I was lucky enough to have a fair degree of flexibility about when to go, so through September I'd avidly been watching the weather forecast for a dry week. However, I had a deadline as in mid-October the ferries move to a winter timetable that would make my trip impossible. On Thursday, the long-range forecast promised me a dry week and I immediately booked my trip. By Saturday, the forecast had changed back to rain... Undaunted by predictions of meteorological misery, I set off knowing it was likely I'd find out just how good my new waterproofs really were! My first ferry was from Oban. As I rode up the A82, I unconsciously pulled into the Green Welly and ordered a bacon roll and a black coffee. The Welly is a petrol/food/retail stop in Tyndrum, and a Scottish institution. Its secret is that it seems to be halfway between the central belt and everywhere in the Highlands.
I'm glad I did stop, as the lady at the next table told me that an accident had closed the Oban Road. Google Maps told me I'd need to make a long detour up Glen Coe and then down the coast. I managed to get the whole bacon roll in my mouth in one go and was out the door at the run. On any normal day, I would've loved this journey as the views are sublime, but I was in a panicked rush. The ride did, however, make me realise just how rapid the Tiger can be if you're pushing on! I made the ferry with 10 minutes to spare, but I didn't get to visit the Oban Distillery. Which is probably just as well as I would've spent money on malt whisky that I wanted but didn't need.
Denne historien er fra September 2024-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
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Denne historien er fra September 2024-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.
