Covid restrictions have meant staycations' instead of holidays abroad, so I decided to do something that had been on my to-do list for a while the Grampian Transport Museum. Because of the restrictions, it was necessary to book a time for my visit, so I chose 2pm, allowing plenty of time to travel north in the morning, and although it would have been possible to do the full trip in one long day, I booked a nearby B&B, just to break up the journey.
Heading off a few days later, I rode overland rather than taking the long, boring motorway route, crossing the Clackmannanshire Bridge, and riding the A977, A91 and A92 to take the Tay Bridge into Dundee. Once I had topped up with fuel and negotiated my way through the city, I had to ride a few miles on the busy A90 before I was far enough north to turn on to the much more interesting B974, meandering through Fettercairn and on towards the museum in Alford.
All went well travelling this old military road until I came to a Y-junction, where my notes said bear left - no maps or GPS for me! Taking the left took me on to a very narrow country road, twisting and turning through the hills which was great fun, but I soon lost my bearings and after asking for directions from some locals, I ended up back on the main B974, which meant a bit of a detour through Banchory. Despite the wrong turning, I managed to reach Alford (pronounced Afford, I'm told) in time for lunch in the museum café.
Denne historien er fra October 2022-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
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Denne historien er fra October 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.
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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.
