A ride over the Mendips and Exmoor

[boboneleg]

It's strange how things can turn out, I really wanted to go out on my DR350 just for a couple of hours but it is not quite ready so as it was beautiful weather I decided to get the KTM out.

The plan was to just pop out for a couple of hours then come back and help my wife sort some things out.

Anyway I decided to go south for a change and first stop was at Chew Valley lake.

Theses guys were up and about....




While these dudes were still having a kip.........




From here it was up onto the Mendips and a blast along some great roads with not a lot of traffic about
I haven't ridden the KTM for a while and I'd forgotten what a great bike it is.

This is the view from the edge of the Mendips overlooking the mythical kingdom of Avalon, you can just pick out Glastonbury Tor in the background.......



This is a typical road across the Somerset levels, it is definitely not sportsbike/cruiser territory. The roads are quite sharply cambered to the sides so that water drains off and are as bumpy as hell as it is all sitting on a big peat bog.......



I was getting a bit peckish now so I popped inro a well known tractor emporium in Bridgwater for a bacon roll and a black coffee. There were a lot of weekend-warriors about but I just plonked the orange bike straight in the middle of them.

This was the best bike in there......



It was time to be heading back now so i phoned my wife who told me there was nothing to do and I'd only get in her way Result!!

So off to Exmoor then, the road towards Minehead was crawling with holiday traffic but I had a good duel with a Triumph Speed Triple on the way as we darted past the lines of cars.

Exmoor was looking good as the sunshine and the light made the contrasting colours stand out and I was tempted by a few trails that i know but I decided to stick to the tarmac.......




Time was getting on mow and it was a good 90 miles back to Bristol so I turned back and headed for home. I stopped a couple of times on the way back and crawled up through Cheddar Gorge which was heaving with visitors and then back across the Mendips to home. While I was stopped on the tops having a break a car passed and then reversed back up. It was the 'White Rabbit' aka Rich from ADV, he was out for a drive with his wife.

He told me that the lane we were on was the reason he sold his Suzuki SV and bought a BMW GS, this is the view from there....



That's good enough reason for buying a dual-sport bike as far as I'm concerned

I really enjoyed the day, it's surprising how some rides turn out

Bob.

[Treadtrader]

Great pics & report, it's a great part of the country for a ride.
Me & a few pals went down that way late last September, found some great lanes, best was from Porlock dock south along coast, signed as a toll road.







Tokk these pics from coast road.
Would make a great place for a meet-up. Maybe we should arrange something for the Autumn?

[McVicar]

Oi Bob!!!!!
Get off my manor!

[boboneleg]

Oi Bob!!!!!
Get off my manor!

Hi Steve,

long time no see

[boboneleg]

Great pics & report, it's a great part of the country for a ride.
Me & a few pals went down that way late last September, found some great lanes, best was from Porlock dock south along coast, signed as a toll road

ah the toll road and then the valley of the rocks, great riding

[phil w]

Nice to see you out enjoying the sunshine Bob , just a pity it wasnt on a tidy bike

[stanbloke]

Your a lucky man Bob....nice pics...nice day...nice bike..

[veodoble]

Hey Bob, it looks like you brits stole our spanish weather and left us your classical wet weather!

Good pics and very beautiful skies and lanes.

congrats

[barftone]

Nice one Bob. Maybe a XRV day coming on in the summer. Shall we take em up 'hamburger hill'?

[boboneleg]

Nice one Bob. Maybe a XRV day coming on in the summer. Shall we take em up 'hamburger hill'?

bagsy I'm first