Round Britain Rally 2007

[Martin Barrett]

Spring is upon us and it's nearly time for this years Round Britain Rally

 

If you've missed the last two years threads - 2005's & 2006's here's the brief synopsis:

A photographic and touring event between April and October. A list of landmarks is published and all you have to do is identify the landmark from the description given and take a photograph of it including your motorcycle. Visit as many or as few as you want. Gives a purpose to a ride on your bike and get to go and discover new and interesting parts of the country.

 

The landmark list was published last week and having done my research and plotted them all up, I'm just waiting for the start.

 

 

I'm unlikely to be doing all of them this year, as I'm unable to make Chris' Highland Fling due to jury service.

I've marked the venue with the unhappy smiley so its all ready in case I get discharged.

 

So if you're looking for something to give a ride some purpose it's worth considering, and you can post your trip reports here - but no photos of the actual land marks till November.

[wambiker]

Hi Martin, I've entered again and will see if I can better last two years. I thought it was a good omen when one of the landmarks is 5 minutes from home. And the three wirral ones are 20 minutes. Scotland and Cornwall are still a bl**dy long way though. Maybe this year I'll actually post some more info and pictures, but of course not of the landmarks

Good Luck and be safe

Cheers Gary

[Martin Barrett]

I’ve now made a start on this years rally. Some of the Essex guys over on the Moto Guzzi Club GB Forum were toying with the idea of a get together at Great Bentley. On Wednesday evenings all the local bikes congregate on the village green there, the village boasts having the largest green in the country.

 

This fell on one of my days off, and a plan was formed to go along but pick up the Essex landmark on the way. Unfortunately I wouldn’t be able to do an East Anglia tour as was on child minding duties during the day.

 

 

Released from my chores just after 4pm, first stop for some fuel and then eastwards. I elected to go the direct route through small country lanes before joining up with the A120 trunk road. No traffic on the lanes and as soon as hit the A120 heavy traffic. There is a notorious set of traffic lights on this stretch and there was the expected tail back. I was able to utilise the gap in the oncoming traffic to shoot down the outside and get back into a gap that had developed as the queue moved forward and make it through the lights in one go.

 

I left Bishops Stortford towards Chelmsford, through picturesque villages. This is a route I used to take when I was 18 on my Yamaha RD200DX going to college. Lots of new houses, I probably could afford a garage. The Morgan dealer was still there, he had a new building but I couldn’t see any cars there though did see one on the road a little while later.

 

As I reached Chelmsford I saw a black Griso going the other way, I did wave but got no response. Having gone out through the Chelmsford I found a convenient place to stop and turned the Sat Nav on. This was my first time of using it on the bike and had wanted to preserve battery life and just see how useful it was. Continued using the Sat Nav to check my decisions. Shortly arrived at my landmark.

 

Parked the bike up in the area set aside for parking and took the short walk down to the old Chapel. Very flat area and a view across the estuary and out to sea across the cockle bank. There were notices of a public inquiry in to the placing of 10 121m tall wind turbines, in the village there had been several signs saying “ Battle against 400ft monsters” Spent about 40 minutes there. It was now fast approaching 7 and I’d have to get my skates on.

 

I allowed the Sat Nav to take me to Great Bentley I’d managed to get my initial eta of 8;29 down to an actual arrival time of 8;01, without going too silly. I did go past a DB7 but he obviously wasn’t trying.

 

As I ran in along the A120 dual carriageway there were loads of bikes coming the other way. As I came in to the village I could see a Police Traffic car and I began to wonder if they’d been turning everyone away. But looked to the left and saw a sea of bikes on the green. I made my around and found the Guzzis.

 

Ricky (Redguzziv10) was there with his new Breva, By the time I said my hellos the number of bikes had thinned out considerably and the light was falling so I didn’t get my camera out. I watched the last drift away and by 9 it was dark and only a handful of bikes left. So I headed for home.

 

My fuel light came on at 140miles (normal usage 118-126) and I took it to 154 before I filled up at Stansted Airport – 15.77 litres which works out at 44mpg (imp) (6.4 l/100km for our European friends) rather than the usual mid 30’s so was pleased with that.

 

So 180 miles, out for nearly 6 hours which includes 2 hours of stops.

60 miles to the landmark – 50 miles from there to great Bentley which was only 12 miles away as the goose flies over the estuary, and 70 mile return leg

Good first ride of the season, the occasional pop so might need to put my second new inlet rubber on or it could be the balance pipe seals again.

