Royal Enfield 535cc Continental GT Bike trip.

20190715 left home 8.45 arrived Oben 11.45 2 stops. one for wet gear because it was cooling and another for fuel 2380 miles 104 miles ÷ 5.53Lt  = 18.8 miles = 30.25 km 18.80 mpl 85.49mpg UK.

Oben to Barra. £49 me and the bike, lovely view's out of the estuary. 5hr trip, Barra is very bare lots of rocks n sheep. Rode slowly to the north everything has a nice slow pace. went past the world's only permanent beach operated airport. when the tide is in no planes. stopped at a very nice camp site (Scurrival, Eoligarry Isle of Barra ) and the EML came on! bloody Enfield! £5 per person. kitchen, toilet, showers, free drinking water.  Fantastic views over the bay

20190716 Went for a ride to Vatersay.  2 fantastic bays with beaches. EML went off! The bay to the west was best, watched the waves rolling in for an hour. 11 people and 2 dogs. Wee memorial to a ship wreak. The "Annie Jane" where 350 people lost their lives in 1853.

Rode back to the top of the island to get the ferry to Uist. £8.60 I hadn't booked and had no signal so crossed my fingers and hoped. Once all the booked vehicles were on, the ferry man came back and pointed at me, being a motorbike they squeezed me on whilst all the unbooked car drivers had to wait for the next ferry nearly another two hours or more. The ferry goes via Eriskay the real “Whisky Galore” island with a causeway to south Uist. Once over I hit the road. The weather was becoming overcast and getting very very windy. the small roads many single carriageways with passing places. perfect for the Enfield. I headed north to Berneray. fantastic views seen if slightly overcast. I'd noted a hostel that had camping and thought at least I'd get pitch. I needn't have worried. right by the hostel was Wild camping on beach at Berneray in the dunes literally a few metres from the beach and sea. In the village was 24 hours free toilets and showers but the only shop shuts at 17.30! No beer or whisky for me.

20190717 A gale, well not really but pissing down and the cheapness of my tent is showing up. I hear a pole crack so turned the tent around into the wind, the extra cord I'd brought was a god send. Even if I'd got soaked doing it. Sitting it out was on the card's as the wind got up in the night But the turning tent worked a treat and a awoke with a roof still over my head. I got up a 6.00am and packed up. Made the ferry with 3 minutes to spare. (Note to self allow more time). The ferry trip from Berneray to Leverburgh cost £10.65 and was interesting. 26 change's of course in an hour so torturous is the navigation of the channel. I filled up with fuel at Leverburgh (24hr) 9.13Lt 2540 mileage 160 miles 79.67mpg. Then headed east over to short windy route. I'm not sure if it was the golden road or not but single file with passing places. Very twisting with blind summit's galore. 20-30mph was generally the safe speed limit with sharp bends over summit's and big drop's the would write off bike and rider. The scenery was great with numerous stunning views and idyllic glen's.

20190718 Found the camp site, "laxdale holiday park". £12 per night and it had OK facilities. They had laid on an extra camping field for the "Hebcelt" music festival. As I ride in my friend hears the bike and appeared from the loos to greet me. Did Hebcelt in the evening both bands I saw were really good "Mànran" and "Tidelines" but I'm not really a festival person.

20190719 We take a nice ride out to standing stones at Callanish and the brock and the black house village. Then around to Stornaway again. Hebcelt in the evening saw "Breabach" and "KT Tunstall".

20190720 No ferry places from Stornoway to Uig until wed! had to book from north Uist Monday morning.  Hebcelt, "Elephant session" were pretty good. Filled up the bike as things shut down up in the isle's on a Sunday. 2686 miles. 8.03Lt 146.6 miles on trip 83mpg

20190721 Woke up with a wee hang over! My friend got herself up for the ferry at 6.00. I got up around 11.00am :-) forecast is horrid, 95% chance of rain and strong winds. Left Stornoway at 13.08 arrived Leverburgh 14.45.  Nice ride even though the wind was atrocious. stuck to no more than 55mph as it just wasn't safe to venture higher.  The boat leaves 17.35 so time to kill. eml staying on constantly, though it seems to be running OK. Leverburgh to Berneray Fare £10.65. Boat was 5 minutes late due to the weather. caught my panniers on a metal box on the ferry and tore a small hole. damn! the sea was rough with the occasional wave hitting the upper passenger observation cabin  6 metres above the car decks. I worried about my bike but the ferryman  had just stuffed a couple chocks under the exhaust and when I came back I half expected the bike to be overboard. Instead all chocks removed and the bike still upright.

