Ready to rock and roll at 7:00 and on my way to meet with Lootch and Anton at the bridge. Green screen back on the bike, oil checked, tyres kicked and spares on the fender bag (which is now living in a deep mud puddle on the plains somewhere)
Lootch gives me a call just after 7:00 saying they are going to be a little late as Anton is dropping some spares at his place. Waiting just after the toll booths at Dartford looking at the one sports bike after the other flying through on their way to Brands Hatch as it was the super bike races or something.
We stop at Fleet service station on the M3 waiting for Fanus and having a quick cup of coffee. There I was thinking we should head out early so that we can leisurely cruise with the KLR and Dommie only to find Lootch leading us at a very steady pace ahead.
The KLR
The Dominator, Anton did some wicked mods on his bike and it has the Africa Queens fairing in the front. Amazing what some okes can do if they really short of bucks.
The Green meanie
And then of course there is Vicky
Another 40 odd minutes see us arriving at Countess Services and a whole group awaiting and chatting about.
Paul's AT which decided to eat sparkies on his way there unfortenately had to turn around and head home
Bob's AT who held up our tour master for the day, now Bob who is the guy in the white t-shirt might I add has only got one leg and he sometimes go places where I have to stop and think if I will make it :shock: Big respect to the dude he just takes it in his stride
Bob takes us on this nice little green lane and I nearly lose it in the first corner behind him trying to oustare a tree in the way of my turn. We are doing a decent speed down this lane and starting to settle in nicely by the end of it when we get to a small tar road. Look behind me and Anton is there but no Chris, Faantjie or Lootch :?
After a few minutes I get worried that someone could of come off and turn around heading back slowly as I have seen pictures of guys going head to head not expecting some one coming the other way.
So we find Lootch and the gang around the KLR
Unfortenately the footpeg bolts came out somewhere and it could of been really nasty had Lootch not realised it in time. Offroad lesson #711 - keep spare bolts and nuts under the seat, I will from now on.
Luckilly I have some long bolts fitted on my rear carrier holding the touratech frames in place and take them out, they not perfect but good enough to hold the pegs on taking a standard bolt from the other peg still intact. It is a simple thing but I have lost many nuts and bolts on bikes and it happens, so rather be prepared it is not that much extra weight carrying 10 bolts and nuts extra of different sizes.
Ready to roll down the country lanes again and the weather is perfect, we get onto the plains and myself behind Lootch travelling along at a decent speed. Next moment I see something fly past out of the corner of my eye. No it can't be I think and start looking intensly at the KLR in front of me....nope wheels still there.....pegs still there.....tank still there......seat still there.......ermmmm number plate.....nope not still there
When Lootch hit a fair old pothole the rear wheel just broke the number plate right off. I turned around and fetch it as I knew this could be hard to explain going back to London and being stopped.
Bob suggest we go to the chalky down/up hill with the big puddle....after a few wrong turns we find the section and had to go twice it was so much fun
Every time I go back to the plains seem to attract more and more mud, took me ages to clean yesterday and had to strip half the bike down.
Good selection of different bikes and modifications always makes a day out so much better
The next puddle I have sidestepped every time we have been at the plains as for it's size it just looked ominous. Chris asked how deep is it and said only one way to find out, we were like you first no you first and then I went down and by the time I hit the middle section the AT just came to a grinding halt. Took all the weight of the bike and managed to get it out with some throttle.
Chris on the other hand was less successfull and needed a tow......from a Kawasaki
My bike full of mud and looking the part again, they belong out in the wild
This is all the photo's I took and was a great day out even with the odd breakdown which of course is the main ingredient for any adventure. Lootch I think the KLR has lots of potential and it is a steady workhorse which will perform flawless once we get all the nuts and bolts some loctite treatment. Faantjie well done for hitting the same puddle with your roadtyres and actually making it straight through without any hassle - full throttle dude!
Topic: Salisbury Plain - 6 August (Read 1555 times)