 

Sorry about the lack of pictures, should be able to get a couple from Great Bentley

 

 

Larry's pictures

[Martin Barrett]

I’d booked some time off work for last weekend. It was a fallback in case I wanted to make it to the UK Guzzi Owners Club’s Scottish Rally. Having missed the Highland Fling and the Erin’s new format for this year. As it happened it fell over school holidays with a day owed and my normal days off falling during the week I was able to spend most of the Holiday at home with the family. The weather was awful so very little was done until later in the week. Deb’s had a family bereavement and went to spend time with her mother, leaving me at home with the kids for three days. As my reward for not killing or inflicting visible harm upon them my reward was to escape on the bike on the next day for they’d be back at school.

 

The weather had been good over the weekend with the “sunny intervals” actually being full sunshine. With more of the same promised for Monday we were game on Route planned on the Sunday night. Decided that didn’t need to make an early start, none of that arrive at first landmark at sunrise for this trip. So went for my normal “early turn” alarm of 05:45.

 

Like a kid on Christmas morning I was up before the alarm and having breakfasted and put air in my tyres I was on my way at six. The bright weather was no where to be seen, it was very misty. If this holds up it’d take the edge off the day.

 

I have to skirt Cambridge which involves a brief spell on the M11. I come down the slip having built my speed up and move out to the outside lane earliest. But I hold back as I’ve seen a small car which hadn’t built his speed up try and slot between two lorries. Having made it on to the main carriageway he’s still not built his speed up which forces the second artic (tractor unit and semi trailer) to swerve violently into the outside lane. Lots of dust kicked up and I can envisage it jack knifing or going over, settles down and completes his overtake. Some people just don’t have a clue.

 

First stop at Littleport [2] was a memorial sculpture to William Harley father of William Harley who went on to found HD. He was born there and emigrated aged 24, so a bit of a tenuous connection.

 

Then east wards past the USAF airbases Lakenheath and Mildenhall. You could tell the American influence as a coach stopped, presumably to make a school run pick up, and the following vehicle made no attempt to overtake it. We don’t have US style “School Bus” complete with flashing lights and prohibitions of passing when stopped. Also saw two m/cycles both riders had high vis tabards and duly went into Mildenhall.

Sorry no pictures of aircraft, still misty, no “gate guard” , the ones on the pan at Mildenhall were to far from the fence and I didn’t fancy being dragged off.. I followed a LHD Ford Tarrus with official USAF tags* (learning the lingo ) and contemplated the pros and cons of bring it from the US instead of procuring UK vehicles for use over here.

 

I fuelled up a Bury St Edmunds and as I rejoined I saw a German FJ1200 trailing 2 luggage straps. He’d obviously lost something off the back. Bad Karma points for me for not going after him as he’d already gone up the slip road in the wrong direction., they’d not be off set by the checking for a thumbs up from the m/cyclist who was making a phone call at the side of the road, who I’d earlier checked on.

 

I took the tourist route along the A1120 from Stowmarket to Yoxford, very picturesque, even in the early morning mist. Too nice to enjoy the sweeping bends between the villages to stop and take pictures so you’d have to trust me on that

 

As I approached my next landmark on the coast, the mist had cleared – thank you sea breeze. But I wasn’t so keen on the light smattering of rain.

 

Southwold [3] looking for The Battery. I had picture off the Internet and Gun Hill was marked on the map, but as I ran along the sea front I found a pair of cannons so stopped to take pictures just in case and then went on to the expected ones.

As normal can’t post landmark or even the erroneous ones because it seems that some people have been misdirected to the pair not the battery so here’s some shots of Guzzi by the sea to bide you by till November.

 

 

 

Moved northwards along the coast and the mist had now truly gone. Next point was a Coastal Mine Clearance Memorial at Mundesley [4] I’d just parked the Guzzi up to take the photograph and a Silver BMW R1150RT pulls up. Tim West he is also doing the RBR, he should have been holidaying in Bulgaria but had to cancel as his wife was sitting with a sick relative, so he also had leave to do a bit of RBR. He had a nice imprint of a pigeon on his screen, where it’s takeoff run wasn’t quite as quick as his BMW, no damage to the bike but he didn’t stop to check on the pigeon. This was my 184th landmark visited and the first time I’d met another RBRer on the road.

