Skip to main content

AMRR 2018

What kind of plum walks around the parking at the rendezvous looking for Rockets and forgets his own. Me?

At least my brother took one of his BMW and got Pepé in too




I was up early for a weekend. Alarm set for 0735 and on the road at 0830. The plan to stop for fuel and meet my brother.

Traffic was a little heavier than expected and I arrived at the Esso at Cobham on the A2 about 0920. Filled up and then had a coffee and pain chocolat.

Whilst waiting for Neill I had a chat with fellow Meldrew Ian who was in his truck and saw me pass him.

From Cobham it was a boring hour up the M25 and then M11 to the RDV at Cambridge Services.

A chat and then a wander around. It was very hot again. By the time I got there my legs and personals were a little hot too.

At least I had my bandana... I just need to grow a longer fuller beard to be a real biker.



There were around 300 bikes and as it worked out we were in the second row of the last column to leave.

I had a look for other Rockets and some decent classics.








Once we had heard the roll call of those that have passed in the last year, we fired up. And left. We left in rows like entering the ark... Two by two until it came to us.

It took ages to get out and onto the A14. Once again Cambridgeshire Police riders were superb. They closed junctions and between the bike cops and foot cops smoothed our way into Cambridge city and out to the Cemetery.


Parked and then hurried to the shade of the memorial wall. The service takes about 30 minutes and although somber the memorial site is peaceful and beautifully kept.

The rows of crosses of the 3812 men and women killed and have a known burial are a reminder of the role that the US played in WW2 in the air from the bomber groups.

The 5217 names of the missing are engraved on the memorial wall. One of those is Major Alton Miller AAF.




Once over we set off back home. We had a football match from Russia at Neill's place.

England playing Sweden in Moscow in the World Cup.

Amazingly you can be biker and a football fan despite the puerile comments on biker related social media sites.

England won 2-0.

After the game I was off home. With us riding about 70mph in both directions I had hoped to get home without another pit stop.

As I approached Ashford the "miles to empty" was showing 22 miles. Not trusting it I stopped at Tesco. I squeezed 18.54 litres into the allegedly 24 litre tank.....

Another 5E for the 50/50 Challenge.






posted from Bloggeroid

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

New Battery?

The weekend showed how weak the battery has become.  Having had to use the dbPower unit on four separate occasions during the day in Belgium was the giveaway. We are in the second winter of this problem where the battery isn't strong enough to start the bike. In the summer it charges and holds that charge and although I keep the dbPower unit to hand I rarely have to use it.  But in winter it barely has the power to turn the engine over. It's simply "clunk". The lights come on though and that probably doesn't help. So what to do? Being a fair weather biker nowadays I won't be using the bike that often until the new year. Do I get a new battery sooner rather than later? It might end up freezing away in the garage. I have a garage in a block away from the house with no power, so a trickle charger is no use either. I have been looking at a replacement though.  A  Motobatt  with a high cranking power should be around £75. So unlikel...

Czech Invader Rally 2022?

Looking to next year for what maybe a jolly-boys trip to the Czech Invader Rally or what might end up a Billy No-Mates trip. I have been to five previous Czech Invaders but only once when I rode there completely alone. I did that in 1992 on my DR800SL. It's not something I would do again. Not in one hit. When I arrived I could hardly get off the bike I was so stiff for sitting in one place for hour upon hour. Those were all held at the same "rally-inn" in  Chudčice  near Brno. The last one I did was way back in 2004 with Claire as pillion. The BMW GS wasn't well received - not being a Suzuki! BMW at Rally. There is no way I'll be on the Kettle. At 37mpg it will cost a kidney to ride the 1700 mile round trip. So Pepé will need to be the bike of choice. If only I had cruise control as well to help with the saving of fuel. If I am to go over as a solo traveller I will stay in Youth Hostels. After all I will be an old age pensioner by then. We did that way back in 199...