The National Rally 2008

After deciding not to do the WNR this year after all, but to do the National Rally, I set about getting myself organised.

Firstly to enter, and this year they have added an online booking form using PayPal to accept the entry fee. So far so good.

Now we have to get the team together; Andy, Pete and me.

http://www.nationalroadrally.co.uk/2008/index.htm

Sunday 17th February

In the end it was a good morning for a ride out. Didn't go far across the marsh and then up to Aldington, past Paul O'Grady's gaff and then past Port Lympne zoo to the A20. Our eventual destination was the new services on the M20 at junction 11 to are what it is like and maybe try a Starbuck's.

The services are very new and make a good addition to the local area and the petrol station sells at normal rates rather than the highly inflated prices usuallly associated with motorway services. Even Starbucks was the same as high street stores.

From there it was a short run across West Hythe and home.

Another sunny and cold day with the frost that was on the front lawn still there when we got home.

Brrrr!

C2

What a "Friday afternoon" job I got last year!



It's been unusable for ages as the chin piece won't lock on one side. That is after the top vent went tits up soon after I bought it.



At the time it happened Infinity had joined it down the pan and I was left to get in touch with the importer. They have me the bird as they don't deal with the public.



They did say that Infinity had risen Lazarus style from the grave and to take it back.



I popped in to the Holborn store today. Can't say they were all that sympathetic but there you go. Have to take it back on Monday and see what Oxford Products say.



As it is now out of warranty and I have no receipt I am essentially fecked. Depending on how much it will cost to repair it might end up staying in deepest Oxfordshire.



An expensive toy. In there years I had no problems with my Caberg J1S.



"You get what you pay for...: Bollocks. I could have had three Cabergs for the same dosh or NINE years wear! Not fecking 6 months!



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St Valentine

Mmmmm. Why do we do this? Bloody crap to sell cards and inflated price flowers.

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Y Viva Espana

Holiday here soon!

Oropesa del Mar

First Ride!

It's taken this long, but today I had the first ride on the GS since the turn of the year. Hurrah!

A combination of having nowhere to go, a gammy left knee and other committments at weekends have meant my riding has been nil until today.

Of course, when I tried to start it last week, the battery made that machine gun clatter on the starter motor.

So I got the battery out of the Kettle and kept that topped up all week and today jumped it from there and it started. A bit wheezy, but it ran and I went out and popped in a fiver of unleaded and then had a ride round the district for an hour or so.

One small problem is that when pushing the choke back to the off position it pushes the cable guide out of the bottom of the left handlebar cluster, pushing it back seems to work. Make a note of that for the next service.

I had a ride along Burmarsh Road across the marsh and then round to Aldington, down past the church under the raileay and then the motorway onto the A20, down through Sellinge and back to Hythe, round the town centre, then back up London Road and across to the top of Lympne Hill and then through West Hythe to home.

I saw a few "byway" signs and assume these are roads I can use on the bike?

Welsh National Rally - May 10th 2008

Still born! Instead we'll do the full National Rally.

Welsh National Rally - May 10th 2008

Here we go again.

I missed out last year as I had food poisoning the day I was supposed to ride up to Wales from London. This year I hope not to be thus encumbered!

Trying to get the team together, Dave, Andy and Pete.

Flat Battery!

Bugger! B*&&*%$s!! Battery flat on the GS! I went to start it and have a run around the block for the first time since before Christmas and it was that old machine-gun rattle from the starter! Clock back to 00:00!

NO!!!!!!!

So what to do? Feck battery too far under the tank to get the crocodile clips on the battery charger to attach, so next best? Try connecting to the starter motor input and an earth? Not tried that yet.

Next thing is to charge up the Kettle's battery in the house (no leccy in the garage) and then use that as an aid to jumping the bike. Fingers crossed!

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