|  | Topic : Breaking in the Storm (NC500 - Scotland) |  |
| | | mat1600 | | Thunderbird |  |  | | Reg. Date | : | 06/03/2010 | | Posts | : | 8,596 | | Location | : | Bridlington, Democratic Independant State of Yorkshire, United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 07 Oct 2015 - 21:00 Post title : Breaking in the Storm (NC500 - Scotland) | | | Nothing like a good road trip to run your bike in. So off to Scotland it was. Actually planned before I got the Storm so I just went careful for a while to get a decent run in. 5 days, 6 bikes (Storm, R3, Explorer, Tiger1050, Thruxton and a Bandit 1250). The plan was to complete the new NC500 (North Coast 500), which we did with some extra miles added in.
Check out the web page Link
They say its in the top ten rides in the world and I have got to agree. What a fantastic part of the world to be in. Pics don't do it justice at all. It basically follows the coast of northern Scotland, although we did deviate a bit to get in some other sights. Some of it was hard going but the Storm handled it like a dream - no problems on very tight, narrow, hardly tarmacked roads. Incredible landscapes that are untouched by mans sticky fingers.
Starting around Inverness (430 miles first day to get to Inverness for us) it follows the coast around to John'o'groates along the top of Scotland and down around the Applecross pass. We finally managed about 1400 miles and had some of the hottest days they had had all year. Got very wet on the last day home so all was well. I will be returning.
The Glenmorangie distillery for breakfast drinks -
.......and on to some scenic stuff
....and the Applecross pass
| My first natural instinct is to breathe. My second is to evade tax's.
| | Post edited by mat1600 on 07 Oct 2015 - 21:01 |
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| | | Leethal | | Zeus | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 24/01/2011 | | Posts | : | 6,407 | | Location | : | Australia |
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| | Posted : 07 Oct 2015 - 22:27 Post title : Re: Breaking in the Storm (NC500 - Scotland) (Re: mat1600) | | | Great stuff Mat  (still like your old bike though  ) thanks for the pics.
We would have loved to have travelled that area, got as far as Inverness and Loch Ness, but everything accommodation wise that far north was 98% booked (according to booking.com etc) so we missed out. 
| Experience is something you get just after you needed it
1600,Foran Razorbacks, Meerkat bypass, Dyno tune, real headlight,plenty of chrome,switchblade pegs, Hagon Nitro shocks & Ikon progressive fork springs etc. Scorpion Western Low handlebars. PH adjustable fork caps.
| | Post edited by Leethal on 07 Oct 2015 - 23:00 |
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| | | mat1600 | | Thunderbird | | | | Reg. Date | : | 06/03/2010 | | Posts | : | 8,596 | | Location | : | Bridlington, Democratic Independant State of Yorkshire, United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 07 Oct 2015 - 22:34 Post title : Re: Breaking in the Storm (NC500 - Scotland) (Re: Leethal) | | |
Leethal wrote:
Great stuff Matt (still like your old bike though ) thanks for the pics.
We would have loved to have travelled that area, got as far as Inverness and Loch Ness, but everything accommodation wise that far north was 98% booked (according to booking.com etc) so we missed out. |
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Yeah, I still like my old bike - which is why I shall keep the avatar pic for old times sake.
Hotels were still fully booked when we were there - which is out of season.
| My first natural instinct is to breathe. My second is to evade tax's.
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| | | AleXL4 | | Chaac | | | | Reg. Date | : | 17/09/2012 | | Posts | : | 571 | | Location | : | Gympie, Queensland, Australia |
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| | Posted : 08 Oct 2015 - 00:18 Post title : Re: Breaking in the Storm (NC500 - Scotland) (Re: mat1600) | | | Morning Mat,
Beautiful country up there, and your bike looks good Mate!
Cheers Alex 
| Enjoying the Journey
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| | | VABird | | Jupiter | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 28/09/2014 | | Posts | : | 1,373 | | Location | : | BEDFORD, Virginia, United States |
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| | Posted : 08 Oct 2015 - 00:23 Post title : Re: Breaking in the Storm (NC500 - Scotland) (Re: AleXL4) | | | What did they do with all the trees? 
| The ride may be fun, but in the Great Scheme of things, it really is about the destination! John 3:16
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| | | AZCactus | | Taranis | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 01/05/2013 | | Posts | : | 4,524 | | Location | : | AZ |
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| | Posted : 08 Oct 2015 - 00:52 Post title : Re: Breaking in the Storm (NC500 - Scotland) (Re: mat1600) | | | Speaking of trees (not to hijack here)...I lived in England employed by a tree feller. The company landed a job planting seedlings on the Isle of White, what excitement until I learned about butterfly bombs. 
