Adventure of an Adventure

Yes, I am on the adrenalin rush as soon as I am away from the routine of my life. Happiness is not a quantity of what I achieve – it naturally fills me up for the reason that there is no better reason to be away from the regular routines of life to explore and find the hidden self. The real true self of me that fears no one and loves everything around be it the tiny ant or a huge elephant(though I didn’t meet any of them) yet the feeling is constantly ringing inside me from the moment I am up for exploring this Adventure.
This very adventure was already lit from the last night experience of first time seeing a real folklore play in the real traditional way in a small town of Lochinver Pub, followed by a beautifully starry milky way so much to see that eyes can’t believe in its beauty, the sparkling water of Achmelvich (Yeah, I mean it). These five brilliant student from the University of Glasgow, invited me to join in – Jump along, we are going to see the real sparkles in the water (Yes, it does sparkle when you step inside the water). At 2am, we jump on the beach in total darkness, and hey hey… the minute we scratch our feet in the cold water – it wasn’t as cold as it initially felt although the air factor was chillier than water. I have never seen something this amazing ever – the water does glitter if you put your feet in it and go further ashore. Some of them decided to strip and jump in water while the scene was too unreal – half skies rain – half skies milky way – the waves of the sea and everything seemed to be nothing more amazing than a dream – Was a reality instead.

View it in Large here

I have packed myself up for a road trip aiming for real sense of adventure beyond a ordinary scraps of travel and motorcycling. I have taken a step beyond and loaded my car(first ever personal life-time adventure that involves the car) with the bicycle to explore the Sandwood Bay – not much that I could find on the internet about cycling terrain and whether it was suitable. There were traces of unconfirmed information but that was enough to put the strings together for a unknown experience. You can possibly get a glimpse of the track on the Google maps(Satelite view). The day so far has been Amazing, Sunny, partially rainy and quite windy – if that sums up, it was good as long as Sun was out there. So After my little explore and walk around The Old Man of Stoer I was headed now to Blairmore, Sutherland.

The jouney from Stoer to Blairmore can be described as seen below :

When I reached there, it was just the passing cloud which didn’t dampen the spirits to go on and push myself. The first quick act to put the bike together as I had the wheels apart. The rain started to get heavier and my helmet goPro mount gave up. Hence no videos from the move and I did miss the action because my face fall was left unseen, several small water crossings, the water gullies that made me flip over one with face down, a slide through the sand while coming down rushing in full adrenalin but that is all for my personal memories now.

So the first stop coming through the rain shower covering some distance and after the first fall, it was time to share this moment to all the people out there.

& the surface becomes even more smooth – the second fall, a gentle one managing to get our big boulders and trying over balancing act on a non-MTB.

The time to hit the sand tracks and yeah, you just can’t get through the tracks – they are proper challenge to get through on a hybrid 🙂 bike.

Time to give up the bike, and walk the end bit.

& the moment Finally. The emotions, the peace, the calm and the surreal beauty in nature. It can’t be better although no complaints about the weather, I enjoyed it pretty much, made me feel like 13 riding through the amazing rough terrain to the bay.

The last and the final bit before the return. I ran wild through the dunes, rolled, jumped and even had sand in my mouth – that is power of kid inside you.

For those more keen on breakdown of the ride .. Nothing really compared to everyday 20mile per hour ride but the obstacles slow you down pretty hard towards the end of the ride. The last 4 to 6 kms is where you will have to get off the bike everytime you see the water gullies made between uneven boulders.

The Last bit of the graph above shows the points where the falls happened and in the last 40th minute flip(Ass up, face down moment).

 

The last of the series, is the Cape Wrath. The last Northwest Frontier of the Mainland UK. The area used by Ministry of Defence(MOD) for good part of the year. Watch out this space.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Kawasaki ER6F – Ride Review

The Reason why it all has to be done is because my real ride has gone in for a full engine job which leaves me with this courtesy motorcycle from the workshop.

So the full story on my bike unfolds here in this video. It is a bit more of emotional meltdown to know that I had to get this done at this stage but I am not left with any other option before I get myself killed if it locks up while riding !!

As of now,  since you know the whole story about my ride – Here is the additional story of the courtesy ride. I have been on it for 550miles when I did this review but by the end I return it back it would already have gone well over a 800miles in a period of 8days and here is the real review.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I do not write what people do because I do not get paid to do these things but I get the pleasure to share these real opinions in the real world.  So for the full details of the why you should and should not buy a “Kawasaki ER6F” or rather also known as “Ninja 650” watch the video.

