Thumper Club Forum
Club House => Events/Meetings/Rideouts => Topic started by: jules on November 03, 2009, 07:53:40 AM
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Ahh,
just got my invitation for the TT,anyone else going??,
Oh and if your names not on the list,you aint getting in :D
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Yes, got my invitation through too.
Simon
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And Me !!!!
Jethro
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Gareth got one too despite him being sure he didn't put his name down last time. (For non-Tauerntreffen types - The rally is invitation-only, but when you register upon arrival you are asked if you would like put your name down for automatic inclusion the following year ).
GC
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Are any of you TTers planning on getting off the autobahn for the ride through Austria? That's what we did last year and it has to be said that it made that final leg of the trip much more enjoyable than the preceding 800 motorway miles. We even ended up having coffee in a cafe at the foot of a ski lift, surrounded by skiers... a tad surreal.
Whereas the motorway ploughs through the mountains in tunnels we ended up riding on some great roads. We used the motorway for the return trip and the difference was very marked. It may have been a lot quicker, but we missed so much of the scenery.
One tip though is not to go through the same Wels crossroads three times, each time from a different direction... bloody GPS :D
GC
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I think the majority will be leaving from the Elephantentreffen,and from there its about 150 klicks to the TT site ::),doing the motorway this year was OK for me,yes it was boring,but we made great time and it meant we(Viv,002 and I)got there in daylight,went straight up the hill and put our tents up with a few hours of daylight to spare,watching other treffen goers arrive is great :o,especially them getting up the hill(or not) ;D the last thing you want to be doing after travelling all that way is running around trying to find a space to camp then put your tent up in near darkness >:( ;D
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I can see your point, but I still think it's worth considering riding up into the mountains on back roads, even if it's only the last 30 miles or so, it was quite an experience. If you can make good time on the autobahn then you can at least give yourself the option of skipping the tunnels section. Just a thought and all that.
GC
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So who's going this year then? Julian, Jethro, Viv and Simon are definite I understand, but anyone else giving it a go?
Failing that is anyone doing the Elefant (apart from the above mentioned)?
GC
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Failing that is anyone doing the Elefant (apart from the above mentioned)?
GC
I've set myself up with a couple of social calls heading down into Germany, so I'll be at the Elefant on the Friday night to collect the badge, have a beer and talk to a few of the loons.
Andy
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If you're doing the Elefant, can I ask you to see if they sell any of the previous year's stickers? My '00, '02', '04 and '06 stickers were on the sidecar I just sold :(
GC
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Roger, wilco.
I lost my 2004 sticker with the BMW-Meteor, so another one of them would be good. I had the sense the scan it before I stuck it on, so I sort of have a record. Not the same though.
Andy
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Can I offer my best wishes to the TCers who are due to depart in the next week or so for the Elefant and/or the Tauerntreffen (TT). Jethro, Julian, and Simon are, I believe, aiming for a night at the Elefant rally before pressing on into Austria for the TT. Andy Metcalf is intending to ride to the Elefant rally before heading off for a massive drinking session in Holland.
Good luck boys, you're that rare breed who actually set off to do these things rather than just pondering them. Temperatures of minus 'eff orf' aren't to everyone's taste, but for some of us these rallies are the best of the year. We'll look forward to hearing of your adventures when you return.
GC
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Hear hear, hat duly doffed to you all, you bunch of loonies ;D
Hope you all have safe trips and a great time. :)
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I'll second that. Enjoy yourselves and stay safe, I'll catch the stories aty the curry night [if it's still on].
One year I'm going to do this rally.
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I'll catch the stories aty the curry night [if it's still on].
Yep Yep,
still on for the pre Dragon curry night in whitchurch,19.30 in the plough to start,couple of pints,then to the curry house for scoff
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I'm sure otehr TCers are like me and get a vicarious thrill from seeing how other people's trips are going. I spoke to Simon last night and he wasn't too sure of the exact details of the trip. Could we get an idea of the itinerary so that we can keep tabs on how you're getting on?
