InvictaMoto's Red Pepé Blog

After attending Vimy100 in April 2017 I have been looking at going again 2018. I fully expect that it will be a more relaxed affair than the Centenary this year where there were around 20000 people attending the event. When we went in 2014 we were able to park in the parking​ lot right by the visitor centre. Unlike this year where there were park and rides setup with buses to the site. I'll probably be Jean Sans-Amis again but hopefully less of a cock-up like 2014 when I managed to get lost after deciding to leave the satnav at home! Although I did all the planning for the 2015 trip I was unable to go after my heart attack less than week before. So fingers crossed for good weather etc. More information. Update 23/10/17 Booked the Eurotunnel shuttle today. The cost is £30 so no point using the £50 voucher they gave me after so many delayed and cancelled services.

Two different events on the same day at almost the same venue. How could that happen? On the Sunday of August Bank Holiday in the UK an event was organised at Dover on the esplanade in the harbour between the two docks.   The Eastern Docks are primarily for passenger and freight ferries to the France and the Western Docks for cruise liners.  In the middle is a crescent shaped beach and an esplanade.  At the eastern end of the esplanade the owners of the Pebbles Kiosk and Gift Shop had organised "Bikes on the Beach" for a third year. At the Western end. The local sailing and rowing club had organised a fun day with stalls and exhibits.  The exhibits included some local classic car owners and the Dover Transport Museum brought some of their collection along. I was a little late getting up after some overnight dog barking and disruptive sleep because of that.  The Dover event started at 10am and as I rode out of the ...

Had a run into Folkestone today as I had a dentist appointment and thought the bike would be better. Nice and sunny. Parked almost outside and was early. Went for a coffee at the cafe over the road. They couldn't make change for a tenner and trusted me to go back. Biker friendly. After the scraping around I had a walk to Debenham's for another drink and make change. Back at the bike I couldn't believe it. Bird shit on the screen and tank. Spattered on the chrome work too. I stopped at the café and paid my £1.30 and rode home to clean the bike. A short ride that would have been longer without those bloody birds.

I have been looking at the smaller flyscreens as the big screen on Pepé can be a bit of a pain in the wet as no matter how much polish it has on it, it still becomes a little hard to see through and you have to look over. I have thought about hydro-dipping but have yet to fnd someone that will reply to an email enquiry or in fact show an example of a Rocket flyscreen suitably decorated. The ones I have contacted can't be short of business as they can't be arsed to come back with a price. I have seen the work from Chris at Custom-Sculpt .  He does all kinds of different work and has a portfolio of bike work and a lot of R3 stuff. You can design your own but I have always liked Iron Maiden's "Eddie".  A quick email confirms that Chris has the mould and can make one. I can decide on any colours I want as the mould starts off plain.  He has work piled up and so I'd have to fit in. That's fine with me. Time to put some pennies away. Upda...

It's a bit early to be booking bike trips into December. But seeing a special offer where the return fare to France for bike and rider was only £22.50 ($28.50 or so) for what amounts to two 90 minute (not luxurious though) cruises is the cheapest I have seen it for many a good year.  Book now!! Thank you P&O. As every other year since we stopped going for the weekend, the plan will be to go over early but not too early. Fill the tank with slightly cheaper EU benzine and go to Ostend. Check out the chocolate shops and have lunch. See St Nick. Then ride home after a good day in Europe. I'll probably put it on the Meldrews' Facebook page  at some stage in case there are any takers for the trip.  I have been Johnny No-Mates a few times and the last time it was just me and Cal. Still a while to go before December 2nd. Paul Devall shared an album with you from the Flickr app! Take a look: https://flic.kr/s/aHskn4opxt

Then it must be Meldrews' Sunday. Usually we meet at the Blue & White Café at Smeeth on the A20.  We have been meeting there practically since it re-opened with Superbike racer Leon Camier's mum at the helm. But it is getting busier and busier on a Sunday morning, not with bikers, who seem to have started to to back to the Airport Cafe, but with "normals" and their kids. Biker life has always been a little adult and we aren't the axe chucking mob, just blokes of an age that like to have a breakfast and chew the fat in an adult way without feeling that some bullethead might be offended on behalf of his kids or his delicate wife.  It's not that we use the f-word all that often, but like any group, we have people that are drawn together for their love of bike and biking from across the spectrum. We have all shades of political views but it rarely comes up as a subject. So this Sunday we tried the County Members pub in Lympne Village. ...

I was up on time and after breakfast I finally got away a little earlier than the planned 9am start. As I was already fuelled up I decided to make my first stop just before the Dartford Tunnel. The traffic was running unusually smoothly. Maintaining 70mph was hampered as north of the tunnel I caught the back end of a rolling road block. The overhead info boards said there were animals on the road. This lasted until almost to the M11. I chose stay in the left most lane of four for most of the way. Despite costing a £1m a mile to build so few seem to want to use it. Maybe the common term "slow lane" makes them feel inadequate? It was about 1030am when I pulled into Birchanger Services. The car park was full and there were a few bikes dotted about. I didn't recognise anyone. Jean Sans-Amis again. By the time I'd got a coffee it was nearly 1100am.  I usually reckon 25 minutes to the rendezvous. With holiday traffic it was nearer 40 when I pulled ...