In all honesty, it is a city bike.  No hidden reasons but if you are light and small person this is the way to go and if you are riding it mostly in the city through the traffic.

I am myself not a big lad and too tall. At 178cms, I cant really enjoy this bike on the open roads or on the motorways.

“-“ The maximum top end is 110mph, the brakes are shabby – even though they are with ABS, Suspension feels really not meant to do two up on it ever and to add more – it is a beginners bike in all honesty.

“+” The good points, its a small, light(178kgs), compact, traffic friendly,  easy to filter through traffic, good mileage, thumper, two cyclinder parallel twin and Nifty Fifty bike.

Don’t expect anything more out of this bike – It is good  “A to B” bike ONLY.

Love for miles and miles of love

Well dont be tempted by the title of this post as it may seem but this is for the real love for what has not given me any sorrow for whatsoever in the years of togetherness. Yes, its about a Man(i) and his Machine.

Ride Review : Yamaha Fazer FZ6 S2 

Motorcycle review

After 30,000miles calling it nearly 50,000kms its been a sweet nice comfortable ride.

I wrote a previous review of this Yamaha Fazer FZ6 S2 after the completion of 2000miles but this has gone farther than in my imaginative way.

Miles after miles the journeys have been completed in all seasons of the year beginning with the snowy, cold, wet, damp, and sunny weathers. This machine has never given me a moment where my heart would have felt like stopping.

Forever evergrowing love between Man and machine has never been reduced by anything else than their own fall back from the love. In my case this sweet motorcycle has played a very major inspiration in my life.

With coming to its 30000miles service, I am as happy as I could be with knowing that there has been no such cases where I would have been bothered with the consistency of this power pumping highly full adrenalin engine. Pushing out higher on the speed, no worries you will be able to challenge anyother till it hit the high revs of 12000RPM.

Riding smoothly on the long routes, saddle is well designed to comfort the sore bottom. It can do better but depends on the rider itself. I have taken the machine further beyond others riding non stop long journeys from London, England to Klagenfurt, Austria twice in less than 24hours covering 1000miles each way.

At times on the german autobahn I was tempted to put it down on the speed tests and yes, it does it pretty good with speeds well exceeding 140+mph. The feel is really challenging knowing you are just sitting on a 600cc.

Riding two up since my last few journeys up north in UK have been with a pillion, fully loaded flying up the bumps with both wheels in air and yet so balanced it feels so good to be call it irresistible.

Yamaha has ceases making the Fazer 600 which was on the same lines as R6 but then now focussing on costs they pushed the Diversion to be the new one in its 600 class. Moving the then existing Fazer FZ6 to a higher category adjusting just between 600 and 1000 launching a new category of Fazer FZ8.

Now that is more pumping horse power for a couple of extra thousand pounds but do u actually need them given the fuel is more expensive and this old 600 is still capable of doing all that what new 800 does. At the cost of those extra thousand pounds you sure are liable to get an extra 37BHP if that is your criteria.

For a person like me who travel all year long on two wheels I would not want to suggest an FZ8 to an everyday all weather rider an upgrade. This old well bundled FZ6 S2 is an bundle of package in itself.

Few <b>shortcomings</b> that I have felt riding all along the year on the short and long journeys is that – You need to get an extra tall windshield which can help you stay more comfortable on the long ride against wind deflection.
I am chasing to find one online but Yamaha stopped making their originals extended windshields but checking aftermarket windshields can be a big help.

Passion embedded

Jack of all, Master of none : Goes a long way for all those people who live in the modern world and era where life has few meanings left to living. We tend to forget the basics of where it all starts of being engrossed into the passion of what we love.

Well, whether it be a photography, be it travel, be it sex or be your own mind of lustful creativity – to unleash it in a way you truly love it – is a way of true life. To be who you are in your own passionate way is your religion, your own right of praying, and worshipping your life. The end result is none but your own pride to give you that boost which makes you live to another day another dawn.

Meet the star, the lady who did route 66 and to face the life, she is a handicap that braves her to overcome herself to be the power for herself.

On the lighter note, you can really observe it – Real vs Real !!
But if you still didnt make it yet – see it again !!
Not still : then read the real Harley vs Hardly and Davidson vs Dangerous. Isnt that a light note for a lil smile.

This time, doing it for another mag – Model being my new bravo – Ducati Diavel, not a female like but rather more masculine naked hulk. Braving to show off curves in the making.

Doing what I love to do the best, being the master and taking on the project for the mag again.

here we go, till the next round of shots.