Building a café racer called „Uschi“
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Re: Building a café racer called „Uschi“
What a great travelogue, beautiful scenery and a good story to go along with it. Thank you, looking forward to the rest of the story.
1975 GL1000
- LastMohawk
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Re: Building a café racer called „Uschi“
Thanks to all,
so I will continue with the story.....
5th day
Friday… the weather can't make up its mind yet. But it's dry. Today we explore the east coast of the Skye …
Well dry is different, but wet too. In short, we arrived back at the accommodation dry and enjoyed a delicious dinner with Scottish ice cream for dessert. Birgit had salmon on mashed potatoes with mustard seeds and I had steak in beer batter on mashed potatoes of the same kind.
But first things first... After a tank stop at the coop supermarket, yes, the supermarket also sells petrol here, we stopped at a waterfall from the mountains. Were approached directly by an Israeli couple about the BMW and then chatted about the island. He said that he prefers to be at home on gravel roads with his Yamaha Tenere. At the waterfall we met a lot of bus tourists from a small and well-known German town. We saw them again and again throughout the day
Waterfalls and old bridges.
On the way to Portree, the largest city on the island, we had to pass the Sligachan Bridge. There is something mystical about this place. But just let the pictures work on you.
Churches and old graves
In Portree we wanted to take a break and found an interesting cafe that was built into a former church. The church was not radically rebuilt, but you can still see the old structure. In addition to the coffee, we treated ourselves to some sweet pastries. And let what we have experienced so far pass us by again.
There are many churches here in Scotland that are no longer in use. Some of the buildings are falling apart and some are being used differently, like here.
Freshly strengthened we drove to our next destination, the Lealt Falls, where the small Abhainn An Lethuit river falls into the Atlantic.
The further way should lead us over the Quiraing Pass. But before that we passed a prominent rock, the Old Man of Storr (Gaelic: Bodach an Stòrr). He greets us with a cloud that probably means wetness.
The rain started just as we drove over the pass. Sharp left turns and left-hand traffic is the plague. I still don't get them right in my head. But Birgit drove attentively and kept reporting that the road after the hairpin bend was free. So it is more relaxed to drive these wonderful streets. The Quiraing Pass is unspectacular, but interesting to drive as a single track road. At the parking lot above, the first thing we did was dig out the rain jackets... it was probably better that way. It went over the plateau to Idrigil and further north.
We looked at an old cemetery where Amy McDonald, a Scottish heroine, was buried. There we met a nice German lady with a shaggy dog. She was traveling with her husband in a mobile home.
Now the sun came out too. We also took the opportunity to read the other gravestone inscriptions and found that the saying: carved in stone, does not apply to eternity either. Many inscriptions can only be guessed at.
The further course was great to drive. At some point the coke has to go outside and we found a public toilet... they cost a bit money, but you can find them everywhere in the Highlands. This is another way of keeping the environment clean.
The Scottish highland cattle with their impressive horns and long shaggy hair graze next to the parking lot.
e continued along the coast road to drive once around the northern tip of the island. The narrow road wound around the cliffs and went up and down, sometimes to the right, sometimes to the left around the rocks. Again and again we had to let oncoming traffic pass in a "passing place".…
hen again over the quaring... this time in sunshine. Unfortunately there was a mobile home in front of us and the driver didn't quite understand the principle of "passing places". He got stuck in oncoming traffic and had to reverse to the next "passing place" ... but there we were with our BMW. Ok somehow the oncoming traffic got through between us and the mobile home and we were able to continue to Uig.
There we got a coke and an apple. A young couple was waiting for the ferry and spoke to us about the BMW.. we then quickly got to the topic of midges, the annoying little mosquitoes. Finally we were able to drive the next hour to our accommodation through a breathtaking landscape in the sunshine and at a warm 22 degrees.
Shipwrecks and Crab Traps
After the meal in the pub, which again tasted delicious, we strolled around the village and discovered interesting places. We actually wanted to go to the ruins, but the way there can only be passed at low tide, so we had to turn around again shortly before we reached our destination.
While we were still examining the crab traps, yes you can smell the crabs. And they don't smell like Chanell No5. The RS was able to rest from today's kilometers with a sea view.
Here in the picture the Bridge of Skye
And that was the route around the eastern part of the Isle of Skye
Saturday… Day 2 on Skye …
Highlander, Swabians and other exotics
The sky is gray and it's always drizzling. At breakfast - Birgit thought she would eat haggis and black pudding (blood baked black with flour) in the morning... 2 sandwiches with jam were enough for me. We have decided to change the travel plan. Nearby is the Highlander castle par excellence, Eilean Donan Castle. We want to visit that and do a slightly smaller tour with a day of strolling in the largest city on the island, Portree. We hope not to get too wet.
First of all, we arrived back at the hostel in wet rain jackets.
The first point we drove to was the castle. Of course, pictures had to be taken of the BNW in front of the Highlander Castle.
Then we went to the castle and we were able to rummage through the past of the residents. Everything is very lovingly prepared and we were able to put ourselves back in time.
When we came out of the castle, three young Indians asked us if they could take a selfie with us and the old BMW. The Young Indians came from Ireland and asked me how to ride a motorbike in the rain. They would also ride motorbikes, but it is drier in India later we met them again in Portree.
It's always nice when you meet people who are still interested in such old irons and nice conversations result from it. Then we went back to the island via the Bridge of Sky. The rain stopped and something like the sun came out. In any case, we found great little streets and in Portree we had nice conversations with the saleswomen of various shops. I needed a needle and thread because a seam was separating on the shoulder of my leather suit.
And then we found these views... note the path that lay behind us in the mirror
Oh yes, we also treated ourselves to a delicious pizza. And again and again this magnificent landscape.
Finally back at the hostel we were looking forward to a warm shower and to being able to put on fresh underwear after 3 days... And here is the manageable route we covered today.
Looking forward to Sunday... we will continue from the island further north.
Harald
so I will continue with the story.....
5th day
Friday… the weather can't make up its mind yet. But it's dry. Today we explore the east coast of the Skye …
Well dry is different, but wet too. In short, we arrived back at the accommodation dry and enjoyed a delicious dinner with Scottish ice cream for dessert. Birgit had salmon on mashed potatoes with mustard seeds and I had steak in beer batter on mashed potatoes of the same kind.
But first things first... After a tank stop at the coop supermarket, yes, the supermarket also sells petrol here, we stopped at a waterfall from the mountains. Were approached directly by an Israeli couple about the BMW and then chatted about the island. He said that he prefers to be at home on gravel roads with his Yamaha Tenere. At the waterfall we met a lot of bus tourists from a small and well-known German town. We saw them again and again throughout the day
Waterfalls and old bridges.
On the way to Portree, the largest city on the island, we had to pass the Sligachan Bridge. There is something mystical about this place. But just let the pictures work on you.
