Just wanted to thank all of you that turned out for the ride out yesterday. I think including myself we had something like 18 bikes out on the run and several with Pillions, so this makes all the planning and prep well worth the effort. There were several Riders whom I had not met before, some of which were new members from the recent NOG / Bahnstormer recruitment at the new bikes launch events. Thanks to Rosemary for the quick response to sending out emails after some of the information in the Journal was incorrect or missing. After checking all riders were happy with our ‘drop off’ system, we got away pretty well on time, just after 11am, and the route took us on a mixture of ‘A’, ‘B’, more minor roads and Country Lanes. The weather was excellent and allowed for some ‘brisk progress’ to be made on the ‘A’ roads, which I’m told was appreciated. Some of the lanes asked for careful and skilful riding, but thankfully no dangerous pot holes encountered, and I’m sure the Guys on the GS’s enjoyed this element of the ride.

The Bank Holiday traffic was much busier than expected, as was the Horse Show / Eventing, which wasn’t evident on my previous runs along the chosen route, whilst planning. Neither was the ‘recycling lorry which took up the width of the minor road just north of Ablington. Thank you at this point to the gentlemen who assisted me in pushing my RT in reverse a short way back up the road, uphill, to let this vehicle pass me and the collecting bikes behind.

The route was ‘across country’, passing through several wooded areas with bright sunlight streaming through the Trees and the scent of Bluebells and the sight of newly borne Lambs laying in the fields, soaking up the Sun. We rode through Bibury, Wittington, Colesbourne, Cowley, Birdlip, Painswick and finally through Brookthorpe to our final destination at Cotswould BMW, where the MD Ross Verdon had kindly set out some lunch for us in their typical BMW styled, spacious and  excellently laid out showroom, which had all of the latest BMW Bikes and Rider Equipment that you would expect to see. Many of our riders are equidistant between dealerships and so this gave us a good base to meet up with several of the Western section members who met us there. Ross told me that they had started to sell BMW bikes from late ’09 and had been trading well, with the traditional Boxers still accounting for some 60% of their sales. There were several bikes prepared and ready for collection, so it looks as if the year is now starting to accelerate for them, (no pun intended!) as it is in the other dealerships that we are in contact with.

Many thanks for the kind comments I received yesterday, and I’m very pleased you enjoyed the ride out. Looking forward to the next one.

Ken