NC500 on the Royal Enfield Classic 350! Pt 2 of 3

[@TheMatlockBiker]

Ey up I’ve been to Dunnet Head several times and heard your comment about the Royal Observer Corps I was a serving Member back in 1967/68 in the south of England Been watching your video to recapture memories of completing the NC500 in May 2022 and 2023 We’re planning a ride down the West Coast again next May 2025, only this time adding a few islands Duncansby Stacks are a frequently overlooked feature, along with Dunnet Head Si thee

[@Coastriderscotland]

Hi they are indeed less visited and great places of interest often missed by folk obsessed by going to John o Groats!

[@Thesilverrat]

I would love to give you a second thumbs up as I rewatch you NC500. This was such a good ride and the narrative was great too.

[@Coastriderscotland]

Glad you enjoyed it! Was thinking about the trip and the other two trips up North last year and how much fun they were! Roll on this summers adventures! 😁👍

[@weemark67]

Oh gee. I throughly enjoyed that. Big thanks. So nice to see the craft village, beech alone the road, then smoo cave. The 350, seems to be lapping this trip up. Planning to go from Newtonhill (11 miles south of Aberdeen) to Kingussie, then Lochcarron, then via Applecross to Ullapool. In mid July. Hopefully my Crohn’s, pancreatitis and arthritis stays at bay for 3 nights. Take Bumble the Meteor. Looking forward to part 3. I love Dunbar, stayed a few times at the Royal Machintosh, a few years back. 😊

[@Coastriderscotland]

The new engines are a perfect power and speed for these roads Mark, hope you get to do your trip trouble free and you get the weather too! 😎😁👍

[@lancerbiker5263]

Great scenery. Is nice to see your bike photographed with military backgrounds. That bunker was cool also. You planning on digging a hole in your garden ?😉 Cheers

[@Coastriderscotland]

Thanks Lance, a bunker under the garage accessible from the house would be awesome! 🤣😁👍

[@davidroberts7490]

Another great video ! I did that road about 22 years ago on my TDM 850. I started off from Sicily, so no a bad wee run 😎. I can't remember if I told you but my dad was in the Royal Observor Corps in St.Andrews, and he took me to one of the posts a few times when I was a wee lad. It was between St.Andrews and Boarhills if I remember correctly.

[@Coastriderscotland]

Hi David, the coastal route was nice and quiet 20 odd years ago!, thanks for the ROC info regarding you being in one, there is still the odd one locked and not trashed by the Ned’s 👍

[@alain7338]

Vraiment un beau pays que le vôtre ! Merci pour ces partages 👍✌️🇨🇵

[@Coastriderscotland]

Your welcome Alain, thanks for watching 😁 Cheers Bruce

[@Tonyv1951]

What a fascinating blog and channel.

[@Coastriderscotland]

Thank you Tony glad you enjoy the content 😁 Stay tuned more films on the way! 👍 Cheers Bruce

[@scottboettcher]

Lovely vid! Great scenery. Only thing missing is me! Ride Safe 🙏🏼

[@Coastriderscotland]

There’s room for more folk up there Scott!, miles of empty glens and hills 😁 Cheers Bruce

[@scottboettcher]

@@Coastriderscotland Was there a few years back when I drove with friends from Durham, UK to pickup a leather jacket from Aero in Galashiels. Some nice pubs there, and the scenery out of this world! Best part is the people. Incredibly nice and friendly. The way things are going in the States these days, I could see making a move like that! Until then, I'll enjoy your vids and hope! cheers, and... Ride Safe 🙏🏼

[@Anirudhsinhjijadeja]

Good riding 👍🏻

[@Coastriderscotland]

Thank you! 😁👍 Kind regards Bruce

[@ianhughesroyalenfield]

Absolutely brilliant Bruce. Thoroughly enjoyed the views and information. Cheers

[@Coastriderscotland]

Thanks Ian, so good to get away a few days and just keep riding 😁👍

[@philpeacock7803]

Stunning video Bruce. The more i watch, the more i want the enfield signal. Was torn between the interceptor 650 or signal 350 but think i prefer the plodder.

[@Coastriderscotland]

Hi Phil, I think the desert 350 looks amazing!, be my second choice as though want a 2nd one in red/chrome, admit ably I am a lazy cleaner of motorcycles! 🤣😁👍 Cheers Bruce

[@ewanp]

Would love to join you with my Bullet 350, but I am 6000 miles away! Just bought my first bike and never rode a motorcycle around Scotland. Wishing I had now! Done a few mountain bike trails though.

[@Coastriderscotland]

Stay tuned for more films from around Scotland 😁👍👍 cheers Bruce

[@chriserskine585]

There was one of those observer posts in my village that I grew up in called Skelmorlie, up on a high point, never new it was there!, don't think they would have survived long though with Holy Loch and Faslaine sub bases just across the water, toastie if the balloon had gone up😅, atb Bruce, Chris

[@Coastriderscotland]

Hi Chris, I love exploring to find the ROC posts and while most are now open and trashed a few gems remain locked with the Scottish T Bar Key, Dunnet Head is one and still has 12v battery lights and even a stove! They get charged up using a small wind generator by a local radio ham group 👍 The reality of manning those things was in reality a bit grim! Cheers Bruce

[@stevieneilson2451]

Brilliant once again Bruce. The wee bike is thrumming away nicely 👌. Keep up the good work👍🏻