Churches and old graves
In Portree we wanted to take a break and found an interesting cafe that was built into a former church. The church was not radically rebuilt, but you can still see the old structure. In addition to the coffee, we treated ourselves to some sweet pastries. And let what we have experienced so far pass us by again.
There are many churches here in Scotland that are no longer in use. Some of the buildings are falling apart and some are being used differently, like here.
Freshly strengthened we drove to our next destination, the Lealt Falls, where the small Abhainn An Lethuit river falls into the Atlantic.
The further way should lead us over the Quiraing Pass. But before that we passed a prominent rock, the Old Man of Storr (Gaelic: Bodach an Stòrr). He greets us with a cloud that probably means wetness.
The rain started just as we drove over the pass. Sharp left turns and left-hand traffic is the plague. I still don't get them right in my head. But Birgit drove attentively and kept reporting that the road after the hairpin bend was free. So it is more relaxed to drive these wonderful streets. The Quiraing Pass is unspectacular, but interesting to drive as a single track road. At the parking lot above, the first thing we did was dig out the rain jackets... it was probably better that way. It went over the plateau to Idrigil and further north.
We looked at an old cemetery where Amy McDonald, a Scottish heroine, was buried. There we met a nice German lady with a shaggy dog. She was traveling with her husband in a mobile home.
Now the sun came out too. We also took the opportunity to read the other gravestone inscriptions and found that the saying: carved in stone, does not apply to eternity either. Many inscriptions can only be guessed at.
The further course was great to drive. At some point the coke has to go outside and we found a public toilet... they cost a bit money, but you can find them everywhere in the Highlands. This is another way of keeping the environment clean.
The Scottish highland cattle with their impressive horns and long shaggy hair graze next to the parking lot.
e continued along the coast road to drive once around the northern tip of the island. The narrow road wound around the cliffs and went up and down, sometimes to the right, sometimes to the left around the rocks. Again and again we had to let oncoming traffic pass in a "passing place".…
hen again over the quaring... this time in sunshine. Unfortunately there was a mobile home in front of us and the driver didn't quite understand the principle of "passing places". He got stuck in oncoming traffic and had to reverse to the next "passing place" ... but there we were with our BMW. Ok somehow the oncoming traffic got through between us and the mobile home and we were able to continue to Uig.
There we got a coke and an apple. A young couple was waiting for the ferry and spoke to us about the BMW.. we then quickly got to the topic of midges, the annoying little mosquitoes. Finally we were able to drive the next hour to our accommodation through a breathtaking landscape in the sunshine and at a warm 22 degrees.
Shipwrecks and Crab Traps
After the meal in the pub, which again tasted delicious, we strolled around the village and discovered interesting places. We actually wanted to go to the ruins, but the way there can only be passed at low tide, so we had to turn around again shortly before we reached our destination.
While we were still examining the crab traps, yes you can smell the crabs. And they don't smell like Chanell No5. The RS was able to rest from today's kilometers with a sea view.
Here in the picture the Bridge of Skye
And that was the route around the eastern part of the Isle of Skye
Saturday… Day 2 on Skye …
Highlander, Swabians and other exotics
The sky is gray and it's always drizzling. At breakfast - Birgit thought she would eat haggis and black pudding (blood baked black with flour) in the morning... 2 sandwiches with jam were enough for me. We have decided to change the travel plan. Nearby is the Highlander castle par excellence, Eilean Donan Castle. We want to visit that and do a slightly smaller tour with a day of strolling in the largest city on the island, Portree. We hope not to get too wet.
First of all, we arrived back at the hostel in wet rain jackets.
The first point we drove to was the castle. Of course, pictures had to be taken of the BNW in front of the Highlander Castle.
Then we went to the castle and we were able to rummage through the past of the residents. Everything is very lovingly prepared and we were able to put ourselves back in time.
When we came out of the castle, three young Indians asked us if they could take a selfie with us and the old BMW. The Young Indians came from Ireland and asked me how to ride a motorbike in the rain. They would also ride motorbikes, but it is drier in India later we met them again in Portree.
It's always nice when you meet people who are still interested in such old irons and nice conversations result from it. Then we went back to the island via the Bridge of Sky. The rain stopped and something like the sun came out. In any case, we found great little streets and in Portree we had nice conversations with the saleswomen of various shops. I needed a needle and thread because a seam was separating on the shoulder of my leather suit.
And then we found these views... note the path that lay behind us in the mirror
Oh yes, we also treated ourselves to a delicious pizza. And again and again this magnificent landscape.
Finally back at the hostel we were looking forward to a warm shower and to being able to put on fresh underwear after 3 days... And here is the manageable route we covered today.
Looking forward to Sunday... we will continue from the island further north.
Harald
- LastMohawk
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- Posts: 237
- Joined: Fri Jun 07, 2013 7:57 am
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Re: Building a café racer called „Uschi“
Sunday …
Very close to heaven
Today we drive via Apple Cross to Loch Ewe. The weather is gray and very slightly rainy... and that's the plan.
Well, the weather often changed from rain to sun. Despite all this, we arrived safely at Loch Ewe at the Poolewe Hotel. Today we treated ourselves to a delicious steak for dinner and a fried fish and Birgit salmon noodles for lunch in Shildaig. So we can't complain about the food. From the room we had a view over Loch Ewe.
After a very wet approach to the Apple Cross Pass, we were looking forward to the pass road. We passed through romantic villages and castles... had to slalom around the Highland cattle with their immensely long horns in a village.
This is how the Indians of yesteryear must have felt when they drive through their villages … only that we had to put on a rain jacket.
Then he was in front of us, the Apple Cross. The approach went steadily uphill over very narrow streets. You had a view of the Atlantic. Further up it got very foggy and there was a lot of oncoming traffic…. so if you put your mobile home on it, you are probably not completely sealed. We had no problems with cars or motorcycles in oncoming traffic. On the last hairpin bends I let two Brits pass by on their Triumph Tigers. They were simply quicker than us..
At the top of the pass the temperature dropped to 12 degrees. The cars willingly gave way on the descent, as they did everywhere on the small streets. The tight left turns uphill in left-hand traffic take a lot of getting used to on a motorcycle. But Birgit actively drives along and looks up and gives the go-ahead... so I can concentrate on the narrow road.
We met the Triumph drivers again below and chatted about the respective travel destinations. In the end we were glad to be down at the Appelcross Inn.
Lonely fishing village
From the pass we continued on the Appelcross Coast Road. Just great to drive along the coast. We made a stop in Shildaig and sat in a small café right on the water. Sometime later we just turned left... found a very narrow single track road that is rated too dangerous for mobile homes. It went over a small pass past rocks, waterfalls and a lake to a fishing village in a secluded bay. There were gradients of up to 20%.
But apart from a sip from the tank bag, there was nothing to get in the fishing village. Well, the way was the goal. And it was always worth it.
