So, I have recently been feeling crap about life and wondering how to make it better. I am so bored of life I need to rejuvenate and start enjoying it again. I have very little money, and the only thing to make me really happy is the bike. So, not having a full licence and still only having a CBT and on a 125 I thought to myself what to do, so I got the grand idea to take my YZF-R125 from Lands End to John O Groats. It's my first ever trip and I am doing it solo.

The Bike: The Yamaha YZF-R125, 15bhp, terrible MPG, loud exhaust, 'sport' riding position, probably very inappropriate bike to do this on (but if it's too nice then where's the adventure!). However, it's SO much fun to ride, however, even after 10 minutes of riding I get cramp in my wrist (crashed a bike and caused some damage a few years back!) So this is the noble steed taking me a few 1000 miles


The equipment: So I feel I am completely underprepared for the trip! I leave at the end of July and I have no set route, so I have been anxious of how I am going to reach Scotland, so I have invested in a Garmin Zumo 340LM - hopefully this will help. I will be using the Oxford 1st time soft panniers and a lower alpine 45ltr rucksack, got some basic camping equipment already but I need to buy cooking equipment. I will be taking my DSLR, Drift Ghost and my macbook pro - along with battery packs for mobiles etc... I am also thinking of investing in a Bluetooth headset. Clothes wise, will be limited, food I have no idea how I am going to do this bit, as cheap as possible .

The Route: No idea to be honest, I want to hit national parks and the Lochs... but other than that not sure what else. I will aim to try and get something along the lines of Sussex > Lands End > Shropshire > Leek > Windermere > Dumfries > Loch Lomond > Ullapool > John O Groats > Inverness > Edenborough > Newcastle > Nottingham > Enfield > Sussex. I have not really booked any camp sites.. is this how you folks would do it?!

Time Scale: Due to industry I am in, I am unable to take regular trips and I need to sit on some exam boards in the middle of August, so, I will have approximately 2 weeks to do this, I recon it's doable.

Why alone?: I have no one to ride with. Alone time is gooood!

I attempt to do motovlogs and this will be one I vlog!


So if there is anyone out there who can give me some advice that would be so fantastically amazing.

Would you do a full or intermitten service on the bike before a trip like this?

Thank you for reading.

Jammy.

Eh up mate
Go for it and good for you.
Don't waste money on the service...if it needs a intermittent service get it done, if it needs a full service then do that, no need to waste money on extra. Just check the lubs etc before you set off on a morning
I took iPhone for photos, gopro and mac book air, what you are taking is great, no worries there. On your way up check out the Yorkshire Moors and the Dales, the Lake District is great to ride also. On your way up to Scotland keep off the A1, there are other roads you can take. Loch Ness is a nice area to ride and I quite liked the area around Gretna and Oban. Try an visit a distillery in Scotland. I have not done the Northern Road so can not comment.
I think at two weeks you need to look at how far north you go, you want to enjoy it not beast yourself or the bike...but your decision.

Alone is ok, I travel alone most of the time and prefer it, others prefer company

Keep us all informed on here....and the most important thing...Enjoy it, its your trip

Wayne

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Thanks buddy for that! I never thought of it like that to be honest. I need a new chain and sprokets and brakes immenently so might get the fluids done in a few weeks time.
Glad I am not over packing, that's what I was worried about!! I will have a look at those location, Will avoid the A1, too fast!

Thats very true, it's going to be a tough ride in 2 weeks, so might do a few long stints, early night then visit a location, I really want to go to the poison garden in Alnwick on the way back though!!


Will do pal, I am trying to make a wordpress website for it all, got the free host - just need to get down and dirty to get it complete!

Thanks again pal!

If it needs changing eg brake pads do it before you leave otherwise bad things can happen, just ask one of my riding mates who ignored this advice and frazzled his rear caliper in Germany
Pack light and take waterproofs!! I always take more pants and socks then needed, being ex military if your feet and bits are comfy and OK then all is right with the world. A spare pair of riding gloves is also nice. Don't try and do too much each day as the trip becomes a mission, which defeats the object.
Drink plenty of fluids and snack on nuts etc not chocolate bars and they only give a short lived fix.
Speed wise think tortoise and hare, you will get better mpg, which means less time lost through stops....... Took me years of blasting up and down the autobahns to Slovakia to learn that one
Kick back and enjoy and keep posting

Thanks pal, got it all booked in for next week!! and sounds painful, yup I think I am packing light?! thanks for that, useful to know!!

That's true, most of the ride is simply going to be riding (route below) so should be nice! Might see some old University people too!!
Will take a load of nuts and buy them on the way up, too!!

Thanks Chris, will do. Your recommendations have been taken on board!

Managed to fix some panniers to the R125 Fit nicely, and are supprisingly waterproof!!




And this is the chosen route up!! Following it to a point!

Enjoy it

Wayne

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Thanks pal! Can't wait!!

That looks a grand trip.

My only comment is not to get fixated on distance covered, whether by day, by week, or by target of John O'Groats. The main thing for me is to enjoy the ride, the scenery, and the stops (for coffee/food or views). It's about the experience. Enjoy it.

Take your time.Check your oil regularly.Ride safe.You'll enjoy your accomplishment.Keep posting.Good luck.

