Helen and Tom's excellent bike adventures

Well, it’s been a while but there’s also been a fairly significant interruption to travels which we will all be familiar with…. Anyway, we’re lucky to be back on the road again doing a trip up to bonnie Scotland to do the North Coast 500. But first, as if the blog address wasn’t confusing enough (no, not Helen & Tim the husband, Helen & Tom the Triumph 800), we have a new kid on the block. Introducing …… Nev the Triumph 900 GT Pro! Tom was a good and faithful friend which I loved dearly and who had served me well on our earlier adventures. This new boy though is an absolute beaut and so it wasn’t as difficult as I thought to say ta ta Tom and hello Nev (I know, such a flighty tart!)

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The order process was a bit lengthy to say the least – not the fault of the dealership I might add – and picking him up with only a week to go until blast off meant a lot of rainy rides to get the first service in before departure. Anyway, all good and he rides like a dream but it must be some sort of record to clock up over 1500 miles within 2 weeks!! The ride position is great and having a lower seat helps the confidence. The TFT screen is very clear and easy to use and the heated grips have been a godsend. Love the LED lights, the quick shifter and the all round smoothness of the new engine – very comfortable in high gear even at low speeds. Pulls like a dream and pees Tim right off on his lumpy KTM (his words not mine!). Mind you, the Colonel still sounds awesome when he cranks it up.

The trip so far has been amazing and well worth the regular soakings and less than seasonal temperatures. The roads have been fantastic. After a quick stop overs in Leicestershire and Yorkshire, we were properly on our way. The Kendal to Shap road was particularly nice and one I’d certainly seen in the MCN. It was perfect for getting the feel of the new bike. Mind you, I was definitely pleased we’d invested in a new Klim gortex suit and some new gloves as I kept nice and dry despite all that was thrown at us. First stop was in Largs in North Ayrshire. Mostly ‘business like’ roads to cover off the miles and manage the conditions but the following day to the Isle of Skye made up for it.

When you are crossing off landmarks like Loch Lomond, Glen Coe, Ben Nevis, Kyle of Lochalsh, Portree, you know that you are going to be handling stunning vistas at every turn and so finding enough appropriate adjectives can prove tricky. Anyway you get the idea and here’s a few photos to illustrate more effectively

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So, here we are now in Inverness, capital of the Highlands, after yet more lovely roads (most notably alongside Loch Ness), about to start our NC500 adventure. Bikes are in good shape, chains are lubed, kit is packed and we’ve got haggis, neeps, tatties and a wee dram lined up to psych us up good and proper.

We’ll try and bring more updates as we go so watch this space…..!!