Thumper Club Forum
Club House => Chatter => Topic started by: guest18 on June 22, 2007, 11:48:27 PM
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Two turned up, several called off (no dramas with that) several just didn't bother to either turn up or to let me know they weren't turning up after previously confiming that they were "definites".
Disappointed with those people.
You know who you are, and if you are the people I think you are, you will be feeling a little guilty just now, and so you should :(
Smudge :(
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hope you dont mean me....i posted in the other thread that i wasnt gonna be able to make it.
how did it go? lose much blood to the dreaded midge????
Damo
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No it wasn't aimed at you Damo, or the others who told me they weren't able to make it, just two or three who forgot and I was ticked on Friday that Bill had used favours to get a campsite, Mrs Smudge had bought enough food and made sure there was sleeping space, both Bill and I had been on recce's etc etc.
In the end we had a pretty damn good ride, Dukes Pass had Simon and I both laughing out loud, it really is that good (I'd forgotten how good it is!) and we had pretty good weather on Sat, mostly dry and warm, out towards Oban from the Green Welly shop and up over Connel Bridge, stopped for pics at the Commando memorial at Spean Bridge (I emailed you phone pics GC, did you get them?) then up to the campsite.
Campsite was a bit midgy and drizzly but I'd arranged for Mrs Smudge to bring up beer and dry firewood and chairs etc so we had a pleasant chinwag and drinks before bed :)
Today the weather was against us but we still had a good run up to Inverness then down past Cockbridge and Tomintoul, Braemar etc, almost vertigo on the downhill twists from the Lecht it's so steep!!
We stopped at the worlds tallest hedge for another pic naturally! (I'm no more into hedges than Pat but we're both agreed, as hedges go it's pretty extreme! :o )
Now back at Dunfermline getting thawed out and fed :)
So many thanks to Bill for once again leading and providing some delightful modifications to the route, thanks to Mrs Smudge for driving my truck for miles in the rain to make life comfy for us (apparently rain leaked all over her feet inside the truck!!) Commiserations to Jethro over his continuing run of bad luck (hope the gearbox swap goes as easily as possible) and safe home for Simon, the last man standing!
Keep smiling all,
Smudge
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So who went and which gearbox?
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Aye Smudge,
Good to read that you and Simon made base camp and I trust without incedent. Thank you for your compliments and my thanks for the lager and fire to Mrs Smudge. Hopefully this dreek weather will abate, as Simon makes his way sarf tomorrow. Safe journey Simon and thank you for your company.
My sincere commiserations Jethro, I couldn't believe my ears when Smudge and Simon greeted me with the news on Saturday morning. It just beggars belief! I hope you can salvage something from the mechanical mayhem and have the old warhorse lopping over the Beacons again soon.
Another deluge is rendering me deaf in the 'sun lounge' as I write this. A real oximoron tonight! However, all the tackle is drying, the woodburner is going well and a good plate of mince an' tatties, wi peas has increased my somulant state. A wee Laphroig and I'll be asleep.
Would you and Simon be kind enough to either burn some images onto a disc or load them onto the site?
Ta everso, Bill.
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So who went and which gearbox?
Simon Morgan upheld the honour of the Welsh, although afaik he is sat at my house just now awaiting the recovery/repair man to come and fix his starter, Jethro made it up on Friday but the gearbox on his BMW failed and he had to call recovery from the house on Sat morning. Bill led and Simon and I trundled along behind. Oh and of course Mrs S joined us for the camping on Saturday.
So you lot thought the Elefanten was tough huh? A 100% attrition rate on this one! :o lol
Despite the weather on Sunday, you all missed out ;) :D
Smudge
ps Bill, the camera phone pics are pretty terrible quality but I'll see what I can do asap.
