....slightly uneven match but I think one of the Teneres won my heart.

No piccies yet but hopefully going to get these up loaded tomorrow. So below is just the write up.

Friday

Finished work at livingston and left at 4pm taking main roads to Dumfermline, then took the back roads past Knockhill race circuit, up to crieff then across onto the A9 which was soooooo boring but needed to get the milage under my belt. Got to a stage where i was trying to overtake two cars, got one, then got the other and looked in my wing mirror when pulling back in to see a guy in the outside lane in a car just going for it, then figured out it was a dual carriageway section....so 3 miles of trying to over take 2 cars not happy .

Any who, went off at Aviemore to the A95 to Aberlour to my campsite for the night. Turned up at the campsite not knowing the booking name and really who was all coming. Went in and spoke to the lady who said hmmmm we have a booking for 4 bikes (thought it was only me, GULG and Keithblade), and the guy who booked it said they where all middled aged, gentlemen, quiet and very senisble. I said me middled aged...ha ... gentleman...hmm possible.....quiet....when im sober.....senisble.....fancy a go on the back of the tiger and you can be judge, which she did say yes why not???? Told this to the guys and they started to call me middled aged max!!!!

GULG and Keithblade already pitched up and cooking dinner, i pitched me tent (ahhhh not that one), got BBQ going (yes im a steveD convert with a bucket BBQ). Jim rocked up and then all of a sudden Fiddich turns up before he was heading off to do his night shift at work. Also Fiddich brought a bottle of Whiskey for us to sample!! (cheers again Fiddich for this).

After a bit of crack, food, hiding from the pine cones falling from that tree above us we all called it a night and headed for bed.

Sat

We had a bit of a lye in and lazy get up and breakfast, which for me was a coffee as i couldnt be bothered to do bacon sandwichs. Fiddich arrived on his way too clean Red Tenere but some how he also brought the rain with him!!! Which he proceeded to say he checked the weather forcast to say "theres only a 20% chance of rain"

We all got sorted and on to the bikes and took a few wee back roads after i filled up the thristy tiger with fuel. Havent a clue where i was as i just followed the guy in front and watched the roads then Fiddich pulled over after a junction to have a change over of bikes.

First impressions of sitting on the tenre at the campsite eariler where good, but after getting on the bike and riding off was like this thing is like a feather compared to the tiger. Ok power was down but the grunt off the throttle and bottom end was perfect for the 40-60mph back roads we where on. Handling i cant really comment on as the tenere had part worn tkc80s on and it was quiet wet (20% rain ah Fiddich). Seating to peg position spot on (wasnt a fan of the big off road pegs as they just didnt seem to fit ok with the heel/cut out on my boots), seat to peg even with 30mm bar risers and standard bars was still a little too low for me but that can be fixed with higher bars and new cables. Screen position perfect at the few times i got to breifly sit at 70mph+ had no problems were as before on the R with high screen i had the wind hitting me at my shoulder now the wind was hitting me at just above the chin bars of my lid. Overall power was spot on with the 2 into 1 pipe, stg 2 filter and kev mod, i did open it up a few times (had to fiddich ) and found that at normal riding i changed at 4-5 rpm but the thing just kept pulling up to an indicated 7 rpm where i changed for fear of the rev limiter and nuts in tank moment. Comfort cant really comment as i only got a good 2 hrs on and off the bike but never had any issues with seat or anything else (i did do the odd standing up aswell so bum wasnt on the seat all the time)

So over all impression of the Tenere is perfect.

Am i going to get one? You beat your bottom pound i am. So tenere owners be warned if i find out you have a tenere and i try and talk you into selling it, its cause i want one

After riding up to a mountain ski range top, and a train ride to the top with cracker views when keith, fiddich and myself went to the top and some more rain, i got back on the tiger and we headed back to the campsite.

