Page 133 - 2022-08-01 RiDE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH
‘Bikers – and
bikes – come
alive on
these roads’
The GT, with its tall gearing, good midrange response
and accurate steering is in its element, carving tight lines
and driving past rows of dawdling traffic, while booming
with impressive roll-on power. The momentum, the
The A68 at rhythm of bike and road working together is spectacular.
Carter Bar is a There’s great places to stop, too. The 68 Café near Bishop
wonderful snake
of tarmac Auckland, for example, does the best-ever fry-up.
Before we know it, we’re in Corbridge. Steeped in
Roman history, the ancient town is a warren of stone
buildings and historic streets. Close to Hadrian’s Wall,
the area is peppered with old forts and archaeological
sites, but for most bikers, one of the most enjoyable
aspects of the Roman world starts as you leave the town.
Much of the A68 follows the line of Dere Street, an
ancient Roman road that linked Northern England with
what is now Scotland. It means that for over 2000 years,
travellers heading north have trod the same path as we
do now. But never is the link clearer than the few miles
out of Corbridge.
Around here the landscape rises and falls like a giant
green rucked up carpet and the A68 follows it with
typical Roman bloody-mindedness. The hills are
Blind summits
seriously limit the something to be respected and remembered. You climb
view ahead inexorably, heading for the sky, flying blind. As you reach
Carter Bar — it
isn’t a pub
It’s damp but the
1200GT Explorer
shrugs it off
Borders roads are
among the UK’s best
a summit, the world drops away. The bike goes light,
your stomach tries to exit through your throat and you
bump back down to earth. This happens four, five,
maybe six times.
Excess speed isn’t advised. Twenty years ago, I was
passenger in a van full of bikes that took off over one
summit at 80mph and I still get twinges in my neck now.
The WP semi-active suspension on the Tiger is
wonderfully composed as wheels regain full contact
with terra firma, though.
The next few miles are the best of the A68. I’ve always
loved the wonderful, twisting section near Swinburne
Quarry. Here the road rises and falls as it follows a glen
and crosses the Dry Burn river. Framed by dry-stone
walls, their proximity make it all feel quick, intense and
a little hemmed in. It’s a contrast to the rest of the route’s
widescreen feel. And even now, with the start of a steady
drizzle, the Triumph carves through the twists and keys
into the coarse blacktop.
It all opens up again as we near the Scottish border and
head for Carter Bar. We pass the sign and marker stone
that denotes we’re in Scotland and start the descent to
Jedburgh. Located high in the Cheviot Hills, Carter Bar is
418 metres above sea level and while it’s damp, as I
BRITAIN’S BEST RIDE-OUTS | 25