French run report

Another great outing. Nice ride down followed by much bollocks being talked
and much drinking and eating. The company was excellent as always. The
champagne tasting was particularly good although I could only sample small
quantities due to having to ride back. Helen made up for it by drinking my
share. However, we bought two bottles of champers and a bottle of Ratafia
at the Cave so I will have the chance to make up for my relative abstinence.

The ride back was OK (apart from a couple of showers) until about 10 miles
out from Calais when it started pissing down. By the time we got to the
queue for the ferry it was torrential. All the motorcyclists took refuge in
the only available shelter, where the vending machines are located. After a
while YTC and Jean turned up, followed by TOG and Anne so we had company for
the crossing.

The ferry crossing was uneventful. We were hoping that the weather might
have improved by the time we got into Dover. Hah! I was reduced to doing
60mph on a dual carriageway due to the combination of very heavy rain,
strongly gusting side winds and occasional patches of standing water on the
road. By the time we got home I was really cold and both my jacket (Hein
Gericke) and trousers (Richa) had started leaking - I have done lots of rain
riding in them before and this was the first time that they have leaked.
Still - "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" and all that.

Anyway - thanks to all the other runners for another memorable outing.

 

<snip>

It was fun. Made slightly more difficult for me by a contretemps with a
truck at Dover Port, which removed the right-hand pannier and then drove
over it, destroying it and some of The Doctor's belongings inside (like
her camera, and every single bank card. Needless to say all the loyalty
and 'worthless' plastic cards were unmarked).

The alloy footpeg bracket was also bust, so thanks to all who loaned
bungees and straps to lash it together so she had somewhere to park her
right foot.

A call to MotorWorks from Dover ordered me one replacement pannier,
ditto, footrest plate, lockset and pannier bracket, all for £176, so it
wasn't disastrous.

And Niall managed to incur a bill of about half that by being nicked by
French Plod. Ho ho ho.

The K is still a bloody brilliant ShiteOldTourer.

Hotel was good - food was handsome on both nights, and the booze
remarkably cheap, considering.

I can see why hotels like us: every single room booked for two nights,
and a big, big bar bill.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, The Older

It was that. We rode 500 miles[1], stood around talking bollocks[2] then
rode 500 miles[1] back. And I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Great company, as always. Special thanks to the Wellers for their
hospitality, and to Colin & Pat for the navigation!

It did piss down on the way home, mind. I passed Lady Nina and The Boy
Carley as a hailstorm hit, ouch! LN didn't look like the happiest of
campers.

Made the 13:10 ferry with Jeremy and his brother (whose name I have
inexcusably forgotten). It was torrential on the M20, with entertainment
provided by the car that had spun and clobbered the central reservation
HARD.

Let's do it again!

[1] This is a slight exaggeration.
[2] This isn't.

 

You are some sort of Rain God. Chile doesn't know what's coming.

 

I wouldn't worry, Jeremy only ever refers to him as "my brother".

 

Was that after the M25? Only because the gantry signs were indicating a
M20 closure.

 

I doubt it. we were on the 13.55 ferry and there were two cars in
separate incidents that had bashed the central reservation and just
carted onto the hard shoulder.
--
Adie
(replace spam with nickname to reply)

UKRM FAQ: http://www.ukrm.info/faq/

YZF-R1 : FZ1N : RD350LC
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MRO#11 BOTAFOF#7 BOTAFOT#130 DIAABTCOD#17 MIB#24 YTC#16
BOB#15 ex-UKRMMA#22 BOMB#11

 

The one we saw said "A20 closed westbound after M20 J5"

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Tim

No, well before it. I saw the closure signs as well.

If you didn't see it they must have done a very quick job of clearing
it.

 

That could have been it. I can't say I kept a close eye on it as there
were other things to concentrate on.

 

It was the A20 that was closed.

And why were you and Anne going South Through Arras as we headed North
(around 12:45)

 

Pah ! a mere whippersnapper compared to a real ShiteOldShaftie

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, YTC#1

That's odd, 'cos they were hiding down the wrong turn that I took in
Epernay at about 09:45...

 

They are the proud owners of a YGL I believe.

 

I could feel hailstones through my gloves. Not nice. It was still
better than the wind coming out of Dover to the M25, though. And as
for the odd fuel issue ...

 

Simples, missus-know-it-all-****-face-gps[1] doesn't know everything and
our brilliant idea to leave the motorway to find a spot of lunch just
served to illustrate what a mess Arras is. So we returned to the
motorway and had a passable meal in a service station with Capt Kirk of
the star ship Goldwing. The boys from the thimble sized petrol tank
owners club made a passing appearance while we were there.

[1] "Turn left in 400ft ... boingngngngng recalculating".

 

Not quite, we stopped after re-fuelling to have a quick think about
route options. When we restarted the GPS took us the scenic route out of
Epernay.

 

Yes sir. But we didn't miss the ferry or run out of fuel, so I count
that a success.

 

Brush guards on the Tiger worked well against the hail and act like
sails if the wind gets a bit fierce.

 

We had a pleasant trundle through the back roads up to Laon and a very
pleasant lunch in a restaurant opposite the cathedral, then nailed it
for the boat. Brief stop for a speed toll near Bethune.