Cheers
GC
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I'll catch the stories aty the curry night [if it's still on].
Yep Yep,
still on for the pre Dragon curry night in whitchurch,19.30 in the plough to start,couple of pints,then to the curry house for scoff
Oooh Goody ;D
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I understand the lads are meeting at the ferry port at 6.30 am tomorrow, so the Welsh boys are probably getting ready for bed about now (12.00 noon Saturday).
Anyway, have a good trip lads and make sure it's a safe one. Some texts and/or emails would be appreciated so we can update the forum on your progress.
GC
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I understand the lads are meeting at the ferry port at 6.30 am tomorrow, so the Welsh boys are probably getting ready for bed about now (12.00 noon Saturday).
Anyway, have a good trip lads and make sure it's a safe one. Some texts and/or emails would be appreciated so we can update the forum on your progress.
GC
Got invite and Ferry Booked,All ready and sorted....But unable to attend this time !
There will be other occassions.
Jethro
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Bummer!
So that leaves Jules and Simon riding together then?
I spoke to Simon earlier and he had done a trial run on the bike, some 10 hours before departure. He had completed an exhaustive test circuit (to the petrol station and back ::)) and felt confident about it all. I reckon he's picking up my bad habits (I am the original 'Mr Last Minute').
Worryingly Simon still didn't have an exact idea of the itinerary, he thinks it's two nights stopover near Frankfurt, two nights at the Elefant and three nights at the Tauerntreffen. A monster trip.
GC
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2 Nights Aschaffenburg
1 Hotel En Route
1 Elefant
3 TT
1 Night Aschaffenburg
Jethro
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I understand the lads are meeting at the ferry port at 6.30 am tomorrow, so the Welsh boys are probably getting ready for bed about now (12.00 noon Saturday).
Anyway, have a good trip lads and make sure it's a safe one. Some texts and/or emails would be appreciated so we can update the forum on your progress.
GC
Got invite and Ferry Booked,All ready and sorted....But unable to attend this time !
There will be other occassions.
Jethro
Bad luck mate.
Well I went in the garage yesterday morning and pressed the starter button and got, you guessed it, nothing but solenoid rattle. I think it was water from when I washed it as having done the push pull in gear thing it's now starting first time every time. I can't say it's done much for my state of mind with a Wednesday departure looming. :(
Andy
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1 Hotel En Route
I'd have thought that on a financial basis alone it would be preferable to crack on to the Elefant Rally, even if it means getting your tent up in the dark. You'd be getting two nights for the cost of one, a full following day on the rally site and no hotel cost (30 to 50 euro). But that's probably the miser in me talking.
Well I went in the garage yesterday morning and pressed the starter button and got, you guessed it, nothing but solenoid rattle.
Andy
It's always the way eh? Mike Cater's gear lever (iirc) fell off on the day of departure for the '02 rally. Ironically the only year I had to get home using Carole Nash was the year I spent ages prepping the bike... I won't make that mistake again ;)
I spoke briefly to Simon this morning. Even though he had only been sailing for about 20 mins he had still switched to a French phone network, probably to the detriment of my phone bill. He is on his way in the company of Jules and a bloke called Tim (not a TCer but known to some of us Dragon Rally types).
GC
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Simon texted me on Sunday night to say that the trip to Aschaffenburg had been fine. They had some rain and it was snowing for the last 40 miles. They all had a rest day yesterday and today they are riding to a hotel enroute to the Elefant Rally, which they will ride to tomorrow.
GC
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Got a Text tonight from Jules...Down to -18c last night,and had a spot of bother starting the bike this morning.
Got to Elefant and putting tent up in -10c,facial hair freezing.
Snow not too deep but like powder.
Lucky Buggers !
Jethro
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That's not that cold really. Is it Jethro ?
