Bucket List Must Do
Was it really five years ago when Mick Payne did the North Coast 500 aboard an outfit? It was, and here he relives some of the adventures they had, in reminisces that are instigating plans to do it all again..
We were in Foyers on the south eastern side of Loch Ness when I made a mistake that could have ended our extended trip early. Returning to the campsite from the Foyers Stores, I decided to take a short-cut on a ‘road’ that led past the village pub. Well, this road rapidly became loose gravel with a sharp and steep left-hander looming (remember, on an outfit you accelerate to go left, and brake to go right). The trouble was the track was now about a 25% incline and I was hard on the brakes with the bike wanting to plough straight on or, in the worst case, veer right into a steep, rock-strewn bank.
In that leap of faith known to all sidecar riders, I released the brakes, grabbed a handful of throttle and steered into the bend. Too late did I see the tussock of earth that had the bike airborne, not too sure what the sidecar did but Kate, my passenger, admitted to being “very scared”. Fortunately we came back down on a short straight followed by a right-hander, but I think I would have just braked, whatever the track did. The bike slewed to the right and to a juddering standstill while I let the passenger’s torrent of abuse drift over my relieved head. I rode slowly after that!
The trip was our Team Katy ride that was to last for five months in total and raise a substantial amount for charity. This section was the celebrated NC500 in Scotland and I’ve seen many remarks on social media stating that it isn’t really suitable for outfits and that you might as well miss out the East Coast section. Wrong on two counts. If we could enjoy it on an overloaded Jawa/Velorex then it is a bucket list essential. However, it wasn’t really well known in 2015 and now has a reputation for poor driving.
It runs from, and returns to, Inverness by an anti-clockwise 516mile route, and we spent over two weeks meandering round it. There were sections that sorely taxed the two-stroke Jawa with some steep descents and climbs especially on those days we were loaded – don’t underestimate the roads into the fishing villages from Dornoch to Wick. One of these had the front disc glowing dull red, although the linked rear and sidecar brakes proved their worth.
Our ride across the far north was marred by low cloud and drizzle with the sea on our right and Ben Hope, Scotland’s most northerly Monroe, inland, but it gave a real insight into the isolation of this area. Occasional crofts dot the treeless landscape, but there is enough infrastructure to keep you sustained before Durness is reached, with plenty of accommodation. We stayed in the Youth Hostel before visiting Smoo Cave, then loading up for the spectacular ride to Ullapool. This was Sunday and, unbeknown to us, the local campsite owner passed the Jawa on his ride out. As a result we spent a few days relaxing at no cost. This generosity was not unique!
Perhaps the most exciting ride was to come. We’d spent a couple of nights in a camping pod in Applecross before tacking the Bealach Na Baa. The ascent was hard work on the laden Jawa and the spectacular descent was measured, memories of the outfit nearly running away from me at Foyers. We left the route soon after to spend a week on Skye, in probably the worst weather of the whole five-month trip, before riding back to Inverness.
This ride was for The Alzheimer’s Society, but five years of the disease is a long time and Kate is now in full-time care. I’m hoping to take on another fundraiser this year on the Jawa, this time to fund a sensory garden for the care home. More details next month. Probably!