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
Relaxed afternoon barbecue hosted by Ben plus Paul and Steve for the London and southeast groups of GBMCC. Great to revive this club tradition. Three dozen or more bikers enjoying the summer afternoon’s sunshine in the leafy suburbia of Zone 5, convenient for both the London crowd and the out-of-towners. Bikes from 125 cc to 1400 cc crowding the concrete on our hosts’ and neighbours’ drives. Understandably the bar was largely soft drinks.
Big thanks to Ben plus Paul and Steve for their hospitality and wonderful garden.
Recovery operation to bring my CBR600RR 2017 ABS back from Chamonix to my preferred bike garage at Manosque. This transfer was ruled out of scope by the insurance who wanted the repair handled locally in Savoie. The damage seems only scratches to metal and fairing but a rough quote suggested there was a risk that the repairs would be deemed uneconomic by the Savoie dealer and insurance assessor.
Mont Blanc from Chamonix
Valley of the Durance
A fine start but not the ride round Mont Blanc that I was hoping for. Dawn in Saint-Gervais with a clear forecast after many storms in this region. It’d been a good ride up from Marseille, light traffic on the road to the Col de la Croix Haute (1176 m.) between Grenoble and Provence. Mont Blanc was clouded at the end of the day but the hotel was comfortable. I haven’t ridden this far from Marseille for ages: riding among the high mountains and glaciers was my great treat for the summers of the 1980s. So it was fantastic just riding here again and on the best running sportsbike I’ve ever owned...
Shap Fell
Kirkby Lonsdale
Ride to Ribblesdale - there’s a railway viaduct with a lot of arches. Warming up on the A6 road over Shap Fell. Also Lonsdale and the biker cafe at Kirkby Lonsdale, one group was on their way to the Isle of Man for the TT.
Back to a White Night in Keswick - it never gets really dark after sunset this close to the equinox so all through the night you can see the dark outline of the fells against the night sky.
Whitehaven port
Seeking out the sunshine on the West Cumbrian coastline. Back over Cold Fell and Ennerdale Bridge. Not a bad afternoon’s rideout.
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.