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It sounds like my kind of epic. I will have to make an effort to tour Scotland when I am mended. Very little pain from broken wrist and bruising now but still on cocodamol so beer is still in the future. mart
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Stop press: Dunfermline Motorcycles came up trumphs again and Simon is back on the road and on his way home as we speak :)
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Must admit I am getting a bit Fed-Up with the way my luck has been going lately !
Was a bit of a fuss with the Carole Nash people wanting to take me to a shop to get my bike repaired.
I assume that it would be cheaper for them to do that as opposed to transporting me home.
But I did explain to them in no uncertain terms that was not going to happen.
Did spend 10 hours travelling at 56mph,in a wagon with a guy I could barely understand.That was interesting in itself.
Priced up Beemer G/box parts and came to the conclusion that it would be cheaper to source a Recon.Box with a 12 month garantee.I know what would happen....I'd pull it apart and renew everything that looked slightly worn.
Mind never been happy with the amount of swarf that came out at service time since I had it.Lasted 35,000 miles in 3yrs so cant really complain.God knows what the previous owners did to it,other than not use it.
Bit miffed I missed Scotland....I WILL go again and see more !
Jethro
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The guy at DMC (who despite being busy, kindly fitted my in and got me going in pretty quick time) explained that although the problem appeared to be fixed, he didn't know why the automatic decomp fuse had been blowing, but the replaced solenoid seemed to have done the trick. If it did happen again then I should be able to start it by bridging the terminals with something substantial like a spanner. "Don't worry about the sparks" he said!
As the problem appeared to be fixed, with the bike being stopped and started numrerous times, the handlebars moved between various states of lock,and a quick road test around the block, I happily set off on my 450 mile trip, only half taking in what had been said about bridging the terminals.
Stopping for my first fuel stop, Sod's Law dictated that the bike wouldn't start again! Deja Vu set in as I saw that the decomp fuse had blown, and when I replaced it with the one of two fuses I'd had the foresight to purchase at DMC, it also blew! Bridging the terminals across the blown fuse with an open ended spanner produced a shower of sparks! What on earth (a bad one maybe?) was going on?
Turning left at the first junction from the m/c shop the engine had cut out when I turned on the left indicators, could this be related to the problem? My front left indicator had stopped working, so I thought I'd replace it with a spare I was carrying in the vain hope it might cure the strange starting problem. Got the indicator working again (bulb was OK, but there was some water in the casing, probably causing a bad connection), but of course the bike still wouldn't start!
So, not wanting to admit defeat by calling out a recovery service again, I decided to carry on and find the terminals I needed to cross! Having removed my tank bag, roll bag, seat and side panel, I tentatively put a spanner across the terminals on the starter solenoid. A shower of sparks and the engine turning over took my a little by surprise, causing my to fall over from my crouching position beside the bike. I hope no one was looking! Now knowing what to expect, a couple of attempts (engine was a little cold now and I currently have no choke) later, with the clutch held in this time, it started. Being very careful not to cut the engine, I put everything back on the bike and very carefully pulled away, ready for my next 150 mile stint.
Now I was dreading the next petrol stop. There must be a more streamlined approach to the starting procedure. Especially, avoiding the removal of luggage from the bike. Having a few hours (about 2.5 I seem to recall) until I would need to fill up again, I came up with a plan. Knowing exactly how much mileage I had left to do via TomTom and knowing that I typically get around 150 miles to reserve, I estimated that as I had 330 odd miles to go from the petrol station I'd just left, if I took it steady (about 55/60 mph) and kept to the motorways, I could sqeeze more out of a tankful, and make it back home with only one more stop. I also thought of a more elegant way of re-starting the bike at the next stop.
So, after about 260 odd kilometers (150 someting miles) off travelling at a sedate pace, which came in handy anyway as the rain and spray was diabolical for the last 200 miles, I found to my delight that it only cost me £9.90 to fill up, and at least two litres less than usual was needed to fill up. If I did the next stint at the same pace, I should be able to avoid another stop. After paying I pushed the bike away from the pumps, got out a screwdriver to remove the side panel, which conveniently could be removed without removing the seat, and took out a metal tent peg that I carry in my tank bag to use to cross the temrinals. All in all, about a minute to get the bike re-started again. Must have looked a bit odd to someone who might have been watching though!