A quick change and fiddich picked us all up in the car to have our own private tour of the Balvinene Whiskey Distillery and the Glen Fiddich Distillery (Fiddich works at one and think use to work at the other, i wasnt listening at that point, sorry Fiddich those pouring yokes with spirit on them with glass bowl was too tempting to find a set of bolt cutter, cut lock and stick my head under it for a drink). And yes there was some smapling of still brewing Whiskey!!!! Thanks Fiddich for this tour and hope you like the wee prezzie from italy for a thankyou for the tour and the bike ride

Any way, after the tour Fiddich dropped us back to campsite and had to say good byes to go back to work. We all got the cookers going and cooked dinner. Now im surprised to say im not the most adventurous cook but ended up cooking a steak, some uncle bens funny rice, threw some green healthy stuff in (im told its called rocket!!) and big chunks of cheese all melted to make a cracker dinner.

We all where feed now for the drinking and we all had a few beers or wine for the GULG from what looked like a pure orange juice bottle!!! We started to run low on coal so after the mornings rummage for pine cones we started burning these and smoked out Keithblades lovely palace (sorry keith i wasnt farting the wind towards you ). After sorting out the fire we cracked open the free whiskey from Fiddich, a nice doublewood Balvinene. With the BBQ going, the crack was flying and so was the whiskey and next thing....oh its all gone. We all headed to bed for sleep for an early morning start.

Sun

Dont know what time the other rose at but i got up at 7am, made meself some bacon baps and a coffee, packed up and said good byes and ******ed off at 9.20am.

Decided to head back down the A95 to Aviemore, quickish road but again wet (whats that more rain in scotland.....nooooo). Hit Aviemore, more petrol (told you she was thristy) and headed off down teh A9 to the A82. Off the A82 to Fortwilliam as ive never been there before and found a cracker road, some good twisty sections, long sweepers and the odd we straight to mix it up a bit. Ibky stopped a few times all the way down for a quick couple of photos and thats was it. Got into fortwilliam about 12 ish and was starving in need of a pee. Found a small cafe and got a tea, scone and cake (that and a big peeeeeeeeeeeeeee to find something random in the loos, wait for piccie).

Feed, watered and pee done off to the top of loch lommond and home to glasgow. Done this route a few times so dont even think i stopped. But as keithblade says why do you stand up on the pegs like your off roading so much, well it just find it comfy and a natural position for me, and ended up doing the last 20mile on the pegs, even balancing it coming up to lights so i didnt need to stop as some car drivers and on lookers WTF is this guy doing.

Round up

Cracker weekend, thanks to all that turned up, MASSIVE thanks to Fiddich for booking the campsite, lending me his bike for a bit, the tour of his area, the private tour of the whiskey factorys and last but not least free whiskey.

As for the Tenere, yep getting one, but im only looking to sell the tiger this easter coming so will be keeping an eye out for a Tenere and probably not looking to buy (unless you come up with a nice offer) around winter time (roughly talking �3500-�4000, would like 2 into 1, stg2 AF, kev mod, high bars, possibly luggage if you have it etc)

So yes anyone fancy giving me their tenere

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Plough on

Glad you enjoyed the weekend and of course the bike. Rain is only water eh!
Good to see you guys again and look forward to meeting up again at some point. Only a couple of photos - too busy hiding from the rain I suppose.

This is Keith, he's a professional model, enjoys the out doors, and would one day love to work with disadvantaged children, Here he models the latest line from the Glasgow branch of Ann Sommers.



And some bikes

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Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard, grow big an wear glasses if you need em.

Its questionable if that first piccie Fiddich should be allow to the general XT660 public, would burn the eyes off the most standard person.

Do like the second piccie though

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Plough on

I like the first pic.

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Touratech big guard. Yamaha handlebar guards. Pivot Pegz. Yam main stand. Camel Toe. 30 mm risers. 14 tooth front sprocket. Big balls. Old and not wise.

you just need a karate tooth pick to poke people with

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Plough on

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