Man of Honour
Just watching the TT Zero race from last night, it's going to be a sad day when electric bikes are the norm. There's just no sense of occasion with some quiet whizzing.
Biker's Cafe Chatroom
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I can't see that happening any time soon tbh for that exact reason. How long ago were smokers outlawed? Yet Suter is still ripping up the mountain course on that ridiculous machine. They still have grid girls too, it's like the TT is in it's own little world giving the rest of the world the finger. I love it.
Finalised the summer tour itinerary tonightSadly just two of us again this year.
Looks excellent. How long are you away for?
Man of Honour
Deposit paid, Blackbird being delivered on Saturday.
Soldato
9 days for this, so we should be able to take our time and do a good bit of exploring and off-bike time too.
Soldato
Really?
I did the NC500 + Skye in the car over the course of a week and had minimal exploring time, a couple extra days and doing Ireland would say to me you've got next to no time off the bike.
Soldato
I guess we'll see how it goes than. Pretty much half the total milage is done over 2 days so it seems quite comfortable relative to our previous trips.
Soldato
It's worth remembering that (certainly in Scotland) the roads aren't super quick and you'll end up spending a full day doing 200-300 miles, especially if you stop now and again to take some photos. The overall miles should easily be possible in the time frame but obviously it's not all glorious motorways so not that easy going...especially when you poo yourself as a motorhome comes round a corner on the wrong side of the road (that happened multiple times)! 
Does look like a fantastic trip though, especially on a bike and I am jealous. I think personally I'd do it as two trips (Scotland & Ireland as their own) but I can see why you'd want to combine them and it should be great, even if the weather doesn't play ball at times. Also, I really hope you're not going in midge season, 'cause that's not fun (luckily I didn't get too bitten) and I'd not want to experience that on a bike.
Does look like a fantastic trip though, especially on a bike and I am jealous. I think personally I'd do it as two trips (Scotland & Ireland as their own) but I can see why you'd want to combine them and it should be great, even if the weather doesn't play ball at times. Also, I really hope you're not going in midge season, 'cause that's not fun (luckily I didn't get too bitten) and I'd not want to experience that on a bike.
9 days is pure riding on that route you posted - you won't get that much time to do sight seeing. We usually take 7 days just for the midlands up to the north coast 500. The biggest day being 366 miles which is a full days riding given some of the dodgy roads on the west coast.
Man of Honour
I've done 300ish in a day before and it was heavy going, I was completely drained by the end of it. No way I'd want to do it over multiple days.
A normal good day out on the bike for me is 450-550km, with most of it being tricky mountain passes.
When touring our group tends to do 350-450 though so I seem to like riding longer than most.
Soldato
It's worth remembering that (certainly in Scotland) the roads aren't super quick and you'll end up spending a full day doing 200-300 miles, especially if you stop now and again to take some photos. The overall miles should easily be possible in the time frame but obviously it's not all glorious motorways so not that easy going...especially when you poo yourself as a motorhome comes round a corner on the wrong side of the road (that happened multiple times)!
Does look like a fantastic trip though, especially on a bike and I am jealous. I think personally I'd do it as two trips (Scotland & Ireland as their own) but I can see why you'd want to combine them and it should be great, even if the weather doesn't play ball at times. Also, I really hope you're not going in midge season, 'cause that's not fun (luckily I didn't get too bitten) and I'd not want to experience that on a bike.
Very true about the roads, but the chap I'm riding with has done the NC500 before and some of the Wild Atlantic Way and is quite comfortable with the mileage and time.
We're both used to doing 300+ miles in a day, and have no qualms about slogging through 600 miles in a day to get to somewhere better. Last year we did 650 miles on day 1 to get to the Alps in one go, and did 580 miles on the last day to get back. A few weekends ago I did 440 miles up to and all around the Lake District i a day. Each to their own I suppose - I've been on bike trips where you finally get going at 10.30 in the morning, and then half the group wants to stop by 3.30 pm to go back, shower and have a few pre-dinner drinks!
Having the right bike for the ride you want to do helps a lot, if you want to be on it for 10 hours a day. This is exactly the type of riding I bought the XR for. But I don't want to sound too defensive - I appreciate that this sort of riding every now and then isn't for everyone
Soldato
That's fair enough really. I'm new to the bikers subforum so don't know your history and felt it might be worth warning you it'll be some very long days. Seems you're more than aware and experienced with that side of things so no issue really.
It's many more miles than I'd want to do in 9 days but then I'm new to bikes so even a couple hundred seems a bit daunting, especially without a bike.
It's many more miles than I'd want to do in 9 days but then I'm new to bikes so even a couple hundred seems a bit daunting, especially without a bike.
Associate
Over 7 hours a day for 9 days, that's some going.
Easily done in an HGV with air suspension and cruise control and a pack of Yorkie bars.
Fair play for doing it on a bike.
that's some going.
Easily done in an HGV with air suspension and cruise control and a pack of Yorkie bars.
Fair play for doing it on a bike.
Deleted member 651465
D
Deleted member 651465
I can barely do 100 miles on the SV before my arse goes dead. The seat is made of stone, so there's no way I'd get out of Wales without changing to a comfier seat
Man of Honour
You need a more padded arseI can barely do 100 miles on the SV before my arse goes dead. The seat is made of stone, so there's no way I'd get out of Wales without changing to a comfier seat
Easily done in an HGV with air suspension and cruise control and a pack of Yorkie bars.
Fair play for doing it on a bike.
The XR has cruise control!
So does my MT-10 and that makes the world of difference when doing long distances. It takes so much less concentration when only focusing on the other idiots on the road on motorways instead of constantly checking your speed too, and on straight bits between mountain passes you can stretch out the right hand and move around on the bike with cruise control.