So, after another long stint I was back home. I hadn't hit reserve yet and there's a record (for me) 282 kilometers showing on the tripmeter.
So, a bit of an adventure to end the trip! Many thanks to Smudge, Mrs Smudge and Bill, for a fantastic weekend. I know they all put in a great deal of effort for this event, and it's a shame that more people couldn't have attended. Despite the damp Sunday weather and my failing rear damper (rear shock seems to be failing!) I rode some greats roads and had some great company.
It was a lot of distance (about 2100km, I think), but well worth it!
Simon
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1,300 miles eh? you must've taken a short cut as we covered over 400 between you getting here and heading off home lol Glad you made it ok despite your adventures, I guess the DR is in for some heavy maintenance now? ;)
The guys at Dunfermline Motorcycles never cease to impress me, mind you, I did wonder if you'd understand the local accents... they are still the only bike workshop I've used that I would recommend without reservation :)
Funny how problems sometimes come in threes... having discovered my failed rear light *wasn't* actually the bulb I have just spent a little while in the garage tonight repairing a broken wire! Wonder if Bill was the only one not to have any mechanical/electrical gremlins? :o
Anyway, glad you had fun. Feel free to drop in for a brew next time you're passing(!) :D
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Just uploaded my pics (mainly mobile phone so rubbish quality!), so hopefully they will appear on the site soon :)
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Aye Simon,
Pleased that you arrived darn sarf in one piece and safe, despite riding a pogoing sparkler! A pleasure to meet and travel with you, and as Smudge says "Drop in for a cuppa" if your passing!
Aye Smudge,
Kat took pity on Sally yesterday and gave her a hose down. I gave the old warhorse a once over with the spanners. Apart from the usual slackening of those captive nuts in the front fork brace, 250ml of engine oil, lubing the chain with some EP90 and opening up the end of the Scotoiler delivery pipe, all appears to be well. Yesterdays drying wind and sun enabled all the kit to be dried out and everything is now stowed ready for the next hoorah.
Reason I got wet in bed was that I put one wick round both tapes at each end! Numpty! All I'd made was an even bigger wick. Tie a wick around each tape, should cure it for next time.
My regards and "Lang may ya lumb reek", Bill
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Excellent, I'll try to remember to dig out some good info I have on bashas and hammocks for you.
Oh and thanks to Steve for putting up the pics in doublequick time! Now, Simon, where are yours? ;)
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In the end we had a pretty damn good ride, Dukes Pass had Simon and I both laughing out loud, it really is that good (I'd forgotten how good it is!) and we had pretty good weather on Sat, mostly dry and warm, out towards Oban from the Green Welly shop and up over Connel Bridge, stopped for pics at the Commando memorial at Spean Bridge (I emailed you phone pics GC, did you get them?) then up to the campsite.
.... and safe home for Simon, the last man standing!
Ooooh!! The Duke's Pass! Its been a while since I've been over that!
The wedding I was press-ganged into wasn't as much fun as you had. And I think Simon's cherubic face in the photos says it all!
Glad those in attendance had fun, commiserations to Jethro for the upcoming wallet-empting-session :)
Speak to youse soon. Sadly I'm bowing out of the AR too this year- I have a date across the alps with, of all things, an Africa Twin. Oh the shame!
andy
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Yes, sorry I couldn't make it, a lack of a decent bike and no spare time made it a non-starter. I considered asking to borrow my brother's TDM for the trip, but he had only just finished prepping it for his trip to the Dutch TT (and then on to Amsterdam).
I have to say that this is easily the least bikey year I've had for two decades. I can see Dent being the only big trip for me this summer.
GC