first time this year that the great weather in the UK has coincided with some time off, what to do, go for a real ride on the TONA, I left home in Lincolnshire with a rough idea of going north, I went first up to Sheffield to visit a freind who has been having a bad time with the big C, she is in remission at the moment and is the bravest person I have ever met, then up to Sherborn in Elmet to visit Squires, a regular bike meet up there, from there I went accross the pennines to another popular bike meet place called Rivington barn, this was a real return for me as I used to ride there every sunday in my youth but have not been there since 1975! it was really busy with bikes even though it was a Monday lunch time, from there On through manchester to the A6 and down to Macclesfield to ride the greatest bike road in the peaks, the cat and fiddle, had a chat to a couple of guys up there then on through Buxton to Matlock Bath, from there it was a run to the M1, to loughborough, then through to Melton Mowbray Grantham and Home, the fuel economy is amazing I set off with a full tank and the light came on at 169 miles of pretty spirited riding, I re topped it up about 25 miles from home (about half a tank), not bad for a round trip of 390 miles, the bike as usual was absolutly faultless, as it has been from new, I did have a bit of knee ache at the end but everything else was good. I am amazed at how this bike takes everything UK roads can throw at it, the way it holds a line at high speed give so much confidence and running too hot into a corner you can trail the brakes hard right to the apex with total confidence up to the apex with her right on her ear. Superb superb superb.
