Monthly Archives: April 2012

I’ve got a 32/33ins inside leg measurement and I have to stand on a peg before swinging my leg over the Tall Tenere but for the Wickerman it’s no problem to get his legover my bike —

Just as long as he doesn’t sit on it. Yes – the protective fencing was gone – the gate was open and the sun was shining as I rode home tonight. What more of an invitation did I need to play?

The field is being prepared and already looking great for the Wickerman Music Festival that takes place around 21st July. Headline acts this year will be the Scissor Sisters and Texas —

Now wouldn’t it be great if they get this weather for the event instead of the usual rain. I might even be tempted to get up there and strut my stuff 🙂

Legover

I first wrote about the Triangle on 19th Sept last year. It’s a big lump of hill and bog in the south-west of Scotland bordered by the main roads between Newton Stewart – Stranraer and Girvan. There are bits of it where nothing grows except rushes – rough grass and heather.

But – one thing that is sprouting in those windswept hills is the penchant for Wind Turbines. They are everywhere with more to come and they do have wind up there and very few neighbours to complain about the their view being spoiled.

With the Tenere back under me as the weapon of choice I was drawn to the gravel strewn single tracks in the Triangle. There are miles and miles of them cutting across that desolate area.

There’s even an old phone box —

or two —

But first some cheapish petrol in Newton Stewart then off into the boondocks —

Gael Force is just one of the many wind farms being put together up there.

I came upon this old wreck of a Massey Ferguson 35 by the roadside and stopped for a pic cos I used to drive one when I was a spotty youth with nuthin in my head but motorbikes – girls – and dancing —

This one wasn’t going far on three wheels —

But by the looks of the Perkins 3 cylinder deisel engine she was still a runner and there was good reason.

Not one to waste a thing the upland farmer was driving a high pressure pump off the PTO. No doubt to wash down his cattle float and other machinery —

The suction was dropped into the burn running under the road and the lance gave every impression of being used – just the job for washing the bike after a day in the hills —

I found my way over to New Luce where the Pub was shut – the shop was shut and the only sign of life was a well built guy walking down the street with a chain saw on his shoulder. He was probably off to open the pub 🙂

Ten miles or so further on had me off the hills and down on the lowlands of Stair Estates where the platful lambs caught my eye —

A nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon and thanks to the wonders of i-player I was able to watch a replay of Stoner winning the main race at Jerez on my puter once I reached home 🙂

Jerez GP circuit – down near Gibraltar. I remember driving my Merc Truck down there from Rotterdam in 32 hours with just a four hour sleep somewhere near Bilbao. That was back in the days when 500cc two-strokes were the top GP bikes and I had one in the back of my truck for Neil Hodgson to ride. It seems like a lifetime ago now and to be honest I would rather be trundling around the Triangle on my Tenere and back in my own bed at night. Does that mean I’ve got my priorities right at last? I hope so 🙂

Back to the Triangle

With the XJR delivered to a ‘Happy’ new owner today The Tenere is now in pole position as the weapon of choice. The XJR has moved to Watford but the new owner has a Scot’s grannie and it showed today 🙂

Lunch of Carlisle Stotties was his ‘push’ but he somehow forgot to pay! I did give him plenty time cos I just HAD to take a photo in the cellar as I headed for the loo —

No worries –  new owner Ratboy texted me a few minutes ago to say he was home and the bike ran beautifully. Just as it should! And also to inform me that he had ‘forgotten’ to pay!

So – o — after a train plus two bus journeys to get home from Carlisle I took the Tenere for a spin this evening  just cos I could now that the big lump of an XJR isn’t in the way. I found an old forestry track just begging to be ridden and there’s no better night than a Friday to do it when all the forestry workers have gone home from their honest toil. The Tenere and I hit a dead end before long but the bit we did ride was fun —

I wasn’t sure how the Tenere would fair after riding the four cylinder XJR but we gelled right away and I’m looking forward to the next few months with the blue bike. She brings a completrely different style of riding into play —

I even found some rocks to pose beside —

and the hills across the Irish Sea are actually the north end of the Isle of Man which will come alive with the sound of racing motorcycles when the TT fortnight kicks off at the end of May —

Not bad considering I had no sleep last night due to this dental work which has gone bad. There aren’t enough pain killers in town to quiten it down but at least I forget about it when I’m out on the bike. I’m beginning to flag now so I’d better not even think about riding through the night 🙂

H-mmm – Carlisle stotties. A Stottie appears to be a big round flat soft textured bun filled with sliced meat and comes with fried onions on the side. It was hard work considering the mess my gum is in but the thought of Ratboy paying ensured I cleared my plate. I daren’t show my face back there again knowing he did that old Watford dodge and legged it 🙂

Tenere on Pole