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Showing posts from 2018

New Rear Seat 2

I emailed Elsemade today as I had replied to the messenger post with a picture of the seat I  had bought and an idea of what I wanted done. They hadn't replied but their reply said to email for a quicker response. I wasn't too fussed about speed as I don't expect Claire to want to have a go until the Spring.  But I thought I would chase them up to get the ball rolling in case there is a long wait to get it back. The seat I have comes complete to bolt-on to the rear fender and a quick measure could mean as much as widening the brick by around 2 to 2.5 inches each side of centre will give a wider perch but also still allow the pannier lids to open unobstructed. Else quoted £140 for the job.  Let's see when I can send it up there.

Which oil to use?

With the pathetically low mileage I am doing I seem to hardly use any oil in Pepé! But I like to keep it topped up. I have always used a semi-synthetic oil in all the bikes and a 10w40 range oil. The manual isn't all that helpful: So having a look on the API website SH is a well out of date specification. I know the Rocket is getting on a bit in engine terms but SH is positively antediluvian in comparison! A bit more poking about on the various websites or forums it seems that Triumph shifted from Mobil to Castrol oils, Armed with a 25% off "friends and family" voucher from fellow  Meldrew, Trevor Rice, I checked out the Halford's webpage. I have ordered Castrol Power 1 4T Motorcycle Engine Oil. It's £39 for four litres and I guess it's formulated for motorcycles. The 25% off makes it less painful. Not being an expert I have no idea whether the modern turbo car engine is more or less oil conscious than motorcycles!  We were told i

Le Mans MotoGP 2019 - Tickets

With the hotel booked on the usual free cancellation/no prepayment basis we are in a dead zone until we decide that we are definitely going. Today I had an email from the ticket office to say that tickets for the event are on sale.  Eagerly, I clicked to see what the prices are for 2019. General admission to the track are €80 for the weekend and Grandstands with a booked seat are from €135. There are also a range of other stands for "fans". There is always a Valentino Rossi fan stand. I guess to sit there you need to make sure you have at least a yellow 46 cap and maybe say "for sure" in most sentences in English. But as for price. Who knows? On the website all grandstands come up as "SOLD OUT". Already? https://www.gpfrancemoto.com/en/grandstand/3-day-ticket

Le Mans MotoGP 2019?

It's a bit premature, but if you don't act quickly then the opportunity is lost.  I was looking at the "local" MotoGP dates in the calendar for 2019. As we are going to Assen in September for the BSB Round in the car or by bike (to be decided) I discounted that round.  It doesn't leave that many within a few miles of the channel ports and so I thought of Le Mans and the French MotoGP. It's the weekend of 17-19 May.  It's not a school holiday and so I should be able to get the Friday and Monday off the "book-end" the weekend.  I checked on booking.com and of course there's hardly a hotel in sniffing distance of Le Mans itself.   So I have booked a hotel,  on the usual "no prepayment/free cancellation" basis in  Alençon .  It's called the  Hôtel Inn Design Resto Novo .  Part of a small chain across France. When Neill and I went in 2012 (!) we stayed at the Formule 1 hotel in  Alençon .  We ate in the nearby

Palingbeek 4

Finally, I have managed to get the gpx track that I recorded from the TomTom off the unit and onto the laptop so that I can open it n Tyre . Previously when "sharing" from the 410 it failed. Now, and just a coincidence, after an upgrade to the laptop software and downloading the US maps, it worked. I was surprised that the files was almost 5mb and once imported to Tyre showed over 30000 waypoints.  Luckily, the program manages to plot them by choosing one every 300 to 400! The picture shows the actual trip I did. Including going the wrong way and around a block near the Eloi crater as "we" failed to find the Eloi 2 crater a few yards from the first one!! I might try and use "record" again and see what happens.

Another short run!

