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Article by Mohammed McNaughton The road trip would take around five days Cheap NFL Jereys Online , and have me cover around 1500 miles in all. Whatever the weather, road and traffic conditions, I needed a bike that could do everything I asked of it. It would have to do so with ease, help me to do the same, and be pretty much ignored for most of the way. I was happy to quench its thirst for time to time, but wouldn’t be happy if that happened too often. And if it let me down in any way, I’d probably verbally abuse it, kick it, and send it back to its keepers. In the end, and it must be said after having performed the allotted task above and beyond the call of duty, the last thing I wanted to do was hand it over to anyone. BMW’s exceptional R1200RT SE turned out to be so completely capable at its role of eating miles without fuss or pain of any sort, I wanted to keep the thing! It’s the second time I’ve fallen for a BMW this year. The first, the S1000RR superbike, was something I found hard to resist, and ended clocking around 850 miles on. This one had me approve of it in a different sort of way, but my affection for it ended up running just as deep. With its panniers packed, big kit bag strapped to the seat, and sat nav programmed, the first stage of my trip saw me set off up north to pay homage to my mother (March 9th being the relevant date) in the north-east of England. A 275-odd stint mile on a motorcycle is normally considered a long way. On the RT it feels like a run round the block. All in all, the big tourer was probably tipping the scales at over 350kilos with me and my kit on its back. But that mass never stopped me meeting my mother with a smile following a fulfilling ride along A roads and motorways, and feeling as fresh as I’d started five hours before. The 1200 hadn’t needed much attention either. I’d topped up the very usefully-sized 25 litre fuel tank at 205miles, though the on board computer reckoned I could have done another 30 more. The lack of interruption had helped keep down the journey time, as it would throughout the rest of the adventure. Duties done and lunch devoured I then set of for another 130mile run to Scotland. By this point in the proceedings, the Bee-Em had been so relaxed and easy-going the prospect of a short jaunt like this seemed no more taxing than a long walk. I ended up taking my time over it, stopping to take lots of photos along the extremely pretty and spectacularly undulating A68 which takes you over the Borders area and into Scotland. Words uttered into my voice recorder describing the bike were very complimentary. Effortless, comforting, super fairing, strong gutsy engine, powerful brakes, roomy luggage, and very, very convenient were all descriptions included in my enthusiastically expressed babble. It got me to my guest house south of Edinburgh feeling a bit guilty really. I’d bragged to friends about the challenge of my long and hard mega-mile haul up to Scotland and beyond. But still feeling as fresh as I did, I felt I’d deceived them. I’ve felt more fatigued getting off the sofa! Tomorrow was to be another long day, and hopefully by the time I got up Inverness, 225 miles away, I’d feel worthy of some sort of praise. Up until now it had been just too easy, and I felt I’d endured nothing – no doubt because of the BMW’s workhorse-like abilities. Rain and wind were forecast to greet me for the start of the trip and as I packed the bike I worried the Forth Road Bridge crossing might unsettle the RT with its acres of plastic acting like a sail in the breeze. I shouldn’t have worried. The German bike carried on as stoically as the bridge itself and got me to the other side unflustered. With snaps of the magnificent railway bridge in the bag, I continued towards the Highlands. Once near Perth, with the tripmete recording 220 miles, I filled up and headed east on the A85 towards Crieff and Crainlarich. Here, along the twisting and very picturesque route I started to feel a real affinity with the BMW. It’s such a dutiful servant you have to respect it. Handling the unfamiliar territory as competently as if it had been down it many times previously, the 1200 proved easy to ride in its understated and stable manner. The wet conditions could have caught it out, but the RT remained just as sure-footed, with its superb fairing and button-adjusted screen keeping me fully sheltered and dry. Warmed by the heated grips and seat, I really couldn’t have felt any more comfortable. Being able to adjust the suspension settings at the touch of a button just added to the convenience of it all. Traffic is hardly what you’d call heavy in this neck of the woods, but whenever I did need to overtake any, the torquey twin cylinder engine made it happen almost automatically. Top gear’s a bit of an overdrive, but the box is slick enough to easily drop a gear or two to effect the operation more urgently if needed. You can notice the new bike’s slightly greater torque, refinement, and lovely exhaust note when you do that. But for the vast majority of the time I just cruised along enjoying the splendour of the Highlands with the high geared motor purring away quite smoothly and effortlessly in sixth. Joining the A82 at Crainlarich boosted the mood still further. I’ve ridden this stretch of road before and just as I’d remembered it, the scenery was truly staggering. Once through Tyndrum, home of the motorcycle-friendly, and highly recommended Green Welly restaurant, the road climbs into the Highlands proper. There the scale and grandeur of the mountains is jaw-droppingly impressive. With snow-capped Glen Coe completely free to view in the sunshine, its size and age helped to put me and my bike into perspective. Compared to that mass of rock we were insignificant morsels making no contribution to the world. Moments later though, down the.
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