Thumper Club Forum
Club House => Events/Meetings/Rideouts => Topic started by: Furry John on February 07, 2009, 11:16:07 AM
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Bit soon for stories you might think, aha!, my rally ended 0.7miles from the A470/A5 junction @ Bettws y Coed last night. It's a place called "The Fairy Glen" and I have always in the past said "Hello", sometimes though I believe it does not work. The trusty old DR650 died in a heavy snowfall and has not run again since. I am back in Cardiff now thanks to Carole Nash recovery. While I stood by the bike in the blizzard, many people stopped to see if they could help, one Doctor who insisted that I should leave the bike and go with him i his car to Bettws and a nurse who was also most insistent that I joined her. The only person who went by and did not even look in my direction was one of North Wales finest, a police car with two people in it. I had stopped on a section with a double white line and given their anti-motorcyclist attitude I expected to be told to move the bike when I saw them coming, nothing, no response. The main point of this mail is that after about one hour the Thumper Club convoy arrived led by GC, I had gone up earlier with Jules, Jethro and RichardNL. When all possibilities of assistance had been tried/discussed they continued on their way, being late for the bunkhouse. About 15 minutes later an outfit came by heading towards Blaenau and the rider waved and continued. It then came back on my side of the road and it turned out to be Gareth, GC's brother. He had been into Bettws, bought some chocolate bars and a large coffee and come back to me. He then shot off onwards to the bunkhouse. If anybody ever tells you that this is just another motorcycle club, do not believe them, it is much bigger and better than that. THANKS GARETH!! I was eventually picked up and transported back to Cardiff, but thought it worthwhile recording this action publicly.
John
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Hi John, sorry to hear about your bike problem, It was a few hundred yards east of there, on the A470 that my DR 800 engine exploded late November, after waiting for 3 hrs for RAC recovery, I pushed/rode the bike to the bridge over the river, intending to walk into Betws for food and drink and then met a group of canoeists who gave me sandwiches and coffee until recovery arrived......do you think the fairy's had anything to do with these incidents?......I'm not superstitious, but next time I pass there........
Dave
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my DR 800 engine exploded ......
Hi Dave, I bet thats it, the little people never have liked DR's since Suzuki dropped the 350
John
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Bad luck mate. Time to rename the place Gremlin grove or something.
Still, there is always next year.
Andy
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sorry to here about your mechanical mishap but glad to see people are still prepared to help a traveller in distress.
I just wish I could be out with you lot even a breakdown is beter than work,work and more work.
beeman
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Got back about 2:45pm . Very eventful final 40miles . Will elaborate further later .Very good night on Sat . Splendid turn out from all concerned and so good to see the chums again .
Rob .
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Ho Hum. Got back at about 1:30 p.m. after a slow and cold ride home. Didn't fall off this time.....but ran into a bit of snow about five miles from home.
The trip there was a bit more exciting. Approaching the Conrah Hotel turn off a few miles south of Aberystwyth I made the mistake of bimbling along in close moving traffic and didn't react quickkly enough when the large BMW car in front started braking heavily. I promptly locked the front wheel and fell off. Idiot, buffoon, old-enough-to-know-better award winner for the day. Entirely my fault. Most embarrassing of all when I picked myself up a passing nurse rushed up, took me to the side of the road, forbade me from moving my head and called the ambulance despite my protestations of being relatively injury free, bar pride and a bruised hip. They checked me over and gave me the OK to continue with a broken mudguard and indicator. Oddly my right boot lace snapped in three places which supports a theory of mine that in accidents bike boots almost always come off.
Stopped in Aberystwyth for a new bootlace, handlebar straightening, waterprrof leggings and food.
First night was a cracker - snowy field, clear skies for most of it and a babbling river. Fine food was prepared by Julian, a venison stew, and a fire (eventually) lit. A beautiful spot, almost like daylight with a bright moon reflecting off the snow. Simon was the last arrival shortly after darkness fell and had tackled some heavy snow over the latter part of his journey which honoured us a few times with its presence. Cold enough to freeze the condensation inside my borrowed tent but comfortable enough as it didn't rain. I discovered that I had crushed my cooking gear in the 'off'.
Bit of excitement in the morning re a certain bike cured using the skills of Jethro and vast spares stock of Andy M. I swear he could assemble a complete bike out of what he carries, whilst Julian and Val need never go home again but could live out of his. Nice to meet Richard and Marika too. My apologies for the Chili Vodka.
Pretty straightforward trip to the windy Isle - in every sense Rob G (who knows what I mean) - whom I was fortunate enough to bump into on Brittania Bridge, not literally.