Another short run out to the Meldrews meeting at the Blue & White Cafe at Smeeth.  As expected after a lay off and the weather turning very autumnal (and wet) during the week,  Pepe refused to start once the dials had done their flicker to check there was a semblance of battery power left. Out came the dbPower unit and it was "boost-time".  I had charged it but since its last use it was only down to 98%! It took a few goes to get the big-boy running and I left him in the garage ticking over as I got my gear on.  It was a little chilly but once started he runs perfectly. In the end there were five of us there for an assortment of breakfast and bacon sandwiches.  I decided to ride a longer way home via New Romney to give the bike a few miles under the tyres.  Once outside the cafe of course it was boost-time and then we were off. Down the A20, then Bad Munstereffel Way and home via Brenzett and the wide open roads across the edge of the marsh.   Not a bad ride

New Rear Seat

Part of the plans to get Claire back on the bike next year, once her hip has healed after the operation, is to get the rear seat upgraded to make it more comfortable.  Rather than having the current seat chopped up and widened and maybe dished a little to match the front, I was looking for a used seat on eBay and in breakers adverts. No sooner had I had the idea than both sources went quiet and then when some were advertised they were very expensive. I have sourced a guy to do the job and effectively I think he really only needs the seat base to work on as he will restyle the "brick" that it resembles currently into something comfortable and wider. The seller "triumphant20years" is well respected in the Rocket community. So stage 1 will be completed sometime this week.

New Avon Cobra

A bit late for me as I had a new one fitted on the rear in the summer. I will need a front though soon enough. https://www.avontyres.com/en-gb/news/d/!/503/avon-tyres-launches-new-cobra If the suggested increased performance and longevity are true then it will be a hit with Rocket owners. posted from Bloggeroid

BSB Assen 2019

The dates have been confirmed for the entire BSB (British SuperBikes) season for 2019 and the Assen round in on the 20th-22nd September, a week earlier than in 2018. This is to fit in another round at Donington Park before the final at Brands Hatch I had a look at hotels and the one we stayed in this year (see  https://devalltravel.blogspot.com/search?q=NL18+-+Assen ) wasn't on booking.com  but one a mile or so down the road was. So I have booked three nights at the Wapen van Vries hotel. For Claire and me it will be some €60 cheaper but a single room for Neill will be about the same as this year. I'm posting this on this blog (this early) as I am hoping that after Claire's successful total hip emplacement last week (October 13th) that she will be fully fighting fit to go on the bike. I expect that bike to be Pepe! I am also considering a different route.  Instead of the tunnel I might see about the longer ferry from Harwich to the Hook of Holland.  It depe

Rocket III Owners Club

I joined the club a few weeks after I bought Pepe not because I like clubs, but because they are a pretty valuable source of information when you need some advice, and also they do have a social side. So far I have not been to any social events but they have been useful when I have had a problem and there are so many people that can help.  And have. It is a shame that the South-East and Kent in particular has pretty much of a dead social scene.  After many years in the SOC, I am not putting my head above the parapet.  Never again.  I want to be a follower not a leader. posted from Bloggeroid

A month?

OMG! It's a month since I last got out on Pepé. So as expected with some damp days and nights the battery needed a jolt from the dbPower unit. It's a nice sunny morning so I got the Triumph Steve McQueen jacket out. It's definitely a three season jacket. I always remove the zip-in liners as they tend to be sweat inducing quilted nylon. Another reason is that despite the body being XXL, the arms are still S or even M. Narrow tubes that my old man's arms find a tight fit. If you are a gym bunny and have muscles that bulge like The Rock, then look elsewhere. The jacket has metal zips and snap fasteners. I do love that. It's short enough not to touch the tank with the bottom snapper. It also has two zippered vents along the collar bone and a huge zipped vent across the shoulders. Not that they were needed today. There are plenty of pockets. Two snap fastened ones on the chest, left and right, a zippered pocket on the left chest to. Two lower

Update on Palingbeek 3

From the line I sent an email to Eurotunnel customer services to complain about the lack of information and the long wait to get home.  I didn't expect a reply for a few days. On September 28th they emailed. "I am sorry to learn of the difficulties you experienced whilst travelling with our service on the 15th September . From the information you have provided, I regret that I have not been able to locate a ticket booked in your name. In order for us to respond in more detail could you please provide us with the booking reference number of the journey concerned." They couldn't find my name on their booking system for that day? If I was called Smith, then maybe I could accept that..... but I have a rather rare surname - Devall. Once home from Assen I made a screenshot of my booking reference and sent it to them. Result. They replied this morning to offer me a £33 credit note. That's what I paid for this trip, so not quite a stagge

