possible Calais->Chimay route sans Autoroutes

From Calais:

N43 to Bethune
D937 to Aras
D939 / D43 through Cambrai
N43 through Le Cateau-Cambresis to Hirson
D1050 / N99 to Chimay

About 165 miles, none on motorways. Guestimate 3.5 hours?

 

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

Horrible bit of road, loads of poxy little villages with speed limits,
ped X-ings and that kind of crap. I'd (personally) use the autoroute for
this bit just to get it over with.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Manufacturer of the "Champion-105" range of rearsets
and Ducati Race Engineer.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha GTS1000

 

that does sound grim. I really hate autoroutes though, and prefer not
to use them unless I need to get a lot of miles covered in a day - in
this case, it's just a 160 mile early morning bimble - don't really
want to get to Chimay much before lunchtime anyway (start from Calais
is about 8:30am).

I'll have a bit of another look at the map.

Are you actually going to this thing, BTW?

 

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

Nope, but I remember the N43 with displeasure from the last couple of
Frog trips.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Manufacturer of the "Champion-105" range of rearsets
and Ducati Race Engineer.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha GTS1000

 

I've a funny feeling the N43 was the road we ended up on for a while a
few years back on a TogTour when Sniper had a fucking puncture[1]. Like
I said, I'll reconsult my newly purchased "France & Benelux" map and
have another think.

[1] I still to this day wish I'd just fucked off and let him get on
with it.

 

Well, that's hardly the spirit is it ?

Ah, it was Sniper, as you were then

Cheers

Paul.

 

it was more the fact that - as I learned after we'd stopped[1] - he'd
noticed that his rear tyre looked a bit flat before he'd even got on
the boat in Dover.

[1] had I know this before leaving Calais, I wouldn't have ridden in a
group with him in it, IYSWIM.

 

If you were on the way to Caudebec or Duclair, I hope not.
--
| ___ Salad Dodger
|/ \
_/_____\_ GL1500SE-V/CBR1100XX-X/CBX1000Z
|_\_____/_| ..75939.../...19198.../..30340.
(>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 YTC#4
|__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 two#11
\ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4
\|^|/ ANORAK#17 IbB#4 PM#5 WG*
'^' RBR Clues: 24 Pts: 400 Miles: 1589

 

Suggestion by Mapsource: 148 miles - no Autoroute.

N43 to Saint-Omer,
D933 to Hazebrouck,
D944 to Baillieul,
D933 to Lille,
D941 to Tournai,
N7 to Barry,
N50 to Mons,
N40 to Beaumont,
N53 to Chimay.



--
| ___ Salad Dodger
|/ \
_/_____\_ GL1500SE-V/CBR1100XX-X/CBX1000Z
|_\_____/_| ..75939.../...19198.../..30340.
(>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 YTC#4
|__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 two#11
\ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4
\|^|/ ANORAK#17 IbB#4 PM#5 WG*
'^' RBR Clues: 24 Pts: 400 Miles: 1589

 

"something".

 

Go East for three hours, then look at the map.

--
| ___ Salad Dodger
|/ \
_/_____\_ GL1500SE-V/CBR1100XX-X/CBX1000Z
|_\_____/_| ..75939.../...19198.../..30340.
(>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 YTC#4
|__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 two#11
\ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4
\|^|/ ANORAK#17 IbB#4 PM#5 WG*
'^' RBR Clues: 24 Pts: 400 Miles: 1589

 

Whatever. I'll go along with whatever route you come up with.

...and on this evening's Guzzi related progress [1] it better be a slow
one with plenty of two stroke supplies en route.


[1] New fork springs and damper units lift the forks enough to stretch
the brake hoses I fitted to the old shaggged front end.
It gets better. I. Sincerely. Hope.

 

**** that shit. Take the A26 out of Calais. It's piss-easy to find, gets
you out of town and gives you a good start on racking up the miles.
Flat-stick for 30-odd miles to Jn 4 (you'll run into a bit of péage, but
whatever), go into a little town called Thérouanne, then SE on the D341
through Houdain to Arras.

4+

 

that's OK with me, not sure about Fatman and Bobbin.

well, with MZ-boi, probably.

 

He's been down that route a couple of times, so he'll probably be leading.

 

I did a bit of work on the Guzzi yesterday. Fitted the swishy new fork
internals and discovered the original springs were well and truly
nadgered: under length and sagging impressively compared to the new two
piece stock.

So impressive are they that the front end has come up an inch or so.
Which is enough to cause one of the brake lines to be stretched at full
lock.

Hilarious.

 

Drop the yokes.

Simple.

--
| ___ Salad Dodger
|/ \
_/_____\_ GL1500SE-V/CBR1100XX-X/CBX1000Z
|_\_____/_| ..75939.../...19198.../..30340.
(>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 YTC#4
|__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 two#11
\ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4
\|^|/ ANORAK#17 IbB#4 PM#5 WG*
'^' RBR Clues: 24 Pts: 400 Miles: 1589

 

Assuming you mean drop the forks through the yokes, this is not that
simple as the Guzzi is an absolute **** to shift the stanchions. I
rebuilt the forks with them in situ as it's quicker.

Using wedges on the yoke clamps doesn't seem to make much difference [1]
except to make it look like one's cracking.

However, lowering them had crossed my mind and I may give it a go. How
much of an effect do you think it'll have on the steering geometry?


[1] Actually it makes a huge difference but they're still an
utter, utter ****.

 

I appreciate that's what it's called, but that's not what actually
happens, is it? It's all t'other way which.

Some.

hth
--
| ___ Salad Dodger
|/ \
_/_____\_ GL1500SE-V/CBR1100XX-X/CBX1000Z
|_\_____/_| ..75939.../...19198.../..30340.
(>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 YTC#4
|__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 two#11
\ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4
\|^|/ ANORAK#17 IbB#4 PM#5 WG*
'^' RBR Clues: 24 Pts: 400 Miles: 1589

 

arse. Wish I read it properly.

Hooray for scientific calculations! I will be trying it this evening,
time permitting.

<fx: Guzzi breakers put on high alert for T3 yokes>