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As the second week of my journey starts I have had a chance to look back at the first week. We were in the backcountry fast and without cell reception for most of the week. I have just now had a few days with the internet to touch base with the world. We have already seen some amazing places but one of my favourites was a place called Marble Canyon. We camped beside Turquoise lake in the middle of this beautiful canyon. We stayed there for a few days and just enjoyed this magical place. If you look real close in about the middle of the photo you can see our little red tent....

As in it’s just rolled off the production line in Taiwan

Looks like you are having a good adventure, nearly as good as spending time here waiting for Pete’s new bike.

Should be in it not checking it out. Glad i had my shorts with me this day last year. A good swim in Bala was just what i needed. Walking down the beach in shorts and full length bike boots however wasnt a great look

We picked up a ladder for the back of the vehicle. Something to use with the canoe and also for storing our extra fuel and trash bag on.

So the build of track bike has started now that rugby has finished, so far I have put on the levers and rearsets and have now started stripping bits off ready for its service, ordered full service kit plus all new bearings for whole bike, caliper rebuild kits as the bike has stood dormant for 3 years it will need some tlc to get it ship shape. @boboneleg if you happen to have anything from a ninja j1 600cc laying around at work that would be suitable for the bike let me know as spares will never be turned down.

That got your attention. So on Sunday afternoon I headed north west to check out some roads for an all day ride I am planning for the future. I took the A904/905 then the A84 all the way to Loch Lubnaig in the Trossachs National park. There were hundreds of bikes out, mostly heading the other way as the A84 is a popular biking road for people returning from the Green Welly Stop at Tyndrum. I then made my way up to the A85 where I rode along the side of Loch Earn and made my way through to Crieff and onto Perth. The A84 and A85 are really good biking roads, the A84 is faster but the A85 has more to see and a generally better surface. I then took a few different roads back down to Dunblane where I swung by the cathedral to get a picture that Yen would appreciate. I then headed to Stirling and the Wallace monument for a cigar and a cup of tea, I didn’t climb the hill to Wallace House this time as it was getting late. I then headed back to Edinburgh, 185 miles round trip.

No good to him, the Doohickey removal will have him in a right old flummox

Harley Dealers … didn’t stop they all looked the same.

I shall be passing Bala (in the car) next Sunday, I'll keep a look out for anyone in shorts and biker boots

Van action, makes me think of these sad times in Portuguese motorsport, it had the "advantage" that most of them were purchased by companies as work vehicles ...

I think that's their whole business plan, fixing those bikes and selling parts for them.

Rode to my parents' today, instead of doing it in 2,5 hours on the motorway I took a long way. Left home in 27º heat and sunshine, the kind of sunshine that makes it feel like 35º, stopped for lunch at my favourite cafe forgetting it closes on Mondays. As soon as I crossed the hills and went to the shore temperatures dropped. Back home it was about 32º by lunch time but here, a few kms north as well it was 21º and feeling a bit chill. I did hop on the Motorway for a while to make distance but quickly got off and went to visit Cape Mondego, about halfway between Porto and Lisbon on the shore. The views are more impressive without the mist, this is a place of big beaches: Not a lot of effort put into the stone signaling the status of these forests being declared protected Rode down the nice (in forest and trees, not surface) forest roads closer to the lighthouse, out of my way completely but I like a nice lighthouse. Tried a little dirt road with a view to take a picture of the lighthouse from above, it was only a few meters from the proper road, not a big adventure: From there on, I headed north on pretty lame and boring roads, stopping by the other lighthouse to have a pretty shitty ham and cheese toast for lunch. How someone can fuck up a ham and cheese toast is beyond me, but it can be done. Felt like a trip instead of a commute, balanced the extra mileage with less money on motorway tolls which is always nice.

Petes getting a KLR!

We're pursuing another angle.....but we need to get Jake on his own first. Need to know basis and all that!

