Met up with my mate for a run out this morning. It almost ended before it began when turning into his road at nil mph my front wheel started to fold under me. Not much, the skidmark when I checked was about the same length as the one it left in my pants, but it felt muuuuuuccch longer as it was happening. The main road had been 'dressed' and the surplus had been swept onto the junction by traffic. We'd intended to run up onto Exmoor but agreed over coffee and bollocks that it would be foggy and crap up there so settled on a wazz up the old A38, largely ignored as it runs beside the M5. Bloody great. Hardly any traffic but long sight lines to dispose of any we crept up on, and quite a few bikers, with the same idea as us, judging by their grins, coming in the opposite direction. We rolled into Taunton to Heine Gericke for more coffee and bollocks and after about ten minutes looked out the window to see this. We do get a bit more of our share of double takes when we park up together anyway because our bikes are so similar, but a third one pitching up got shed loads of people, non bikers too, reaching for their camera phones. The other geezer had only had it a couple of weeks but is enjoying it immensely. He was telling me that he's got a few outstanding recalls that he's booked it in to have sorted, which reminded me I must give my frame number to Bridge for them to check mine too. I gave him my forum calling card, well an old envelope I blagged from the bird behind the counter. The garage next door was having some kind of open day so we wandered over to have a butchers. They had a Lister single cylinder water pump running on demo, so my mate made the inevitable 'sounds like your Ducati' jokes, much to everyones delight until the motor suddenly stopped and I then had to agree with him. There was also a pretty little Villiers, more Lisa than Jimbo, with a V belt running an old washing machine motor turned generator, linked to a set of bulbs out of the ark. The bloke running them was dropping the belts on the running motors by hand (The proper way) and adjusting them by kicking the whole rig either closer together or further apart. Luverley! The garage owner clocked our leathers and dragged us into the back of the garage to see his Mille and 1098s Corse, plus his R1 race bike. Top bloke. Then on the run back had a glorious dabble with a full Martini works colours Integrale. All this and Superbikes on the telly.
I gave him the details and my username so he's got a name to recognise, so who knows. My mate keeps saying he'll join but I suspect he's got a life. lol.
Cheers Jimbo. It was a bit through the looking glass at times, with loads of strange shit going on. Scary low sides, triple vision, old engines and a racer tucked away in a corner. Then to see a monster Group B wannabe grow big in my mirrors. If I'd run over a white rabbit on the way home it might have made more sense.
That sounds like a fantastic day out you had there Ken. I only managed a run out in the car as the missus was pestering me to take her out. Tomorrow is another day though
Yes Colin a pretty good day. + super pole and a decent game of rugby on the box. So because fair is only fair I've promised to keep Jeanette company all day tomorrow on the sofa watching WSB.
I've got the racing on record for tomorrow. Plan is to wash the bike admire it for 2 mins then jump on and head down to the borders or head up to Glencoe. Just need to persuade my mate to tag along or I'll be Billy no mates
