Author Archives: Don

There I was earlier today sitting at the top of the steps doing what old boys do – nursing my ‘too-hot’ coffee and dreaming of past glories – however trivial —

When I opened my eyes – there was the missus striding across the square with that welcome smile!

So full of life – makes me thankful to be still alive and kicking – even with my limp —

After thrashing her on public roads for a year I took a grindette to mine – fitted a few bits of fibreglass I had laying around my workshop – gave the motor to Howard Cross to find some more ponies – made up a home-brewed exhaust – splashed out on a nice set of lightweight wheels from Racing Lines – gave the plastics to Ali at Bike Paints for a stunning pink and purple paint job and rode the whole ensemble in early nineties BOTT series and Scottish Open-class races —

I did like that bike —

I don’t think I will be looking for a shady spot close to a coffee house to park the Big Scoot for a while —

Our heatwave appears to be over and it’s now thunder – lightning and torrential rain with the threat of giant hailstones in the forecast for the next few days.

At least I shouldn’t have to water the garden —

Yes this little outboard has been on my mind since Spring. I think I last used it late August 2020 and having had experience of our new style green-ish petrol ‘going off’ on low-mileage motorbike carbs I didn’t want the same thing happening with my treasured outboard motor.

With summer passing in a veritable heat haze there was nothing else for it – other than to dig the wee brute out of the corner of my shed and mount it on a home-brewed jury rig set up bolted to my workbench. To think I used to chuck 20kgs Test Weights around like frisbees for a living – I don’t find this supposedly 25kgs of outboard motor the easiest thing to handle but I got her up and safely secured. I even found the piss-pot from previous years to immerse the prop in at a safe depth and soon had her burbling away like a good ‘un – just proves the power of Redex in the right place at the right time.

That wee footstool I picked up on a visit to the rubbish dump pre-covid fitted a treat – after I had ripped off the leatherette covered cushion and screwed on a hardwood capping from my dwindling stock of ‘just-in-case’ timber.

Seems like I’m running out of excuses for not having the good ship Hede on the loch this year —

With temperatures in the high twenties it’s never an easy decision to don bike gear and head out but at times like this the open face Bell helmet comes into it’s own. Wearing this little beauty is tempting fate I know as it is a Roland Sands Replica of my first crash helmet bought second-hand from a mate over sixty years ago —

That’s better – I’m obviously getting too old for this game —

Any excuse will do to throw a leg over the Big Scoot and head by Loch Earn and Loch Lubnaig to Callander for a coffee from Fat Jack’s in the picturesqueTown Square —

Today my excuse was that I’d run out off Tile Grout Reviver and I knew just the place that might have some – yup – Screw-it – and screw it I did – the 60 plus miles of twisting – undulating loch-side roads were manna from heaven to the X-ADV 750 and that’s one tiled wall done —

Darn it! The camera on my Samsung is clearer than the naked eye – it shows up the bits I’ve missed! I might just have to get the Scoot back out of the shed and ride over to Callander for another tube off the stuff —

Admittedly 2000 miles isn’t a lot to get excited about but the bike did have to sit idle for a few weeks as the supplying dealer couldn’t fit her in for a First Service. Can’t say I was too chuffed – but that’s life in these covid infested times.

The X-ADV on Oban Front on a wet day didn’t prove to be a big draw but we have been back there on a sunny day when there was a sea of bikes and she certainly drew the punters attention that time – seems Chief Road Tester for the MCN – Michael Neeves had been extolling the virtues of the new for 2021 Big Scoot in print.

There are certainly a few changes from the previous model – most noticeable when riding being that the first five ratios in the DCT gearbox are closer together – coupled with an increase in mid-range torque from the motor – a slightly slimmer body shape and the loss of 3kgs in weight means she is no slouch when it comes to holding her own in everyday traffic. She does appear to have lost a bit at the top-end though where I have the feeling that top speed will come in 5th making 6th an old fashioned ‘over-drive’ ratio.

The jury is still out on the fit of the body panels as that black ‘C’ shaped piece arcing forward towards the front of the bike won’t stay fully clipped in place and on one occasion when returning from a ride I found four different pieces of bodywork had shaken loose at that point. Luckily none of the fasteners were missing and I was able to clip it all back together with the exception of the ‘C’ shaped piece. I think the lugs on the radiator cap may be the cause of the problem – another quarter turn on the cap would mean it wasn’t bearing on the inside of the panel. Either that or the slimmer bodywork hasn’t left room for all the internal components.

Time will undoubtedly tell – in the meantime I will try not to lose any bits and pieces —

With the missus away visiting family in NI it’s been down to me to water the garden during our latest spell of warm weather.

Our few peas growing in old fruit boxes behind the greenhouse appear to be doing well – on the outside anyway —

And Yes – I gave into temptation and nicked a taster —

They were even better than they look – I should leave a few as no doubt ‘H’ has them counted.

With rain – thunder and lightning forecast over the next few days the garden should be well watered by the time she returns and all will be well as long as Loki and I remember to attend to her precious tomato plants in the greenhouse.

For once it’s not my age I’m on about! I may be in my eightieth year but it’s the difference in year of manufacture ‘tween the only two machines in the bike parking bay at Oban t’other day that has caught my attention this time

My ‘Shed’ has had a clearout – the CRF250 Rally has gone and with it went my X-ADV750 ‘adventure scooter’. The Big Scoot had it’s good and bad points and when Mr Honda sorted out a few of the bad ones by bringing out the new for 2021 model – I was right in there – in ‘Mud Grey’ if you have to ask —

No sooner had I brought the new bike home than I was off on the road by the Green Welly to Oban to give her a try. She turned out to be pretty good really – even at a moderate running in pace. Well worth the change and having only the one bike to concentrate on should make it much easier to master all the bar mounted controls. Leaving my poor legs sticking out front in the breeze makes life much easier for my long-suffering knees.

But – wait a minute! Where are all the crowds on the front giving my new pride and joy the once over?

Well bugger me if they’re not all down the other end of the parking bay admiring this old pre-war BMW with sidecar – including all the accessories —

It even has it’s own scorpion thing tagging along – it must have been Rommel’s personal bolide for desert warfare —

Well – we all know what Montgomery’s lot (including my dad) did to him!

With Loch Earn on the brink —

the River Earn full to over-flowing into the surrounding fields and woodland —

and the rain still lashing down —

to add to the snow-melt from the surrounding mountains —

it looks like it could be a day for wellies —

cheers — Don