My wife and I decided to make use of the quieter roads on Wednesday while the football was on. Off came the pillion cover and the intercom was connected, I gave the bike a check over we got our leathers on and we were off for a lovely summers afternoon ride. The first stage was a pretty boreing stretch from Christchurch to Poole then the fun started. The journey from Poole to the Studland chain ferry is interesting as you pass multi million £ houses on one side of the road while the other is a wonderful view of poole harbour and Brownsea island. We arrive at the chain ferry and board. 10 minutes later we were in XBR heaven. More than 100 miles of b roads some of which are single track that wind up and down the purbeck hills, There are hairpins s bends and roads that almost turn back on them selfs as they wind up and down and through the countryside. The first stage was from Studland to bank, that starts off with a dead straight private road about a mile and a half long where I opened it up! then into the 40 zone for a bit of twistie fun to the pub at Bank. Had a coke and a fag and we were off again. Bank to Swanage is great, 60 most of the way slowing just enough for the corners (at one point my wife shouted ice creams but we went flying past. More on that later) Trundled into Swanage and had a quick look at the harbour then it was off for the next stage up to corfe castle, more twisties but the 40 limit did nothing to spoil the fun as I used the engine grunt to pull us out of the corners. Corfe castle is stunning and sits on the road junction so you cant miss it. had a good look at it and then we were off again to Kimmiridge bay. This is a great run with a mixture of fast roads and lethal private roads winding along the coast and through the hills Fun Fun Fun I was on the gearbox like a 2 stroker using 2nd 3rd and 4th keeping the engine at atound 4000 rpm, blasting out of corners winding it open before heavy breaking into the corners and around hairpins, then it was onto the private road for some careful riding as this pathed road is single track and has quite a bit of gravel on the corners and on one side is a hillside and the other is a drop of about 100 feet only separated by a barb wire fence. We stoped in the car park and had a fag and enjoyed the view for 10 minutes and decided to make our way back home. Got our lids on again pluged in the radio gear and we were off. Had an equaly great ride back and stoped in on the ice cream van that my wife had spotted earlier. We took our lids off and the first thing I heard was the ice cream seller say was 'wow an xbr with a goldstar silencer I heard you go up the road a couple of hours ago' we ordered our ice creans and chatted, It turned out he had a moto guzzi that he cafed. We said our good byes got our lids back on and made our way to the ferry then home. I recommend the purbecks as a top ride if anyone is down this way
