Motorbiking
"Biker" for me usually means motorbiking, though I also have a couple of mountain-bikes... see Trail Bike
My current motorbikes are a Honda CBR600RR ABS 2017 and a Kawasaki Ninja Z250SL.
Previously I have owned: Kawasaki ZX4-RR (Ninja anniversary edition), Honda CRF300 Rally, Honda CBR600RR 2005, Honda CBR600FW, Honda VF750F, Yamaha FJ600, Suzuki GSX750EX, Yamaha FJ750, Yamaha XJ900, Kawasaki Z750 and I passed my riding test on my Kawasaki KH250.
See also my Motorbiking web links
First ride on my RR for more than a year. It had to be the Col de l’Espigoulier (723 m.), my favourite ride local to Marseille with quite enough challenges over its 14 km ascent of over 600 metres of altitude from the Provençal village of Gémenos. All the gear of course - AGATT safety principles - even for a short session to practise skills.
Riding my CBR600RR after so long wasn’t quite like riding a new bike, but after a few rides on my Ninja Z250 in Keswick that’s great for little Lakeland lanes, my RR just rides fantastic. So tight on the curves, stable on the braking and very much point and shoot in terms of forward power; the red line on the RR is up at an almost unimaginable 15000 revs. And it’s easy to adore the physicality of Honda’s engineering on the RR, it is so elegant and efficient and sounds so sweet.
My RR being “in jail” in my garage here and not running for over a year did cost a new battery, the rejuvenation programme on my charger couldn’t bring the old battery back. The new battery charged up slowly overnight and was ready with another colourful Marseille dawn - crimson before the sunrise then blinding orange.
Noticeable also that, despite plenty of mildly obsessive time in the gym in the meantime, actually riding a sportsbike on challenging roads is still a noticeable physical effort.
Not an artisan boulangerie in Provence - just a supermarket in Workington, Cumbria - but it’s been too long since I enjoyed a fresh pain au chocolat on my bike on a ride out from Marseille.
Photo made with the assistance of a chatty local R1 rider.
- Col de l’Iseran: 2770 m. Alps rideout August 2020 - 2
- Vars - Izoard - Lautaret: Alps rideout August 2020 - 1
- Alpilles - Durance - Lubéron-Sud
Road to Wrynose Pass - Little Langdale. Langdale Pikes (736 m.) in distance
Road to Wrynose Pass - Little Langdale
The through road down the valley of the River Duddon is closed at Seathwaite bridge, which makes the peaceful upper valley even more tranquil than usual as it can be accessed from the upper end only, down from the T-junction at Cockley Beck between the roads to the Hardknott Pass (30%, 393 m.) and the Wryose Pass (25%, 393 m.). The Romans built the road over Hardknott and Wrynose. The current roads here are mostly single-track but sealed so my little Ninja Z250 takes it in its stride even with grass growing through the cattle grids and filling out the numerous potholes and washouts.
More photos: Duddon Valley and Wrynose Pass (25%, 393 m.) - Lake District National Park
Seascale, Cumbria
Ennerdale (in clouds)
A decidedly iffy start but the weather did eventually clear for a fine day’s riding around the west coast of Cumbria.
Riding round Bassenthwaite Lake, a short tour at the end of my day; the route is a mixture of country lanes between Skiddaw and the lake, then a fast main road, the A66 between west Cumbria and the Pennines. The circuit crosses the lake outflow, the River Derwent, at Ouse Bridge near a lake beach popular with fishermen and a marina. Bassenthwaite Railway station is now a restaurant with a steam locomotive parked prominently outside.
More photos: Bassenthwaite Lake circuit - Lake District National Park
Subcategories
Alps Biker 2016
I'm riding light for a week on the mountain roads of the Alps. No laptop, although I do have my SLR camera but photos will have to wait till I'm back in Marseille..
I left Marseille for a long ride north via the Col de la Croix Haute (1179 m.) to Saint-Gervais under Mont Blanc. A bit of rain towards the end of the day which cleaned the Provence dust off my white leathers and boots but didn't soak me through.
