5th Aniversary

[Martin Barrett]

I decided to make this a separate topic not because I'm special ( I am ) but so you only have to read/down load the pictures once and not every time some else up dates the main thread.

 

As previously mentioned this was to be my only Guzzi trip this year so we started off with a wash

 

 

I'd strapped everything to the bike the night before so all I had to do was clip on the tank bag and leave.

So nice early start up at 0445 I'd plenty of time in hand so leisurely breakfast left home 0515. I topped up with fuel after 25 miles, I know from there I can make the petrol station on the E40 after Calais. By the time I'd fueled I'd eaten a bit to far in to my cushion of time and needed to press on.

 

Nice straight run through, no delay at the Dartford crossing toll both. It's free for bikes but you have to go through a manned both so there's always potential for a bit of a queue. Coming down the M20 in to Kent over the high ground a bit of a chill and then patches of fog. I'd sneaked a peek at my wrist watch - not easy as have to slacken cuff off and half remove the glove to see - I must get another small clock to attach to the Velcro point in my fairing nose. I knew I was really pushed for time. Trying to find a balance of speed for the fog - only a fool rushes in and too slow and you'd risk a fool collecting you from behind, and not wishing to attract the attention of the law. He'd got someone a bit further on.

 

I arrived at the queue at my booking in time - they load 30-15 minutes before departure - it took 5 minutes to go through the auto booking in system - it displayed next crossing some 3 hours later but the boarding card was for the next departure so straight to the holding queues. As always bikes on last.

Shared the crossing with an American on a R1200GS going to Italy, and a father & son with a pair of Fazers who were doing 10 days in the south of France.

 

From there clocks forward an hour and hit the slab E40, made my first planned fuel stop. There I set up my sat nav, I've a car TomTom which I've cobbled some cardboard and elastic to make a frame to hold it in position in the tank bag window, and power it from an optimate battery tender cable with an additional cigarette lighter extension cable attached. Didn't work quite as planned. Had to shade the screen with my hand to view it, didn't have to do this when I first tried it back in the UK - was obviously a lot duller then

 

Having been caught out last year looking for fuel at limit of tank range, this year I filled again just past Brussels, that did me all the way to Sibbe which was easy to find with the aid of the Sat Nav.

 

I arrived at about 12:30 to find Guy, Helen and Mal had arrived about 10 minutes before me. But no sign of Jaap or Antonio

Set up camp in the field at the back. Lovely flat recently grassed and no stones, the pegs went in smoothly.

There was a chicken run down one side of the field, Paul the proprietor removed a basket of roosters from there so no early morning alarm calls.

 

Chez Martin - the following morning - meths stove for early morning coffee.

 

Once set up the others went down the local Cafe to gab a bite to eat. Popped out to visit a local Geo cache in Valkenberg. I had brought my first Geo coin ( trackable item that cachers move from cache to cache) with me and wanted to send it on its way.

 

So off to the local park and quickly found the cache a small ammunition tin hidden under a pile of logs in the middle of a copse

 

You can just make out the red of the box between the bigger logs, and also see the bodge GPS cradle in the tank bag.

 

Job done back to the rally. Lots of standing around talking, and then Paul opened the bar, so now standing/sitting talking with bier (sic)

Over dinner my headache is getting worse, I'd initially thought it might have been buffeting from the wind against my helmet, or even worse the bier (lightweight) But I soon realise it's sunstroke I stood too long outside nothing else for it I slope off to my tent.

 

Feeling better by the morning, cup of coffee and natter before breakfast. Ride-out at 11 so time for a bit of machine maintenance. My number plate hanger is so badly rusted that it's falling apart and the number plate is liable to fall off at any moment so off it all comes and borrow Paul's drill so it can be bolted straight to the mudguard.

 

The only other maintenance going on is a silver V11 that's lost it's bolt that secures the ignition barrel and Helen has lost a bolt from her flip front helmet swivel. Both are sorted from Guy's bag of spare nuts and bolts. So we're off first stop petrol were another one of Guy's nuts is required to replace an escaped exhaust hanger nut. We split in to two groups so not to be so unwieldy.

 

Our ride is going nicely I'm no 8 of 9 and we've just entered a small town, a couple of cars split us and I decide not to be a hooligan and force past them until out of the built up area. I'm still in contact at the T junction but shortly afterwards I've lost sight of Bertie, we've just come up a hill and the road follows round left in a tight hair pin and even cross back over us but virtually straight on is a road that's signposted to the same place as the T junction so I head up there and immediately cut loose trying to catch up. To no avail. Lovely bit of road that takes you up to a wooded hill top cafe and doubles back on it self. I wait at that point for a moment no sign of Guy, so I continue back down the hill and pick up the original road and about half a mile further on they waiting for me. Guy joins us a few moments later as does Mal who'd doubled back.

 

We continue on into the Eifel mountains. Lovely twisty bends - sweepers hairpins a bit of everything. Lots of motorcycles. We stop for lunch.

 

Bockwurst and Pommes frits - and a very small cup of coffee, unlike the big mugs that are favoured in the UK.

 

Most of our group, alfresco dining , don't worry I used my neck tube as a hat (for a short while) to prevent a repetition of the previous days sunstroke.

 

Panoramic shot of the lunch stop - if I've done it right should be a clicky link to fuller size 2MB picture

 

 

Here we are about to set off again - I think Soren is talking to Guy, but is having difficulty in keeping a straight face as Mal demonstrates the English sense of humor by making faces whilst stood behind Guy - it's that or he's putting his ear plugs in.

 

More of the same, without me getting lost, as we head back to Sibbe.

 

 

Here's Guy trying to pick up a local girl.