Hi Everyone,

Sorry it has taken me a while to populate this thread, since I have been back it's been non stop. Took a journal throughout the whole trip.

Enjoy, I would love to hear your feedback!



Day 0: Brighton to Lands End

Started off early on the 25th July, left Brighton around 5.30 AM so I would have a nice time driving to Cornwall, however, nice time was not the right words. The A30 was (is) a massive cluster!! Road works, took me almost 3 hours to get through, with the average speed cameras at 30mph it was a hard stint! But 8 hours later I managed to arrive at my hostel just outside Lands End. Good start to the trip I lost my ear plugs at one of the first stops haha.

First picture, just before I set off...


A lovely view over Portsmouth at Portsdown Hill ( I think that's it's name!)


As I was on the road all day, not much opportunity to do much more, day 1 was a complete and utter grind day!

At the Hostel just outside Lands End


Day 1: Lands End to Shropshire

It was another early morning for the bike and myself. I was the only one on the road at the time which was lovely! To be honest, I don't think I fitted within the mantra of the hostel, however lesson learned. Nevertheless it was a good nights sleep! Along the A3 the bike was charging along with absolutely no issues - unlike the rider. So I stopped off at a starbucks to use the loo and to have a bit of fun on Pokemon Go. Whilst I was waiting for my two double espressos I was chatting to a chap about the trip and told him the route and he said "are you f***ing mental". You know it's a good idea when people say that. (This was some of my last social interaction for a while). The rest of the day was quite uneventful, got stuck in Bristol for far too long (Didn't like it much) too many diversions, got lost, shouted at the sat-nav and to many idiotic taxi drivers!!! Petrol wise on the way up was actually quite good, I managed to fill up in Bodmin and didn't need another fill-up until I reached Shropshire which is good going (Not bad for £8!!)

A very exciting sign:


The morning before I set off:


At Lands End:


Come at me 874 miles:


Somewhere in the Forest of Dean (The bike was as stable as it looked! haha):


Semi-Rural Location with no decent views, so just another random picture at the side of the road! :



Day 2: Shropshire to Keswick

It started off as a cold wet morning, nothing exciting happened really. A taxi cut in front of me in a town I cannot remember the name of and it was just a long grind to get to Keswick!

The only picture of the day.... My tent was ransacked by the local Cumbrian bears, I promise..... aha.




Day 3: Shropshire to Keswick

Not much really to discuss here, it was another make the miles day!! But it was a nice ride, nothing exciting, some roads were boring, however most were pretty awesome.

This was a lovely campsite, the views were fantastic.



Day 4: Keswick to Loch Lomond

It was a moist Cumbrian morning, but the bike didn't complain. The night before I started to cook some food but my ebay special stove struck a leak and decided to spray propane/butaine everywhere which was mega safe. I was stumped for dinner, however a lovely biking couple (though they drove as they were on a family holiday) lent me their stove so I was able to cook my beans on toast! . Once I left the campsite (probably waking everyone up!) I was driving down some of the roads and it amused me with the sheer amount of sheep on the road, I don't think farmers maintain their fences overly well. Nevertheless, I saw my first wild red squirrel running along the road which was a lovely sight to see! After an hour or two of boring roads. So whilst on the road it was quite nice, I was really looking forward to setting up in a nice warm cabin.
So once I left Cumbria I managed to see the sign into Scotland, this is where I encountered my first lot of rain!! Meaning I had to stop off at "Gretna Gateway Outlet Village" where I spent 2 hours waiting for them to open there shops and I picked up water proof jacket, new stove and had some social interaction.

Was plodding along got to Lokerby in quite good time, and it was torrential rain so I decided to stop and have a cup of coffee at a trucker stop, and this was all well and good until I put my helmet back on... I STUPIDLY left my glasses on the panniers as I left the trucker stop and low and behold they were run over by a truck.... bugger. So I was over 1000 miles from home, with no way of getting anything done as I couldn't see. So after a complete metal breakdown, the problem solving began. It turns out there was a specsavers in Dumfreis which was about 20ish miles away from my location, so I sped as quickly as possible to see if I can get some replacement glasses, eventful ride I must say!! Once I got into specsavers I explained to the LOVELY women in the shop and they got right to work in getting me a new pair made up. Due to a stigmatizm in both eyes I needed special prisism within the lenses, but this normally takes days. However, the lady serving me was a GENOUS and she worked out my required prisms and manually made them for me. New pair of glasses, regained a good mood and bombed it to Loch Lomond, unfortunetlly due to being held up for so long I wasn't able to get many pictures of the Loch, however, what I saw was absolutely fantastic!

First sign I saw in Scotland:



Got lost somewhere:




The log cabin for the night, it was amazing!!



Final few days in the next post!
I would love to have some feedback.

Thank you for your time.

Great job Jammy, judging by the first bit of the write up you enjoyed it.
Loosing your ear plugs is not good, I had some moulded to my ear ones which I got done at the Bike Show in Birmingham years ago and I left them on a hill top in Montenegro . Not one of the best things I have done.
Getting lost is all part of the ride
Those Cumbrian bears are a nightmare

How did the bike do? Hope it wasn't too bad

Planning the the next big trip now eh? Looking at bigger bikes for bigger longer trips?

I might be selling my XT early next year

Cheers fella

Wayne

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