As for the racetrack, what can I add ? A better Dragon than I expected really more despite the venue than because. Fortunately the famed wind held off - other than that emanating from some members of the party. Lots more folk turned up, too many to mention by name, but were split up by the new layout. Some of the pitches were poor, rocky and wet. Overall I thought turnout was down, probably because of the heavy snow elsewhere. Nice badge this year. The usual alcohol inspired nonsense, rendered mildly disturbing by Val continually peering up the skirt of a fallen Yorkshireman whose breathing I occasionally had to check. Different band as well. More apologies for the Chili Vodka, I blame Boyd whose absence was felt, along with Steffan who really should have been there to enjoy the first night especially.
My conclusion, a better Dragon than the venue promised.
Richard
PS. Recipe hint - Chili Vodka in Hot Chocolate.
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Sorry to hear your tale Furry :'( you missed a good rally. Had a few mechanical woes of my own on the way home when the chain kept jumping off the sprockets. A kindly pair of Dragoneers came to my rescue and not only adjusted the wheel for me but lubed the chain too! Great service ;D
My on/off problems with the heated grips repaired itself, which was good, but my setting fire to my gortex sock (don't ask!) was very bad. Still the doctor says I'll walk, but don't try ballet!
Here's to next year.
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Most embarrassing of all when I picked myself up a passing nurse rushed up, took me to the side of the road, forbade me from moving my head and called the ambulance despite my protestations of being relatively injury free, bar pride and a bruised hip.
You fall off and pull a nurse all in one motion - excellent!! - all hail caesar!!
Was she pretty or was it Mick?
Steffan
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"wrote Steffan "Was she pretty or was it Mick?"
Are these the only options then ?
Richard
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My first Dragon rally and what can i say other than "brilliant". Very interesting riding conditions though... I had a really good time and thanks to Gareth and GC met some good people. Will definatly be back next year but will stay far away from the chilli vodka..
Cheers all and thanks
Warren
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I don't know why Warren is thanking us, he was bloody great company and it's a real honour to meet a man who has the same propensity as me for finishing off everybody else's food as well as his own.
Our Dragon trip began on Friday morning with an ominous phone call from my brother telling me that the A470 was closed north of Merthyr. When BJ arrived at my house I gave him the bad news and we debated all the runaround options. However, when Gareth, Liz and Warren arrived our worries were dismissed by Gareth's usual forthright approach to these problems. He announced "well let's go there anyway and see if it's open now". We did this and it was open, despite the evidence of some very heavy recent snowfall.
Later on we stopped, as is our wont, at the lovely Dolwen Garage cafe and then set off for Llanberis. The ride was pretty uneventful, but as we approached Betws we stopped twice to see if we could help broken down Dragoneers, the second being Furry John. It was a real shame to see that his trip was ending early, but we couldn't fault his logic, the recovery wagon seemed by far the best choice.
Firday night was spent in the company of Steve Dalby and Terry and we had a nice time in the pub next door after some great nosh in Petes Eats.
We got to the site quite early and we had a good choice of camping sites and we settled on one well away from the beer tent and bogs and with a good view of the loons riding the track as part of an unrelated track day. Bruce was camped near us and in due course Andy M and Pat joined us and attended to their erections. Later in the day we got the news that Boyd wouldn't be joining us, which was a shame.
The rally was much as ever and we all had a good time chatting to strangers, looking at mad bikes and meeting up with some old friends. A few people knew all about my brother's outfit because they had been following our blog and it was really pleasing to see them taking an interest in his completely overhauled sidecar.
The evening's entertainment was provided by a band fronted by a terrible rock pub singer, but despite this we had a laugh.
I stepped out of my tent very early on Sunday morning to have a pee (I'd bloody forgotten the much-used Carrick pee bottle) and was astounded to see Mr Metcalf packing his outfit by torchlight. As I was only wearing long-johns, Norwegian shirt and boots I was reluctant to trudge over to see what was going on. A massive hangover didn't help much either. Apologies for not saying goodbye Andy.
We had a very leisurely start on Sunday and Liz and I made coffee and bacon rolls for the troops before we packed up and headed off. The ride was dull but mostly dry until we approached the climb up to the pass after Dolgellau, where we were soon being snowed on pretty heavily. However this relented as we dropped into the valley below and we made good time geting to the Dolwen cafe where Pat soon joined us.
This is where it got a bit strange. Despite it being dry and mild at the cafe, almost as soon as we set off the snow started falling and we were having to clear our visors every 20 seconds or so. It was a pain and this carried on for miles. It cleared slightly after Builth Wells, but as we climbed up to the Storey Arms pass on the Brecon Beacons it came down again and soon we were riding on snowy roads. This wasn't a problem for the two outfits, but Warren and BJ were tippytoeing along.
As we dropped down the other side the snowed turned to rain and we had a miserable last 20 miles to home. I parked the bike, went into an empty house (my family were away) and collapsed under a blanket for a blissful hour before the little 'uns and my lovely wife returned to grill me about the weekend.
