I wanted to try out a couple of Beemers for size as I am looking at a fly and hire holiday next year.
BMW Motorrad in Exeter had both an F750GS and an F850GS so off I went and tried them both for size.. the 850 was closest to my L4 650, so, that done it was across the road to the Pitstop Cafe to try out a breakfast.... and very nice it was too.
Out of Exeter on the A377 heading for Crediton, with a plan to turn right and head over the hill to Tiverton... but, oh no you don't!
ROAD CLOSED
The diversion signs appeared to send me back to Exeter or through Crediton, neither of those options appealed, so I headed in the direction of Barnstaple, remembering that there was a turning right in Down St Mary that I took some while ago...albeit, I was following my Beeline.
Anyway, I bumbled along some amazing country roads, some narrow and slow, others open and fast and all of them deserted.
I just kept following my nose / the sun / the lie of the land and eventually found Black Dog and a little after that Nomansland, at which point I saw a sign for Tiverton 14 miles.
The road from here got a bit wider and the bends a bit more open / fast. I had a brilliant run and only saw one small tractor over the whole ride.
The other side of Tiverton I picked up the A396 for a short while until the Exeter Inn, then I swung a right to Bampton and then on to Wiveliscombe all on the B3227, which is a little bumpy in places, but has some really long sections where it's possible to 'make good progress'.
After Wivvy, I cut through to Bishops Lydeard, through Enmore to Bridgwater, then back to Weston the long way and it was blummin hot!
About 135 miles I think. Very nice.