As I said, we had a drink there and drove back the route to get here to Poolewe after a wonderful road over a lonely plateau. Actually, the plan was to visit the memorial at Loch Ewe. It was there that German U-boats sank the entire Scottish fleet in World War II. But the rain came across and we turned around and went straight to the hotel. It's good if you then have a roof over your head and it's warm and dry.
Yes, and that was the way we had traveled.
Monday morning …
Two footprints in the sand
It has stopped raining, at least for now. The view over Loch Ewe makes up for yesterday's wet arrival... Today we continue north via Ullapool. First I have to say our rain gear works. When it cleared up we found a small bay with fine white sand…
At Mellon Udrigle Beach - no, because you don't have to know it directly, but it's nice there, we took a break and stretched our legs in the white sand. The wind was still cold and we didn't really feel like swimming on the beach. A small creek flowed into the sea next to the footpath and we had the beach to ourselves.
… and what makes me happy and calms me, 6 years ago my footprints were alone here, now there are 2 next to me.
Kites over our Caribbean
After the detour to the beach, the road continued to Ullapool. In Ullapool there was delicious food and we looked at the town. We met 2 guys from Wuppertal / Germany and chatted a bit about the streets. Then continue on small streets to the hostel... it is located directly above a bay with a white sandy beach…
it's freezing but people go swimming. The Brits are crazy... We were able to fly our little kite on the beach, which we had bought on the North Sea coast in the summer. In the hostel we got a 6-bed room with toilet and shower behind the house... curious how it is at night…
You feel like you're in the Caribbean, white beach, green-blue sea. All that's missing is the Blackpearl and Captain Jack Sparrow and ok about 28 degrees Celsius and an ice-cold Cuba Libre. But it is a really beautiful piece of earth that we ended up here. The people from the hostel are really nice. Only it was the most expensive overnight stay we had and by far the simplest furnishing of the room and no dinner and after breakfast, washing the dishes and making the beds.
Oh yes, we still had a few miles behind us …
Tuesday morning. It's cool but nice weather. Today we make a detour to the southeast to then get to the north coast... that's the plan.
It always turns out differently than you think
With glorious sunshine, temperatures climbed to a comfortable 22 degrees. We found a little coast road that went up and down like a roller coaster for 19 miles. It was a pleasure to drive and we would highly recommend it to anyone visiting this part of the planet. It leads over lonely farms, past fishing villages, sometimes high up and then over the next few miles in serpentines again into a valley... And again and again past the water and over small stone bridges.... And in between, like everywhere, sheep, sheep and more sheep.
Then on the way to Lairg, during a pee break, the landlady of the hostel called us. We had forgotten the insulin in the fridge... so back to Lochinver,
first filled up and got something to eat in a supermarket.
After the insulin was back on board, we found a lovely spot to eat on a rock overlooking a lake.
3 Scottish bikers stopped and we chatted about the track and of course the old BMW. We discarded the itinerary and headed straight to the North Shore. After a delicious hot chocolate we also arrived at the B&B. The owner is Swiss and he told us about Brexit and the pandemic here.
And so we changed the plan …
Looking forward to the next day
Harald
Very close to heaven
Today we drive via Apple Cross to Loch Ewe. The weather is gray and very slightly rainy... and that's the plan.
Well, the weather often changed from rain to sun. Despite all this, we arrived safely at Loch Ewe at the Poolewe Hotel. Today we treated ourselves to a delicious steak for dinner and a fried fish and Birgit salmon noodles for lunch in Shildaig. So we can't complain about the food. From the room we had a view over Loch Ewe.
After a very wet approach to the Apple Cross Pass, we were looking forward to the pass road. We passed through romantic villages and castles... had to slalom around the Highland cattle with their immensely long horns in a village.
This is how the Indians of yesteryear must have felt when they drive through their villages … only that we had to put on a rain jacket.
Then he was in front of us, the Apple Cross. The approach went steadily uphill over very narrow streets. You had a view of the Atlantic. Further up it got very foggy and there was a lot of oncoming traffic…. so if you put your mobile home on it, you are probably not completely sealed. We had no problems with cars or motorcycles in oncoming traffic. On the last hairpin bends I let two Brits pass by on their Triumph Tigers. They were simply quicker than us..
At the top of the pass the temperature dropped to 12 degrees. The cars willingly gave way on the descent, as they did everywhere on the small streets. The tight left turns uphill in left-hand traffic take a lot of getting used to on a motorcycle. But Birgit actively drives along and looks up and gives the go-ahead... so I can concentrate on the narrow road.
We met the Triumph drivers again below and chatted about the respective travel destinations. In the end we were glad to be down at the Appelcross Inn.
Lonely fishing village
From the pass we continued on the Appelcross Coast Road. Just great to drive along the coast. We made a stop in Shildaig and sat in a small café right on the water. Sometime later we just turned left... found a very narrow single track road that is rated too dangerous for mobile homes. It went over a small pass past rocks, waterfalls and a lake to a fishing village in a secluded bay. There were gradients of up to 20%.
But apart from a sip from the tank bag, there was nothing to get in the fishing village. Well, the way was the goal. And it was always worth it.
As I said, we had a drink there and drove back the route to get here to Poolewe after a wonderful road over a lonely plateau. Actually, the plan was to visit the memorial at Loch Ewe. It was there that German U-boats sank the entire Scottish fleet in World War II. But the rain came across and we turned around and went straight to the hotel. It's good if you then have a roof over your head and it's warm and dry.
Yes, and that was the way we had traveled.
Monday morning …
Two footprints in the sand
It has stopped raining, at least for now. The view over Loch Ewe makes up for yesterday's wet arrival... Today we continue north via Ullapool. First I have to say our rain gear works. When it cleared up we found a small bay with fine white sand…
At Mellon Udrigle Beach - no, because you don't have to know it directly, but it's nice there, we took a break and stretched our legs in the white sand. The wind was still cold and we didn't really feel like swimming on the beach. A small creek flowed into the sea next to the footpath and we had the beach to ourselves.
… and what makes me happy and calms me, 6 years ago my footprints were alone here, now there are 2 next to me.
Kites over our Caribbean
After the detour to the beach, the road continued to Ullapool. In Ullapool there was delicious food and we looked at the town. We met 2 guys from Wuppertal / Germany and chatted a bit about the streets. Then continue on small streets to the hostel... it is located directly above a bay with a white sandy beach…
it's freezing but people go swimming. The Brits are crazy... We were able to fly our little kite on the beach, which we had bought on the North Sea coast in the summer. In the hostel we got a 6-bed room with toilet and shower behind the house... curious how it is at night…
You feel like you're in the Caribbean, white beach, green-blue sea. All that's missing is the Blackpearl and Captain Jack Sparrow and ok about 28 degrees Celsius and an ice-cold Cuba Libre. But it is a really beautiful piece of earth that we ended up here. The people from the hostel are really nice. Only it was the most expensive overnight stay we had and by far the simplest furnishing of the room and no dinner and after breakfast, washing the dishes and making the beds.
