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Off I went in the searing heat for run north in search of cooler climes, I headed over the Forth road bridge into the Kingdom of Fife and onto Perth and across to Dundee and headed towards Aberdeen before cutting across to Montrose and picking up the coast road North, my first stop was at Dunnottar Castle after 122 miles of riding, just south of Stonehaven, they do a good Aberdeen Angus burger and chips here for a reasonable £7 so it was my planned lunch stop. They also have dedicated motorcycle parking. I was going to head up to the monument and sacrifice a sheep but it is Aberdeenshire so non of the sheep are virgins and I had more places to see. I then headed North then west towards the Cairngorms and the National Park. Continuing my journey I stopped off at Balmoral for a break and a cigar, the estate was closed as it was after 5pm so I gave that a miss. While I was there another Harley turned up, a Sportster 883 ridden by a female naturally, all the way from Lincolnshire. I then headed off to make my way home past various villages and mountains and even ski lifts and through the most dramatic countryside you could imagine. I even found a special “friend” for Pete. By the time I got home I had covered 294 miles. The refurbished shocks performed very well and I played around with the air pressure, running them a lot lower than previously and will reduce them a little more on the next ride.

He will have to change his name to @Plumbbob..

But if he goes anywhere near a building site he'll be used and abused to make sure everything is true and level, could be funny to watch though

Bob, Reading your balance thingy on another thread. I fall over backwards if I look up at tall buildings for too long, an age thing I reckon. Same with riding the bike, some days I have excellent balance and other days I can do nothing right. Anyway, screw a little plastic spirit level on to one of you legs, I think you know which one, you've always struck me as the sensible sort. Now you'll always know by looking down if you're leaning to one side without having to rely on your own in built balance.

Not as light on your feet as you used to be? Really, I find that hard to believe.

If you want to walk, get Pete's old GS.

Unfortunately I cannot revert to a younger form of myself as there is a bit missing

The view from site as I left for the Hotel last night Looking out over the Irish sea

That walking is fucking you up Bob!

Take up Tai Chi. I think that it's an age thing, Bob. If I turn my head quickly or look up whilst walking I often veer off to one side, almost like I'm drunk!

If I told you I'd have to kill you.....then we'd be without our leader so....not telling

Pete's new look

If i look up to long the blood gets shut off to my brain. The eye doctor said dont do that anymore something about veins.

loosing your balance seems a bit careless Bob, I mean I loose my keys regularly but still.... other than the piss take: it doesn't sound like a mechanical issue to me, your right knee or hip didn't cause the fall by collapsing or giving way, it sounds more like and eye or inner ear ( or coordination of the two) causing an overbalance, likely made worse by the prosthetic left side not adapting fast enough to catch it and prevent the fall as a fully limbed person of your great age would probably have done. In fairness I know sweet FA about these things, but you asked.

Four times isn't that bad, well not if you see the way I do it Could be any of the things you mention or a combination couldn't it. There are balance tests that can be done to assess you. You'll likely come out of it with a good rating regardless due to all the riding you do but it can act as a baseline observation and then if you feel any deterioration it would show in the next test. I can't remember anything useful about them other than they work by you moving and your eye movements being tracked. We do lose some of our balance as we age but you might just be rusty, you were off your bike for months and months after the op and the new prosthetic limb isn't going to be the same as the last, even a few mm's difference is going to cock things up for a while. But I'd go for an eye test, deterioration in vision is usually quite a hidden cause because it happens so gradually. Also and I hate to suggest this on here but it makes a world of difference try yoga, you'll be shocked how much of it you can't do and how quickly it improves. Balance exercises make a big difference, if you can't find prosthetic limb friendly yoga moves then google balance exercises, thats what a physio would give you to do. Overtime our body shape and weight distribution shifts but sometimes the brain doesnt catch up, thats why pregnant women have to be cautious exercising, they are well aware they're the size of a whale and waddle like a Mr Potatohead but the brain carries on with the old pathways making you prone to falls or worse, exercises can help markedly by laying down right pathways.

I've always prided myself on my balance ever since I lost my leg, it has enabled me to walk fairly well and be able to ride a bike in a decent fashion especially when you need it for off-road riding. On my recent trip to France I fell off four times, the first was definitely a case of my ambition outweighing my skill but the other three manouvers (tight hairpins on loose surface) I was dissapointed with as I'm sure that they wouldn't have given me a problem in the past. Added to this I find myself momentarely losing balance sometimes when walking and I actually fell over in the garage the other day while manouvering the Honda 250. Too add to this without getting technical about it my prosthetic leg doesn't work as good in heat. I have been doing a bit of thinking about this to try and see what the cause might be, is it just an age thing , a lack of concentration at critical times or are their mechanical reasons for it. My right knee and hip are not the best as they have been taking most of the strain for 21 years now. Any thoughts apart from the usual piss-taking ?