[@Coastriderscotland]

Thanks Stevie, be another wee trip away soon 👍😁

[@carltonwittland1300]

I have made it to Durness twice but never ventured any further east. The road from Kylesku to Durness is such dramatic scenery. Driving through that huge U shaped valley never disappoints. Must try and make it to John o'groats next time. Thanks again Bruce for the great video and reminding me of the North Coast. Cheers Carl.👍

[@Coastriderscotland]

Hi Carl glad you enjoyed it and it is indeed breathtaking scenery to motorcycle through, the North coast along to John o Groats is deft with a visit and there are some roads leaving townships south like at Bettyhill I have never ridden and will return to go explore 👍

[@stanleylawson9015]

looks cold up there but great views all the way

[@Coastriderscotland]

It was quite cold Stanley for late May, thing feel like they are finally warming up at last 👍😎

[@juliancain6128]

Great views and information - that cave was something out of Disneyland! Thank you for the blog links, I am going to dig in this week and read as much as I can! Looking forward to part 3, be safe out the mate!

[@Coastriderscotland]

Thanks Julian, Pt 3 out tomorrow evening 6pm!👍😁 Cheers Bruce

[@JaredAF]

The German U-Boats suffered the loss of about 30,000 sailors: a *75% casualty rate*. Brave men indeed.

[@Coastriderscotland]

Brave men going in those subs!, must have been on a knife edge of nerves and losing the plot being hunted by minesweepers and depth charged

[@JaredAF]

@@Coastriderscotland I've worked on boats operating on the Bering Sea and been through the Gulf of Alaska. It is a weird feeling putting your trust and your life into this vessel that surrounds you. But we only have to contend with nature and workplace hazards. I couldn't imagine being actively hunted by another vessel with a hundred other crew just as intelligent and skillful as you are on top of the usual dangers of seafaring, especially since submarine technology at this point was in its infancy as well. The submarines of WW2 were using wood (lignum vitae) as main bearings for their propshafts. Insane!

[@Coastriderscotland]

Aye that’s nuts! Using wood! As we both have said they were brave men

[@B0M0A0K]

Lovely video Bruce, I was really looking forward to it. I also did many of these roads on my last trip up there. It's glorious. The first time I did the NC500, my buddy and I stopped at that cafe near coco mountain. It was torrential rain and as we went to get off, there was a clap of thunder right above us. My buddy though my bike had exploded it was so loud 🤣

[@Coastriderscotland]

Aye you can crap yourself with thunder! 🤣

[@allanworthington4067]

Another cracking video & all the follow on info 👍 are they standard handlebars & silencer on the Enfield ??

[@Coastriderscotland]

Hi Allan the silencer is a cheapy slightly louder bottle silencer from India via eBay and the handebars are desert max bars I bought but swapped back to originals after the trip as too straight giving me sore wrists after 300+ mile days- just edited a film this afternoon about it that will be online in a week 👍😁 Cheers Bruce

[@allanworthington4067]

@@Coastriderscotland thanks Bruce found your other videos 👍👍

[@B0M0A0K]

Is that the factory seat you have on your Classic 350? You covered a good many miles, so how was your comfort level on that seat? At 14:33, I just found my camera footage and matched it to your footage. What a laugh 😉

[@Coastriderscotland]

I’m still on the stock seat and on the first day rode 430 miles which is actually the first I have ever rode in a day and I felt great that evening, I totalled up the mileage once home and it was actually 920 miles not 860!, that’s a lot of miles in 3 days and shows the bike is more than capable of touring 👍😁

[@B0M0A0K]

@@Coastriderscotland That's a hellova testament to the stock seat, which is more than I can say for the Rebel 😞

[@morrisminor56]

Liking this 500 thing, but there seems to be rather a lack of trees up there. Thought there would be more in the way of smallholdings etc, all that unused land.

[@Coastriderscotland]

There must have once all been covered with the Californian pine forest as that’s were all the pest has come from, Lots of those glens did in fact have community’s who were cleared for sheep farming by greedy landowners, The Highland Clearances is one of the. Darkest times of Scottish history Cheers Bruce

[@morrisminor56]

@@Coastriderscotland Yes the clearances were evil and done in Victorian times. Ethnic cleansing in todays terms.

[@pamelablake7647]

Mr T I have been enjoying ur videos very good indeed noticed that u have the royal enfield with the matt finish would like to ask is it easy to keep clean and does it loose it lusture what made u pick the military version

[@Coastriderscotland]

Hi pamela, the mat paint looks great with a spray of GT85 and rub over with cloth, it does keep clean with less to clean than the chrome models 👍 Cheers Bruce

[@ice2642]

Cool video. I wold like to ask how do you fix this grill on fuel tank?

[@Coastriderscotland]

Hi the tank rack has magnets I attached using Arladite glue Cheers Bruce

[@ice2642]

@@Coastriderscotland Good idea :) Looks cool! Tkz.

[@andrewturner4728]

I know the roads of Scotland are in a bad state (as are many in England and Wales), but those are disgraceful and it has put me off going up there. I think the west coast up to Scourie is about as good as it gets in the UK.

[@Coastriderscotland]

Hi Andrew, why I decided to not get a bigger bike when I returned to biking after a 10 year break, I feel the 350 is fast enough, the A 82 from Fort Augustus to Fort William is also a good condition Road 😁👍 Cheers Bruce