Re: Salisbury "RAID"
For others Saturday rained commitments. People to be picked up from airports, man flu, fireplaces and any number of excuses , sorry, commitments came up preventing riders from coming. I watched with fear that my day out might be cancelled. It was a foolish thing to think. Real commitments could not be washed away by the rain.
Saturday had started badly with the Zebra’ battery completely flat earlier in the week and only just charged. Having not been out on her since the National she took two batteries worth (I borrowed the other bike’s battery too) of starting to get the fuel al the way round and firing. So, with two flat batteries I replaced the other bike and she started first press of the button and, borrowed some jump leads and with the good bike running, got the zebra started.
But, to get the bikes close enough together to jump-start I had to bring them out of the garage and in the rain. It wasn’t raining excuses but I could see how it might.
Eventually she was up and running and I set off for Hampshire to see my parents and visit a mate’s housewarming. On the M25 the water was an inch deep on the road. I had an interesting rear wheel moment leading to a front handlebar wobble, which kept me on my toes.
Then, on the A32, completely alone and with the sun briefly out, I was wondering at the gorgeous colours of the autumn leaves – the reads and oranges and the purples and yellows. When I hit the mini-roundabout at Corhampton, at the bottom of three hills, I was cursing those very same leaves. They had collected there from all three feeder roads and become a purple/brown mush that made the turn an event that almost had me, like the leaves on the trees, falling off.
Sunday was completely different, crisp and cold and clear when I went to set off just after 7. The zebra refused to start – dead completely, then fired up first time when I moved her.
It turned out to be a loose battery connection but I only found this out after an hour and half to Chippenham without my heated grips working. Never has a pair of hands welcomed a large cappuccino so much.
Stan took us on a guided tour of roads that didn’t lead anywhere and, after asking a young girl with a horse in her hand, we decided the trails would be too muddy and headed direct for the plain. Once there we had a superb time.
We took it pretty steady to start with and did the same route back in a fraction of the time. I have a new method of detecting off-road speed. Take water at a sensible speed and my feet stay dry. Takes it faster and the pressure forces the water up the inside of the my trousers and over the tops of my boots. They are still drying 24 hours later.
It was true off-road day. Alan and I even left the Salisbury Plain pathways by accident and had an accidental bimble through the grass. I actually hit one of the maker posts head on and knocked it over. Amazingly, I didn’t come off and there was no damage to the zebra.
The zebra did decide to have a lie down twice, in the space of a few minutes while in the some horrible ruts, but The first bike down was the most spectacular when KTM Martin put his side stand down, failed to spot it ping back up again and had a short snooze by the side of the road.
The roar back was nothing short of glorious. I was peeing down, absolute bullets of water – I thought the range may have opened when we weren’t looking.
A great day had by all. Thanks to Stan for trying to lead us – we’ll find somebody who actually knows the area next time. And here’s the video:
[GVIDEO]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1380993652956700974&hl=en[/GVIDEO]
Last edited by Whealie; 10-11-08 at 02:53 PM.
Whealie (Wing Commander, @ Airborne Division)
Two XRV750-M ('91) RD04s on J ('92) plates.
Laser Pro Duro, crash bars, bark busters, heated grips, GPS, topbox, Alu Boxes, Scotoiler, Starcom, ciggie lighters and XRV stickers.
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Member
Originally Posted by Matty
Mendips
bugger!!
.
Senior Member
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks