Drivel

My apologies for the lack of newsletter last month but i'll try to make up for it by giving you worthwhile news and views this month.

First I'd like to welcome the Campbell family back to the Almondbank Inn. We will no doubt be back to nice hospitality again, welcome back indeed.

Second, if any of you need to contact me please use my mobile number and NOT my house number, this can result in me getting unnecessary grief.

Its been a sudden change this year from near arctic conditions to the summer like weather we hve had the last couple of weeks, this has brought the sudden return of summer pests:

Flies wasps and power rangers if you have been paying attention to the newspapers lately you will already have noticed the number of deaths in the last few weeks. You can't legislate for this but I wish somehow we could educate. This education does NOT involve the local police harassing motorcyclists every weekend, stopping everybody for small number plates loud exhausts or dark visors will not stop even one death. Nobody yet has died of losing control because of a number plate or an exhaust. Visors, i'm not convinced, for every accident attributed to a dark visor i'm sure there's been one for using a clear visor and the rider being temporarily blinded.

First I’ll ask, why if you know you'll be stopped for illegal plates / exhausts / visors then why give your local over zealous traffic cop an excuse to stop you. But it is fundamentally wrong to target only one minority group wile ignoring the boy racers in their corsa's with blacked out windows & loud exhausts (who incidentally if you read the Sunday papers tend to wipe out 5 passengers at a time, usually injuring others) or ignoring the people who think it's ok to misrepresent their number plates because they like to tell the world how much money they have to waste or how small their penis is!

Who would have thought that a socialist (ha ha) government would have instigated a campaign against minority groups that even Adolf would have been proud of, and of course a profitable one at that. Rant over.

Rannoch Run

The first run of the year to Rannoch Station was a good day out with several interesting happenings along the way, as I was in a particularly poetic mood the next day I penned a few lines;

They came from miles around

For the years first run & to hear the sound

Of Nortons, Ducatis, Suzuki’s & Hondas too

Even though I had a hangover that would kill a coo

It was cloudy with the threat o rain

So Philly decided to bear no pain

To keep his norton shiny and stay at hame

We were a’w disappointed he never came

We finally a’w set of at last

Not at ten but about ten past

It was a fine sight

To see the bikes been ridden just right

We arrived at Rannoch Station in nice sunshine

Having made the run in quite good time

JD was on his newly acquired Ducati

He threw it to the ground which was quite Batty

He blamed the sidestand spring

But we all thought it was cause he was tiring

And decided to lay doon under the bike

To catch some ZZZ’s which I know he likes

After a meal we all set off on a road I didn’t know

Back via Schehallion which was covered in snow

We were going to Ballinluig but stopped to soon

Cause in Aberfeldy Kates Suzuki broke doon

It really wasn’t so much of a pain

Waiting for Bob to fix it in the rain

We finally got going again

With a final cup o tae to get out o the rain

An excellent day for all that were there

And for those that weren’t you better beware

You know you’ll all get wholeheartedly slagged

Next time in the pub where there’s thankfully no fag’s

Applecross

I had my first run of the year up to Applecross on the May Bank Holiday weekend, there was still some snow on the top of the Bealach, I found out it was blocked the previous weekend. The new toilet blocks are completed but in reality consist of nothing more than a revamp of the old ones. The camp site hasn’t really changed apart from that. Everything else was just as usual. Brilliant scenery, food, drink and company. It always amazes me (although it shouldn’t) just how busy it is up there. On the way back on the Monday there was a flurry of snow just to add to the excitement of riding the Bealach. Unfortunately, I’ll miss the sea food festival this year as we are off to Portugal but for those of you not going to the International, make the effort to get to Applecross, its well worth it.

Guzzi Rally

This year the Rally moved to Traquair house in the Borders area, near Innerlethen about six miles from Peebles. It is claimed that this is the longest continuously used house in Scotland (how do you prove that I wonder) The site was a Field in the grounds of the “Big house” with a Marquee erected in the Walled Garden. As usual, bands on over the three nights with the Rockabilly band on the Sunday well worth a mention. My only complaint was the lack of draught Beer. They have their own Brewery on site which brews extremely strong beer including Traquair beer at 8.3%. It was really nice during the day but was bloody freezing at night. Good to see the usual gang there and a good time had by all. It’s a site worth considering for an event in future, especially if they could provide more draught beer (there were a whole 3 barrels of beer for the weekend, they were finished by 9 o clock the first night!)

Portugal Preparation

I’m still trying to get MVD944L ready for Portugal and as usual when you are up against a deadline my spares seem to be taking for ever to arrive. 3 weeks to go and still plenty to do, nothing like putting myself under Pressure. Sandy appears to have got his bike running well as does Phil. George has just got his Norton Rotary back from the Norton factory with a bill that a couple of years ago would have bought a good Commando. Cant wait now for the off.

I’m proposing we scrap next months meeting as there will only be a few people here due to the trip.

Begonia

The Begonia Rally is on the 25^th 6^th & 7^th of August. If you book before the end of June on Superfast the bike goes free, you can go for as cheaply as £100 if you opt for an Aircraft type seat, four sharing a cabin works out about £140 each. There’s already a fair interest. Be there or be square.

RGM Brakes

Our very own Peter Herron, brake tester extraordinaire, overcooked it on his way back from the Classic meeting a couple of weeks ago. A car he was following stopped suddenly, so did Peter but unfortunately with his Commando on it’s side. Glad to report no damage to Peter and the bike’s not too bad. Be careful out there, even Norton upgraded brakes can’t cope with the stopping distances of most modern cars.

The Small Print

The views and opinions contained within this publication are not necessarily those of the NOC or of the branch but are probably mine as I wrote it.

No one accepts any responsibility for anything, if you have a good time don't say I didn't warn you.

Gino Rondelli

May 2006