A forum for owners of Yamaha TTR250 trail and enduro bikes!

The day was bright and sunny and we had a 10am start from Treens Motors, Crediton.  Mounting the bike for the off, Oly says “your bikes dripping fuel”,  so before the off we had to take the fuel tank off my bike as we couldn’t stop it, turned out to be split fuel pipe and a fuel tap that’s not turning off anymore so new pipe fitted.  We are off, the first stop will be the water crossing at North Tawton, taking in 5 lanes on the way.  

This was to be Oly's first big crossing on the TTr so camera on standby so you could see the water badgers flashing their backs in the water as he crossed.  One then going for his bike tyre, snapping at it and giving a close call.  [see vid] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5Nvg7VW89k

Then on towards Stickle Path taking in the lanes on the way which seemed very dry for this time of year, a real lack of sticky mud and water around.  Then crossing to Fingle Bridge for the climb to the top of the trial hill with a planned stop half way up at a bench for a fag.  Getting there only to find two walkers sitting on our bench,  turning to say to Oly we will go up a bit further and stop I was assaulted by a real Dartmoor badger  sinking his teeth into my boot, pulling my left leg away on the steep slope and causing me to drop the bike, the fall was almost as if in slow motion,  I only caught a glimpse of the badger running away out the  corner of my eye.  (to those not in the know, you will never catch a pic or vid of one of those badgers, people have tried,  they are just too fast.  There was a man from Bodmin Moor that said he had a pic of one but after a team of biologist from the local university had a look it was found to be a shot of an escaped Honey Badger that he had photo shopped to look more vicious).

So from Fingle Bridge we made are way to Step’s Bridge and the climb up into the woods there, then across the top and round the back of the reservoir and down onto the Mortonhampstead to Bovey Tracy road, a quick fuel and food stop with the trip on the bike showing 65 miles covered so far.

Heading off back up onto the Moor for a round loop to Widdicombe in the Moor taking in some of the best lanes there is in Devon in my book and they were looking rougher and more gnarley than the last trip up round there 12-18 months back.  Lanes with rocks the size of tv set’s and a nice step at a gate onto the open moor that has a resident badger that kicks many a trail rider off, then coming to a double step that I had only ever been down over, I though discretion the better over valour ie gunning it over it as we was miles from home,  I thought  I would walk the bike over it only for a badger to come from the side and push the bike over on me trapping me under it.  Gave Oly a laugh as he picked the TTr off me.  Then we went up onto the open Moor .   

With me leading we where soon lost atop the Moor just as the sat nav went flat at a split in the tracks. Getting it going off the socket on the bike we headed down onto the main road to Mortonhampstead, then over the moor for a thrash to home taking in two more lanes close to home on the way back. All in all a cracking day out and 116 miles on the clock, door to door just over 40 lanes covered.

Pug