Lancashire to the Orkneys and Back

W

winston

New member
Just been up to the Orkneys for a week on my Multistrada with my little lad in tow on pillion.
Disasters:
1. Lost my back pack on the way up somewhere between Burnley and Penrith. Had my digital camera in and various other things amounting to about 600 quid. Bungee straps burnt through on exhaust. I now have a working but sad rear light.
2. Locked my keys under the rear seat after doing a bit maintenance. No problem I have a spare. Oh Sh*t it was in the bag. See 1. Took back end to bits from beneath to retreive keys.
Observations:
1. The Orkneys are brilliant for Multi's. No traffic, no speed cameras. plenty of empty roads, long fast straights and lovely curves.
2. It's a bit windy in November.
3. Great roads in Scotland.
4. The ferry back from Aberdeen made the 'Big One' at Blackpool feel like a kiddies rollercoaster. Sick with everybody else.
The Multi:
1. Coped brilliantly with everything,:) except at night. High Beam is excellent low beam is sh*te. Any remedies would be welcomed.
2. Couldn't get my BMW brother to try the Ducati as he was too frightened he might like it more. If that's not a selling point for Ducati nothing is.
 
Glad you enjoyed our roads despite your luggage mishaps. Bring the Multi back up next year and we'll show you a few more good roads.
 
Glad you had a good trip despite the mishaps!

You should have given me a shout and you could have borrowed my Ventura luggage (no burnt bungee straps!)
 
Sounds like a reet good trip, proper ride out; shame you lost the camera, would have been nice to see some piccies.
 
Well done mate, at least some people are out riding! :) Brave effort, what do you reckon your total mileage was? Please don't tell me you had the bungees AROUND the pipes?
 
I reckon I did about 1200 miles. 400 each way to and from Aberdeen for the ferry and another 400 around the Orkneys. I would have gone up to Scrabster but I had my eight year old lad on the back and I was worried he might fall asleep going that far. Used those chemical heaters in our gloves and boots. Worked a treat. Yes I was a fool I had the bungees around the exhaust but it's a Termi with the Carbon covers which didn't seem to get that hot. I have now had a stainless steel back rack fabricated at a shop for whom I do a lot of structural design work. Made a cardboard template first aka Blue Peter style. I have shaped it to follow the 'unique' (?) lines of the Multi.
 
Forgot to mention on the way back I called in at Devil's Bridge for a cuppa and some unfortunate fella from Wigan area had a worse mishap than me. He'd parked his Triumph Tiger up and some dozy idiot in a car reversed into it and carried on over it. Couldn't believe it. Cracked his crankcase and did a load of other damage and had to call out the RAC. Poor fella told me he'd only picked it up that morning and had gone to Kirby for his first run.
 
I bet your son loved it! He'll not forget it. I took mine on the back (Kawasaki ZX-6R) to the Alps and back for a four day Bank Holiday weekend when he was 12. Falling asleep, he was big enough to slump onto me, I had to do press-ups to move him back upright! I did think about getting two of those "pillion pal" grab handle sets, wearing one each and using some climbing karabiners to link us together, but we managed.
 
rockjock620 said:
I bet your son loved it! He'll not forget it. I took mine on the back (Kawasaki ZX-6R) to the Alps and back for a four day Bank Holiday weekend when he was 12. Falling asleep, he was big enough to slump onto me, I had to do press-ups to move him back upright! I did think about getting two of those "pillion pal" grab handle sets, wearing one each and using some climbing karabiners to link us together, but we managed.
Click to expand...

Funny, the amount of times I hear of people falling asleep on the pillion and they never seem to fall off!
 
Derek said:
Funny, the amount of times I hear of people falling asleep on the pillion and they never seem to fall off!
Click to expand...
ive done it where theres been a back rest involved but couldnt imagine sleeping without one.i fell off the back of a vespa on to a cobbled road once and didnt like it, now i dont like going on the back of anything :thumbsdown:
 
foxy said:
I did it twice as a pillion and didn't fall off. Only woke up when the bike had stopped :eek:
Click to expand...
ive seen your riding, im sure youve fell asleep a couple of times when your on the front seat as well:D :lol2: :lol2:
 
gordj65 said:
ive seen your riding, im sure youve fell asleep a couple of times when your on the front seat as well:D :lol2: :lol2:
Click to expand...
ooooooo feeling brave Mr J . It's just as well you're not going to Pibbows Bash - you're in for a doin' now:twak:

Anyway you said you wouldn't tell anyone :(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom