Ice cream Sundays
Ali’s on a quest to find the best salted caramel in Rutland
Seems to me that BMW F900XRs are like buses, see none for ages, then two turn up at once. At least that’s how it feels when I ride out with my fellow XR riding buddy, Paul, from our sister mag, Bike.
Paul’s like me, he’s in the fortunate position that he’s been loaned an F900XR for the year. He’s also like me, where he’d usually be commuting daily or planning the odd big trip away, rides are now limited to going on the hunt for family essentials (for family essentials, read loo roll). Rather than purely going on solo jaunts, we decided to have a couple of weekend rides around the local area, on a quest for the best icecream in Rutland. As we kit up to head out, first stop is to fuel up and it’s interesting to see how both of us are having the same issues with the beautifully styled, easy to read but a bugger navigate, TFT dash. With so many riding modes, Bluetooth connectivity, separate sat-nav and different buttons to press, it’s like the blind leading the blind. Ironically, it was Paul who showed me how to reset the trip initially and here I am, having to remind him.
We’re riding round Rutland, on some of the roads that make up the new MCN250 test route and I can see why they’ve been chosen. Rolling hills, sweeping bends and stunning scenery make for a lovely afternoon ride, the late summer sun is beaming and there’s a near cloudless sky. It’s a fun way to spend a few hours, made even more enjoyable, although we look like a mis-matched married couple, having my mate leading the way on an identical machine brings a smile to my face.
As we pull into the local farm shop and are confronted with a vast array of ice-creams. Over my two scoops, of the best salted caramel treat I’ve ever tasted, we chat bikes. I’m interested to see what Paul thinks of his XR and I’m not surprised that, like me, he finds it confidence inspiring and easy to ride. Even though I’ve only ridden about a quarter of the miles I’d usually have covered by this point in a year, I feel so at home. The XR’s already a firm favourite with us both and I can’t wait for our next duo ride (not actually sure it’s all about the bike or the company but more about the refreshments).