I had planned to wild camp on the beach but with such a strong wind and a cracked tent pole I thought I'd take a chance at Berneray hostel. Glad I did as I got the last bunk. £16 all nice and warm good company and free music from the travelling musician's. Well some of the company was a bit pissed but still friendly. Just a few drams to many.

My first experience of a hostel, have to say it's a good one. Will I sleep as well as in my tent? Constant whistle through the door. only way to stop it was open the door!

20190722 Slept fine though some didn't, the joy of bunkhouse snoring, in sleep farting was a wonder to behold. The ride to the ferry at Lochmaddy was a joy. Courtesy seems to be a part of life up here, borne in part from the need to travel quickly on single track road's with passing places. Nearest to the passing place stops. never cross to a passing place but rather wait opposite one should you be nearest. it's all about efficient traffic flow and people long ago realised  being courteous stops traffic jam's. A quit nice terminal at Lochmaddy.  The ferry was MV "Hebrides" and the fare £23.15. Note: I nautical mile =1.15 miles or 1.85 km

Arrived at Uig on Skye and headed north, weather seemed calmer (aye right!) . My first experience of some traffic chaos after some impatient non native tried to squeeze past on a U-bend where an articulated lorry was trying to get around. Took all of 15 minutes to get the traffic flowing again. I rode to Staffin but the wind got up and rain poured down, it was positively scary in places with very strong gusts hitting the bike. To cap it all my smart phone died! I cut my losses and headed home and even though the weather was horrid the ride especially from Spean Bridge to Dalwinnie was ace.

The trip fuel record UK gallons (4.546 lt) hols. start

20190715 2275 > 2380 105 miles, 5.53lt 85.49mpg

20190718 2380 > 2540 160 miles, 9.13lt 79.67mpg

20190720 2540 > 2686 146 miles, 8.03lt 82.65mpg

20190722 2686 > 2798 116 miles, 6.65lt 79.30mpg

20190722 2798 > 2995 197 miles, 10.52lt 85.13mpg

726 miles 39.86 lt 82.8mpg average 18.21mpl or 29.30kpl hols. end plus 22 miles home 748 trip miles

Twice got to an indicated 90 MPH about a real 85 MPH As I was fully loaded I was quite pleased.

Stuff I took:

cheapo 3 man tent. It was great for the fine weather but not cut out for the Outer Hebrides. Better tent is on my shopping list. 3 season sleeping bag Punctured roll mat Trangia stove kit Knife, fork, spoon, tin-bottle opener. Lighter and candles USB torch Sansa disk for music and radio (tiny and great battery life) Food, water Toilet bag and small towel (inc bog roll) mini folding trowel Smart phone. Lot's of places with out signal. paper map USB port for the bike. To charge the phone while riding or when camping Phome holder for the bike and osmand mapping software and downloaded maps Tie downs, cord and bungies.

Lomo dry bag motor-bike panniers. 30lt each. One for sleeping bag and cooking gear. One for food toiletries. Lomo motor-bike dry bags. 20lt each. One for clothes one for my lightweight rucksack Which I kept with me. Lomo dry bag for tent and roll mate. 40lt

All were cheap and worked well. Totally water proof.

The givi tank bag worked fine, the straps lined up nice, magnets were good. Quite awkward to undo the double D links but I found a key helped. Only needed to unzip the bag from the base slacken one front D strap then there was enough room pull it back to fuel up. Long tern use would mark the tank as with a lot of tank bags. I'm pretty sure the slight blemishes would polish out. It did take a battering due to the very high winds but stayed put and offered good protection as it's rather large for a tank bag. I kept my pillions open-face helmet and water proof suit in the base and maps gloves, anything that needed charging etc it the top.

Even though I used the water proof cover at all times the givi wasn't totally water proof after 6 hours of heavy rain.

Disappointed about the engine management light coming on even if it didn't seem to effect the bike. I took the original tool kit some allen keys and a small electrical tester. By the end of the trip the chain defiantly needed a lot of adjustment .

The weather. Can switch from idyllic to horrid in 30 minutes. But the riding was great, with the roads perfectly suited to an Enfield.