What a weekend! What a result too! As anyone who has read any part of my blog since getting the SLR, I had musings about whether I should get something taller. This came to a head on Friday when I got a phone call from Kiv’s stating that there was a Yamaha XT600 Ténéré available on Gumtree (the popular auction / for sale site). This would entail some frantic and frenetic activity....but I had a hand to guide me, so all was well. I had had interest in the SLR, but not at the asking price so I had sort of rejected that outright. However, the SLR could be sold at the price the guy was offering, and I would still be able to buy the Ténéré and still have some cash in hand. Always a good thing. The Yamaha is older and had higher mileage, however these bikes are designed to drive down and then through Africa, there are still blokes going round the world on them....take a look at David Lambeth’s “Overland” website etc.
Once the SLR had been taken off my hands (a “Luck’s penny” thrown the buyers way of course), I headed to Ballywalter for the Ténéré. I got down and instantly as soon as I sat on it realised this was much more suitable. Then I drove it....despite it having 50 less cc’s than the SLR, the grunt is much better and also more readably accessible. Each gear has torque in spades and the manoeuvrability is also better. The back roads off Ballywalter proved an excellent testing ground. The deal was done and a “lucks penny” thrown my way. I only found out the other day that this is not only a nice gesture, but is to carry on good Karma with the next bike the seller will buy too. I drove home to Belfast, collected my stuff and was instantly on the road up to Portstewart to the NW. The journey up was, somewhat, more pleasant than the previous motorway experience, the Ténéré felt more....planted, more secure and more heavy-duty, which in turn gave me a greater degree of confidence. I drove up to Portstewart via the Coleraine route....and the amount of humanity on the roads was breathtaking. Cars would, in the main, pull over to the verges to let bikers through, which meant I was able to scoot up quite quickly. Occasionally, you would hear the wail of a race bike....a Ducati 999 or a Ninja or a Fireblade, they would pass me and wave as they did. My sense of excitement and anticipation was building with each passing mile!! And the Ténéré just made the experience even more pleasurable.
Once the SLR had been taken off my hands (a “Luck’s penny” thrown the buyers way of course), I headed to Ballywalter for the Ténéré. I got down and instantly as soon as I sat on it realised this was much more suitable. Then I drove it....despite it having 50 less cc’s than the SLR, the grunt is much better and also more readably accessible. Each gear has torque in spades and the manoeuvrability is also better. The back roads off Ballywalter proved an excellent testing ground. The deal was done and a “lucks penny” thrown my way. I only found out the other day that this is not only a nice gesture, but is to carry on good Karma with the next bike the seller will buy too. I drove home to Belfast, collected my stuff and was instantly on the road up to Portstewart to the NW. The journey up was, somewhat, more pleasant than the previous motorway experience, the Ténéré felt more....planted, more secure and more heavy-duty, which in turn gave me a greater degree of confidence. I drove up to Portstewart via the Coleraine route....and the amount of humanity on the roads was breathtaking. Cars would, in the main, pull over to the verges to let bikers through, which meant I was able to scoot up quite quickly. Occasionally, you would hear the wail of a race bike....a Ducati 999 or a Ninja or a Fireblade, they would pass me and wave as they did. My sense of excitement and anticipation was building with each passing mile!! And the Ténéré just made the experience even more pleasurable.
Just outside Coleraine I encountered the classic rideout, there were Nortons, Royal Enfields, BMW’s....the noise a classic makes is, to my ears anyway, quite unique, and always brings a smile. A bit like when you see a couple in an old Healey or something similar, the top is down, the spare wheel is strapped to the back, and they are quite content chugging along. Through Portstewart, the car traffic was backed up for miles, but I found the bike easy to manoeuvre, and I was able to “snipe” my way up main street, past the Anchor Bar and up to the pits, where Kivi was waiting for me, a big wave greeted me, and a “F*ckkkkkkkkkk” “Class”. We were surrounded by unbelievable race bikes, but I overheard a few guys talking about the two Yamahas side by side, my Ténéré and the Kiv’s Machine’s XT600E. I only found out the other day that “X” stands for cross (as in the American “School X-ing”) and the “T” for trail. We meandered round the pits, stopping at the Ducati racing pit garage, the Kwak pit garage and numerous Honda pit garages....the race machines are somehow other worldly....but fascinating.
This year’s NW200 was, frankly, not a spectacle that’ll go down in the annals as a great event, partly due to the weather and also for the pits having to be evacuated due to a bomb scare. I think most people can hear the collective sigh about this from miles away! I’ll say no more!