All in all a good weekend
GC
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Dragon 09 . Well what can I say . Couldn't take the Rs due to leaking shock so dragged the Xs out again . Left my place with Foxy on his Africa twin and made good time up the A470 , nice and steady. I think we got to the Dolwen at about 9ish .Usual warm welcome and even warmer fine breakfast and coffee . Fueled Caersws .Made good progress until Commins Coch when the xs sulked and ignition cut out . No reason could be found , flicked the kill switch on then off and the bike started ,first press ???
Made good progress and enjoyed fine views of Snowdonia in the snow . Cut up through Capel Curig and the out to Llanberis ,over the pass , brilliant .Through Caernafon and bumped into Richard on the XT .Made our way ,via a roundabout route {Richard ?} to the control and back {yes back!} to the camp site . Set up camp and how nice to see Jules & Viv , Jethro , Richard and Marika , Richard and Karen ,but was concerned to find Peewee hadn't made it . {Not well expected later } .Camp was built and I noted how times had changed . Ten years ago we would have been next to the bar . Now we were next to the bogs ! General trapse around the site some interesting bikes . Nice CL250S and a few Scorpions spring to mind, but less traditional Dragon bikes this year I thought . To the bar and nice chips and burger . Bit Grumpy over antics of some individuals inside , showing no respect for the facilities .
Enjoyed the pre tent festivities around Jules tent and the arrival of Peewee was welcome and as always he was good value . Off to the beer tent and a fine evening evolved . Gareth was his usual self and entered into the spirit of the night . Jethro was told a number of times that he would regret this in the morning . He did , but what a night . Richards Chilli Vodka went down well { Terrys face was pure class !} . The band added to it . Yes they were never going to fill Hammersmith Odeon , but it was all that was needed , we did the rest . The guy in the Pickelhaube , dragon hat , well done that man for inventive head gear . Lots of familiar faces , too many to mention but top night .
Woke up following morning , got tent down quickly and left to get back as I was to travel to Birmingham that evening . Good run . Fine dinner at the Dolwen { Bless them !}and on again . Hit snow around Brecon and this is where it got interesting . The xs refused to fire on all and alternated between 2 and 3 cylinders . As we passed the reservoirs the snow really thickened and I could not see and had to pull over . Popped the peak onto the lid and that helped enough for me to see . The xs was really running badly now and had to be nursed . Much clutch slipping and sliding around the roundabouts around Merthyr . Added interest came when the xs fired on 4 as the revs rose out of the roundabout , only to revert to 2/3 after .Got back to Cardiff at about 2:30 to a warm shower and hot drinks . Unpacked bike and then left for Birmingham .
To those who made it , well done . To those that didn't , you were missed by all . :)
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Sorry to hear about your XS Rob. It seems to be going the same way as my XBR in '04, constant little electrical niggles; decomposing wiring seems to be a hallmark of older Japanese bikes.
In the end I did the only thing I could, I bought a brand new wiring loom from Dave Silver Spares. This wasn't cheap at £100, but it has meant trouble-free riding for the last few years.
I think my Brother's Diversion 600 was also running on a variety of cylinders for the last 50 miles, the snow and wet was bloody dreadful, mais non?
This weekend is set aside for a number of biking jobs, including jet-washing the CB outfit after 2,500 winter miles on salted roads across Europe.
GC
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I agree ,the snow did the monster .I have a wiring loom in good nick and will look to swap it all over .I have no electrics now, at all .
I'll sort the RS and do the XS later .
Rob .
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The good news is that following last years electrical gremlins the Bonneville never missed a beat once I bought some petrol with a calorific value higher than dish water. All that struggling to keep up on Saturday arrived with a fill up in mid Wales on Friday and went about three miles after a BP station at Chester. Electrically, my advice, get the soldering iron out.
Andy
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Electrically, my advice, get the soldering iron out.
..........and large amounts of Silicone Grease !!!!!
Jethro
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Well, I didn’t have much time, since tomorrow I’m off to the Altes Elefantentreffen at the Nürbürgring in Germany and I (we) got back from the Dragon just two days ago and had to do some time-eating boring stuff, like going to work. Still I wanted to show your something about our beautifull ride to the Dragon Rally.
Everything is home-made, even the music (my sons band with other kids from our village)
I hope you like it. It’s the second vid I ever made. 8)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AoKsqKimLE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AoKsqKimLE)
Thanks guys, for everything, hope to see you all next year (sooner would be better) and be carefull out there on the road.
Richard-NL :)
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Brillant video of a really good time ,Richard . Lots of memories .
Thanks for going to the trouble .
See you soon I hope .
Rob .
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I hope you like it. It’s the second vid I ever made.
