1315 miles later

Well, it was everything I'd hoped it would be. The bike behaved impeccably, and despite being amougst the smallest (CC) and certainly the 'most mature' of the group, it kept up well, and its 84HP was generally enough for most terrains The rider was less adept at long distance, however, and his 'seat' and wrists both suffered daily. I learnt much about riding technique, as most of those in the group were long-distance riding veterans, and it was hard to ignore the skill with which they were able to make excellent progress by seemingly doing very little. Despite my frantic gear changes and improved line through corners, I had to rely on the uber street cred of a classic Ducati to gain any recognition.
However, I hope that before the summer is out, I'll be test riding something more in keeping with my actual age rather than my imagined age. After all, next year they're off to France!Read more