Oh yes, we still had a few miles behind us …
Tuesday morning. It's cool but nice weather. Today we make a detour to the southeast to then get to the north coast... that's the plan.
It always turns out differently than you think
With glorious sunshine, temperatures climbed to a comfortable 22 degrees. We found a little coast road that went up and down like a roller coaster for 19 miles. It was a pleasure to drive and we would highly recommend it to anyone visiting this part of the planet. It leads over lonely farms, past fishing villages, sometimes high up and then over the next few miles in serpentines again into a valley... And again and again past the water and over small stone bridges.... And in between, like everywhere, sheep, sheep and more sheep.
Then on the way to Lairg, during a pee break, the landlady of the hostel called us. We had forgotten the insulin in the fridge... so back to Lochinver,
first filled up and got something to eat in a supermarket.
After the insulin was back on board, we found a lovely spot to eat on a rock overlooking a lake.
3 Scottish bikers stopped and we chatted about the track and of course the old BMW. We discarded the itinerary and headed straight to the North Shore. After a delicious hot chocolate we also arrived at the B&B. The owner is Swiss and he told us about Brexit and the pandemic here.
And so we changed the plan …
Looking forward to the next day
Harald
- LastMohawk
- Billet Alum. Member
- Posts: 237
- Joined: Fri Jun 07, 2013 7:57 am
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Re: Building a café racer called „Uschi“
Wednesday.. today we were at the most northerly point of Scotland. John o'Groats... there only goes to the Orkneys and Shetland by ferry... or to the North Pole .
Rocker and lots of headwind
Today we want to drive to the northern end of the British Isles. The place is called John o' Groats. The first and last house of Scotland. Depending on where you come from . We took the road to the east and then always drove along the coast. Passing beautiful bays and old castles, we then reached our destination after riding behind a troop of bikers. Later it turned out that they must have buried a "brother in the wind"..
Of course we also stocked up on travel souvenirs there. Birgit gave me a polo shirt and we even found nice little metal signs for our hiking sticks at home.
And of course we also had to have a picture of the famous White Signpost... a friendly Asian couple took our picture.
In the cafe we bought some warm coffee and tea and used the opportunity to warm up a bit.
And we found many stone towers at the northern tip... many people had to leave something behind and throw off ballast...
At this point I have to apologize to Birgit. She wanted to build a stone tower with me here at the northernmost point of our journey. I didn't understand it correctly and left her alone with her wish. I am sorry.
And Scotland's national flower, the thistle, also grows here and exudes its very own harsh charm.
Deer, Fish, and Beer
Since the north coast was very stormy today, we headed west until just before Melvich and then found our way south towards Helmsdale. South towards the North Sea coast to Lairg. A 45 mile single track road that was lovely to drive...all we saw was a train station and a few deer.
In Helmsdale there was food first. We found a little shop that sold fish and chips cheap. We each took a portion and found a nice place to eat the fish. We met two nice ladies who emigrated here from Germany 14 years ago. They talked about life here in Helmsdale.
The small square was lovingly designed with the Black Pearl and Mary Poppins.
Then we went south along the coast. Lairg is our destination today. At the Highland Hotel we wanted to lay our weary heads down for the night. But that would have to wait. We met some nice people in the pub and chatted about motorbikes and Germany over one or the other lager beer. We still had to give some German lessons. At some point you're glad that there's a "last order" in Scotland... Well, at least tomorrow needs our attention again.
On the way to the hotel we found the spot where I photographed my Caferacer 6 years ago. This picture has been hanging in my living room for the past 6 years.
Only this time it's an RS and not - as Helmut Dähne called it last summer (he holds the speed record for series motorcycles on the Nürburgring, one of the most famous racetracks) - a Wolperdinger (a Bavarian mythical creature). Just because the BMW Caferacer has Ducati, MotoGuzzi, Honda and whatever parts are installed on it.
Arrived at the hotel, we took a short walk before we got stuck in the pub. Sometimes you just have to, just sink somewhere.
During an evening walk we discovered wooden animal sculptures on a forest path.
And we found this way on the beautiful day.
Thursday and glorious weather... Today we continue, that's the plan, a bit south via the Black Isle to just before Loch Ness. Luckily the evening yesterday didn't leave any after-effects... and the view of the BMW standing in the sun.
Gravel passes and cattle gates
After giving the RS fresh fuel at a Gulf service station in Lairg, the road heads west past the north shore of Loch Schin. Comment from our evening travel journal: “Actually, there should be a contemplative ride around Loch Shin. But something else was to happen... Today a little report on how things went for us. Set out to explore Loch Shin in glorious weather. Then after many miles on such roads that were good to drive…..we turned left and Birgit had to get off and open and close a cattle gate. We drove over an old bridge and it went up and down… the roads then got worse and worse. It went to the 1700 m high gravel pass of the Maovally...
and then from above in gravel hairpins to get into the valley of the River Cassley. Then at the next bridge there was no turning back... the path is actually only passable with off-road vehicles or on foot. The track went up and down and a ditch on the left, a slope on the right.
But the RS ran cleanly. At some point a small stream came down the slope …
But even then the RS showed no shyness and trotted through cheerfully. At some point on this many-mile-long scree path I looked down the slope to the right again at the boggy river and said to Birgit: "If we fall down there now, in 1000 years some Scotsman will find us and will be happy about us Ötzis with one blatant horse stayed there.” So we continued the thread and imagined that if the BMW should break down, we would somehow have a chance to get to the next people in winter when the river was frozen.
Somewhere on the horizon we could finally make out something like a strip of asphalt again. To the right, the river splashed merrily. I think he could wait and see how we would do.
Then, to the joy, this dilapidated barn appeared, as it testifies to the presence of civilization …
When the 10 miles wanted to end on a small tar road, there was a locked cattle gate . But there was a way for pedestrians to get through. Without the right saddlebag, the BMW made it through the bottleneck over the wet meadow with a bit of a run-up…
We were very happy when the right saddlebag was locked again. Then there was a strong sip from the fruit spritzer bottle. What a ride... when you have no idea if you're going anywhere. After a few kilometers on the road, which is now more or less drivable, the first houses appeared. The route took us to Rosemarkie on the Black Isle, where we hoped to find some dolphins in the bay north of Inverness. I would do it again... this tour.
No dolphins, but aerial predators.
The Black Isle is beautiful to drive. We wanted to eat something at the Fortrose lighthouse and got some food in a small shop. We parked the BMW in a small parking lot by the water and sat down at one of the tables around it.
We noticed the danger lurking in the background… But we didn't expect the surprising attack.
what a nasty look.
