So my R3 can be "Red Pepe".
29 July 2015
At last a name - Red Pepe
The popular name for the Rocket's in black with white stripes is "Pepe" after Pepe le Pew the cartoon character.
So my R3 can be "Red Pepe".
So my R3 can be "Red Pepe".
26 July 2015
Scotland the Brave
It's two years since my brother Neill and I had the whistle stop trip to Scotland to take our Mum's ashes to their final resting place near Aviemore.
It's even longer since the bike club's "indoor camping weekends" came to a halt. Every year for four or five I organised a trip up to Scotland for the SOC and we stayed in youth hostels and student rooms where colleges were closed for the summer.
So this year we are going back, but in the car. Claire will be the co-pilot and front seat the back seat driver will be Reggie.
The plan is to get away after work and get part way on the road, at least get around London so we can have a clearer run on the Friday morning.
I have planned a second stop near Carlisle. Hopefully the route will take us near some part of Hadrian's Wall as we cut across from the east coast and the A1 to the M6/A6.
And then into Scotland near Gretna. We have two overnights in Glencoe and three near Loch Ness before we start to turn South and homeward bound again.
Another New Givi Tank Bag?
Another new Givi Tank Bag? Why?
Simple, the Givi 3D604 I bought and that fitted wonderfully on the Explorer was way to big to fit on the Rocket! So big that once in place it was impossible to see the clocks, nor could I turn the bike as the bars wouldn't turn more than a few inches.
So it went on eBay and I sold it and used the funds to buy a much smaller Givi XS319. Even one this small, a mere 3 litre capacity, and even then there is still a little contact with the handlebars.
It comes with a fluorescent yellow waterproof cover. Inside there are no partitions just one space. It takes my little Sony Cybershot camera, my glasses case and a pen. There is space for a few other small items. When travelling abroad I put my passport in there too and occasionally my wallet. Easier than fumbling in pockets.
It's a superb little bag.
22 July 2015
Sissy 2
Finally managed to get a picture or two of the sissy bar in place and fitted!
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| Side view |
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| Rear view |
Looks good.
Denver - First "On Bike" Vid!
YAH!
Today was billed as sunny and once the dog walking and lunch had been taken, I could get out on R3, I decided to have a ride to Dungeness and the Railway Cafe to have a cup of tea and at the same time test the camera.
Lining it up with the app on the iPhone was child's play. Rather than start at home I stopped on the back road on the marsh and did a short ride before stopping it. The iPhone app won't stream from the camera but you can download, With limited space on the phone this is not an option.
I had to wait to get home and get them on the laptop and then have a look. Two of the four look all right but two seems to have been taken through a steamed-up lens or "soft focus". The camera looked okay when I checked it out.
Here's the first vid:
The music is Joe Bonamassa "Slow Train".
17 July 2015
Charles Devall Centenary Trip
Originally I had planned this as a bike raid across the Channel to visit the cemetery where a guy that is probably my grand-uncle is buried. Or great great-uncle.
Charles was killed a hundred years ago on the 13th September.
We have been before but this time we are going as a family. Claire, Reggie and me.
Now we are going for a weekend as Reggie needs his own passport that will show his vaccinations are up to date, that his rabies jab has been given and that he has been wormed.
Apparently there are some nasty tapeworms in Europe that we don't have here in the UK. So the process means they are killed before they get can get a toehold in UK.
The system means he needs to be wormed up to 120 hours before return and would mean visiting a vet in Europe to get the worm treatment. As we are away for a weekend it all gets done this end.
I have booked hotels for Friday evening and Saturday evening that are dog-friendly.
The first is from the Campanile chain of motels, and we have stayed in many over the years, in Calais. It is very cheap at £29 for the night. But really we are just there to sleep to give us a good start on Day 2. The restaurant closes at 10pm and so we have to be able to get there in time to get there. Sadly, Reggie isn't allowed in the restaurant. In the past we have stayed in a variety of hotels in France and there have been dogs, including Campaniles.
Night 2 is in Armentières and local enough to visit Charles.
More in September.
Sissy!
Not for me! But for Claire as she is used to having a top box behind her back.
Enter the Fehling Sissy Bar. I checked a few custom websites and it came out at about £135 inc vat. Then I got a tip to check German custom sites and found this one at €115 plus €16.99 to get it to me. Still a massive saving. Bought online on Monday evening, delivered Thursday morning. Fitted?
Hopefully it will go on at the weekend when Cal comes back with his Allen keys.
Photos to follow.
15 July 2015
Action Cam
The action camera market is massive and I have come late to it.
Not wanting to spend too much on a camera in case it proved to be a fad, I bought this Denver AC5000W.
