BMW F800 Forum banner

So, where did you ride your F800 today? :)

627K views 915 replies 99 participants last post by  SteveT 
#1 · (Edited)
Consider this a thread not for globe-circling tours or death-defying achievements, but just reports of little throwaway day rides that we do because we like to ride F800s. 30 mile coffee runs, trips through a forest, a visit to a shop or beach for fun. Try to include a pic, location, miles, condition. If you've done something major, do a separate post.

Here's a small ride I did yesterday-- Pinner to Leatherhead in the UK, to visit a GetGeared motorcycle shop. 70 miles round trip. 50 miles up and back on the M25. Pic:



A few notes-- the ride was fun for me, because I needed cleaning supplies (SDoc100, ACF 50. visor and helmet cloths) and this was the first time I tossed the Vario panniers back on the F700 since the day I drove her home. GetGeared has good ratings as a shop, but I was a little underwhelmed by their selection, and it didn't seem like anything was on sale (like I hoped it would be). I believe the Infinity Motorcycles shop in London (Great Portland Street) is better, at least in terms of selection and some sale prices. Before spring, I'd like a pair of kevlar jeans...

One thing about the ride-- the M25 was windy going down, but the tail wind coming back made it an entirely different ride. There was still frost on some of the small, neighborhood roads to look out for. Shop guys were nice-- one asked about how I liked my Helite vest. I need recommendations for cool gear shops within decent driving distance.

Okay, that's a throwaway ride. So, where did your 800 today?

UKRider

p.s. Happy new year to everyone. Now I'm off to take my daughter out for dinner.
 
See less See more
1
#749 ·
THE BUS...Isn't it interesting how we ride past something and wonder to ourselves, "what the heck is that" but we don't stop. Well, that is the case with this bus. It sits just outside a small town of about 200 people and many times I have rode past thinking "what a piece of junk, who owns that"! Yesterday I pulled in because one of my ear plugs had worked its way loose and I was getting tired of the wind noise so it seemed like a good time to stop for a drink of water and fix the noise issue. This bus hasn't ran since the 1970's and for a while was used by a crop sprayer to store pesticides and other likely nasty chemicals. It was moved off that property and stored on an empty lot until it's disposal could be determined. Once out in the open it became a public art project and now for many years anyone can pull up and do their thing. The other side was better, but the light was not right for a photo, you'll have to check it out for yourself.

My other photo from yesterday was of a waterfall that over millions of years has carved this giant bowl and channel several hundreds of feet deep through solid rock. I thought the bus was better....

Tire Wheel Sky Vehicle Motor vehicle
 
#750 ·
Took a run out to the highlands today, seeing as Miss Wiplash of Edinburgh has loosened the shackles.
Headed for Gairloch, having a brew on the way on the shores of Loch Maree at Slaterdale, but not before stopping and catching a view of Slioch, Geoffs hill.




Popped in for a chat with a pal in Gairloch and dribbled over his latest ride - an all black CRF1000. Grat to catch up fella - see you again soon [:)]

Carried on the A832 through Dundonnell and rode up to the track that goes over the hill to the other side of Loch Broom, opposite Ullapool.









Back onto the road towards the Braemore junction, visited the old road cos the view to the mountains was ace



Stopped at the big layby above the Corrieshalloch gorge for another brew and ended up chatting with a 1250GS rider who was on his way home . . . to Tyndrum, after riding up to Durness! A 500+ mile day for him!! Makes my 270+ mile round trip look a little feeble

Still fairly light traffic on the more northern roads, so happy days.
Wonder what tomorrows traffic will be like?

SteveT

[8D]
PS - if your riding the Dundonnell road, watch out for feral goats. They were everywhere. Never seen so many of the skittery little feckers before
 
#752 ·
Semiahmoo

The forecast was for mid-70s, so John and I took off north to head for Semiahmoo. I've never been there before, and the name sounded great.

This is the general route.



As luck would have it, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival was on, and we got to pass by some beautiful fields of tulips in full bloom, with more to come in a few weeks.







The green plants to the right are tulips, just a week or so away from blooming. It smelled pretty.

On the way out, to Anacortes along the coast.





Washington Park, Anacortes. We ate our lunch there and sat talking and taking in the scenery for about an hour.





John, on a beautiful black ST1300.



We got to the end of the Semiahmoo Spit and found out how some other people live. Funny, we didn't see the owners. I guess they were working to afford their toys.





Chris
 
#755 ·
Yesterday I put in a 291 mile day by taking the long way across to the road to Skye.

Cluanie dam in the background (road kill in the foreground [:D])


Loch Cluanie


Took a left at Sheil Bridge and rode up the bealach to catch the views . . .
The view towards Skye and the Cuillin hills


And in the other direction Loch Duich from the view point


And the 5 sisters . . .


Then the "Must do" photo when passing this place . . .


Viewed from the other side of the inlet


291 miles and according to the bikes 'puter it only supped 14.9lt of fuel.

SteveT

[8D]
 
#756 ·
Took the bike out for a spin up north. Hadn't been down to the end of the road beyond Ardgay for some time so decided to pay Croich church a visit, it being Sunday an all!

https://www.croickchurch.com/





Heading for Ullapool and found a gate that is normally shut & locked open . . . so down the track I rode till the end hove into view . . . at a small dam & sluice controlling the flow of a small burn/river



SteveT

[8D]
 
#757 ·
I went to NEWSTOC with the ST-Owners group last weekend. The rally is held in Seven Bays, WA at Todd and Kari's place.

Wenatchee River just outside Leavenworth.


Steamboat Rock on Banks Lake


Leaving for breakfast on Saturday morning. I'm in the middle of the pack.




