InvictaMoto's Red Pepé Blog

I have been lusting over some extra luggage for a while. Checking forums there are lots of guys with some really good looking Kuryakyn or Saddlemen bags that are designed for the cruisers or customs and that attach to the sissy bar. The plan was to look at them on a recent trip to the States, the natural habitat of the cruiser. In the end this never happened and so the lust has been cooled. Instead I have invested a few pounds in a bag from a friend of a friend. It's not new, but hardly used. It's basically a largish square bag with two pockets on each side.  There's a roll bag that is supposed to fit on the top but I have no idea how. There's no waterproof cover so everything will have to go in waterproof bags inside it. I tested it for fit earlier and it has two velcro straps that one fits under the sissy bar pad, the other across it and two others to anchor it to the rack. It's semi rigid and looks like once it is filled with clothes etc it m...

Had two rides out today and probably added 35 miles to the odometer! Firstly to the Blue & White to meet the Meldrew's and possibly the largest turnout since records began. Lively chat about the Somme trip in less than a fortnight. At least we have an idea who is going where and when. The second was only to Folkestone to see how Claire gets on with the bike and the seating position. She has hip problems again and my large butt means she has her thighs wider apart. This causes some discomfort. We had a gelato and a slow ride back home.

First trip out for way too long. Just back from holiday in the US, I found a letter in the stack of mail concerning my echocardiogram at the hospital.  June 16th. Unable to work from home and going to a hospital that I knew the location but not the parking situation, I decided to ride. Also bikes still park for free!  As there is a football championship on at the moment and England was playing Wales in the "Battle of Britain" at 2pm management weren't allowing any "work from home". At least our management weren't. I know other managers were allowing staff to watch, and schools allowing pupils to watch! What does that say about the trust between bosses and is plebs? The appointment was 1030am and I was away from home an hour earlier.  Canterbury is only 20 miles away but who knows the traffic situation. As it was it was just after ten when I pulled into one of the car parks and saw some bikes parked. The faded writing on the road said "m/cycles bay"...

The Meldrews decided to have a run to Whitfield and the museum's open day.  After breakfast at the Blue and White a small but elite group made the trip to the museum. Okay, three of us!  Cal, Ian J and me. The weather was hanging on to the brief look at summer we get in England and it was vented jacket weather all the way. I forgot my camera, but the iPhone made up for it and I took a few photos on some of the classics plus the Rockets that turned up. Not along run out, but a few miles on the clock!! The Gresham Flyer. I had one in dark blue back in the early 60's. Yes, you are seeing a four cylinder Kwak two-stroke! Red Pepe! Yes, that is my finger! This HD has a different picture on every panel depicting images from the Battle of Britain. Modern Enfield Bullet  We split up here as we all lived in different directions.  Ian was in fact going to Ashford rathe...

What can I say about the ride from home to Southend. On Google Maps it shows a distance of 34 miles, as the crow flies. Once it works out the route that changes to more like 81 miles depending on the way you go. With the 1945 kick off as the last time I could get there, counting back and allowing for traffic,  I set off at 1615.  Traffic was relatively light on the M20 considering the hour, but as I got nearer  London it started to build. The swoop from M20 to M25 is quite a nice experience as long as there is clear road and Pepe managed it at the legal limit without any trauma. That’s when I was faced with a four lane wall of traffic all crawling along at walking pace. Even filtering through between the outside two lanes I lost over 20 minutes getting from the M20/M25 junction to the tunnel itself.  The last couple of miles had cars and trucks at a standstill, and it was the same for the tunnel itself. There was a brief respite from this when we started to ...

Day off today. Some chores before getting Pepe out to fit the panniers and the satnav mount. The trip is only across the Thames to Southend-on-Sea. By crow's flight it's out 35 miles, but by road around 88 miles to the ground. The trip is to see the football between Oldham Athletic and Southend United. What lurks in the greenery? Had to relocate the satnav mount as it was last used without the screen. From the riding seat.

With the weather looking sunny, it was also Meldrew's Meeting Sunday. I was away a bit earlier and decided to take a scenic route to the Blue & White Café. Mistake. The country lane I ended up on was oiled high in the centre with mud and debris and the edges no better. Keeping to the narrow bits of clear road on a 700lb bike was pretty much heart in mouth... In the end I arrived just after 10am. We had a discussion about different runs and then we split up. By the time I got home the bike was covered in mud and I got the hose out to wash it off. A sunny day but still very cold. The next run out should be to Southend on Tuesday to go to a football match. Fingers crossed it stays dry.