Up at 7 am.
Will the run be on ? The bike Le Mans is on TV so there's something to do while I wait for the phone to ring.
No phone call by 8:30 so I guess it's on.
Frost on the cars but the sun is shining.
When I was small my mother told me that "If there is enough blue sky to make a sailor's trousers then the weather will be good" She neglected, however, to tell me how big this sailor is supposed to be, but given that the whole sky is blue then we should be OK.
80 odd miles cross-country to Buckingham for John's "All day Breakfast" extravaganza. A couple of friends are across from Germany and we have hired a BMW R850GS for a couple of days for them to play on (No - I didn't know what a R850GS was either ! - It's a German 'Big Trailie'). I don't know what kind of speed they will want to run two up and am a bit apprehensive about what kind of speed todays run will be. Memories of 'Bullets' January run return.
We sit at around 70 - 80 across the downs to Hungerford, and once into Oxfordshire I introduce them to the delights of GATSO spotting.
Not that many bikes in the Little Chef car park, and it's 10:45. I spot Tanya's & Stuart's bikes, Johns VFR is there, next to David's and Paul R's 'Bird and James's CBR. With us that's eight.
Eight bikes for an April run !
We had more than that in January.
Never mind, we have the joys of the Little Chef to look forward to. The run regulars are ensconced in a corner consuming part one of John's all day breakfast challenge. Tanya, James and Stuart are deep in discussion, "Is it tea or coffee?", "It's not tea", "It's not coffee", "It's not soup". What ever it was (and we didn't discover what it was) it was kind of urine coloured and slightly warm. I do hope that no one drank it.
We ordered our breakfasts and had the first drinks thrown onto
the table. "Is this tea or coffee" I said to the waiters
retreating back, "Coffee" came the muttered response
over his shoulder. Service with a scowl.
A refreshing way to start a Sunday. Never mind, I didn't have
to pay for my food anyway because the bagel didn't turn up.
John lead us out of the car park and on our merry way. Up the A422 to Stratford (where we failed to stop to see a play, but Paul did get a closer view of a bee than he would have preferred. Inside his helmet). After a quick stop at a petrol station to double check that we had no VTR's with us we headed South down the A3400.
Somewhere round here we picked up a stray. A guy with Akido(?) leathers joined the middle of the group. Michael, who had never met any of the folks there before, obviously didn't know that this was an interloper and followed him. Thankfully he was going the same route as us for a while. It wasn't until we all stopped and he didn't that Michael realised, but no harm done.
A 90 mile high speed dash through Oxfordshire's lesser known A roads. Some cracking corners and the odd recalcitrant motorist to deal with. We were given an excellent view of the belly pan of an R1 at one point. He hoisted the front wheel as he passed John and landed it beside Paul who was almost at the back (and very glad that the guy held it, as he landed crossed up).
At the fuel stop, someone (who shall remain name less) said to Michael that he was surprised at how the BMW could keep up in the corners. Bull and red flag come to mind. I assured them that it probably wasn't a slight at BMW, more likely a slight at 'big trailies'. I'm kinda glad that Michael didn't feel he had to make a point. He's been throwing bikes around for twenty years and could embarrass most of us on the corners, even two up. Don't ask me how I know, I just know, OK.
A pub garden by the river. Skipping the delights of another Little Chef we moved up market. We did use up all their forks but I blame Paul for that.
The temperature was dropping and the sun had had enough for the day so we decided to head our separate ways.
About five miles from home, on a fast tight right-hander, I
spotted some movement on the left verge as I exited the corner.
My first thought was 'dog'. Hard on the brakes and slap it down
three gears fast. With the rear wheel trying to decide on which
side to overtake the front a small deer runs across the road in
front of me.
I'm sorry John, I forgot to duck & aim for the middle. Maybe
next time.
Another good run.
Very different from a German run, so I'm told, but there you go.
Not least because we were on the wrong side of the road and we don't have Little Chefs in Germany. What ever happened to the All Day Breakfast Extravaganza in the end? We'd been looking forward to having three breakfasts.
As we say in Germany: Good luck and always
have a finger's width of rubber on the edge of the tyre..........
Anke and Michael
Ah well. When in Rome ... Ride like a nutter with no regard for the law.