Well Fatty blanked us tonight! We went in to play with the boys and she just went to her bedroom and never came out again.

The Mystery Bike is getting closer!

Fantastic place to camp @Grasshopper's Ride, looks like you're living the dream

The SPS is a pretty rare thing Rich but I'll keep my eye out. We are actually searching for a good set of 996 forks ourselves at the moment.

That was quite a while ago, nowadays they would have been better mapped.

Ladders are a great way to get out of a mudhole with. use them like tracks.

Fair enough, you got anything for a Duke 996 sps? As my dad has not long got one

Pete? 1983 blue riding jacket Pete?

Why have you got the GPS mount on the bars? Do you have to have directions to get the bike out of the van?

There was a time when you'd take pictures and post them with a little write up in a ride report. I miss that... that made us feel like a serious motorcycle forum

That area (Peak District) is about 45 mins away from us...... The Olde Smithy at Monyash is a nice cafe, but can get busy at times........it's somewhere we stop for a brew.

stopped at a cafe on route to Bakewell mrs wanted to go there , had a market on , then went to Hope Valley , with a few stops in between and mrs fed some ducks

Yesterday I thought It’s a nice day so I’ll take the bike out , whilst out I got in a race with a Harley Davidson , at first on the flat straight roads I had the upper hand and could stay in front quite comfortably then we hit the down hill straight and that’s when he over took me and took quite a lead , I thought I’d never catch up but when it came to the twisty uphill roads I was really on his tail , I had to peddle like mad but I managed to get back in front

Hope he ain't there the 2nd week in October.

I think if i was Frankenstein the dog would be my monster. So as said earlier in the week the dogs oil pump was starved of oil due to a suspected collapsed oil pipe this is it cut open its squashed when straight and when fitted its bent so definitely the problem Making a solid pipe artery to the heart of the dog has failed for the moment as my flaring tool wont work on the stainless pipe, What i made fits but wont seal at the frame. I haven't given up on it though just put it aside until i find out how the dog runs if and when i resurrect it In the meantime I got the new second hand oil pipe and after fitting the blood was running from the frame to the dogs heart freely.Turning the engine over with the CDI disconnected had the dogs life bloody up in it's head after messing about a bit getting rid of air locks which i was quite pleased about After this it was time to bring the dog to life i reconnected its brain and switched on the power and guess what Really chuffed It don't sound bad at all, i shall recheck the tappets tomorrow and then release it into the wild to see if it survives

Hey everyone, so today is my adventure departure day. Had an early start and what a beautiful day for traveling on some ferries. Overcast with some mist in the mountains. Here’s to a new chapter. Have a great weekend everyone.

Picking this up tomorrow. Nephews just bought it , been in storage for 10 years , turns over , needs light restoring , we’ll see. he’s just done his cbt and got a cbf 125 to run round on , he wants to learn to work on bikes and get this running, good on him , told him there will be a lot of swearing and he may need deep pockets

It was a very green and pretty forest but smelled like the ocean, which was pretty nice.

Great shots Pedro......the lighthouse one could be a BOTM contender. Though I think I'll have that sewn up this month with the Mystery Bike!

Now i am ive been worried sick its way past your bedtime.

Hopefully better weather than when I was there last!

Check out Bala Lake!

Just stopped at Dolgellau for a coffee.

My first couple of days were great, but the third day was dire. I tried to do some sightseeing, but the rain was coming down horizontally. In the end I wimped out and found a guest house in Barmouth for a couple of nights so I could dry my gear out. After that it turned nice again, so I headed down to Tenby and stayed in a pub there for a couple of nights and then headed home.

To a local car park for a ride report with a pic

Action

Van action

yeh , i had one exact same as one we are picking up , i tarted that up and flogged it .

Thundercat? They're a very good bike.......but totally wrong for me! This was taken around 1999/2000 I think.....only had it a few months, couldn't get on with the riding position and low bars!