It comes with loads of accessories and a waterproof case. To that I have added a RAM ball with a standard camera screw mount.
I've tested in the house. This model comes without a screen on the back but a wifi link to my iPhone and an app. The app allows full functions to line it up and start recording.
Just need a bit of sun to get out on the R3 to test it.
12 July 2015
8 July 2015
Weekend on The Somme - Day 2
Day 2.
After the long day the day before I was feeling a little tired and after the early night,aided by two pints of Monaco at the restaurant, I slept most of the night. I set my alarm on my phone for 0800. By the time I had showered and got changed I got to breakfast to find all my travel mates already there.
We had a good chat over breakfast and by the time we were ready to leave it was easily 0945.
The first stop was to be the site where the Red Baron was shot down. Somehow we had missed it last year. It would be easy to miss as it is simply a small notice board at the side of the road.
The next stop was only a few miles along the road. Grove Town Cemetery where David wanted to look up one of his relatives buried there. Although from Google Maps the cemetery looks to be in the middle of farmland, what it didn't show was the rough track to get there. Unlike the Pals, we couldn't miss this one. At least Neil got to take his new Honda Cross Tourer "off road"!!
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| Pano with David signing the visitor book |
From Grove Town, we retraced our steps back along the bumpy track, across the little "bridge" between the two huge puddles back to the main road.
We turned left and in just four miles we arrived at the Froissy Dompierre Light Railway, one of the last sections of trench railway left.
Although we found it easily enough, in fact right to the door, we were about 3 hours early. When I looked on the website I hadn't noticed that it opens only at 1330! So I took a couple of pictures to show we had been and we set off for Peronne and the Historial.
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| A bit of track! |
The ride to Peronne was past a lot of war grave cemeteries, some small but far too many large with the white stones of the British and the white crosses of the French bright in the sun.
Once again, TomTom took us right to the door and we stopped in the parking directly opposite to the old castle that houses the museum and historical.
I have been before, but the displays evolve and so it was worth going in again. But first. A drink before we went on/. Cal booked us a table for 8 for lunch for our return.
Some of the displays give an idea of the casualties and the effects of the Battle of the Somme and also the statistics of each of the belligerents and the Russian Army on the Eastern Front. It came as a surprise to me that Germany, France and Russia had standing armies numbering 4 to 5 million men at arms. The UK had 380000 full timers at the outbreak of war in 1914.
Once finished we headed back for lunch. The railway being closed had saved us about an hour and so we had a more leisurely lunch. I had a salad!
Time to saddle up and head for the last stop and to say goodbye to Lainy and Ken Sole, who were heading east to Luxembourg or somewhere!
The Souvenir Francais at Rancourt is a large French cemetery and attached chapel. The chapel has a small museum inside.
We were still about an hour ahead of schedule and once we had made our goodbyes to Lainy and Ken, we set off for the A1 and A26 back to Calais. Here as with the way out it went a bit tits up.
Now with six bikes in the group we arrived at the toll plaza to take a ticket. It seemed we were all through and I led onto the A1 north. Ken Fulton and David needed petrol before their smaller tanked Suzukis would make it to Calais and so I planned to stop at one of the service areas to the north of Arras; the second after we joined the A26.
We sailed past Arras and Vimy Ridge and the large Canadian monument to the right when Ian came alongside making some strange gestures that I took to mean we had lost two bikes. I decided to make the fuel stop and wait there.
He shot off ahead and I led Ken and David to the fuel stop. All three of us filled up. With the exchange rate, a litre of French 95 unleaded worked out at just over £1.05, some 10% cheaper than at home. So why not fill up too? ;)
There was no sign of Ian and we waited and waited and heard rather than saw bikes go past on the autoroute, By the time we exited the petrol/gas station and got on the A26 we had lost sight (and sound!) of the bikes. We plugged along at 70-75mph until the toll near St Omer. As I approached the manned toll booth to pay, I saw Cal and Neil the other side putting their gloves on. I tooted the piss poor Rocket horn and they pulled away. By the time Ken and David were through we had to follow on behind. Eventually catching them up on the spur motorway to the Port of Calais.
We were early still and were loaded onto a boat an hour earlier than we had booked. Only to find Ian's BMW already tied down and no sign of him!
We eventually met up again in the self-service where David, Ken and I decided to stay as we had a seat and places to put the pile of jackets and helmets. The others went off to find other seating.
In the end it was another good trip. I think everyone enjoyed it and we are already looking at going again next year for the 100th Anniversary commemorations.
