Longest Day 21st June 2008 Ride - JOhn O'Groats to Lands End (UK)

[Maverick (R.I.P.)]

It was my plan to ride down to Spain meeting up with father-in-law Lindsay who just travelled all the way from Prince Albert in South-Africa up the western side of Africa to London. He however surprise me with a sms a few weeks back stating that he is already in Tangiers. Damn was so looking forward to a roadtrip so started looking at the forums what rides is coming up. Found the https://www.xrv.org.uk/forums/index.php was doing a charity run from John O'Groats to Lands End on the longest day 21 June 2008 - https://www.thelongestday.org/ . Sms him back asking if he is up for small roadtrip after just covering the entire Africa continent. Yep he is in.

Frantic preparations to get the details and finding some dosh for petrol and sponsership for the Macmillan Cancer Support. Lindsay arrived Saturday 14th June at our place after being on the road since April. A few days rest for him and I did a service on his 1150GS as the valves was out and it was gagging for a clean airfilter. His more technical description of the bike was it sounded a bit tinny ) Spend the Sunday checking everything and making sure all the oils and filters are changed. Strangely enough only the right hand cylinder valves needed adjustment as it was very loose....hence the tinny sound.

I booked two days leave to the dismay of my manager as most of the department was either ill or not there but could not be bothered less, Maverick is going on a roadtrip!!

Thursday morning 6:30 in the garage strapping my rollbag on the HP2 and getting the tankbag sorted, few last adjustments and ready to roll at 7:00. At this point Lindsay says his rear wheel is flat, bugger!! I checked his wheel pressure the previous night and the valve just would not close properly again. Frantically looking for a spare valve found one in my kit bag doing a trip last October in Namibia and fitted it. Compressor fired up and viola one hard wheel again. Fanus arrives just before 7:00 and we managed to get out of Tilbury 7:20. We fire around the M25 motorway and the traffic is horendous as usual. Lindsay struggles to keep up as he is not used to filter through UK traffic with both panniers on as well. We meet up with Chad & Lord Vader at the M11 services around 8:15

Our aim is to get half way to Scotland today and we head out for lunch meet at Squires cafe in Newthorpe, South Milford - https://www.squires-cafe.co.uk/

Linday on the road again...

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The man from Africa standing proud, not bad for a 56 year old

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Some more piccies taken at Squires Cafe

Faantjies GS1200, note the dead sheep on his seat...

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My HP2, Chadsters 990, Vaders 1200ADV, Steve C Africa Twin and Shaun's Triumph.

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Bikes ready for a long ride

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Some heavy debate going on between the katoom owners, so wha do ya think mate will these get us all the way up nortw and then souph again?

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Bavarian steel

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Sexy

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Foreigners in a far away country from home

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Orange Beast

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The German Tank with a German riding it )

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Wow what a paintjob, one very sexy looking AT of MelJordan

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If you look closely you will still see some Kaokoland dust in my tankbag from Namibia last year. And it has been washed, once you get in Africa it won't get out of you again....or your clothes....or your kit....or you heart.

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The good the bad and the ugly...in no particilar order

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We set off at around 14:00 only 20 minutes down the road when Chad stopped and realised he left his SLR camera bag in the parking lot with all his kit in!! He turns around while we try and get hold of the cafe on the phone. 40 minutes later he returns with his camera bag and a big big smile! Someone saw the bag and gave it in at the cafe counter, thanks to whoever you are Chad owes you a beer.

English rolling hills, it is pretty in the summer

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Dark skies glooming

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Quick photo stop, Duncan on his RT1150 and Chadster

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Lindsay and Steve

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We stopped in a little village somewhere enroute to the bunkhouse and had a lovely hot chocolate before setting off again. Finally arrived at the bunkhouse near Once Brewed and on the edge of Hadrian's Wall.

As we unpacked the bikes and got our gear in the bunkhouse Chad called me to one side in confidentiality and said his cover has been blown, shit this can't be good someone know who he is and what he is up to. We got a spy in our group. I asked how he knows and he took me to his room and the evidence was there loud and clear, someone knew what he was up to and marked him.

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Well sometimes you get caught so decided to play it cool and rather go for a beer instead of worrying about it.

At the pub Whealie informed us about his good fortune and he is buying beers, thanks Chris it was most welcomed! I spotted an old favourite of Lootch who would of loved this trip and took a few snaps.