Lake Roosevelt












The motley crew. We had 22 riders show up at Todd and Kari's. The "garage" is actually a hanger. It works perfect to bring all the bikes in for the night.


Some of the group exchanging tall tales of things they've done, or wish they had done.


There's a free ferry system to cross Lake Roosevelt at various points.






Lunch stop overlooking Grand Coulee Dam.


Chief Joseph's burial site.


Riding home on Sunday next to Lake Lenore. Those cliff faces remind me of some giant warriors overlooking the river.



Soap Lake






Dry Falls


If you're ever in the area, this is a place worth stopping to look at. "Climate Change" is real. During the last Ice Age, Lake Missoula formed. At one point point, the waters broke through the ice dam and came down through this area. The falls were five times the width of Niagara Falls, and the water pouring over was 10 times the current amount of water in all the rivers of the world combined today.

The Columbia River


Did you notice how wonderful the sky looked in the pictures above? Now this is what was on the west side of Snoqualmie Pass.


 
#760 ·
From todays bimbling ride westwards to Spean Bridge via Laggan and then across the canal and alongside Loch Arkaig.

The Witches Pool waterfall


And here we have one of three nutters from Bournemouth that decided it would be a good idea to enjoy a cooling swim . . .


The view across Loch Lochy from the B8005


Only a couple of showers the whole time I was out, which was nice. I did ride through a couple of areas that had suffered a deluge just before my arrival - the weather gods were smiling on me today.

SteveT

[8D]
 
#764 ·
Here's a few pics from a rally near Hells Canyon in Baker City, OR I went to last weekend.

Friday, heading over with AndyN.





Along the Yakima River Canyon


On Saturday, I headed out with Jason and Dave. I don't know where he took us, but Jason was a wonderful tour guide. He took us out on roads I didn't know existed and gave us the local flavor with stories along the way.






I started out with Jason and Dave in the morning, then we split and went different directions.




I left them and headed towards the Hells Canyon Dam. I had ridden in the area the previous weekend and during the RtR weekend, and was looking for something like this. Steep canyon walls (it is 2000 ft deeper than the Grand Canyon) and the Snake River flowing through it. Today, I found what I was looking for.


The road follows the Snake River. As you can see, there's no guard rails. And the banks are steep. Whether the dropoff is 20 ft, or 200 ft, if the bike goes over the edge, it won't stop till it is swept away in the river.
















This is below the Hells Canyon dam looking down at the Snake River.


There's some rafts about to make the trip down the river.








As you can see, the road is just one fun curve after another.


Leaving on Monday morning with AndyN.


Even the view from the freeway, was great.


While the scenery and roads were great, probably the best part is making new friends, and catching up with old friends. Many thanks to those who organized the weekend and helped make it such a wonderful time.

Chris
 
#765 ·
Any day you can ride, is a good day...and far better than a day spent doing anything else.

So Artist Point was closed earlier this year for road repairs. Bummer. But when I came back from riding in Hell's Canyon, the DOT website showed it open!!! With the weather changing, I decided to go for it.

So...

This looked promising. That though is the best I could see of Mt. Shuksan for the rest of the day.


The clouds rolled in. Is it fog when you climb to a high enough altitude that the clouds reach the ground? In any case, the effect is the same. This is the entrance to the Artist Point parking lot.


Mt. Shuksan is in the background...somewhere.


And Mt. Baker is there...somewhere. :D


That's either some hikers, or a Big Foot sighting. When I was out there hiking a bit, the quiet was incredible. The fog hushed everything down to where you could hear nothing. Nothing.


The way down was a bit tense.


One of the things that makes this ride so special, is the technical aspect. The corners get tighter and tighter, to the point where the 15 MPH warning signs are a joke. The corners are so tight, it is a challenge to make the turn and not stall the bike. Look at the GPS screen. Somewhere out there is one of those turns...and if you miss it, you drop a long ways down.


But eventually, I started dropping out of the clouds.








It was a great day!

Chris
 
#766 ·
I took off with a friend of mine, James, to Hurricane Ridge on the Olympic Peninsula yesterday. We'd just finished some rain storms, and the day was going to be good. Not too cold yet. Not nearly as hot as the summer was. And a promise of blue skies.

The route takes you through Port Gamble.
Kitsap Peninsula situated on the shores of scenic Hood Canal. Explore the 120-acre National Historic Landmark complete with picturesque, turn-of-the-century buildings filled with shops, an historic church, breathtaking views, expansive grounds and New England style houses on maple and elm tree-lined streets.
And of course, the leaves are changing colour...and still mostly on the trees and not on the road in the corners.







A nice part of riding to Hurricane Ridge, is the roads are in beautiful condition...a rarity nowadays.





Lots of deer. That's how close the deer were to us. I walked right by some within a few feet of me.





Mt. Olympus to the left.





Hurricane Hill in the background.



It was a good day, and with winter coming on, a day to treasure till next spring.

Chris
 
#772 ·
I took off with a friend of mine, James, to Hurricane Ridge on the Olympic Peninsula yesterday. We'd just finished some rain storms, and the day was going to be good. Not too cold yet. Not nearly as hot as the summer was. And a promise of blue skies.

The route takes you through Port Gamble.

And of course, the leaves are changing colour...and still mostly on the trees and not on the road in the corners.



.....

It was a good day, and with winter coming on, a day to treasure till next spring.

Chris
You probably went by these attractions on the way:

Sky Building Vehicle Aircraft Tire
Flag Azure Building Art Graffiti
Water Sky Boat Watercraft Cloud
Water Cloud Sky Water resources Boat
 
Top