Featured What you been doing with your TRIUMPH today??

Only 46litre but it always looks bigger in photos (ooh er matron) holds two helmets to save carrying them around if we're going to beach or walking in the beacons, which is most weeks. Different angle shows it could only accommodate 1 somali stowaway

 

Fitted my quick shifter to the bike, now need to change the oil and filter and give it a check over. I also removed, cleaned and greased the rear hub.

 

Took the wife's striple for a check-up run. Tested new brake pads, adjusted tyre pressure, all good.

 

I went out early to town today to the hairdresser's, he was unimpressed ("How would you like it dried today?" "It really doesn't matter, I am going to shove a helmet on") and then came home a longer way round in the beautiful sunshine.

 

He could've used your helmet for a bowl cut.

 

That looks very much like my Mum's home haircuts she gave me as a toddler .

 

I took the Daytona out for a good long run today, making the most of the much awaited Spring weather. Stopped for lunch and parked next to this yellow beauty (Ferrari 488 Spider)

 

Went by my dealer today, picked up a spare part. Also first ride of the year in jeans and leather jacket. Felt good!

 

You'll be happy with those road 5's!

 

Took a run up to Dufftown as it was a beautiful day
Stopped off for a quick photo of one of only 7 remaining AA Boxes in Scotland, this one is north of Braemar


Once on the road to Dufftown i took a little detour to make a guest appearance in TOWIE !


The clock tower in Dufftown was built to commemorate the Diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria



I left Dufftown and headed for Tomintoul decided to take a short detour to the Glenlivet Distillery, I'll put some other photos of the inside later (it has been refurbished inside and they have made a great job)


After Tomintoul i stopped off at a square box that sits up on a hill at the side of the road, I've noticed it in the past and wondered what it was, but never stopped before. it is called "Still Viewpoint"


View from standing inside the "box"


From there i took the B road that takes you past Nethy Bridge and comes out at Coylumbridge, i then took the road up to the Cairngorm Ski Centre not far from Aviemore, i stopped of at Loch Morlich first to get a coffee

but the café was closed unfortunately

the car park up at the Ski Centre was surprisingly busy as there wasn't much snow left on the mountains, i took the bike right up to where the ski lifts are


View of Loch Morlich from the road coming down from the Ski Centre

 

@Dougie D outstanding scenery as ever!!!

 

Great stuff! I'll be seeing some of those views in 5 weeks time!

 

Some pics from outside and inside Glenlivet Distillery



cosy tasting areas




The bottle in the centre is their most expensive one


£19,500 but you do get a free miniature with it so you can taste it!






They do tours of the actual Distillery starting at £15.00 their VIP tour is £300 I'm guessing you must get a few bottles thrown in

 

i can't take any credit for the scenery!

 

Maybe Groundskeeper Willie has ancestors there!

 

Fitted and connected up sat nav brackets on both my 900 Rally Pro and my brother’s 1200 Alpine Edition.
Both fitted and working. Switched connections taken from the supply for the USB port under the rear seat on both bikes.

 

Just cleaning the bike and mowing the lawns today

 

I had a planned 60 mile loop today on fast, twisty roads to build my speed and confidence through bends. I am not awful I don't think, but obviously have a lot to learn and can back off when I don't need to and have to make a conscious effort to stay loose and relaxed. I chose a road I know really well as it makes up the largest portion of my commute to work and then came back on a road I know fairly well as I went that way a few times commuting on my 125 and have ridden it with @Helmut Visor too on my 125.

Good points were that I am definitely relaxing a lot more through corners and getting better at reading the road and road positioning. I feel as if I am getting smoother each time I ride so hopefully am going in the right direction. I did catch up with a group ride of about 8 bikes so I suppose I can say I am not THE slowest out there .

A bad point was that a deer ran out in front of me which almost scared me to death and then turned back the other way and ran aimlessly about a bit. The positives to this were that I managed to get the bike stopped and stay upright and the car behind me had seen what was happening as soon as I did. I did stop in a little cafe just up the road to calm down and have a coffee though and think I may have aged considerably . Not a big deal to bikers with loads of experience I am sure, but it's the first time I have had to really slam on the brakes apart from in my MOD 1 training / test.

The cafe is the Bringsty Vintage Cafe on the A44, I only had a coffee (decent price, nice coffee) but the food and homemade cakes looked nice and there were loads of bikers there. The nice smooth bit of the parking area was full of bikes so I had to park on the pot - holed, stony car bit and also don't mind admitting that I paddled slowly backwards to leave as the bike needed rocking over the larger bumps and I really didn't want to drop it . Perhaps one for your map @Octoberon? The other photo is of the bend that the cafe is situated on - the road has some stunning scenery to ride through (and plenty of wildlife ).

 

Deer are scary, no doubt. Unpredictable! I have a friend in Upstate NY who is a hard-core, all-weather rider (and they get some brutal winters up where he lives). He commutes every day, even in the coldest times. His nickname is "Roadkill." At last count he'd hit five deer with his motorcycle and survived. Coming home in the wee hours after my daughter's shows down the shore (Atlantic City, Sea Isle City, Wildwood, Cape May) I'd either take the Atlantic City Expressway or the backroads. Either way it was so thick with deer that were always lurking along the roadside that I got to naming them. "Oh, there's Barrack and Michelle. Look, it's Fred and Wilma!" A few slam on the brakes encounters, but no blood-letting yet. I have read that there are more white tail deer in the U.S. now that when Europeans first landed here.

 

I did hit a raccoon once. I was on a Sportster late one night when one ran across the road in front of me. I narrowly missed him and was congratulating myself on my riding skills when the second one caught my right foot peg. I stayed upright, but what a bloody mess! It took hours to clean the bike - and my underwear.