Twelve month ago this week I took a similar picture, in the same place and in similar weather at the rest and be Thankful in Argyll. It’s been a year since I started this wonderful relationship with this big red beast, and in those twelve months we’ve travelled around the whole of England and Wales, around the whole of Scotland, and through nine different countries in Europe, including: Holland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, France and Belgium.
The miles we’ve ridden is just under 17,000 miles, and during that time I’ve met some superb people, eaten some wonderful food, camped in some beautiful locations, visited some amazing countries, and most of all, enjoyed every single minute – whether it was raining, sunny, hot or cold.
In the past year I’ve gone through two front and three rear tyres, one front and two sets of rear brake pads, three oil and filter changes, two sets of plugs, changed all the rear suspension bearings, fitted a new rear disk, fitted two new sprockets and one new chain, added a Givi Airflow, added a metal top box, added a Puig Hugger, added a chain lube system, fitted a relay fuse-box, changed the rear view mirrors, and recently added a metal belly-pan because I shredded the plastic one in Luxembourg and later this year we’re off to Morocco.
And the best thing of all – is that she’s never once let me down. Never once. Whether it’s hot, cold or wet, she always fires up first time. She never grumbles and she always gets me where I want to be without any drama and usually ahead of schedule. She can green-lane, go on logging tracks, bimble around a town or city, and she can carry me and all my luggage along the autobahn at a fair old lick of speed. She’s just perfect in every way.
And now it’s 2023. I got her out of winter hibernation yesterday and went for a blast today – and the old magic was back. We’re a team again and now the roads beckon. So where will we visit in 2023…?