Some hardy souls amongst us wouldn't think twice about wandering about in our boxer shorts and vest in those sort of temperatures. In the early hours as well !
Would you...... :-*
Rob
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That's not that cold really. Is it Jethro ?
Some hardy souls amongst us wouldn't think twice about wandering about in our boxer shorts and vest in those sort of temperatures. In the early hours as well !
Would you...... :-*
Rob
I needed to go to the bathroom !
Was a little chilly..... :-[
Jethro
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I needed to go to the bathroom !
Was a little chilly..... :-[
Jethro
Is that.....chilly or willy
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I needed to go to the bathroom !
Was a little chilly..... :-[
Jethro
Is that.....chilly or willy
Chilly Willy.....when I found it
Jethro
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Simon texted yesterday, they made it to the Tauerntreffen. Simon lent his home made chains to Tim and then got stuck when he stopped to help. Luckily Jules' mate Justus had lent Simon some proper chains as a back up so he fitted those and made it up the mountain. He said teh snow was deep and it was harder than last year.
Andy Metcalf texted me about half an hour ago and he has made it to the Elefant rally. I'm really pleased for him because I think he's failed to get there the last two times he's tried (although he did get there on his first attempt when we rode together in '04).
GC
UPDATE - Simon texted to say that they all got up without a tow, but all three bikes have starting problems so they are not looking forward to Sunday morning. I replied pointing out that they have a 5 mile hill to bump start down ;) :D :D
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...UPDATE - Simon texted to say that they all got up without a tow, but all three bikes have starting problems so they are not looking forward to Sunday morning. I replied pointing out that they have a 5 mile hill to bump start down ;) :D :D
;D I'm sure they were very grateful for your advice ;D ;D
Chuffed for Andy 8), must be soul destroying putting all the prep in and not making it :-\
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...must be soul destroying putting all the prep in and not making it :-\
(http://www.regent.edu/general/library/about_the_library/news_publications/images/shhh%201.png)
there are plenty of us about to set off for the Dragon Rally, don't bring us bad luck ;)
GC
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there are plenty of us about to set off for the Dragon Rally, don't bring us bad luck ;)
GC
I'm sure you will all be fine, besides, you live so close that if there's a drama you can take the bicycle ;) :P ;D
(took train/bicycle to work Thursday and Friday, my legs are killing me lol)
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Oh dear... it seems their ride home might not be as easy as they think. See THIS (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8489123.stm) report on German road chaos due to the weather conditions.
GC
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:( That's not good. Fingers crossed the lads have a (relatively) uneventful trip home.
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I checked the weather report and then texted Simon to warn him (although I suspect he already knows) that it's snowing along his entire escape route through Germany.
I'm with you Smudge, I hope they have an uneventful ride home.
I still have bad memories of a BMW GS rider falling off his bike without warning whilst riding in a straight line on the autobahn, some ten miles short of the Elefant Rally. There was a band of ice on the road directly below a bridge and none of us saw it, but we were on three wheels and merely had twitches, he fell flat on his front whilst the bike pirouetted along the road. No injuries I'm glad to say, but it made me reluctant to do another such rally on two wheels.
GC
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I've jyst had word that they made it to Auschaffenburg. Apparently the route was snow-lined all the way and they went through some heavy snow showers, but it wasn't sticking because of the traffic.
They all got the bikes started this morning. Simon found a loose connector and then his started easily. Jules put his battery in his sleeping bag (at least I think that's what Simon said) and his started first prod. Tim used a stove to ensure that his would start.
Hurrah. Tomorrow they ride out of Germany, through the Netherlands and Belgium and into France for the ferry home.
GC
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Good for them! Sounds like they've had an adventure, and home in time for tea and medals I'm sure ;D
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Thinking of Jules' problems with his battery, it reminded me of something a car mechanic friend of mine told me. Apparently most modern cars come with lagged battery boxes to stop the cold getting to the battery. Certainly I have lagged my diesel van's battery for the winter and I noticed the difference (it had been a bit sluggish on very cold mornings) and I always lagged my batteries for the Elefant rally trips.
