RSS

Monthly Archives: February 2020

CRF 250 Rally Still Rolling

29 Feb

The robust Rally seems non-the-worse for it’s tumble during a snow storm on top of Glen Ogle a couple of weeks back – pity we can’t say the same for it’s rider.

No worries – so long as I don’t have to raise my arms above my aching shoulders I can still make something of the odd bit of sunshine with the Rally —

The X-ADV750 is also back on the road complete with the new sidestand which arrived by post this morning and was fitted in a jiff —

Lying under the bike between snow showers out on the patio behind the house – lining the new leg up and bolting it tight proved to be easier than I expected. The tiny spigot that locates in a hole in the leg pivot boss to operate the engine cut-out switch isn’t the easiest thing in the world to match up – but where there’s a will there’s a way.

The original sidestand became banana shaped a little too easy for my liking so that’s something I will need to keep an eye on in the future. Hopefully we will get a few decent days soon and perhaps have the opportunity to ‘gel’ with the big Scoot for it has been a bit of a hit and miss of a relationship since it first arrived back in September 2019.

 

 

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on February 29, 2020 in Comrie, Honda CRF250 Rally, Honda X-ADV 750, Motorcycling, out and about

 

Over the Fence

24 Feb

We have the roofless Blackford church with the snow dappled Ochil Hills to the south —

IMG_20200214_134014

and just up the lane towards Gleneagles Hotel and golfcourses a pair of roe deer are quietly grazing —

ozedf

Not much has changed since I lived here in my mid-teens over sixty years ago – unless we count in the water bottling plant down in the village of Blackford – just over the brow of the hill from the church. I remember when it started production all those years ago and thinking ‘bottled water’ – ‘it will never catch on.’

Highland Spring – drawn from the Ochil Hills – it was 1990 before the venture showed a profit but with oil money from the Emirates behind it there was no shortage of ‘start-up cash’ in hand.

I see in today’s press the owners of Highland Spring would like to expand again but are at loggerheads with the local Community Council who are not in favour of the plans which have been put forward. From where I sit I can see both sides of the coin and sympathise with both. Perhaps they should ask me to toss it for them – heads Water wins – tails they lose. It would save a lot of argument and nastiness all-round.

 

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on February 24, 2020 in out and about, Wildlife

 

ADV750 with 46 litre GIVI Topbox

08 Feb

The sun shone briefly today in the lull before the storm but at least I managed a photo of sorts showing the Givi topbox mounted on the ADV750.

Looks quite neat on the big scoot —

Although Loki isn’t much interested —

Seems he would rather suck an old fir tree branch.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on February 8, 2020 in out and about

 

Honda ADV750 Comes Home

07 Feb

With Zero degrees registering on the dash and visibility down to not-a-lot due to a stubborn Scotch Mist up here in the hills the Yeti with trailer was the weapon of choice and I hi-ho’d into Glasgow to pick our ADV750 from the supplying main dealer where it has been for it’s first service. The Service didn’t take long but our decision to fit Helen’s 45/46 litre Givi topbox to the scoot put the Givi people on the spot as it seems they didn’t have the neccessary ironmongery to allow the job to procceed.

No worries – a neat fitment eventually turned up and we are pleased to confirm our joint concerns that the slim rear of the ADV might be overwhelmed by the biggish box have come to nought. No pics as yet of the box fitted but I’m sure the sun will shine sometime soon. In the meantime here’s one of the front end sporting a beat-up pair of Acerbis handguards which graced the bars of my XT600E on many a mad exploit over hill and dale from Shropshire to the Cardigan Bay coast back in the Noughty Nineties —

 

And – I’m afraid you will have to watch this spot for a photo of the ADV with box on the back. With the high pillion footpegs it was always going to be a lottery whether H stayed on board when I gave the 750 the berries but hopefully there’s no chance of her disappearing over the back now we have the Givi topbox bolted in there tight.

Having the bikes by the back door gives me that eager feeling again that Spring is just around the corner.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on February 7, 2020 in Comrie, Honda X-ADV 750