Tag Archives: Suzuki GSX-R600 Streetfighter

Gixxer country – blue jeans and rock’n roll.

It’s been one of these days – started with the gixxer – moved on to the pub and may well end up back in my local for their Folk Music night with a hint of Rabbie Burns. The bagpipes were being warmed up out the back as I left so it could be one of those nights 🙂

Before that kicks off let’s see what’s left in the gixxer cupboard.

There’s Ballantrae for starters —

then there’s this bit including the softball that prevents the screen folding back at over the ton —

She’s no Tenere but I had covered many miles on dirt roads and almost been runover by an out of contol tractor and four wheeled hay trailer with a load of worried looking young people on board before I reached this picturesque spot in Istria —

Since then she has met up with a bunch of merry German ladies on their first tour of Scotland —

and even looks the part parked by this old fashioned red phone box at St Mary’s Loch —

So-o — taking a break near Munich while on a trailer to Croatia —

or parked down the road by Wigtown harbour —

my lil gixxer ticks lot’s of boxes and seldom fails to put a smile on my face 🙂

gixxer country

All winter I’ve been beating myself up about having three bikes and barely enough dosh to run one. I change my mind from day to day as to which one I should sell first in order to finance my riding in 2012.

At the moment my Gixxer 6 is in pole position for the chop but when I fire her up I wonder WHY? She is so eager to get out there – barks like a good un and is so-o light to wheel around.

She will be a tough sell in more ways than one —

These first two photos are from the warm roads of Croatia – so easy to get lost —

.

But fettling her in the open air was a pleasure —

and playing the fool on a cool hilltop after lunch at a village inn was fun —

This baby can fly and has some trick bits to help keep her in check —

including some meaty Galpher discs as the originals warped far too easily.

I do like the ABM top yoke – another expense I hadn’t allowed for but my early attempts to modify the original left it looking like a school workshop project —

It had to be a top of the range Supersprox sprocket and ‘O’ ring chain that went in when I lowered the gearing —

H-mmm — I DO like her —

a LOT —

Maybe I should forget about selling her and do the Lottery instead 🙂

gixxer 6

Cold but sunny – slippery roads and wet under the trees. Sounds about right for October/November but the gixxer was coming out for a spin —

It was one of these days. Couldn’t make up my mind where to go. After messing around I arrived in Carlisle via cheap fuel at Asda and thought I might head for Silloth on the south shore of the Solway and take it from there but a couple of wrong turnings had me heading east over the M6 instead.

No worries – I got a crackin breakfast in the café at Newcastleton then a blast up the Rievers road took me to Hermitage Castle where I got the camera out —

It was that sort of day – my next photo op was by the spot where one of my heros – Steve Hislop – was killed when he crashed his helicopter up here —

Low-flying fighter jets were suspected of having some involvement in Hizzy’s death? Well they almost did for me when two of the beggars came down the Loch and virtually blew the roof of the caboose by the St Mary’s Loch tearoom with me in it when they switched on their after-burners for the climb out of the valley!

another stop by Meggat Dam ensured that I wouldn’t get much heat in the tyres —

Yes I had gloves with me but fumble fingers can’t operate my camera which was sitting on a fence post —

So it was up by the Merrick Dam and over the top where I met a group of German girls enjoying their first visit to Scotland by bike —

There was one more photo op. —

before taking that winding road by the Devil’s Beeftub to Moffat for a coffee in the Rumblin Tum then home —

Hizzy – Border Country

I thought we were in for a dull day but it was probably something to do with the clocks being turned back an hour to winter time. By noon it was starting to clear and next thing I knew the sun was shining and the birds were visiting my feeders outside on the terrace.

Time to get the gixxer 6 out! She has been parked up for about two months while I gave the XJR1300 a shake down. I had forgotten how light the gixxer is – with the wide bars she dances down the road. Great fun and the tiny village of Parton by Loch Ken makes a lovely backdrop  for my photo.

Parton Village by Loch Ken