She grabbed the bag of my pizza rolls. A passer-by who hurried up was at least able to save the second roll with the bag. We were now prepared for further attacks and were able to successfully defend our lunch against further attacks.
Macaroni instead of Nessi
From Inverness, we drove further along the south bank of Loch Ness to Fort Augustus. What a great road. Always up and down and in turns around crests. Sometimes Nessi's home on the right and sometimes smaller ponds on the left until the road dropped down to Fort Augustus after many kilometers. And we were back in the middle of the hustle and bustle of tourists and lots of Nessi stuff to buy.
In Fort Augustus there is an ancient lock with 7 barrages. Right next to it is a small cafe and got a plate with baked macaroni. They were really tasty. While we were there they let a sailing ship pass through the locks. What a spectacle and hard work for the skipper. He is allowed to pull his boat through the locks with muscle power.
It was a good hour's drive north to the hotel. It was a small but nice hotel owned by a nice younger man. The path led through the last primeval forests of Scotland.
Looking forward to Friday
Harald
Rocker and lots of headwind
Today we want to drive to the northern end of the British Isles. The place is called John o' Groats. The first and last house of Scotland. Depending on where you come from . We took the road to the east and then always drove along the coast. Passing beautiful bays and old castles, we then reached our destination after riding behind a troop of bikers. Later it turned out that they must have buried a "brother in the wind"..
Of course we also stocked up on travel souvenirs there. Birgit gave me a polo shirt and we even found nice little metal signs for our hiking sticks at home.
And of course we also had to have a picture of the famous White Signpost... a friendly Asian couple took our picture.
In the cafe we bought some warm coffee and tea and used the opportunity to warm up a bit.
And we found many stone towers at the northern tip... many people had to leave something behind and throw off ballast...
At this point I have to apologize to Birgit. She wanted to build a stone tower with me here at the northernmost point of our journey. I didn't understand it correctly and left her alone with her wish. I am sorry.
And Scotland's national flower, the thistle, also grows here and exudes its very own harsh charm.
Deer, Fish, and Beer
Since the north coast was very stormy today, we headed west until just before Melvich and then found our way south towards Helmsdale. South towards the North Sea coast to Lairg. A 45 mile single track road that was lovely to drive...all we saw was a train station and a few deer.
In Helmsdale there was food first. We found a little shop that sold fish and chips cheap. We each took a portion and found a nice place to eat the fish. We met two nice ladies who emigrated here from Germany 14 years ago. They talked about life here in Helmsdale.
The small square was lovingly designed with the Black Pearl and Mary Poppins.
Then we went south along the coast. Lairg is our destination today. At the Highland Hotel we wanted to lay our weary heads down for the night. But that would have to wait. We met some nice people in the pub and chatted about motorbikes and Germany over one or the other lager beer. We still had to give some German lessons. At some point you're glad that there's a "last order" in Scotland... Well, at least tomorrow needs our attention again.
On the way to the hotel we found the spot where I photographed my Caferacer 6 years ago. This picture has been hanging in my living room for the past 6 years.
Only this time it's an RS and not - as Helmut Dähne called it last summer (he holds the speed record for series motorcycles on the Nürburgring, one of the most famous racetracks) - a Wolperdinger (a Bavarian mythical creature). Just because the BMW Caferacer has Ducati, MotoGuzzi, Honda and whatever parts are installed on it.
Arrived at the hotel, we took a short walk before we got stuck in the pub. Sometimes you just have to, just sink somewhere.
During an evening walk we discovered wooden animal sculptures on a forest path.
And we found this way on the beautiful day.
Thursday and glorious weather... Today we continue, that's the plan, a bit south via the Black Isle to just before Loch Ness. Luckily the evening yesterday didn't leave any after-effects... and the view of the BMW standing in the sun.
Gravel passes and cattle gates
After giving the RS fresh fuel at a Gulf service station in Lairg, the road heads west past the north shore of Loch Schin. Comment from our evening travel journal: “Actually, there should be a contemplative ride around Loch Shin. But something else was to happen... Today a little report on how things went for us. Set out to explore Loch Shin in glorious weather. Then after many miles on such roads that were good to drive…..we turned left and Birgit had to get off and open and close a cattle gate. We drove over an old bridge and it went up and down… the roads then got worse and worse. It went to the 1700 m high gravel pass of the Maovally...
and then from above in gravel hairpins to get into the valley of the River Cassley. Then at the next bridge there was no turning back... the path is actually only passable with off-road vehicles or on foot. The track went up and down and a ditch on the left, a slope on the right.
But the RS ran cleanly. At some point a small stream came down the slope …
But even then the RS showed no shyness and trotted through cheerfully. At some point on this many-mile-long scree path I looked down the slope to the right again at the boggy river and said to Birgit: "If we fall down there now, in 1000 years some Scotsman will find us and will be happy about us Ötzis with one blatant horse stayed there.” So we continued the thread and imagined that if the BMW should break down, we would somehow have a chance to get to the next people in winter when the river was frozen.
Somewhere on the horizon we could finally make out something like a strip of asphalt again. To the right, the river splashed merrily. I think he could wait and see how we would do.
Then, to the joy, this dilapidated barn appeared, as it testifies to the presence of civilization …
When the 10 miles wanted to end on a small tar road, there was a locked cattle gate . But there was a way for pedestrians to get through. Without the right saddlebag, the BMW made it through the bottleneck over the wet meadow with a bit of a run-up…
We were very happy when the right saddlebag was locked again. Then there was a strong sip from the fruit spritzer bottle. What a ride... when you have no idea if you're going anywhere. After a few kilometers on the road, which is now more or less drivable, the first houses appeared. The route took us to Rosemarkie on the Black Isle, where we hoped to find some dolphins in the bay north of Inverness. I would do it again... this tour.
No dolphins, but aerial predators.
The Black Isle is beautiful to drive. We wanted to eat something at the Fortrose lighthouse and got some food in a small shop. We parked the BMW in a small parking lot by the water and sat down at one of the tables around it.
We noticed the danger lurking in the background… But we didn't expect the surprising attack.
what a nasty look.
She grabbed the bag of my pizza rolls. A passer-by who hurried up was at least able to save the second roll with the bag. We were now prepared for further attacks and were able to successfully defend our lunch against further attacks.
Macaroni instead of Nessi
From Inverness, we drove further along the south bank of Loch Ness to Fort Augustus. What a great road. Always up and down and in turns around crests. Sometimes Nessi's home on the right and sometimes smaller ponds on the left until the road dropped down to Fort Augustus after many kilometers. And we were back in the middle of the hustle and bustle of tourists and lots of Nessi stuff to buy.
In Fort Augustus there is an ancient lock with 7 barrages. Right next to it is a small cafe and got a plate with baked macaroni. They were really tasty. While we were there they let a sailing ship pass through the locks. What a spectacle and hard work for the skipper. He is allowed to pull his boat through the locks with muscle power.
