Happy New Year!

 2020 is over! We're back in lockdown here in Scotland but with a possible vaccine on the horizon I'm getting hopeful for some good biking in 2021. Clearly, I didn't use 2020 for productive blogging, but I was lucky enough to get away on the bike when it was deemed safe to do so. I also done a fair bit of work to the bikes with the C90 receiving some much needed TLC and the K75 getting a new final drive seal, rear disk and a service. The C90 became my go to bike during lockdown. It's was the ideal thing for tootling a couple of miles to the next village to get shopping. I even added a new rack to the back and bought panniers for it. There may possibly be a trip in the C90 yet.....

Jake advises on the K75 back end.

The K was used for any time it was necessary to go further afield. I was pretty chuffed that my repairs had worked and there was no longer a wee dribble of oil on the rear wheel. 

My XR600 had an issue with the exhaust always coming loose. It was jetted to run an old Supertrapp can but the link pipe had rotted away. I got a new one made up by Harrison Performance who done a great job. I can't recommend them enough. It's currently pretty cold here so I attempted to do some snow riding on the XR. Unfortunately the whole place had turned into one big ice cube! I was nearly on my arse on multiple occasions. There was zero grip. None. Even the rough bits were as if they had been polished, the bike just slid around sideways!

As I said, I was pretty lucky to get away over 2020. I've put this wee video together of the Gopro footage I got over the year.

 

For obvious reasons we had to postpone the Sunart Wildcat Rally but luckily most folk are still keen to attend when we can do it. I've also got an idea for a "Small and Old" charity run with the idea being we do a camping trip around Scotland on bikes either below 125cc, over 20 years old or ideally both. The cost would be either £120 with £100 going to charity and £20 covering the cost of t shirts and stuff, or just proof that you've raised a minimum of £100 for a charity of your choice and £20 to cover t shirts etc. I'd book campsites for everyone but folk will need to cover the costs themselves. I'd try and get us a good deal of course. What's your thoughts on this? Let me know in the comments if you think it's a good/bad idea. I'll also add it to my Passing Places Tours site once I know where we stand with the Covid situation. I've still got a couple of runs to write up as well and a new YouTube idea where I roadtest bikes. I'll post it up soon. 

Stay safe everyone and Happy New Year!

Mike