Do any of you lag your bike batteries for the winter?
GC
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When you say "lag" the battery, which meaning of the phrase are you using?!? :o
;) ;D
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I have wrapped the battery on my R100Rs in bubble wrap. No starting problems there.
Just an occasional sticking clutch...... ;) :-*
Rob.
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I have wrapped the battery on my R100Rs in bubble wrap. No starting problems there.
Just an occasional sticking clutch...... ;) :-*
Rob.
...........and the Odd........CULLUNCK !!
When changing gear..Oh Sorry it was all the time !
Jethro.......Destroyer of BMW G/Boxes and Shafts when tugging sidecars
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Bloody hell, that is a good idea.
Where did I put that bubble wrap ?
Richard
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When we had battery problems with vehicles in the Bosnian winter we used foam (rob it from engine bays in scrapyards) to insulate the batteries, also park out of the wind if possible and where you can, park the vehicles very very close together so some are sheltered from the chilling effect of the wind*, (if you can get one going you can normally tow start the others ;) ) also take a leaf out of the Panzer crews books and run the engine regularly up to temp and for long enough to give the battery a boost.
Some people also advocate switching on the sidelights for a short while before cranking (in very cold weather) the theory being that the reaction in the battery will generate a little action in there and make the shock of cranking the engine a little less severe... dunno about that tip myself, never tried it!
*Mind you, it was cold enough overnight that a 50/50 kerosine/diesel mixture looked like a slush puppy :o
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...Some people also advocate switching on the sidelights for a short while before cranking (in very cold weather) the theory being that the reaction in the battery will generate a little action in there and make the shock of cranking the engine a little less severe...
I take much the same course with Mrs Onepot, if you ask too much of her too soon all sorts of trouble can ensue ;) :D ;) :D
GC
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I love bikes and riding but I dont get this torture when going camping in snow. Is it the the beer or the chalenge of riding in it? I am cold enough in on a bad day here. I could just about see the challenge of riding in it if I were in my 20s or it was part of a longer tour.
Tell me what I am missing
Ken
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For me it's the challenge of the trip, despite the fact that the locals ride and drive in that weather all the time ::)
GC
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Tell me what I am missing
Ken
If i had to explain you wouldnt understand
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/chairhead64/Taurentreffen%202010/DSCF2450.jpg)
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/chairhead64/Taurentreffen%202010/DSCF2457.jpg)
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Tell me what I am missing
Ken
If i had to explain you wouldnt understand
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/chairhead64/Taurentreffen%202010/DSCF2450.jpg)
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll130/chairhead64/Taurentreffen%202010/DSCF2457.jpg)
Excellent.
Does this post mean you are back home?
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Yep,
home and now thawed :D,although still trying to get used to my surroundings,have to remember that i dont have to crouch right down to get through the front door,empting the boot on the chair and found a still frozen(covered in ice) tin of Goulash soup,it was cold cold cold ;D full trip report coming soon
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Looking forward to the report.
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Awesome.
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Glad everyone made it. Full report to follow, but I made it to the elefant with the start of an electrical problem (spent an hour on the side of the A-3, it's traditional you know :-[ ), so decided to get the rally related shopping done, have a walk round and retire back into Regensburg just as it was getting dark. BTW, If Triumph ever make a 395cc single with it's own spare pot built in, don't buy one, they are flat out at 55 and make a horrible mess of the exhaust that's in use. Had another couple of little fault finding sessions on the A-3 next day then a full on white-out complete with multiple car pile up and trucks that then couldn't climb the hill past it due to ice, between Frankfurt and Koln :o Found the loose *****y wire before I retired to a local hostalry though ;D Koln-Amsterdam was fine once I'd done a bump start routine (different fault >:( ), got totally wrecked in Amsterdam, then did it again (next day obviously) to get to the ferry. Had to do a rolling bump start down the ferry ramp this morning complete with massive exhaust pop, which woke up the boys in blue and had at least one reaching for the safety catch :-[. (Their dog gave the handler a right dirty look when he ducked, which had me smirking through security, passport control, customs etc. ;D ) Now at home (obviously), the big fault seems to be lack of charging. I think a battery fault I had last summer may have come home to roost, but we'll see.