Thanks guys, for everything, hope to see you all next year (sooner would be better) and be carefull out there
Thank you for that, Richard & Marijke, sorry my trip with you ended too soon. For a second vid thats bloody good, see you again next year God willing,
John
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Richard-NL was it you I came across by the tea van on the Brecon Beacons?? I was riding a red & silver Dommie with black throw over panniers and a silver topbox. The blue combie looks familiar to one I waved at, though vision through my iced up visor wasn't up to much. The bike(s) in question pulled off for abergavenny I think.
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Well what a good Dragon it was,despite mine and others fears/disappointment of the event being held at Ty croes,curry night on the Thursday night saw a few of us in whitchurch village for a couple of drinks and of course a curry,
Pewi the next morning said that he felt unwell and decided to stay home as the rest of us left at about 10.00am on Friday morning to pick up Jethro in abergavenny bus station,Furry john (who would ride along with us until we turned off just after dollgellau and that was the last we saw of him :(never mind john always next year)Richard and Marijke,but first we stopped at the dolwyn cafe for breakfast,well we walked into the warmest welcome i have ever had,the staff there greeted us like we were their on children,it was heart warming to say the least,
breakfast done with it was on to cader idris another 40 or so klicks,we got there in plenty of time,the campsite deserted(no suprise there)had a layer of virgin snow,the views up the hill of cader idris amazing, a small stream run along side the campsite,it was beautiful,quite and dirt cheap at £3.00 a night, a great campsite (thanks Richard&steffan),it wasn't long before AndyM and Richard rolled up and later that evening Simon rode in,
it took a while for the camp fire to get going but it lasted all night,hot food was served and cold beer drank,for me it was a good night,i hope for others too.
Next morning we packed up, paid up and were ready to roll,but then the camera man(Si) was having technical probs :(,this gave me chance to ride up the hill to look at cader idris one more time
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/chairhead64/Dragon%20rally%202009/dscf3082.jpg)
electrical fault fixed we cracked on,i cant remember what time we got to the site but we found a pitch and our tents were erected
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/chairhead64/Dragon%20rally%202009/dscf3084.jpg)
the ground was flat,dry and we were close to the toilets which could have been a bad thing but it didn't worry me at all this year,nor being close to the marquee,Pewi had text me earlier in the day to say that he had left cardiff and would join us about 15.00hrs,he turned up looking alot better but more to the point with a load of Jever dark(beer) so we drank all of that then started on the purple stuff (Gluwien)burgers and sausages were cooked and then it was into the marquee for singing and dancing,Gagsy was on form again this year and it wasn't long before we were all bobbing up and down,his years music was left wanting a wee bit but i still had a dance ;D ;D and so did a lot of other members all in all a good night i think,next morning i woke to the sound of a thumper,yes you guessed, in my head,ouch that hurt all the way home through snow snow and more snow, and then rain as we hit Cardiff
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/chairhead64/Dragon%20rally%202009/dscf3107-1.jpg)
Roll on next year ;)
slide show here guys n gals
(http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/chairhead64/Dragon%20rally%202009/th_dscf3061-1.jpg) (http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/chairhead64/Dragon%20rally%202009/?action=view¤t=577fdef6.pbw)
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Probably makes me weird but... JEALOUS! lol :-[
Glad you had a good one guys, see you in a muddy field somewhere soon 8)
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Check this out ;D ;D ;D
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Great pics and thanks for shareing.
I even managed to look sober for my close up!
Andy
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Richard-NL was it you I came across by the tea van on the Brecon Beacons??
Yep, recognized you and tried to make a picture, but just at this time, I had to change the camera's battery. :(
Richard-NL :)
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Bit soon for stories you might think, aha!, my rally ended 0.7miles from the A470/A5 junction @ Bettws y Coed last night... The trusty old DR650 died in a heavy snowfall and has not run again since.
I was just wondering if you had sorted out what the problem was John?
GC
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I was just wondering if you had sorted out what the problem was John?
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Hi GC,
Yes, I finally got it sorted out with aid from 002 yesterday. The harness, where it exits the CDI on the underside of the battery box, had rubbed through against the rear muguard front. The "stop" wire into the CDI was broken. This is the wire which the ignition key, the kill button, the side stand switch, the clutch switch and the gearbox switch all connect to to stop the engine. The wire from the CDI to the ignition live side of the switch was rubbed bare. The engine stopped and stayed stopped because water shorted out the broken end into the CDI of the stop wire, turning off the ignition. The power wire from the CDI to the ignition just went to earth via the wet mudguard. The indicator unit blew at the same time giving rise to other red herrings to follow up. All is now well, ready for next years Dragon. I now have a spare good S/H harness for a DR650 Rs, bought on spec in case replacement wires and plugs were needed. Thanks for asking.
Cheers,
John
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Great news, I'm glad you got it sorted.
GC