Palingbeek and beyond - Part 3

Why is this in three parts?  Initially I started to create the posts on my phone using a blogging app. Luckily blogger accepts posts from email as well, although this time I haven't had to use it. The first part was started in Belgium and then the second added after I had returned, and this the final countdown. Today. The day after. From Palingbeek the plan was to visit the two mine craters at St Eloi. I had got the gate code from the tourist office whilst in search of the elusive Last Post Association pins. I almost missed it and there is little parking.  Rather than the big hole I expected, it is a garden between two houses. Whilst I was there an English couple came up and I shared the gate code with them. As I prepared to move to the next waypoint, I heard the sound of Harley's.  Anyone that has heard a hardly with a loud exhaust will know the sound. A group sped past.  Even though I was in bike gear, holding a bike helmet in my hand with Pepe parked

Palingbeek and beyond - Part 2

The ride to Palingbeek was fairly short and when I arrived the car park was pretty full. At the entrance is a café and the CWXRM* have an information point and a statue. A robot? From here it us about 150 yards to the decision point. Left to the Bluff and the two water filled mine craters and then to the viewpoint overlooking the Egg. Or right at the info point to the sculpture and then the egg. I went right. The sculpture. Gradually the egg will be filled with the dog tags of the 600000 dead. And then to the main egg. The first glimpse of it over the hedge. And then all of it. Fantastic. The return is via the Bluff. Along the way are "speakers". When entered it triggers the sound system. Poems from the war poets. Sadly none in English. Once back at the bike I attempted to cut a couple of the waypoints off the route. But I was defeated. So off to St Eloi. * Coming World Remember Me posted from Bloggeroid

Palingbeek and beyond - Part 1

I was up bright and early. Or rather early. My shoulder was feeling fine and the best it has been for a week or so. Unfortunately Eurotunnel weren't as bright. On checking in I was informed that the 0850 was "retimed" to 0858. At 0922 we pulled out of Folkestone for the 35 minute crossing to France. Pepé had required the dbPower unit boost to start first thing and again once we were given the go ahead to board the train. Playing catch up I was last on. Thankfully at the French end although prepared, seat off etc, Pepé started okay. From there tbe ride was uneventful along the A16 to the A25. I know that many riders poo-poo using motorways but if you want to get somewhere using the newly reduced limit N roads then you need days rather than hours. Arriving at the old Franco-Belgian border I stopped to take a pic for the 50/50 Challenge. The old border and customs buildings are slowly rotting away. Testament to Shengen? From here I followed TomTom inst

Palingbeek Vijfde

Another update. As the route would take me through Ieper/Ypres/Wipers anyway I will stop in the Grote Markt for a short time and visit the Tourist Office and also I might have time to get across the the British Legion shop across the road.  Always a sucker for a new pin badge! I don't want this to become a whistle-stop tour but I need the gate code from the Tourist Office to get into the St Eloi Crater park.  Although if it is anything  like Bayernwald,  when I got there someone had left the gate unlocked and slightly ajar so the code wasn't needed. If time starts to get away with me after Palingbeek I can always cut one or some of the stops out of the route.   When I used to plan these trips for the Kent Centre SOC and then the Meldrews I think I used to build in too many places to stop and then had to remove some on the hoof as it were.Probably better than too few and having to pad the trips out!! My primary focus is to se

Palingbeek Drie - Plugstreet

Have added another stop to my tour* around the southern battlefield area - Plugstreet** With their usual inability to pronounce the "foreign" place names, Ploegsteert became Plugstreet to the Tommies sent to this sector.  After I let TomTom work out the route from the Island of Ireland Peace Park*** it actually takes me right past Plugstreet. I have added it as a waypoint anyway but from the pictures, I doubt I would miss it. * My Tour as it looks pretty much like I'll be on my todd again. ** Plugstreet -  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ploegsteert_Memorial_to_the_Missing *** Island of Ireland -  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_of_Ireland_Peace_Park At least I should score another 50/50 Challenge!  The round trip is about 240 miles.  I'll need to make sure the tank is filled to the brim with what might turn put to be cheaper UK petrol.