It was a good hour's drive north to the hotel. It was a small but nice hotel owned by a nice younger man. The path led through the last primeval forests of Scotland.
Looking forward to Friday
Harald
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Re: Building a café racer called „Uschi“
Friday…. The weather is good for driving. Today we go east to Peterhead on the North Sea coast That's the plan... well, we won't do the detour around Loch Ness, we drove that yesterday.
Well, now we're sitting in the pub with a pint and waiting for the food. The ride wasn't that spectacular and we didn't take many photos. It went on really nice roads between a lot of farmland. But there are beautiful and lovingly maintained cottages here. The mountains shone in the purple of the heather. We drove along the North Sea coast and tried to find something to eat. Unfortunately, many shops are closed because there are no waitresses. Only in Peterhead there are pubs and restaurants and a nice hotel in the middle of the old town. The motorcycle runs without any problems and the rear tire will also last until we get home to Harscheid. The only thing you have to get used to is the noise of the seagulls.
Again and again we stopped and enjoyed the sunshine. It was much warmer today than the days before.
We found cute cottages and also some whiskey distilleries on the way to Peterhead on the North Sea coast.
In the end we sat happily in Peterhead in the Crossed Keys, arguably the trendiest pub in town.
Our route to the east of the island was much calmer than the day before.
Saturday… the weather is fine and the seagulls never tire of screaming. Today we continue south to Perth. There we want to stay at the Sky Lodge at the airport. A detour through the Cairngorms National Park will enrich the route. Today's breakfast is in the pub from last night, it's cheaper and more extensive than in the hotel.
Cute little towns and winter sports.
This morning we made a short trip to Aberdeen. Then we headed west into the Cairngorms National Park. The national park is worth a few days to look at and it offers everything you could wish for. Initially on endless forest roads along a river and past old castles and ruins.
At some point we turned right over a small bridge and found ourselves in a small, romantic town. There we took a break in the park with some pastries and a drink and treated the BMW to a full tank of petrol.
As the route progressed, the road climbed first up a high moor area and then on to heights that made skiing possible in winter. At least the ski lifts and snow cats testified to that. It was noticeably cooler.
The road was great and the descent was long until we came to a small bridge with an inn. There we sat in the garden with a coke.
After refreshment we again found the smallest roads with a very good surface. As if embedded in the landscape, they wound their way around the hills, sometimes to the right and sometimes to the left. Passing lakes and high moors, we reached a valley that probably attracts many summer visitors. We found a road along a very long lake... and a shortcut over a ridge of hills because we were a bit lazy at lunchtime.
Through huge cornfields and past old castles we finally reached Perth and the sports airport... we rented a lodge there for the night. ... today was another beautiful day with lots of variety. Since there was nothing to eat in the Sky Lodge, we turned the BMW around after we had unsaddled and stopped at the Golden Swallow (McDonalds) restaurant. While it's a good idea to visit local restaurants when you travel, sometimes you just want a burger between the gills. And today was such a day for a burger.
The sports airport was created during the Second World War as a training camp for military pilots. A quiet and clean accommodation awaited us. Well the breakfast was now rather sober nature. But I think that's still due to the Corvid times. Well, there was everything and we were full and freshly strengthened for the day.
And this is the path we took.
sunday morning … Endless little streets and an ice cream on the beach
Today we continue south in a wide arc around Edinburgh.. we also drive a bit through the Loch Lomond National Park. And this is what the route looks like with a blue sky. In Loch Lomond National Park we again found wonderful roads over the mountains and many avenues along pastures with magnificent animals. We made a long arc around Edinburgh and suddenly found ourselves with an ice cream on the North Sea coast where many people were still bathing at over 27 degrees in the evening. After the ice cream we drove to our accommodation, an ancient Scottish inn, the Craw Inn. We had a fun evening at the bar with a beer.
We had interesting conversations and at some point one of the guests disappeared, only to come back after about 15 minutes with an old photo. It shows him and his wife sometime in the 80s in Switzerland with exactly the same RS as ours outside the door. We laughed a lot over beer and coke.
Ah, that was today's route.
But even the most beautiful evening and with it the most beautiful holiday comes to an end and we had to prepare ourselves for the way back to the ferry.
Monday..
take farewell
Today we have to go back to the ferry... the hotel was nice and quaint... The weather today is going to be warm and sunny again... good for driving and saying goodbye.
We experienced a nice ride over narrow streets and through small towns. The road here followed the undulating landscape and it always went up and down over countless crests. Along Hadrian's Wall the road was dead straight for miles. It was very hot and when we arrived in Newcastle we cooled off at the Burgerking. At the ferry port we had to wait half an hour in the heat. Then it happened quickly and we lashed down the motorbike and, freshly showered, we are now sitting in a bar on the ferry.
One last greeting to say goodbye and then end the day on the ferry in a pub with a musician. Everyone hung up on their memories and we still couldn't believe that the 14 days went by so quickly.
But even today we had to put a lot of miles behind us.
Tuesday morning.. The weather is great and the sea is totally calm, you don't feel any swell. After a hearty breakfast we start the last day of the journey... it goes across the Netherlands here I can navigate with my navigation system again..
The drive through the Netherlands - we wanted to drive on the back roads - took forever.. thousands of roundabouts and thresholds. We had just covered 125 miles after 4 hours. We were sitting in a cafe at a small bridge at around 3 p.m. and decided to take the highway to Aachen / Germany. From Aachen we went to the reservoir, the Rursee to the biker ranch. There we met an old friend. I bought the cafe racer's aluminum tank from Harald. We finally arrived safely around 9:30 p.m. The RS now has 3194 more miles on the odometer It's been a beautiful journey.
Unfortunately, there are almost no pictures of the trip through the Netherlands ….
Get off the ferry and then make our way south ….
After 3194 miles we were finally at home in Harscheid in the courtyard
The tires were done and there was a set of new tires. That was all we had in terms of wear and tear... a good bike.
The RS got its sticker the next day so everyone can see it was already up there in the very north of the British Isles …
And I brought a stone from Loch Lomond and one from the Isle of Skye to Sabine and placed them on her grave..
Oh yeah, our route through the Netherlands
I would also like to thank my Birgit for doing all this with me. Is not a matter of course to live with my rusty nails.
Thanks
I hope you enjoyed my little travel diary. It was an impressive journey for us.
greeting
Harald
Well, now we're sitting in the pub with a pint and waiting for the food. The ride wasn't that spectacular and we didn't take many photos. It went on really nice roads between a lot of farmland. But there are beautiful and lovingly maintained cottages here. The mountains shone in the purple of the heather. We drove along the North Sea coast and tried to find something to eat. Unfortunately, many shops are closed because there are no waitresses. Only in Peterhead there are pubs and restaurants and a nice hotel in the middle of the old town. The motorcycle runs without any problems and the rear tire will also last until we get home to Harscheid. The only thing you have to get used to is the noise of the seagulls.