Nice bike Mat, enjoy, love the countryside too!
| 2009 Thunderbird 1700 Big Bore
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| | | Irish | | Chaac | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 28/10/2013 | | Posts | : | 854 | | Location | : | New England, NSW, Australia |
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| | Posted : 08 Oct 2015 - 04:30 Post title : Re: Breaking in the Storm (NC500 - Scotland) (Re: AZCactus) | | | beautiful looking countryside, and a great trip by the sounds of it Mat
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| | | GeordieT | | Set | | | Reg. Date | : | 18/01/2014 | | Posts | : | 32 | | Location | : | Ashington, Northumberland, United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 08 Oct 2015 - 19:03 Post title : Re: Breaking in the Storm (NC500 - Scotland) (Re: mat1600) | | | Hi Mat can't think of a better way to break in a new bike. I love the Scottish countryside but I've usually needed a wet suit when I've been up there so it was good to see you caught an unseasonal bout of good weather.  
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| | | tamboritha | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 26/08/2011 | | Posts | : | 365 | | Location | : | morwell, vic, Australia |
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| | Posted : 12 Oct 2015 - 23:01 Post title : Re: Breaking in the Storm (NC500 - Scotland) (Re: Leethal) | | |
Leethal wrote:
Great stuff Mat (still like your old bike though ) thanks for the pics.
We would have loved to have travelled that area, got as far as Inverness and Loch Ness, but everything accommodation wise that far north was 98% booked (according to booking.com etc) so we missed out. |
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a bit of a side note Lethal about booking dot com...went up to Wagga the other week and went on line and one room was left so we grabbed it and got there and a 50 room motel had 8 cars there and the nexy morning we were the only ones there.. I queried the receptionist about it and these Dot Com mobs only get allocated a certain amount of rooms so it is best to make direct bookings with the owners
Friends of mine went over to Scotlands 2 yrs ago and had a ball, scenery was superb...They stayed in an old pub and were chatting with some of the locals and he understood about 2 words in an hours conversation,....Glad to get back to Aussie where we speak English
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| | | Leethal | | Zeus | | | | Reg. Date | : | 24/01/2011 | | Posts | : | 6,407 | | Location | : | Australia |
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| | Posted : 13 Oct 2015 - 03:33 Post title : Re: Breaking in the Storm (NC500 - Scotland) (Re: tamboritha) | | | You could be right Greg, but we were there in peak season, local holiday season plus the Edinburgh Tattoo season etc. We actually (four of us on different booking sites) sat in the lounge of our hotel in Blair Athol for a couple of hours searching accommodation with the same results. Most of the places we stayed throughout the UK in our three weeks were heavily booked, Europe and the UK have way more tourists than we experience here.
| Experience is something you get just after you needed it
1600,Foran Razorbacks, Meerkat bypass, Dyno tune, real headlight,plenty of chrome,switchblade pegs, Hagon Nitro shocks & Ikon progressive fork springs etc. Scorpion Western Low handlebars. PH adjustable fork caps.
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| | | Bodger | | Set | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 28/02/2012 | | Posts | : | 371 | | Location | : | Aberdeen, United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 13 Oct 2015 - 21:19 Post title : Re: Breaking in the Storm (NC500 - Scotland) (Re: mat1600) | | | Looks like you landed rather lucky with the weather on your run Mat. You got yourself some rather nice pics, particularly like the one of the Bealach na Ba pass.
I really would have liked to join up with you on the run, alas work had other ideas.
Glad you enjoyed yourselves, and maybe next time you're up this neck of the woods I'll get to show you around.
Nice new bike too,  nice colour
| I won't believe it until it has been officially denied.
| | Post edited by Bodger on 13 Oct 2015 - 21:23 |
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| | | mat1600 | | Thunderbird | | | | Reg. Date | : | 06/03/2010 | | Posts | : | 8,596 | | Location | : | Bridlington, Democratic Independant State of Yorkshire, United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 13 Oct 2015 - 23:04 Post title : Re: Breaking in the Storm (NC500 - Scotland) (Re: Bodger) | | |
Bodger wrote:
Looks like you landed rather lucky with the weather on your run Mat. You got yourself some rather nice pics, particularly like the one of the Bealach na Ba pass.
I really would have liked to join up with you on the run, alas work had other ideas.
Glad you enjoyed yourselves, and maybe next time you're up this neck of the woods I'll get to show you around.
Nice new bike too, nice colour |
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Would have been good to have you along. I think we covered a lot of places but some insider info would have gone down great. Will give you another shout next time. Your very lucky to live in such an amazing part of the world.
| My first natural instinct is to breathe. My second is to evade tax's.
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