6 July 2015
Weekend on The Somme - Day 1
An early start on Saturday. I had old friend Ken Fulton staying over. My plan was to be up about 5.30am, leave at 6am to arrive Dover at 6.30am. Except Ken was up earlier and we left and arrived at Dover way before 6am.
I messaged Cal to say we were going through immigration and check-in.
We were first in the line. It took so long at Costa to get a coffee that the others had arrived and we were almost ready to load. Bugger.
The crossing was pretty straightforward and after breakfast we were disgorged into dull weather Calais.
The plan was to head down the A26 to Arras and then cut across to the first stop at the Accrington Pals Memorial.
First delay was that the autoroute ticket machine played up and some of us got tickets and others had to wait to get one.
At the pay station near Arras, the lucky ones from the ticket collection found their tickets were not recognised!!! More holdups. Then we got split up twice! The eight bikes became four and then two.
Luckily, of the eight bikes five had satnav!
Ken and I waited for a while by the massive Poste sorting office for Department 62, and when no one showed up we set off to the first stop. The route was the same as last year!
We aborted the Pals as the track off the road was terrible. Certainly not for the R3 or Ken's SV1000.
We went into the next stop at "Ocean Villas". (http://www.greatwar.co.uk/somme/museum-ocean-villas-auchonvillers.htm)
In the traditional Tommy anglicisation of French place names, Auchonvillers became Ocean Villas.
It was so warm we had both had two iced teas before the rest arrived, having also aborted the Pals visit. My texts had also arrived.
Most of the group decided to have lunch before we headed off to the main visit of the day to the Newfoundland Memorial at Beaumont-Hamel. (http://www.greatwar.co.uk/somme/memorial-newfoundland-park.htm)
From here we headed to the Ulster Memorial Tower, and then the Tank Corps Memorial at Pozières.
Across the road is the "Windmill". The site of the most costly Australian action in WW1, surpassing Gallipoli. (http://www.greatwar.co.uk/somme/memorial-pozieres-mill.htm)
It was finally captured on August 4th 1916. Just 60 yards up the road is a sign showing how far the allies had got by September 1st 1916.
27 days to advance 60 bloody yards.
From here we headed to the hotel in Amiens via a petrol stop in Albert. The hotel was the Central Anzac.
After check-in we went to our rooms. After a shower I was feeling a bit tired and had a sleep. By the time I woke up my friends had gone to the Irish pub. I got Cal's SMS on Sunday morning.
We had a walk around before finding the river and a restaurant that would seat all eight of us.
(The Marshal Leclerc monument)
(Amiens Cathedral)
To get a full group photo David called over a young attractive blonde passer-by. And a good job she did.
After dinner we headed back to the Irish pub.
The lightweights (me included) went to bed and others went to the pub.
Day One ends.
4 July 2015
Fettling 2
The Givi tank lock ring fits almost perfectly on the R3. The Triumphs use BF02 and the only fly in the ointment is the bolt configuration.
The Explorer was three long bolts and one short. The R3 has two of each. Oops. Luckily I had a spurious other bolt with the same thread.
Unfortunately, the "only used once" tank bag is too big and fouls the clocks! So what to do.
Buy another and sell this one. Done. At least I nearly broke even on the deal.
Once that was completed I had to fit Baloo.
There aren't many options of where he can go. So.
Fettling 2 over.
2 July 2015
Hot Ride
After taking the dog for a walk I pulled R3 out of the garage.
As it was billed as potentially the hottest day of the year so far, I chose to wear my Kevlar lined cargos and Joe Rocket mesh jacket.
In the end it turned out to be the hottest July day on record. Riding along was really okay but once stopped the sun and the heat from the engine was scorchio.
My run was up through Sandling to take a look of the M20. The two lines of trucks parked up during the French strike had gone. I then headed through the country roads through the Elham Valley to Canterbury.
The idea was to check out a camping shop. Except I couldn't find it! I headed south to see what was happening in Dover.
The port was supposed to be closed as the French were still revolting and the port at Calais was closed giving the ferries nowhere to dock.
I stopped off at Whitfield to get to an ATM, and then into the store to get some water! The R3 attracts and audience and guys wanting to chat about Triumph. Many amazed that they are still built here in England.
From there I was going to travel back through the Alkham Valley, but in the end I went into Dover to see what was happening. Amazingly truck free.
The A20 westwards has a traffic restriction. There is a 40mph limit and trucks are supposed to be in the left lane.
And they are, but parked rather than moving towards the the port.
Once clear I wound her up to 70 and cruised the dual carriageway back to Hythe via Folkestone and the seafront.
The hottest day so far in 2015 seems to have attracted a lot of people to the beach; on a work and school day....
Once home I checked the trip and it seems I have 60 more miles under my belt.
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