Again and again we stopped and enjoyed the sunshine. It was much warmer today than the days before.
We found cute cottages and also some whiskey distilleries on the way to Peterhead on the North Sea coast.
In the end we sat happily in Peterhead in the Crossed Keys, arguably the trendiest pub in town.
Our route to the east of the island was much calmer than the day before.
Saturday… the weather is fine and the seagulls never tire of screaming. Today we continue south to Perth. There we want to stay at the Sky Lodge at the airport. A detour through the Cairngorms National Park will enrich the route. Today's breakfast is in the pub from last night, it's cheaper and more extensive than in the hotel.
Cute little towns and winter sports.
This morning we made a short trip to Aberdeen. Then we headed west into the Cairngorms National Park. The national park is worth a few days to look at and it offers everything you could wish for. Initially on endless forest roads along a river and past old castles and ruins.
At some point we turned right over a small bridge and found ourselves in a small, romantic town. There we took a break in the park with some pastries and a drink and treated the BMW to a full tank of petrol.
As the route progressed, the road climbed first up a high moor area and then on to heights that made skiing possible in winter. At least the ski lifts and snow cats testified to that. It was noticeably cooler.
The road was great and the descent was long until we came to a small bridge with an inn. There we sat in the garden with a coke.
After refreshment we again found the smallest roads with a very good surface. As if embedded in the landscape, they wound their way around the hills, sometimes to the right and sometimes to the left. Passing lakes and high moors, we reached a valley that probably attracts many summer visitors. We found a road along a very long lake... and a shortcut over a ridge of hills because we were a bit lazy at lunchtime.
Through huge cornfields and past old castles we finally reached Perth and the sports airport... we rented a lodge there for the night. ... today was another beautiful day with lots of variety. Since there was nothing to eat in the Sky Lodge, we turned the BMW around after we had unsaddled and stopped at the Golden Swallow (McDonalds) restaurant. While it's a good idea to visit local restaurants when you travel, sometimes you just want a burger between the gills. And today was such a day for a burger.
The sports airport was created during the Second World War as a training camp for military pilots. A quiet and clean accommodation awaited us. Well the breakfast was now rather sober nature. But I think that's still due to the Corvid times. Well, there was everything and we were full and freshly strengthened for the day.
And this is the path we took.
sunday morning … Endless little streets and an ice cream on the beach
Today we continue south in a wide arc around Edinburgh.. we also drive a bit through the Loch Lomond National Park. And this is what the route looks like with a blue sky. In Loch Lomond National Park we again found wonderful roads over the mountains and many avenues along pastures with magnificent animals. We made a long arc around Edinburgh and suddenly found ourselves with an ice cream on the North Sea coast where many people were still bathing at over 27 degrees in the evening. After the ice cream we drove to our accommodation, an ancient Scottish inn, the Craw Inn. We had a fun evening at the bar with a beer.
We had interesting conversations and at some point one of the guests disappeared, only to come back after about 15 minutes with an old photo. It shows him and his wife sometime in the 80s in Switzerland with exactly the same RS as ours outside the door. We laughed a lot over beer and coke.
Ah, that was today's route.
But even the most beautiful evening and with it the most beautiful holiday comes to an end and we had to prepare ourselves for the way back to the ferry.
Monday..
take farewell
Today we have to go back to the ferry... the hotel was nice and quaint... The weather today is going to be warm and sunny again... good for driving and saying goodbye.
We experienced a nice ride over narrow streets and through small towns. The road here followed the undulating landscape and it always went up and down over countless crests. Along Hadrian's Wall the road was dead straight for miles. It was very hot and when we arrived in Newcastle we cooled off at the Burgerking. At the ferry port we had to wait half an hour in the heat. Then it happened quickly and we lashed down the motorbike and, freshly showered, we are now sitting in a bar on the ferry.
One last greeting to say goodbye and then end the day on the ferry in a pub with a musician. Everyone hung up on their memories and we still couldn't believe that the 14 days went by so quickly.
But even today we had to put a lot of miles behind us.
Tuesday morning.. The weather is great and the sea is totally calm, you don't feel any swell. After a hearty breakfast we start the last day of the journey... it goes across the Netherlands here I can navigate with my navigation system again..
The drive through the Netherlands - we wanted to drive on the back roads - took forever.. thousands of roundabouts and thresholds. We had just covered 125 miles after 4 hours. We were sitting in a cafe at a small bridge at around 3 p.m. and decided to take the highway to Aachen / Germany. From Aachen we went to the reservoir, the Rursee to the biker ranch. There we met an old friend. I bought the cafe racer's aluminum tank from Harald. We finally arrived safely around 9:30 p.m. The RS now has 3194 more miles on the odometer It's been a beautiful journey.
Unfortunately, there are almost no pictures of the trip through the Netherlands ….
Get off the ferry and then make our way south ….
After 3194 miles we were finally at home in Harscheid in the courtyard
The tires were done and there was a set of new tires. That was all we had in terms of wear and tear... a good bike.
The RS got its sticker the next day so everyone can see it was already up there in the very north of the British Isles …
And I brought a stone from Loch Lomond and one from the Isle of Skye to Sabine and placed them on her grave..
Oh yeah, our route through the Netherlands
I would also like to thank my Birgit for doing all this with me. Is not a matter of course to live with my rusty nails.
Thanks
I hope you enjoyed my little travel diary. It was an impressive journey for us.
greeting
Harald
- Rat
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Re: Building a café racer called „Uschi“
Gord
"I'd rather Ride than Shine"
‘14 KLR650 ... not a rat ... yet
‘84 GL1200i ‘R2B6' (Rat to Be 6, the last, adopted by twowings)
My Original 'RAT' was a hybrid '82 CB900/1100F
‘14 KLR650 ... not a rat ... yet
‘84 GL1200i ‘R2B6' (Rat to Be 6, the last, adopted by twowings)
My Original 'RAT' was a hybrid '82 CB900/1100F
- Fred Camper
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Re: Building a café racer called „Uschi“
Oh my, another epic trip report. Is is just me or do the pictures with Birgit and Harald in them always look better than the rest. Go figure. Love the detail, makes for fine reading.
