May 2025 - Training, Scotland tour, another ERS Training for Trainers course completed and a couple of social rides. Oh yes, and my GSA has its 2nd birthday.

Its been another busy month, made all the more enjoyable because we had some amazing weather! Here's what I got up to.

Motorrad Tours Barrie Robson annual tour to Scotland.

At 8am on Wednesday 14th May, I arrived at Barrie Robson BMW in York along with my mate Daren, for the annual 5 day tour to Scotland. This is the 5th year of the tour, and as some of you know, I have led the previous 4 tours on behalf of Motorrad Tours as a Tour Leader. However, having stood down from that role at the end of 2024, this year I was a paying customer! 24 bikes and riders, led by Tour Leader Scott.

This years 4 nights, 5 day tour, saw us head up to Strathaven, then to Oban, then up the west coast and over Apple Cross, before tracking east towards Inverness, and then we headed south through the Cairngorms and to our final night near Lockerbie, before the final leg back home. My total mileage for the 5 days was 1,124 miles. Here's a few photos from the tour. About to set off With Daren on his Honda X-ADV and head to Barrie Robsons BMW in York.

Annual pre tour photo. A fine looking bunch if ever there was one!

One of the group evening meals.

Sunset over Oban.

Mooooove outta the way!

Loch Katrine.

Eileen Donan Castle.

Looking down from the top of the 'Pass of the Cattle' on our way to Apple Cross.

A couple of unusual vehicle in the Cairngorms.

Final night group photo, with most of the group wearing our tour T shirts. Too many to name and list, but I'm just about visible, in the middle at the very back.

It was another great tour, with a great set of guys. The weather was amazing, most days it was in the 20s and we didn't have a drop of rain all week. Fantastic.

Training.

Due to the ERS Course and the trip to Scotland, it didn't leave much time for training. However, Andrew came along for 3 full days on his Triumph 1050 Sport. Andrew is an experienced rider who now wants to obtain an advanced qualification in order to become a Blood Biker. We completed the first 2 days in a row, during which we managed to stay dry, despite the forecast of rain, but on the 3rd booked session, the weather beat us and so Andrew will be back again in early June. When he also intends to take an advanced test. I'll keep you posted on the result.

Friends Nigel and Grahame finished off the month. The guys have had refresher days with me previously, and returned this year for another. Nigel was riding his Tuono 660 and Grahame was on his F900XR. Both the guys are experienced riders and certainly like to 'make good progress'. Cracking day, which started in the rain but finished in glorious sunshine.

Enhanced Rider Scheme - Training for Trainers course.

During May, I delivered another Enhanced Rider Scheme, Training for Trainers course on behalf of Phoenix Motorcycle Training Ltd. The candidate was Ashley on his Triumph 900. Ashley, who is an IAM Examiner and National Observer Assessor as well as being a RoSPA Tutor, had already passed the extended Theory and Hazard Perception tests prior to the course, so will shortly be registered with the DVSA as an approved trainer to deliver the ERS training. Great achievement and well deserved.

RoSPA Tutoring.

Only managed to attend 1 training session with my local RoSPA group in May, Advanced Riders North Yorkshire (www.arny.org.uk). Numerous associates were in attendance, all enjoying the sunny, dry weather. I was paired up with Mark on his BMW GS. Mark is an experienced rider, and is also a CBT, DAS, ERS and BMF instructor, and came along to refresh his skills prior to taking is triennial RoSPA advanced qualification. We finished our training at Leeds East Airport, where there just happened to be a Spitfire and jet Provost. How fab!

Very busy day.

Mark and his BMW GS

A very rare sight. A Spitfire and a Jet Provost.

IAM Roadsmart.

It was an early start on the 11th (well, it was early for a Sunday!) to be over Goole way for 830am, where I met up with fellow IAM Examiners Chris H, Alf, Andy, Chris D, Rob, Martin, and our ASDM Steve. After initial introductions, we discussed various aspects and topics around Examining and National Observer Assessments. It was great to 'chew the cud' and get different Examiners view points and opinions. After the meeting we headed off for a group ride. Final destination was Whitby, but due to an afternoon commitment, I peeled off early, leaving the guys to enjoy pies without me.....gutted! Great get together, good banter, good roads, great weather!

Social Ride 2.

On the 9th, after a few days of not feeling too well, it was good to get out on the bike again and I met friends Paul (1250GS) Mark (1250GSA), Andy (1250GSA) and Jeff (CB1000R) at a local café before heading up to Scarborough. Good weather, good company, good roads, good cafes. Spot on.

Social Ride 1.

On the evening of the 12th, I met up with mates Hoody, (Vstrom 800 & Africa twin) Rob (MT10), Pat (R1200RT) and Jacko (R1250RS) and we headed off to Scarborough for fish n chips under the setting sun. Cracking get together as ever.

My GSA.

With the Scotland Tour starting on the 14th, I needed to get my bike prepped and ready, which meant getting a new front tyre and having it serviced. The guys at Leeds Bike Tyres fitted me a new front, which was another Michelin Pilot Road 6. It wasn't on the limit, but I wasn't convinced it would last the 1200 miles around Scotland and didn't want to be worrying about tyres whilst on tour.

The service had been booked several weeks in advance in order to secure a slot just prior to Scotland. The service required was the 24000 mile service, but as it had the 18000 mile service 2000 miles late at 20,000, it wasn't actually due until 26,000. However, the gamble of booking several weeks in advance is that you have to correctly gauge the mileage. Guess what? Yes, that's right, I didn't! So when it went for its 24,000 (26,000) mile service it actually had 28,382! Anyway, the guys at Barrie Robson BMW did their usual fantastic job, and the bike came back feeling like a new pin and then performed faultlessly around Scotland.

May, also saw me pass 2 full years of ownership, having purchased the bike new on 26/5/2023. After 1 year, I had covered just over 15,000 miles, and after 2 years it shows 30723 on the odometer, not bad going and shows that I'm pretty consistent with yearly mileage! As in its first year, it has continued to serve me well, covering all sorts of riding in all sorts of weather. It really is the Swiss army knife of bikes.

So, here's my GSA mileage figures for May 2025.

01/05/25 - 28150.

31/05/25 - 30723

GSA mileage in May - 2573

FireBike mileage for May - 0!!!

Total mileages for the year to date;

GSA - 6470

FireBike (still) 246.

Total mileage for the year as of 31/05/25 - 6716.

And that my friends, rounds off May 2025. Thanks for reading, and until next month, ride safe.

Ian S