Well, the arthritis in my knees is a hell of a lot better since I started biking and walking more, Pete. No mobility scooter for me for a while yet!

I am, I found the way to revert to a younger form of myself....

It is actually on this thread already, quite a few pages ago. I didn't appreciate his voice when I was a kid, but listening to it now and he does a cracking job on this.

I think it’s an age thing as there appears to be bugger all wrong with me and I find sometimes that I lose my balance ever so slightly. If you’re worried though @boboneleg you should get yourself checked out just for peace of mind.

This.

Without wanting to sound alarmist. I would say the smart thing to do is go see a brain guy to rule out nasty degenerative stuff. My dad started having ocasional light lapses in balance, and only after other symptoms appeared (occasional lack of grip strength in one hand) did he take it seriously. The trip in France stuff, might it also have been something simple enough your confidence affected by the first fall and hurt ribs?

Age I'd say Bob......I don't feel as planted on my feet as I used to. Don't get me wrong, I don't feel like I'm going to fall over or dizzy etc.....just not as light on my feet as I used to be.

Age. Inner ear problems?

To their defense, in a proper “adventure” there is no rush. And there’s also just newspapers in there, a Jeep Wrangler carries all the real stuff. It’s an internet trip!

Oh yes, I get that sometimes as well. This is why I had to give up the tightrope walking.

The roads were good north of Perth and Kinross region although they had quite a lot of new chips down in the National Park which were a bit loose still in places. After Braemar it was fine. The coast road was good.

Could your balance issue be just you still sub consciously getting used to the new leg? Though even at my younger tender age I still find myself wobbly from time to time as if my brain has lost itself for a moment. Maybe that's just too many bangs to the head on my part though

Insurance don't want the company van for repair until August so we''ll go in that. Thanks once again for your very kind offer

Very exciting, going to collect it on Thursday

Scotland is bloody gorgeous when the suns out.

Maybe longer trips are getting too much now? After all, none of us are getting any younger!

With @yen_powell bringing up 'It ain't half hot mum' on another thread it reminded me of this. Don Estelle has one helluva voice.................

No dizzyness associated with it Marcel

I recon its age related Bob, I find my balance is not too good these last few years. I was standing on a kerb in work the other day when a jet flew over, I looked up to see it and lost my balance and almost fell off which wouldn't have happened a few years ago, bloody lucky I didn't. Falling off a kerb no big deal I hear you say well this kerb was an island in a sea of shit could have got messy

No worries. Glad you’re sorted. New bike new bike he got new bike

3 perma bans...be 4 if i gave a chit.

I agree completely. I think its just a stop gap before they finally switch to hydrogen. IMO lithium mining isn’t the way forward. Plus the sales of battery vehicles has sky rocketed so unless they pull their finger out theyre predicting demand for charging points will outstrip supply by 2025. Batteries also have a limited life span and I have no desire to get lumbered with old tech or expensive replacement costs. But I was offered a superb deal, far far too good to turn down, they’ll have it back at almost exactly what I paid for it anytime in the next three years. Its ex demo and boy they do not hold their value at all! In the meantime I get to mess about on a bike that is so quick out the gate its frightening and Ill get shot of it before things move on.

They won't have you back Marcel......same applies to @Tym and @Buckster

That's a brave choice and not just because it's a Harley. I fell that anyone buying an electric vehicle at the moment is just a guinea pig, the manufacturers and the government are not telling whole truths.

is that with a night on the vino and then surfing fleabay

Its damn good as a commuter bike. I can't shake the feeing I'm on a milk float or forklift.. until you twist your wrist the tinsyest winsyest bit and then unless you have a grip it'll throw you off the back of it like a fluttery bit of inconsequential rubbish!

They are a great bike but the range is kak like all electric motorcycles.

I cant tell you cos I'll be a dead woman walking... Is a Harley L_v_w_r_ Shit I had to tell you all at some point You know I already occasionally ride a Harley low rider? Double shit.. gotta go now

Err yer. Just keeping it on the down low.. until its saturday night and Ive worked my arse off so a couple of glasses hit me. Then I may say quite honestly.. Ive just bought a Harley.. oopsy.

So last weekend I headed to Llangollen with 600 of my fellow HDRCGB members for the International rally. It was a 552 mile round trip a lot of which was done on the M6 due to weather on travel days. On the camping days the sun blazed and much beer was imbibed. Met some old friends and made some new ones, used my new tent and had a great relaxing weekend.