Throttled

Last dat of my holiday. Hardly any time spent on my bike due to the crap weather and my test was cancelled. F**k it!

I was trying to show Talister where the Dukes Pass is in relation to the Borders, I had noticed Dukes Pass in the original post, but not Borders. I suspect you would come to the route off the Edinburgh by-pass It would be a good run for you Revs and you can loop round back through Dunblane. It was part of my recent three day treck on my 125. I continued on from The Dukes Pass and went up to Aberfeldy and back down to Dollar through Glen Eagles and Glen Devon, also superb biking roads.

Borders Run?! Unless there is another Dukes Pass you have quite a treck to get to Aberfoyle which is central Scotland.....it is 55 miles from Edinburgh to Aberfoyle. http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Edinburgh&daddr=Aberfoyle,+Stirling&hl=en&geocode=FWC7VQMdsFzP_ykjJpilALiHSDEnF-d8exTyZA%3BFd0xWQMdIjS9_ynvPLeQcPeISDENF_VVofMqVA&mra=ls&sll=56.249454,-3.581543&sspn=1.464953,5.31189&ie=UTF8&ll=56.081232,-3.805389&spn=0.367834,1.327972&z=10

Hi The Dukes Pass is from Aberfoyle to The Trossachs. It is only about 5 miles long, but brilliant to ride. http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Aberfoyle,+Stirling&daddr=Trossachs,+Callander&hl=en&geocode=Fd0xWQMdIjS9_ynvPLeQcPeISDENF_VVofMqVA%3BFWH6WQMdjsm8_ymnSciGDPqISDHrG0_V3TFTFA&mra=ls&sll=56.186839,-4.354019&sspn=0.183412,0.663986&ie=UTF8&ll=56.208041,-4.286041&spn=0.091655,0.462799&z=12 As for the rest of the milage, it depends on which direction you are coming from.

Even though they are a hazard in the real world, manhole covers and standing water does not appear to be a hazard in the test. One one part I clicked on a few as literally nothing else was happening. I got my lowest score for that one. My understanding is that if you see someone at the side of the road you do click as they are a potential hazard and if they walk out you click again as they are now a hazrd.

If I google free hazard perception I get a few results where the site offers one or two as a taster to then get you to buy more. I did all the free ones.

It is progressing beautifully. I love the spray bay idea

I slow down as well just in case something does go wrong you have more time to react and impact will be less. I have ridden over the Erskine bridge at 30mph before, it is a 70mph zone.

Oh well, best have a w**k then.... There may not be anything else to w**k to. Sexcetera is a banker for a w**k.

The Scottish mountains and glens look their best in the rain. My kit and myself stayed dry.

I think you mean tall man.....

F**k it, I was stared at when I had my fall. Why do people do that??

F**kity, f**k, f**k, f**k, is what you probably said to your self at the time. It is a gut wrenching feeling, sympathies to you and your bike. What's the damage?

I went on my first tour and a part of Scotland I had never been to was Lock Katrine. The plan was to ride round the loch as on google maps there is a road. However, on arriving at Stronachlachar, the village at the loch, I found out it is a private road and gated. I had a nice break at the pier tearoom, saw the pleasure boat that cruises the loch, but then had to turn around and ride the 13 miles back to Aberfoyle. Parts of that road are in terrible condition, but the views are worth it. To get back onto my route and I had to go up and down the Dukes pass to the Trossachs. Alpine bends, 25 mph at times on my fully laden YBR, but what a road. http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&sourc ... =UTF8&z=12 It bucketed down the whole time and this is midday at Stronachlachar..... http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2526/5733643420_e9bc66cb39.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2715/5733097883_df5effe37c.jpg

You can do on accompanied rides on a selection of Kawasakis on the great roads about the Green Welly, Tyndrum on the road to Glen Coe. http://www.thegreenwellystop.co.uk/biker-friendly/

The Road Traffic Act 1988 deals with helmets. Section 18 states "Authorisation of head-worn appliances for use on motor cycles.(1)The Secretary of State may make regulations prescribing (by reference to shape, construction or any other quality) types of appliance of any description to which this section applies as authorised for use by persons driving or riding (otherwise than in sidecars) on motor cycles of any class specified in the regulations.(2)Regulations under this section—(a)may impose restrictions or requirements with respect to the circumstances in which appliances of any type prescribed by the regulations may be used, and(b)may make different provision in relation to different circumstances." Section 3 is the offence to use a helmet in other than its authorised use, "If a person driving or riding on a motor cycle on a road uses an appliance of any description for which a type is prescribed under this section and that appliance—(a)is not of a type so prescribed, or(b)is otherwise used in contravention of regulations under this section,he is guilty of an offence." Meaning unless your helmet is authorised to be use open faced, it is illegal to do so. Section 17 makes it illegal to sell an unauthorised helmet and Section 16 is the offence of not wearing a helmet.

Sorry, I missed out the f**k it from my post, f**k it!

It takes ages to get a place and then Mod 1 cancelled due to bad weather. It made me think, why should I have to do it anyway? Most of the Mod 1 is covered in the CBT. That is when you need to show the basic ability to walk with a bike, go round cones, do an emergency stop and a hill start. The rest of the Mod 1 is covered in road riding and you could add in a hill start, U turn and emergency stop to that as well. I have been driving for 27 years, I have an advanced driver qualification, I have a clean licence. I have full road awareness and have proved I can be on the roads safely. Now I have got the hange of the bikes controls, I do lessons with ease. Why is everything being held up by 8 stupid minutes that is the Mod 1?

OK, so potentially silly idea, but I had been thinking for biking in the snow and ice (I have already done it as I started last November and intend to ride all year) to get cheap soft panniers, fill them with rags and then if I fall, they act as protection for me and the bike. I would be doing speeds at no more than 20mph, usually less in such conditions anyway.

Good luck, its blowing a gale here and I know Mod 1s are being cancelled today in Glasgow.

Good luck when it comes. Mine is Tuesday and during practice I kept bottling the swerve.

I did a tour on my YBR, all 383 miles over a couple of days. Brilliant fun. You got better weather than I did.

I still laugh at this one, even if it is terrible A horse walks into a bar, the barman says 'why the long face?'

Thanks Colin, that would work better than a suggestion on Yout Tube to wrap a thin rag around each spoke and pull one way then the other to clean them. Labourious or what?

Now if that involves buying a gadget for my toolbox, excellent idea