Bike tax

[ginmocny]

I have been living in Scotland for 5 years near Inverness.

[chief]

Scotland... land of the 40 knot horizontal rain... snow east, rain west. ... some beautiful riding... if you can stay upright, miss the fog, keep your goggles clear and don't mind a "wee Scots mist" dumping icy water down your spine!!   But those few days in Spring when everything comes together makes you remember why you ride. (Watched Skyfall last night... one scene they were stopped watching the fog in a small valley, surrounded by craggy countryside and mountain tops in route to Bond's Scottish home... been there or similar... absolutely beautiful -  but I could almost feel the chill!)

[John Hopkins]

That our country, our beloved Britain.

From that statement I take it you were not born in Britain, I don't know many Brits that would refer Britain as beloved..

John.

[DC]

JH, it sounds like you might have a career as a weather presenter.   

[ginmocny]

John, Your words put big smile on my face.  But is true, every word. That our country, our beloved Britain. I'm riding on the bikes for more then 15 years, and been through all sorts of weather: constant rain in Scotland, snow in Iceland, hailstorm in Poland and France, sun in Spain and Portugal. You just need to get use to. Just injoy your ride no matter off weather. Regards

[chief]

Lol... good story.

[CDNRatMan]

 JH have you ever thought it is not you ....it is the land you live in......lol.....always hear of or from the Royal people that the weather there plain sucks....lol...mind you the few times I have been there we had decent weather, and any winter I was there to play ice hockey it was winter time...lol so I think it is the country, like BC has the rain on the lwoer main land and then in the top were 49 lives they have yeti and snow.....normal stuff....

and his book is pretty cool, I have it out to about 6 people now who have read it.......

[John Hopkins]

In Britain we are pretty well hog tied by regulations..no riding without a helmet, no riding without road tax, no riding without insurance, no riding without a full licence that you only get if you have passed a test for your size bike, and no riding without a ministry of transport roadworthynes certificate (MOT)..

Two days ago I got a letter telling me that my tax on one of my bikes would be due at the end of this month, I looked at my documents and discovered that my MOT runs out on the 19th, now this test is pretty thorough, they test everything..yesterday it snowed, last night it rained, and today the sun came out and dried up the rain..Now none of you people really know me, and as far as I know only one of you has read my book, but it is well known that if I get on a motorbike it will rain before I get off again, the BBC phone me to ask where I am going to ride so that they can forcast rain...So today I climbed aboard one of my bikes in bright sunlight and headed out to the MOT centre 10 miles away..Two miles down the road and the heavens opened up..I arrived at the test centre soaked to the skin just as the rain stopped, I sat around in a warm office by a hot fire and dried off while they tested my bike and when they had pronounced it good I said my goodbyes and mounted up in bright sunshine to ride home again...After I had ridden about 400 yards the rain started again..

John.