Just a quick post to advise anyone wondering where to take their next biking trip - give Ireland a go - Just got back from a 2 week, 1600 miler (300 miles to/from Holyhead) and have to say it was brilliant! Road conditions are varied (very) from racetrack smooth to pothole riddled, but the adjustable suspension on the Multi gives all the range you need - I even had to use Enduro mode for a couple of routes (you gotta love satnav!), but it coped well - see picture for an idea of the terrain, the road was a car width, gravelly track. Admittedly we were lucky with the weather and only got rained on hard twice, unfortunately in the Wicklow and Connemara mountains, so the scenery was partially blotted out, but they still were enjoyable teeth gritting rides? My bike was fresh from it's cylinder head rebuild and pulled like a train, also being very smooth at low revs (really!) although my fuel consumption is up a tad and the exhaust is very black, so running a bit richer than before I think (ECU update was carried out also)? A couple of personal biking road highlights (at speed) are the run from Doolin to Kinvarra just North of the Cliffs of Moher, which takes in a descent called Corkscrew hill and the short, N56 10 miler between Killybegs and Ardara in Co. Donegal. This short piece is racetrack smooth, with fantastic bends and a section of massive humps which generated a couple of 80 mph, 5th gear, screen in your face wheelies, which I can only think that the traction control stopped from being flip overs - what larks! We met great people, saw truly stunning scenery and had a good couple of city breaks (days off) in Dublin and Belfast. Fuel pricing is comparable to the UK, certainly in Eire (interestingly the cost of diesel there is cheaper than petrol, but not in the UK/NI - the UK Gov really do take us for mugs). Only casualties to the bike are a blown Osram Nightbreaker (I suspect the slam down from one of the wheelies which completely cleaned the fork sliders down to the stoppers was to blame?) and I properly trashed the ring on my petrol filler cap, when I knocked the diesel pump out and left the petrol nozzle in my tank while I fished around on the floor for the diesel one, without getting off the bike - TWAT!! Have to brush up on my can spraying technique! Oh and my chain is now about shagged out at 17,000 miles. Happy days indeed - Now I had best get out and clean it!
nsm3. Going to Ireland this next Saturday with a mate of mine; me on the Multi GT,him on his Beemer K1600GT. Went 2 years ago and had the best time ever. The coast around Westport area is simply stunning. Catching the ferry to Larne this time then up to Giants Causeway then generally SW from there. Going to check out those roads you mention on the map now and see if I can try them out. A visit to Matt Malloys Back Yard for Guinness and the craic is going to be compulsory. Cant wait.
if you have been fortunate enough to be here while the weather has been truly stunning (last few weeks) there is just no better place to be for biking! ive just done over 600 miles around west cork and kerry over the weekend and melting tar aside, it was fantastic!