Short Run Out

Today was a decent day. However, I overslept and didn't get out early so I missed the Meldrews run out to H's Café at Kent Motorcycles near Canterbury. Instead we went out with Reggie in Claire's car to put air in a front tyre. There was an error flag on the dash for a few days. A nice long walk in Lyminge Forest set us up for a coffee and cake at the Lord Whiskey Tea Rooms. It was still nice when we got home and I decided to take Pepé out for a short ride. I ended up at Sainsbury's at Folkestone and topped off the tank. A little surprised to only get 39.6 mpg!! Given that I hadn't given it too much welly it was strange. From there I went up to Capel but the Battle of Britain monument was closed and I couldn't even get a scenic photo as someone had parked a van across the entrance. I looped around and back home avoiding the M20. It was nice and I gave the LS2 open face. With sunglasses and the little sun visor down it was okay. Great for local ride

Palingbeek Deux

Once I had booked the Shuttle and gave myself plenty of time to get there and back I then started work on a bit of research of where to go. As long as there aren't too many delays getting across then I expect to arrive in the Ypres area about 1200 to 1230. Lunch. Might see if the chip shop in Vlamertinge is open. Being Belgian there will be a large selection of meaty products that can be deep fried... Sounds like a diet buster. If you have ever had fresh chips (frites/fries) in Belgium you will know how they are simply marvellous. From there. To Palingbeek. Then I have added the two mine craters at St Eloi then down to the Pool of Peace,  and finally the Island of Ireland Peace Park near Messines. That should bring me to time to head back. More to follow. St Eloi Crater -   http://www.toerisme-ieper.be/en/page/334-349-364/minecrater-saint-eloi.html Pool of Peace -  https://www.flandersfields.be/en/do/pool-peace Island of Ireland Peace Park  -  ht

Palingbeek

To commemorate the numbers of troops killed in the battles around Ypres and at Passchendaele  an amazing memorial has been created in the domain of Palingbeek to the south east of Ypres/Ieper. The memorial consists of 600000 sculptures that each represent a soldier killed on that front during WW1. Pepe and I will be going over there in a few weeks to have a look. The official website (linked below) suggests at least an hour to view the installation. It's only there until 11th November - Armistice Day, so there is limited time to get across and see it. Hopefully I won't be Johnny No-Mates on the day but if I am I can enjoy it all the better myself. There are a couple of other places I'd like to call in where I have not been before or not for a long time. A report to follow in a couple of weeks when I have been over to Belgium. More information: http://www.comingworldrememberme.be/nl/praktisch

... at the Oasis

Not quite midnight but breakfast at the Oasis cafe in Old Romney Some 600 years or more ago Old Romney was just Romney and one of the Cinque Ports. A bit like Hythe the area silted up and it is now quite a way from the sea The Meldrews like to vary our breakfast meets and this is a first. The table service was good. The food was good. For me the only downer was the White Hart Lane street sign over the door. Once over I led the pack around the marsh until Lympne and they headed off and I came home. It amazes me how the power rangers still ride too fast on these marsh roads and through villages. The roads are generally deformed; there's a marsh under them, and bumpy. Not Rocket conditions!! So another good morning of chat and a few more miles acheived. posted from Bloggeroid

Alzheimer's Run 2018

The run began in Bexhill but it meant getting up way too early for me on a Sunday.  As it was it was lucky that I didn't go that far. More of that later. I decided to meet up at the midway point at Dungeness by the Light Railway Station.  I wasn't alone as fellow Meldrew Ian Gardner was going there as well.   Three others, Cal, Neil and Graham had met up at the regular Blue & White earlier in the morning to ride to Bexhill and then come back with the run itself. I arrived just before ten to see Ian had parked on the main gravel car-park by the railway station and cafe.  I parked in front of him.  We were joined by a couple of other riders and sat down to chat as bikers do. No names and probably never meet again, but instant camaraderie.   No posing and no bullshit . The first marshal appeared on the long drive w into the estate. Dungeness is the western most point on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway .  It is also the home of the Dungeness Nuclear