A slight correction, I've done this trip three times. I got the full experience in 2004, the visits onto the hardshoulder that year were down to sliding Dutchmen and their BMW's. In 2007 I turned back at Regensberg after falling off three times in fifteen miles in a blizzard (going on a solo Bonneville on road tyres, was, in hind sight, totally ****ing insane). This year I got the badge, the hangover and the means to get another hangover (at least a years supply of dutch gin ;D) even though my (possibly) total loss electrical system (no horn and slow flashing indicators by the time I reached Leeds; it was close) did sort of cut down the fun.
Thanks for the invite to the Dragon, but I've a feeling homelife will be easier if I decline, I've my Dad's 65th on Saturday and I've a feeling beer money may be heading towards some sort of investment in copper.
Many thanks for the kind thoughts and encouraging texts.
Andy
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Great stuff, glad you all made it and had a (couple of) grand day(s) out ;D
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Glad to hear you made it to the Eleffant Andy. Road conditions were certainly challenging at times!
I spent yesterday acclimatising to the warmer environment and sorting out the bike and camping gear. There was a small pile of Austrian snow on the garage floor after I unrolled my tent!
I gave the bike a quick wash and it seems to have scrubbed up well. Part of the painted swingarm has received a light polishing from the snowchains.
Electrical gremlins seem to have been the order of the day for me, with the starting issues at both rallies (seems to be sorted now) and salt water getting into the auxiliary power socket rendering it useless, and also premature corrosion of a connector on the heated grips (impressed with the muffs though!) and on the HID headlight bulb. The water/salt or cold also killed off my cheap Sat Nav unit which refuses to wake up. The battery charging seems to be working OK, but I can't get anything on the display. I'm wondering if very cold temperatures can kill an LCD display? I'll open it up tonight if I get a chance.
Having only done about 500 miles on the Tenere before setting off, I now have a much better understanding of the bike. I really like the big tank range (I understand you can get up to 300 miles) and found the seat to quite comfy and slightly better than the DR's was. The neck ache I'd experienced on the Llanthony weekend didn't appear and I was getting nearly 60mpg on a few stints which I reckon is pretty good considering the weight it was lugging.
I adjusted the chain a little (didn't carry extra Scott oil for the whole trip) and if I get a chance I'll see if I can get the power socket to work again. I put a conventional bulb back into the headlight at one of the petrol stops, so that's sorted. I'll probably leave the heated grips for now seeing as I didn't have them turned on all the way from Austria.
I took a few photos and a tiny bit of video footage at the Tauerntreffen which I'm hoping to get online soon.
Simon
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. I'm wondering if very cold temperatures can kill an LCD display?
Certainly. The automotive LCD displays used by one of the competitors at my former job would work OK down to a little below freezing and survive to wake up again down to minus 40. If they froze with a code displayed that's all they'd ever show again, they assumed your workshop would be heated and no driver would ever manage to set the (diagnostic) display going (obviously never met a British truck driver). We used an LED to flash out a code, jurasic technology but they worked when the electronics inside were down at minus 40. I'm sure the right sort of LCD can work at minus-stupid temps but they'll have a price tag to match.
Glad you made it.
Still working on my electrical problem. With the battery now charged the number of button presses to get it to turn is now down to about one in three. Jumping the solenoid gives 100% sucess. When the engine runs it charges. I'm now thinking some sort of short. I've a new starter solenoid on the way and think the next plan is to take the frame-loom and switch gear out of the picture.
Andy