Posts by Throttled

  • Issues logging in Etc

    I clicked on my toolbar link today and logged on successfully for the first time in a while. I had been getting "400 - Bad Request Your browser sent a request this server could not understand" when I clicked on my toolbar link. I could find the forum by searching ADV Scotland, but it would do nothing when I tried to log in.

  • Plans for 2019?

    No specific plans for me, just want to do some more miles than the paltry couple of thousand I did in 2018. Planning will start for the big one for 2020 and the USA.

  • Places to go, things to do.

    The Scotland in miniature is so true. Great roads (though not been for a while so cannot speak to road surface conditions) and you can do a figure of 8 round the island with north and south loops going on the String road both ways. Lots to do and see and great places to stop for a coffee.

  • Washing the Bike

    I have never heard of salt in the soap. I do use garage washers. I cover the bike in the foam using the brush, but not touching the bike with the brush (as they often have bits of grit in them). I wait a bit and then rinse, standing well back and not blasting the bike. I find I can easily clean the bike that way for £1 in my local place, as £1 gives me 3 minutes. It is not a very thorough wash, but it does to keep it reasonably clean.


    Otherwise, buy a big B&Q orange bucket, a sponge, Muck off spray, a shammy, a soft brush, some degreaser and ACF50. Then make friends with someone who will store that lot for you, has a driveway and a hose and give your bike a thorough clean a couple of times a year.


    Supplement with the local car wash.

  • Let's be careful out there...

    Is this the consequence of the NW500 and reports of a big increase in traffic and clueless drivers/riders?


    I lived in Argyll and know when I had 50 miles to do to get to a shop, I would often just go for it. Then you round a corner and a tourist has stopped somewhere stupid for a photo or drifted onto the wrong side of the road or gets confused about how to use a single track road.


    It works fine when most of the road users are locals or where I was, tourists who come back every year and also know the roads. It goes wrong with inexperienced or foreign drivers/riders.

  • Barra

    Lovely island I have driven around. You can do the whole lot in a morning top to bottom and a trip across the causeway to Vatersay. Time going to the airport so you see a plane land/take off from the beach. The castle at Castlebay is work a boat trip. Eriskay has a few dead end single rack roads and the Am Politician pub did nice meals when I was there (20 years ago). Expect it to be windy.


    Both are about the scenery and sea views.

  • Hello from Rhode Island

    Quote from Rhode Trip

    Ha! That's cool and it's quintessential Rhode Island! Did you have a Coney Island Weiner or a Quahog?


    No, we were at Cape Code, had seafood and one of the guys was very ill afterwards. I was 16 and we were at a International Scout Jaboree.


    I would not seriously recommend you visit Alloa, but if you are on the east coast, I would recommend St Andrews and the roads there are great.

  • Motorcycling in 2018?

    I do The Motorbike Forum (TMBF) annual challenge of tags around the country. Some years I just do trips to get tags (like this year) other years I try and visit a part of the country I have not been to (at least on the bike) and then tour visiting the tags. I loved Lincolnshire, bombing around on the flat, lots of 90 degree corners around the fields and tons of railway crossings.


    I have replaced my Versys 650 with the 1000 and it is far more capable on the motorway, which makes long distances much more manageable. So 2018 and I think I will head south, maybe even finally go to Lands End.