InvictaMoto's Red Pepé Blog

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.

I had the day off leave today to take Claire to the hospital as she is on the waiting list for a total hip replacement operation. That appointment was at 1215 and we had to get up there in enough time for the traffic etc.   Before that I had to take the car to a body shop to get an estimate on all the damage to the front and rear left corners. None of it my fault.  All three "damages" were done by what I can only call "arseholes" that have run into it and then driven off leaving my car damaged. No note of course. Estimate was £250 for the lot.  Need to see when I can book it in. Anyway once back from the hospital and lunch Claire went back to work and I was free to either watch the World Cup on TV or get out on the bike. I chose the latter. I decided to have a run up to Maidstone to J&S to have a look for a new summer jacket.  My Joe Rocket is mostly mesh and I wanted something a little more like Claire's RST with more material and less mesh....

After a drive out to Biddenden Vineyard for their open day with Claire and Reggie followed by a stop at Sissinghurst Castle Garden I took the chance to get out on Pepé. The original plan was to just go out for a short run to make sure it was running. In the end I went for another 5E. Firstly, I thought I'd head up to Canterbury and fill the tank with their cheaper ASDA unleaded. Then out towards the Sarre Windmill. I didn't get there as the fork I took missed it. In the end I turned off the A28 and went cross country via Preston to Wingham, then down through Elham Valley and home. The end picture shows 52 miles. The Rocket odometer deals only in whole miles. The trips are better and at least have tenths. posted from Bloggeroid

Had an early run out to the museum for the Classic Motorcycle Show.  I thought I'd combine it with another 50/50 Challenge 5E. I have the "end" photo from the previous ride-out and so I needed only to take another when I got back home. The day was supposed to be raining and it wasn't. Another misjudgment by the Met Office! A cup of tea and a chat with a few blokes about the bikes and of course a few photos. And once home I took the "end" photograph..... And....  NOOOOOOO! 49 miles! No 5E today

In the end real life got in the way so no MAG Demo or Rocket III Run to the Ace Café. I wheeled Pepé out of the garage and fitted up the TomTom with the amended route to AFC Wimbledon ready to rock. Luckily after the hottest and driest day of the year on Thursday  (temp up to 27°C) it was still dry and warm today. With the forecast showing dry all day I pulled the Joe Rocket jacket from the wardrobe and back to kevlar cargo pants. The road into Hythe was a mile long of traffic and so I went out through the country lanes to the motorway. It took a little longer as there were cyclists riding three a breast on a road barely wide enough for two cars to pass. A bip on the horn had them scattered but hurling abuse. Had they met a car coming head on they might have been calling 999/911. Once on the M20 I dialled up to an indicated 75mph that TomTom said was more like 70. TomTom was suggesting 90 minutes for the journey and it seemed to pass pretty easily. Even the M25 was relatively...

Up at 0745. Out by 0845 after breakfast for me and for Reggie. When I was getting my gear together last night I found a pair of cordura trousers I had bought last year and never worn. In fact had forgotten. These replace jeans and over-trousers and are waterproof. They fitted a dream.  Not too expensive and made by ARMR Moto . I was to meet my brother Neill at the lay-by opposite the Oakdene Cafe where the A20 meets the M26 at 0930. A few holdups on the way to the motorway meant that I was a few minutes late. He took a photo of me. I don't have many of me and the bike. The run up to Brands took about ten minutes. This year after all the bad weather and snow even, the usual parking was too wet and so they had a great idea. They opened the GP circuit to bike parking. What a great idea. Except this meant not going near the main entrance but in a side gate on the way from the A20 to the entrance to the Paddock. The day was miserable really, weather-wis...

BSB Round 2 Another chance to score some 5E points in the Challenge and see British Superbikes. It's round two at our local track at Brands Hatch. It is a track we know well. I was corner commander for the marshals there and Neill was the chief flag marshal at Dingle Dell Corner. This is on the long GP circuit. This week's racing is on the short Indy circuit. We are going thanks to complimentary tickets from Suzuki GB. Thanks to Claire for them. She works with Suzuki moving bikes around Europe.

Should be another easy to get 5E for the 50-50 Challenge with this ride. I went last year to the corresponding game and the weather was quite good. Not raining at least. It's too far away at the moment, 8 days, for an accurate forecast. One of my nieces, Eleanor, works at the Met Office and that doesn't help!  I expect some old recluse with a pine cone can predict as well as they can!

I should claim another 50-50 Challenge 5E today as well.  I am writing this in the Eurotunnel terminal at Calais after a 90kms ride from Vimy in drizzle and the occasional proper rain. Presumably mild for the Canadians stoically singing "Oh Canada" at the end of the ceremony in drizzling rain. I did sing "God Save the Queen" but seemed one of the few.  There were quite a few British there and a lot of bikers. I finish it off when I get home and add a bit of detail. Back Home! So to start from the beginning.  I was up at 0645 and by 0720 had got washed etc, togged up and fed the dog. Pepe started without the dbpower unit to give him a jolt.  I had it with me all day and fully charged just in case! I was lucky to get on the 0806 train rather than the 0820 I was booked on and curiously I was loaded in with the cars rather than treated like an inconvenience and tacked in the last carriage. waterproofs went on before I had left the terminal area!...