Six thousand miles, actually

Back in November I bought the Suzuki GS500F with 4000 miles on the clock. On Thursday we passed the 10,000 mile mark.

This momentous event happened on my way home from work. I'd left my office in Winchester at 5.00pm and headed out of the city along Bar End Road. I ducked under the busy M3 and joined the unclassified road that runs through Morestead and on to the B3035 at Corhampton.
From the A31 the road rises steeply and arrives at the top of the downs with a satisfying long left hander that opens to a short straight section. As the road starts to descend you need to ease back on the throttle and move tight to the left hand verge. Snick it down into fifth for the tight right and left bends that precede the drop down in to Morestead.
The 40mph limit keeps things steady through the cross roads and the tight left as you head back up on to the downs.

10000 miles here! Keep to the left ready for the right hander dropping down to Owslebury cross roads.

The road rises and there is a series of rights (here was the 10000 mark) before the drop down to the Owslebury crossroads. You need care here as the road is fast and straight but, like all crossroads, drivers can go in any direction without warning.
Straight through and up the other side of the dip where the road closes in and there is a slight left at the brow before you see the warning signs for a '30mph' left as you drop sharply into a very tight, '25mph' right. Back uphill into a wooded section where there are a series of bends, opening to a drop where there is a crossroads on a sweeping right hander. The road rises again into another wooded section and more bends that need to be read carefully. Watch out for debris. There may be washout from the side of the road, or branches, flints, gravel. Keep your speed down so that you can pick a safer line if necessary.

Awkward right turn round the bollard

As you clear the trees there is a cross roads were I leave the 'main' road and take the right turn towards Bishops Waltham. This road has a poor surface, drops from the junction then rises up between high hedgerows. The straight section ends in a shallow right followed by a tight left where there is usually more debris. There is a tight section running down, between houses and past the pub, to the B3035, just as it runs in to Bishops Waltham.

It's a nice run when the weather's good, but be careful when conditions are anything but perfect.

Not this time

Well folks, it was Shaun Varga who won the Twist n Go competition, not me. The current issue has his first article about the prize - the Yamaha T Max.

I'm vaguely disappointed. It's always a shame not to win, but I enjoyed the day out at Jack's Hill Cafe. But since then I've had a separate article published in the magazine, and I am preparing more for submission to T&G and its sister publication, Scootering.

Well done Shaun! I'm looking forward to the next installment - and remember - keep the shiny side up!