Re: [ST] Gavin's off

[Gavin Lawrie <gavin.lawrie@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello,

On 5 Sep 2006, at 11:31, iPat wrote:

> Gavin, how did you happen to come in contact with the milestone?
> Did it jump out and lift up its kilt? Did you decide to test the  
> St's off
> roading abilities? While i may not want to make light of your  
> misfortune i
> cant help notice that this simple fact has yet to be expressed! ; )
> Its usually the sheep that decide to cross at the last moment that  
> frightens
> me! Now if the milestones are involved in this ludicrous game of  
> chicken i
> think we should all be told!

Sorry - I guess that bit of the story is missing...  here is the  
extended version of the ride report.  Day 3 includes more on what  
happened.  This was originally posted in a UK ST mail list - so if  
you are on both apologies for the duplication.  The layout is simply  
a list of roads covered and then some text to describe the ride.

For those not familiar with same, 'Carole Nash' is a bike-friendly  
insurance broker in UK, On Yer Triumph is a big Triumph dealer about  
25 miles from where I live, and MCN is "Motorcycle News" - a weekly  
bike newspaper thing with big bike ads section.  Also, UK  
registration system uses obscure numbering - so an '03' registered  
bike is one registered in or after the Spring of 2003, but before  
Autumn 03, when it changes to '53' (then 04 / 54 next year etc.).  My  
old bike was an '03', new one a '53'.  But I guess you all knew that  
anyway...

Also, for those of so inclined, I've attached map points to some of  
the smugmug photos - so you can see where most of the key events  
(including the offending milestone) actually are... not sure exactly  
how system works, but think you have to click on 'map this' button  
that appears on photos with necessary information attached, or have  
look at map with all points marked which you can find here... http:// 
lawrie.smugmug.com/

Regards

Gavin Lawrie
ST'03

Briefly, here is what I got up to...

Day 1
Started at Driffield - near York.
Cross country via A170 and B1257 to Stokesley, then A689 to Carlisle
Then A713 to Ayr via Castle Douglas, and on to Glasgow
A82 past Loch Lomond towards Fort William, with detour to
Kinlochleven on B863.
Stop in B&B in Fort William.

Appalling weather - driving rain and strong winds north of Carlisle
until get to North of Loch Lomond. Before and after mixture of
sunshine and overcast conditions. Great conditions for B1257 and for
B863 - two of my all time top roads in UK. The 'North' side of the
A863 loop was particularly good fun - and deserted: presumably
earlier foul weather had seen off other bikers.

Day 2
A830 'Road to the Isles' to Mallaig
Find ferry is full, and next one three hours wait, so turn round and
go around the long way... so
A830 to Fort William
A82 / A87 to Auchtertyre, take A890 towards Stromeferry and
Strathcarron, then A896 to Lochcarron and Tornapress
Old Road to Applecross via Bealach na Ba and then on to Shieldaig
A896 on to Kinlochewe
A832 to Loch Ewe and on to A835
A835 to Ullapool
Stop in Hotel in Ullapool

Road to Isles was great - about 1.5 hours out and 50 mins back (no
photo stops on way back). A87 was good too - but day improved hugely
with start of A890 and on to Applecross. Although not a patch on
alpine passes, Bealach na Ba was great riding - wonderful feeling of
being in the midst of a wilderness. Applecross was nice to visit
also - was very lucky as there was a settled patch of sunny calm
weather stuck over Mallaig, the road to the isles and Applecross.
Was raining in Fort William when I left, and when I returned later,
and for much of A87. But Road to Isles and Applecross / A832 etc.
was ridden in warm sunshine. No wind - lochs looked like mirror
pools etc. Quite wonderful day.

Without doubt this was the best day's riding I can remember.
Combination of great roads / scenery and fabulous weather conditions.

Day 3
North of Ullapool on A835 / A837
A894 towards Kylesku and Scourie
Bin bike on bend just south of Kylesku...
Ride bike to Kylesku, call Carole Nash and wait for recovery.
Two hours later recovery arrives and set off for (initially) Aberdeen
Two hours later finally persuade CN to recover bike directly to
Aylesbury (nearest Triumph dealer to home)
12 hours later, arrive at Triumph dealer...

Totally awful weather to set out - low cloud, persistent rain and
cold. On higher bits of road, visibility was quite poor too. Just
riding to get through it in hope that better weather ahead, when
strange thing happened on approach to bend near Newton on A894.
Slowing for bend and back end kicks out sideways - I guess I must
have hit something but couldn't find it later. Get bike stood up
again and am on totally wrong line for corner. Brake hard to slow
bike, but run out of road, so (as per training from years ago) lie
bike down on grass verge and try to get clear. Amazingly it works,
bike slides along on grass as do I. Then lower front of fairing hits
a hidden milestone... lots of plastic breaks. I get up completely
unharmed, and stand up bike. It too is largely unharmed, except for
lots of cracked plastic. But impact has snapped the top of two bolt-
holes on flange stuck on front of frame to hold up headlight assembly
- so headlight hangs down onto front mudguard. No mobile coverage,
so patch up front enough to stop headlight from fouling steering, and
ride off about 1 mile to Kylesku to call box. Meet two really
helpful bikers (one on a Trophy) who commiserate and we work out that
there is no easy way to bodge front assembly to work. Call Carole
Nash, and they get a recovery vehicle to me inside two hours (amazing
given how far away from anywhere accident happened). Weird row
ensues between recovery company and Axa (firm CN uses to do recover
operations) about where bike can go - recovery firm obliged to take
bike 'home' unless they can effect a 'temporary repair' before close
of business on same day such that bike can be ridden home. Axa try
very hard to do second option - but finally the complete lack of ST
headlight clusters in Scotland persuades them to stump up for the 600
mile recovery...

Didn't feel too bad about smashing front of bike - especially as it
seemed that a simple alloy weld would fix the headlight mounting
point. Other than bent right handlebar, mechanically bike was
unscathed. But next day On Yer Triumph in Aylesbury declared that
any damage to frame requires new frame - and bike effectively written
off. When repair estimate comes in they've managed to crank it up to
£6500 (including replacing front wheel, engine cases, levers etc.
which were not obviously damaged in off). Seems a waste of what was
a great bike. So salvage useful bits from old bike (gel seat,
touring screen, panniers / mounts, autocom, scot oiler etc.) and
leave to see what insurance decide eventually.

Anyhow - have a squint in MCN, and find a 53 model ST with 3K miles
on clock not far from where I live. So go have a look and it is a
pretty good bike - owned from new, serviced annually, but not gone
anywhere... also in Aston Green so can put panniers on etc. without
problem. Bought it a week later - and it is even nicer to ride than
my old one. So overall things worked out pretty OK I think. All
that remains is to see what happens with regard to the insurance
settlement on old bike.

Anyhow - that's the scoop. Pictures of the trip, and of the new bike
can be found here: http://lawrie.smugmug.com/Motorcycles
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