 

Over looking Mundesley was this giant golf ball, Okay it’s not as big as Fylindales ( just checked it would seem that 2 of the 3 43m dia geodesic domes have been replaced with a tetrahedron but you old guys know what I mean) So in the interests of a trip to Cuba here’s a picture. (I just Googled Fylindales and the first site is how to break in/scale the fences/cut the equipment wires etc – early morning call from Special Branch expected )

 

 

 

A couple of exposures later, just enough to reduce my sperm count, I continued on to King’s Lynn [5], for a 14th Century tower from a Franciscan priory, they left the tower standing during the dissolution of the monasteries as a marker for ships and used the rest of the stones elsewhere in the town. I fuelled at 160mile on the outskirts of town taking 15.49L, I think this is most I’ve ever done on a tank and by my MDR approx 1.6L left still though I’d not change it further.

 

My next was a statute of Mathew Flinders in Donington [6]. In the part of Stevenage where I live a lot of the streets are named after explorers and when I moved here in 89 the house we bought was in Flinders Close. The plaque that goes with the statue starts off with “Matthew Flinders , is more famous in Australia than in England” how very true at least this statue is connected with a person who came from the town not a once removed connection.

 

Pressing on north I have to endure the Boston inner ring road poorly sign posted and very congested even on a motorcycle. As I leave the built up area I catch up behind a Police van of some sorts, the markings are not that clear but has blue strobes fitted in to the roof. Not wishing to take the piss I put in (legal) overtakes so that I’m now immediately behind it. As we leave the next 40mph limit and enter the nationals (60) it gives a brief left indication , inviting me to overtake. I’m not to happy with the view I’ve got and can make out a junction warning sign and a bend so decline. Straight after the bend is another 40 limit. But as we emerge from this one, there is a sweeping right hander and a junction on the left from which a tractor and trailer are emerging. I’m able to get out and past the van prior to the junction and then positioned to continue past the tractor and gently move on to my next an old windmill that form parts of Batesman’s Brewery and visitor centre[7]. Very picturesque but it’s best not to do the tour or partake in samples.

 

Have to retrace my steps back towards Boston. I round a bend and I come across the Police van parked on my nearside facing me, so a slight scrub of speed to ensure I go past it’s open rear at a suitable speed, not sure if it was set up for myself or oncoming traffic or both. Lincolnshire had the highest density of speed cameras I’d see all day, only one other late show but probably set up for the other but not sure, just have to wait to see what comes through the post.

 

My next landmark is a pair of village crosses just to the north of Nottingham [8]. The A617 has suffered from zealous attentions of the road safety brigade and it’s whole length is now subject to a 50 mph limit (or less), lots of signs on lampposts featuring a bouquet and wording “Better to arrive late” and some “think bike” ones later. Some of the villages had speed readers that showed your speed and when under 30 say “thank you”.

 

I’m getting low on fuel but I recon I can get to the motorway services on my leg down the slab, I do 15miles after the lamp comes on with 154miles on the trip .I decide against food stop and make do with a snickers bar to supplement the apple/Satsuma/couple of breakfast bars I’d been snacking on at the rate of one a stop for the last 4 stops.

 

My next is the Inclined plane museum at Foxton [9] this is a system that replaced the flight of 10 locks on the canal, here’s my panoramic of the locks, hopefully a click on the picture will take you to a bigger version. Very impressive and there was 1 boat going up and another going down. I’d just missed them at the passing place half way. Apparently the Inclined Plane could do a pair of boats in 10 minutes as opposed to the 45 it takes to do the lock stair case.

 

 

Next a church spire in Oundle [10] on route I’d got blitzed by a 999 type Ducati, he turned and was on his way back out otherwise I’d not have clue what it was. I saw him coming so had slowed as not sure what it was, but he went past me like I was standing.

My problem was finding a reasonable view of the spire that it would fill the viewfinder and be able to get the bike in. So ended up with top half of spire protruding over a house with the bike parked in front, not the best picture I’ve ever taken.

 

Quick blast homeward to a point that must be less than 20 miles from home for a medieval bridge[11] I’m working out the distances can I do it without another fuel stop.

I think I can. I do the picture and then head out to the Guzzi owner club meeting as it’s the first Monday of the month, we meet about 5 miles from my home. It’s a nice night, I’m the ninth bike there at 8:30 and one more arrives a bit later but after some have left.

 

 

 

That’s 530 miles, 10 landmarks in just over 12 hours giving me an additional 195 points taking my total now to 11 landmarks 215/1900 points a Standard award

 

[Orson]

Nice write up, Martin

 

I'm a bit disapointed the Orkney Islands and the Outter Hebrides aren't on the list