeed, comfort of any kind. Accordingly, the arrival at Minehead also brings cramp, sciatica and numbness.
Filling up with super-unleaded on the edge of town is a fraught affair due to Low-Fat’s frequently expressed dislike of hot restarts, but today he’s on good form. Better still, the sun makes a brief appearance just as we zoom out of town and across the edge of Exmoor via the A39. Reaching for the flip-down sun visor I wonder (and not for the first time) why the visor’s notch never lines up with the bridge of my nose. My wife claims it’s due to my wonky face. I think she’s just being nice.
With rain replacing drizzle, Porlock and its surely highway-standard-defying hill is slippery, and I make a mental note to switch from Metzeler Enduro 3s to something more refined at the earliest opportunity. Motorcycling on such a day never fails to remind me of the potential consequences of running out of talent at the wrong moment. But that’s probably also a large part of why we all love riding, right?
この記事は Motorcycle Sport & Leisure の July 2017 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Motorcycle Sport & Leisure の July 2017 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Honda CRF1100L ES Africa Twin
Without panniers he was adventuring nowhere - so at least Bertie's got something sorted now
BMW R 12 nineT
Chad gets a track day surprise when BMW's R 12 nineT turns out to be surprisingly fun on track
Test fleet: VOGE 525 DSX
After testing the Voge's abilities on a long ride, it was time to take it to the Cotswolds and see how it would manage on the rougher stuff
Portuguese Perambulations
Nearly over before it had begun, a brief workshop stint allows Spain and Portugal to be explored
Highway to Heaven
Three friends take on the challenge of riding the length of Canada, from Vancouver in the southwest to Inuvik in the north. The road is long, the conditions merciless, and wildfires are tearing through the country. To top it all off, the final leg of the journey is the ultimate test of gravel riding skills, nerves, and courage - it's the legendary Dempster Highway...
Battlaxes at the ready!
We tend to take tyres for granted, never really looking at them in any detail, or at how they work, just hoping that they keep us shiny side up at all times. Even in the wet
Ducati Riding Experience
When I rode the Ducati DesertX to France last year, I did have a bit of an explore on some easy fire roads and gentle green lanes in the wilds of the Médoc area, but was left with the feeling that, had I the experience, the DesertX would have been capable of taking me along some more extreme trails to some even more exciting places. If only there was a way of finding out just how well the Italian adventure bike could cope with some more extreme terrain...
Four pot flyer
Many said that sports bikes, and particularly bikes in the traditional Supersports class that was populated by 600cc inline fours, were dead. Maybe they spoke too soon?...
Eastern adventurer
With an increasing interest in smaller capacity adventure bikes, the market expands with a new entry
First Time Lucky?
It's ironic that the first all-new MV Agusta model to hit the marketplace right after Italy's No.1 trophy brand was acquired by Austrian giant Pierer Mobility, owner of off-road titans KTM, should be the company's first dual-purpose model of the modern era, powered by MV's all-new 931cc three-cylinder engine that's destined to form the basis of a whole series of new models in coming months and years.