 

Bar Be Que and lots more bier, and talking. Special thank you to the anonymous American member who stood a round

 

The three wise monkeys of the forum

 

I made up for the previous nights early finish and was last to bed, so it must have been the sun not the bier.

I still made a coffee the following morning though breakfast was already being served.

 

leisurely pack up and departures.

 

My initial plan having taken advice was to head south in to the Ardennes and then west and come up to Calais through Luxembourg and France. But I dallied to much in the Eiffel's and didn't get too far south west so when I realised that I hadn't put the Tom Tom on CET so I didn't have the extra hour I thought I did. So when the display for the fastest time back to Calais clicked down towards my booking in time plus 2x fuel stops I made tracks, unfortunalty took me back to join the E42 and then on to E40.

 

Made Calais early so was put on the next train 1/2 hr earlier, so was home 7.15 Uk.

Perhaps next time I'll go for a later train and have more time to spend exploring, but the plus points were I was able to see the kids before they went to bed, snuggle up with Debs and watch the France/Namibia rugby match and the repeat of the Estoril MotoGP.

 

As always Guzzi people are the best, and V11 ones the cream. Must have been over 30 different ones there at some point over the weekend, mostly V11 though Paul was there on his Daytona, Jean Marc on his GB SuperTwin along with another one , Harold on his very orange cali, and a centaruo based cafe racer.

 

Special mention for Soren - iron butt longest ride to the rally

 

Where/when next ?

[tikkanen]

Fast as ever, Martin.....

 

Yes, that was definitely a great weekend - one of the best I've had for a long time. As Martin says V11 owners are good people; there was a friendly and kind atmosphere despite different nationalities, language barriers and what have you. Nonetheless everybody enjoyed themselves and it felt really nice to finally be able to put faces on names.

 

Furthermore Jaap had ordered good weather thanks to his good contacts with 'da man' above and it worked! Lots of sunshine and temps around 20C - yeeehah! Called my wife back home in Denmark and she complained about gale winds and lots of rain.......

 

The Saturday trip to the Eifel mountains was absolutely fab. Excellent twisties and turns combined with great weather - can't beat it Thanks to our pathfinders who trashed us big time in their backyard.

The icing on the cake was the BBQ Saturday evening followed by numerous beers, filthy jokes (ask Guy about his special English dictionary.....), numerous fags (thanks Rob - I owe you!) followed by a terrible headache Sunday morning......

 

The return run to Denmark went fine. My wife had told me that dinner would be served at 7PM and I actually made it on time! My butt was absolutely numb but that comes with owing an Italian classic I suppose.....

 

So here are my lessons learned:

1. Guzzi people, especially V11 owners are good people.

2. Jaap and Antonio did an excellent job arranging all this

3. Drinking and smoking with Rob till early in the morning gives you a headache.....

4. V11 standard seat is rubbish

- 200 kms = needles and pins

- 400 kms = your butt hurts

- 600 kms = pain!

- 800 kms = rigor mortis

5. Will do it again next year and so should you!

 

Best regards

Søren

[Guzzirider]

Mal, Helen and myself had a brilliant time- the venue was excellent- Paul and his family did a great job looking after us, and we really enjoyed the run out in the Eiffel mountains. We joined in the slow group but the speed was swift enough and as fast as I like to ride- thanks to our guides for a nice route.

 

Was great to meet up with all the guys and gals from all over Europe- and admire all the nice bikes- no two bikes were the same, with lots of personalised machines.

 

Bikes behaved reasonably- my V11 was running a bit rich and spang an oil leak from the alternator cover, Helen's timing cover dribble turned into a proper leak and Mal had some intermittent starting problems, but on the scale of things, not too bad, and they got us home.

 

When we arrived at the ferry port we found 90 Satans Slaves were queuing in front of us- and they were with us on the way back too. If you are expecting tales of outlaw bikers rampaging across the boat biting heads off chickens and terrorising passengers you will be sorely disappointed- they just chilled out, drank beer and behaved impeccably.

 

On the way back we stopped for lunch at Vlijmen to meet an old friend Conny who had sped down from the north on her SV650, and we enjoyed yet another uitsmijter in the sunshine.

 

Our return ferry crossing was quite rough- but we were surprised to bump into Chris and Jane Jessop who were on their way back from the GMG.

 

We got back home to find it absolutely freezing in England and had the usual busy journey dodging the lorries on the M62

 

Lets do it again in 2008!

 

Thanks again to Jaap and Antonio- and not forgetting the anonymous benefactor from the USA who sent Jaap some money so he could buy us all a beer- cheers mate Now don't be shy- let us know who you are!

 

A few pics:

[Jock Guzzi]

Great pics as usual Guy...but where's the pics of the Satan sSaves and their rides ? (bikes not molls, but if you have any of those as well feel free to include them).

[Guzzirider]

Great pics as usual Guy...but where's the pics of the Satan sSaves and their rides ? (bikes not molls, but if you have any of those as well feel free to include them).

 

No photos of Slaves I am afraid Mark! They sort of kept their distance when they heard there were Guzzi riders on board- they had heard of our terrible reputation for eating cream teas and drinking earl grey, and I don't think they wanted any trouble.

[belfastguzzi]

Great pics as usual Guy...but where's the pics of the Satan sSaves and their rides ? (bikes not molls, but if you have any of those as well feel free to include them).

 

The Slave panders to the great Beelzebub:

A few pics:

[Martin Barrett]

The Slave panders to the great Beelzebub:

 

Notice best white shirt for motorcycle maintenance

[antonio carroccio]

Martin, I will remember you the first photo on top of this topic, while you are washing you V11.

No matter about the white shirt, the bike was clean, wasn't it?

 

If you bother, next time I propose you to do it naked chest