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Then Vader noticed how all the badly's was sitting on one side of the pub.....

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Debbie and Duncan looking bemused about some comments flying about

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Off to the bunkhouse for an early night's sleep.....not.

Next morning woke up around 5 and was actually ready to go, heard the snores around me and managed to get some more shut eye for about 40 minutes before heading to the shower. Since it was only me and Paul up that time of the morning tried to tippy toe around but then thought the hell with it and just went about normal kicking stuff over and fiddling with my tankbag getting my camera out. Headed upstairs for breakfeast. The cereal selection was the finest you could pick from Cornflakes to well Cornflakes. Some toast was making it's way in and out of the toaster and a quick cup of instant coffee just to kickstart the day.

Getting that down rather quickly headed outside to look at the nice scenery awaiting us for the day. Nothing like the fresh smell of bike in the morning!

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All the bikes was about to get shot in no uncertain way

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Just some random shots of all the bikes present that morning.....

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I think this one has seen a bit more of the world than the rest thus far......

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My HP2 certainly pleased me beyond expectation on this trip as I have never had it out for more than 150 miles in one go

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I then decided to take a few closeups of the bikes just for fun

Step up step up lucky number 13 to the bingo table!! You have won Tiger.

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Japanese bike being proudly British

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Silhouetty shot in the pannier is what I was going for if you wonder WTF!?!

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I do think a little extra protection on my screen would of made a difference between cruising at 80mph on the trip and probably 100mph, looking at my £180 odd fuel bill glad I did not have a taller screen to hide behind.

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The morning dew on the Katoom

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Das Boot

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Then went for a quick wander around the farm house, I could only imagine what it would be like walking out of my front door every morning greeted with all this open space instead of the groggy city life most of us find us in

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Yeah the good old north where the scenery is beautifull and the sheep f%^k$n nervous

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This wall is probably older than most buildings in the country I am from

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Mmmmmm sheep chops, they obviously knew that if the camera I was holding happened to be a gun someone was going to make it to the dinner table and ran off the moment I came to close.

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Myself and Lindsay decided to head out a few minutes before ahead of the group. He was not used to the fast paced filtering we do in Engeland and I was also more in the mood to just bimble along covering the 300 odd miles for the day as go along to John O'Groats. We met up with Faantjie in Perth and the three of us stuck together for the remainder of the day cruising up north. Sometimes we met up with the main group on our way or they came flying past when we must of missed them at a fuel station.

I pulled over at route marker 77 (I think could of been 67?) and took a few snaps of Scotland's magic scenery. If someone recognise the scenery some detail would be great.


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Faantjie enjoying the fresh air and scenery

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We headed up further north and the wind was picking up with some odd showers of rain from time to time. Past Inverness the HP2 was showing signs of running low on fuel. The 13 liter tank only goes that far! We crossed the Cromarty Firth Bridge and stopped for a quick pic. The wind was howling over the firth and could see the water not being the best place to be on today

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Luckilly there was a little layby we could stop safely and conduct our photo shoot

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Ahhhh some blue skies, the stuff you hardly every see on the island always making me think back about the clear african blue skies.

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The type of wind that moves you from your lane into oncoming traffic if you not carefull!

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Just to show you how strong the wind was we got Fanus to demonstrate...

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We then realised the optical illusion was wrong as he was pushing onto the pole instead of hanging on it, see it looks really windy

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It was not long before the rest of the gang arrived for a quick photo as well, we must of just missed them in Inverness filling up with fuel somewhere else. We headed out in a big group and at one stage I jumped ahead to get some pics of the guys coming past. Unfortenately some thought this was a race and decided to go faster ahead of me so managed to snap three

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We rode another hour or so until we finally arrived in John O'Groats, pictures to follow shortly ish....

 

[Welsh]

 

[Trailrider]

 

[Snafu]

 

[iep_kruger]

 

[Maverick (R.I.P.)]

 

[letsgofishing]

 

[GIDEON]

 

[iep_kruger]

 

[Maverick (R.I.P.)]

 

[Welsh]

 

[Maverick (R.I.P.)]

 

[JourneyMan]

 

[Maverick (R.I.P.)]

 

[JourneyMan]

 

[Welsh]

 

[GIDEON]

 

[The TRANSPORTER]

 

[Runner]

 

[Maverick (R.I.P.)]