DRY roads and clear skies are important elements in a recipe for perfect motorcycling.

Throw in good roads, breathtaking scenery and a lack of holiday-time traffic and there's a two wheel meal worth indulging to excess!

So when the opportunity came to try one of Yamaha's popular 900 Diversion tourers you can understand I was on a bit of a high (writes BRIAN GOMM).

Pleased enough to splash out on a couple of new Sidi jackets, a new Shoei helmet and a Nady intercom so Mrs G could whisper "Slow down" rather than knee me in the ribs.

As I collected a sparkling metallic green XJ900S demonstrator from ESB's Bolton branch sales boss Alan Smallshaw revealed the sales success of the big "Divvie".

Price-wise there is nothing to touch it in the class. At £6,495 the four cylinder, air cooled 892cc Yamaha is a low maintenance bargain which has attracted a steady stream of buyers who have chosen the Yamaha as their ideal all-rounder.

He told me:"Since it was launched in November '94 we've sold more of them than anything else - including Fireblades and Honda 90s."

With shaft drive, silky-smooth motor and glitch-free five speed gearbox the Diversion combines practicality, style and performance.

At its heart is a super flexible power unit which will happily pull top from tickover. Yes, it will accelerate from 15 miles per hour in top gear - that's from a lowly 1,100 revs - and, if the law of the land allowed, it would effortlessly plough on to a red-line 135 miles per hour.

That may or may not impress would be buyers. But if they intend using the machine for viewing some of the best of the English countryside they would appreciate the relaxing nature of a machine which doesn't care which gear it is in.

And if Continental travel beckons then the Diversion is quite happy to operate at the other end of the rev scale.

Smooth, quiet, sweet handling and with the bonus of an accurate fuel gauge and a readable clock the Diversion left a lasting impression. A far more favourable one than it did when I first rode a Diversion over a few rain-lashed November days nearly two years back. Unlocking the seat revealed a surprising amount of storage space, enough for Yamaha issue tool kit, plus my puncture repair kit, U-lock, camera and mini binoculars. Full marks!

At 239kg (535lbs) dry the Diversion is a fair old weight, but it carries its bulk well. I found it easy to get onto the centre stand and not too difficult to manoeuvre under leg power thanks to a 795mm (31in) seat height.

But best of all in touring mode was its economy. Over 270 miles it used five gallons of unleaded - that's an impressive 54mpg and a lot better than I averaged when I first tried one - but then I didn't have "The Governor" riding shotgun.

Our scenic route to a night in the Dales saw us stop for an early afternoon meal at the Hark to Bounty in Slaidburn then next stop was Hawes, the second highest market town in England.

The safe stopping power of the Yamaha's front discs were put to the test on a late afternoon scoot over the exhilarating Buttertubs Pass. After a pause for coffee at the Tan Hill Inn - Britain's highest pub as seen by millions in a TV double glazing ad (the white feather's above the bar) - we decided to return to spend the night in Hawes.

No vacancies in any of the main street pubs but we got the last room at a B & B which the owners told us was the oldest house in Hawes. They took the trouble to see the Yamaha was safely parked before we went for a couple of relaxing drinks further down the main street.

The following day after we'd waited for the morning papers to arrive ("they're always late on a Saturday, and on a Sunday, Monday......" rhymed the newsagent) we headed home the long way.

But it's worth a detour to marvel at the view as you drop down south of Jervaulx Abbey, past the Druids Temple above Leighton Reservoir and down into picturesque Lofthouse.

And the swoop from Pateley Bridge to Threshfield was worth an ear-bashing and a well-aimed knee! Not quite as sharp as the response I got when I hit a huge pothole the day before in the road near Keld and the suspension bottomed with a bone-jarring clunk.

After that no amount of C-spanner shock twiddling could convince Pat that motorcycles are comfortable.

With optional extra pannier set, rather than the throw-over bags we used, the Yamaha should take you wherever you want. And your passenger won't squirm on the saddlebag strap!

THANKS to ESB, Marsden Road, Bolton (01204 393300) for the loan of the test machine - and to the outcast of the Theakston family for Black Sheep bitter.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.