One of the best-known rides in the UK is Scotland's NC500 around the coast. Unfortunately, since it was promoted as a tourist route it has become incredibly busy, so I've always consoled myself with the fact that I've travelled these roads before, although that was in a VW bay window campervan in 1975!
When a Sunday evening weather forecast showed a sunny few days ahead, I quickly planned a day ride on the part of the circuit I had not driven in the campervan, the Bealach Na Ba, or Pass of the Cattle, to Applecross. I found a room available in Cannich, a village near Loch Ness, just a few miles off the NC500, and booked it for the next couple of days. I rode north on the Monday, up along the side of Loch Lomond, through Glencoe and on through Fort William and The Great Glen. All good fun, but not the real reason I was here.
The weather on Tuesday morning was sunny and warm, and one of the advantages of doing this as a day ride was that I had no luggage, no backpack, just me on the bike riding some great roads. It started perfectly, turning right out of Cannich on to the A831, a fantastic stretch of twisting single-track road wide enough for a bike and a car to pass without worrying about finding the nearest passing place. The road follows the River Glass north to Beauly where I joined the NC500 proper, following the A832 and A835 west.
Denne historien er fra March 2022-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
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Denne historien er fra March 2022-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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.
