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
Sunlight on the snow on Blencathra (868 m.)
Dowthwaitehead and snow on Hart Side (756 m.)
Winter’s back in the Lake District. A couple of stormy nights. Trees down, rivers full and the tops of the fells are white. The afternoon’s bikeable on my Ninja Z250SL superlightweight but an off-road bike would be better. Heated gloves good. Tyres cold and hard. Lots of water run-off but it’s not frozen. Concentration essential. Dramatic clouds. Epic sights through the visor so worth plenty of halts to appreciate the views.
Home, gear off. Toasted hot cross buns from the Keswick baker with a mug of tea. That’s got to be a good afternoon.
Blencathra (868 m.)
Hartside
Ride out from Keswick to enjoy the spring sunshine on my Ninja Z250SL in the North Pennines. The road from Melmerby (79 m.) up to Hartside Summit (575 m.) is one of the best biker challenges in England, both up and down. Worth running a few times, just for the sport.
CBR600RR 2026
The man with the tattoos handed me the key to the devil bike. He knew I would play. From the first corner, a roundabout on a slope out of the bike boutique, I was hooked. The little black devil of a bike hooked up with the devil in me. We knew the roads, they were dry and clear and we let it rip.
Read more: An afternoon with a little black devil of a bike - CBR600RR 2026 test ride
“The Rossi pose”
Lucky with the February weather, this has been three straight days of riding my CBR600RR sportsbike on the varied regional roads of Provence as three day-rides out from Marseille. A day in the Var to the east, then the Carmague, Arles and the lovely Alpilles hills to the west; then thirdly a ride inland up to Manosque in the valley of the River Durance.
The weather’s so important to enjoy sporty riding, If Goldilocks was a biker she’d be happy with the weather of these February days: not too hot, not too cold and no wind, just right. And fantastic visibility, right out to the snow at the ski resorts in Haut-Provence. It’s been a great opportunity to finish off the tyres as the roads are dry and clear of traffic. And fun.
First ride out from Marseille for 2026 on my CBR600RR. Good to get out to get/keep my eye in. The roads are dry but otherwise the weather was disappointingly cold and blustery. So, little sunshine or warmth, even choosing the sweeping curves of the road to the Col de la Gineste (326 m,), which is near to the Mediterranean coast. The violent wind stopped any great fun, even so my ride was a couple of blocks down on the fuel gauge.
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.