Proud member of the NGW Cartel (Rochester MI)
1977 GL1000 BADDOG (April 2012 BOTM)
1976 LTD - '993 LTD...and so it begins'
You should remember that it's peace of mind you're after and not just fixing the machine. R.Pirsig
1977 GL1000 BADDOG (April 2012 BOTM)
1976 LTD - '993 LTD...and so it begins'
You should remember that it's peace of mind you're after and not just fixing the machine. R.Pirsig
- CYBORG
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- Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 12:52 pm
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Re: Building a café racer called „Uschi“
A trip of a life time. So glad you could make it with company 0f a like mind. Best of luck to both of you in the future
1978 custom GL1000
1977 custom with 1200 engine
1985 gl1200
1977 custom with 1200 engine
1985 gl1200
- 5speed
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- Location: Nova Scotia Canada
Re: Building a café racer called „Uschi“
absolutely stunning and very entertaining.Scotland is on my bucket list
1982 1100 standard. (sold)
1986 Yamaha FJ1200
2000 Yamaha Roadstar
1976 GoldWing. running but not on the road
1978 Goldwing. future cafe project.
2019 Can-Am ryker (boss's new ride)
2002 Shadow American Classic(sold)
1983 Shadow 500. (sold)
1986 Yamaha FJ1200
2000 Yamaha Roadstar
1976 GoldWing. running but not on the road
1978 Goldwing. future cafe project.
2019 Can-Am ryker (boss's new ride)
2002 Shadow American Classic(sold)
1983 Shadow 500. (sold)
- Jonesz
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Re: Building a café racer called „Uschi“
I really enjoyed your trip report Harald. Did a trip in Scotland 10 years ago but in a rented car. Am jealous of your doing this on a bike with your best friend. Gorgeous scenery and looks like you got along nicely with riding on "the wrong side"! We almost got smeared a couple of times before getting used to that, once on foot we forgot to look the right direction and almost got run over by a city bus in Edinburgh.
Jonesz
1983 GL1100 Aspencade named "Freki" currently undergoing change to a standard. Sold
1999 Valkyrie CT 1500 goes by the moniker "Valerie"
1978 Gl1000 "Loki" new project going to be a Cafe Convertible
1979 Suzuki GS850. Sold
1983 GL1100 Aspencade named "Freki" currently undergoing change to a standard. Sold
1999 Valkyrie CT 1500 goes by the moniker "Valerie"
1978 Gl1000 "Loki" new project going to be a Cafe Convertible
1979 Suzuki GS850. Sold
- ericheath
- Honored Life Member
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Re: Building a café racer called „Uschi“
Ancestors from mom and dad both trace roots to Scottish-English border. I’ve never seen any pics that made me want to go back and see the area. But these pics intrigue me. Thanks for sharing.
Whatever I suggest here should be given ample time for a moderator to delicately correct. I apologize in advance.
77 WING, 1200 engine with 77 heads, cams, gl1100 foot pegs, Magna V65 front end, 764A carbs, [-gone Suzuki M109 monoshock--, replaced with gl1100 shocks] gl 1200 swing arm, gl1500 final drive, wheel and rear brakes Valkyrie seat, Meanstreak tank, Sportster pipes, Power Arc ignition off crank.
77 Wing. black
83 Wing, in pieces
"Continuing education is important even if the subject matter is fairly useless (as in this case)."---Greg Foresi
77 WING, 1200 engine with 77 heads, cams, gl1100 foot pegs, Magna V65 front end, 764A carbs, [-gone Suzuki M109 monoshock--, replaced with gl1100 shocks] gl 1200 swing arm, gl1500 final drive, wheel and rear brakes Valkyrie seat, Meanstreak tank, Sportster pipes, Power Arc ignition off crank.
77 Wing. black
83 Wing, in pieces
"Continuing education is important even if the subject matter is fairly useless (as in this case)."---Greg Foresi
-
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Re: Building a café racer called „Uschi“
Wonderful report thank you.
I live not far from where you visited, wish I had known you where so close you could have popped in for a cuppa.
It reminds me just how lucky I am to live and ride in such a fantastic place
Ken
I live not far from where you visited, wish I had known you where so close you could have popped in for a cuppa.
It reminds me just how lucky I am to live and ride in such a fantastic place
Ken
- LastMohawk
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Re: Building a café racer called „Uschi“
Thank you very much for your answers.
It goes on with Uschi . I have a week off and can swing my wrenches. I have first found other footrests, the front are installed, with the rear I'm still waiting for screws. The mounting screws have a stupid dimension M10x1,0. Unfortunately I do not have such a thing in the screw assortment.
Then I shortened the rear fender. (The license plate is only there for optical reasons. It is not registered).
And I have decided again for other brakes... It will be Brembo P4. Two 4-piston calipers.I hope the brakes the iron pile reasonable down. I have already made spacers for the brake discs and am currently on the holders for the Brembos.
And last but not least I'm still working on the wiring... unfortunately I had a mishap on the right switch unit during the conversion from the M-handlebar to the Tommaselli clip-on. I had accidentally jammed the connection cable of the parking light during assembly. This gave me a strange smell of amps in the nose when turning on the ignition.... so I had to redo the wiring in the front because the cables were burning. Well you learn as you go -- I hope.
And hey, I found a solution for the missing rear grab rail. That's the holy grail of the GL The mounting brackets of the CB750 K2 fit perfectly on the GL. Right and left one each screwed to the Shock absorber and the retaining plate for the helmet holder. Perfect.
My goal is to get the Uschi on the road this year.
Greetings Harald
It goes on with Uschi . I have a week off and can swing my wrenches. I have first found other footrests, the front are installed, with the rear I'm still waiting for screws. The mounting screws have a stupid dimension M10x1,0. Unfortunately I do not have such a thing in the screw assortment.
Then I shortened the rear fender. (The license plate is only there for optical reasons. It is not registered).
And I have decided again for other brakes... It will be Brembo P4. Two 4-piston calipers.I hope the brakes the iron pile reasonable down. I have already made spacers for the brake discs and am currently on the holders for the Brembos.
And last but not least I'm still working on the wiring... unfortunately I had a mishap on the right switch unit during the conversion from the M-handlebar to the Tommaselli clip-on. I had accidentally jammed the connection cable of the parking light during assembly. This gave me a strange smell of amps in the nose when turning on the ignition.... so I had to redo the wiring in the front because the cables were burning. Well you learn as you go -- I hope.
And hey, I found a solution for the missing rear grab rail. That's the holy grail of the GL The mounting brackets of the CB750 K2 fit perfectly on the GL. Right and left one each screwed to the Shock absorber and the retaining plate for the helmet holder. Perfect.
My goal is to get the Uschi on the road this year.
Greetings Harald
- CYBORG
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Re: Building a café racer called „Uschi“
Looking good. My kind of bike
1978 custom GL1000
1977 custom with 1200 engine
1985 gl1200
1977 custom with 1200 engine
1985 gl1200
- Fred Camper
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Re: Building a café racer called „Uschi“
Keep at her. The goal is near. Love the bike.
Proud member of the NGW Cartel (Rochester MI)
1977 GL1000 BADDOG (April 2012 BOTM)
1976 LTD - '993 LTD...and so it begins'
You should remember that it's peace of mind you're after and not just fixing the machine. R.Pirsig
1977 GL1000 BADDOG (April 2012 BOTM)
1976 LTD - '993 LTD...and so it begins'
You should remember that it's peace of mind you're after and not just fixing the machine. R.Pirsig
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