Elefantentreffen 2009 (long)

Your air bed was used as a sledge on Saturday night so it didn't go to
waste.

I think we made it fairly soon after arriving.

Signs over gates ring a bell?

 

I assume that he was either not on it or had had sufficient brandy..

Phil

 

I was only getting 40 mpg by myself but I think his sidecar punched an
aerodynamic bubble to assist the already svelte shape of the following GT.

 

Sounds ghastly!

 

A colleague recently asked what was the lowest temp an Aussie would
consider having a barbie in. I replied that we'd had one at -25 C at
Mawson, where we had to rest our tinnies on the outside of the BBQ plate
to keep the beer molten. I vaguely recall an Aussie team reaching Vostok
one year when it was uninhabited and they had a BBQ at -60 C or so --
inside one of the unheated Russian buildings.

--
Ivan Reid, School of Engineering & Design, _____________ CMS Collaboration,
Brunel University. Ivan.Reid@[brunel.ac.uk|cern.ch] Room 40-1-B12, CERN
GSX600F, RG250WD "You Porsche. Me pass!" DoD #484 JKLO#003, 005
WP7# 3000 LC Unit #2368 (tinlc) UKMC#00009 BOTAFOT#16 UKRMMA#7 (Hon)
KotPT -- "for stupidity above and beyond the call of duty".

 

It does doesn't it.

Glad I went, it's hard to explain how satisfying it is standing round a
roaring fire drinking German beer, eating bratwurst and shooting the
breeze. Ambiance of wood smoke with an almost continuous firework
display only adding to the enjoyment. I think it must titillate the
primeval part of you.

The ride there was great, continental cold is not the same as UK cold.

 

So it would seem

 

Bomber Rally in Finland?

 

Whitbread Hop Farm in Kent?

 

I got a puncture there last year. Dangerous place.

 

Finding Rotterdam is a whole long way off finding Hoek Van Holland. It
is still a longish way to go in time.

 

From Cambridge to home it felt colder than any time in Germany or
Holland. The MyCoal glove/boot inserts are just the ticket, cheap as
chips and toasty toes for at least 6 hours. I rode from Rotheram to York
without and immediately noticed a chilly difference.

 

Doncaster even...

 

I enjoyed the ride both ways, the R65 outfit is so sweet handling and
the Chen Shing trials tyre did sterling service. At 10psi on snow it got
me up slopes. At 38psi on M-Ways it cruised at 65-80. It was only the
final stage from Cambridge to Doncaster, about 2 hours, that I was
royally pissed off.

As Andy said, the right silencer required a bodge on the way to Harwich
but it was fine from there on. Riding behind Platy and Andy to the ferry
the Gen light was flickering.

The ferry trip was fine but I thought we had agreed to separate and for
me to ride to the BMW dealer in Rotterdam. I decided to be last off the
ferry, only to find everyone waiting. Hey Ho. So I joined the group for
the hotel ride and everything seemed ok. At this point it is worth
noting I packed my lovely Clarke 910 jumpstart/tyre pump device. The
hotel is excellent, recommend.

The ride to the campsite was great and the event worth the journey,
although the travelling was as much a part of going. 1st night was cold
but I got it sussed for the next two and stayed toasty. My Trangia turns
the tent from frost into sauna in 5 minutes.

The wood situation was excellent but expensive. We had a brilliant fire
right through. The beer was excellent and cheap. The food was good and
slightly less cheap. I won't take so much grub next time. The rally was
packed with strange bikes and stranger people. The sledging was
entertaining. Fireworks amazing. The icy slopes were dangerous, we all
kept falling.

My last fall saw my ankle twist under me. Blinding agony. I now know
it's a spiral fracture in the Fibula from the ankle joint up around 4
inches. Foot swollen and bruised like a water melon. 2 days of camping.
Decamp. 3 days of riding 800 miles. All on an unsplinted broken leg.
I'll give you *hard* you girly cunts.

Riding back the left silencer was heading West. Well so were we all so
that's ok. Made the hotel (again) just fine but decided a Regulator was
needed. Left the group and headed to the nearest dealer. Fitted it in 20
mins but noticed the wiring into the genny was probably at fault.
Worried, I set off to catch up. I never did as the battery went flat. I
bridged in the Clarke box and got underway again. Realising this
wouldn't get me home I stopped and purchased a 50Ah battery and a 6A
charger to top up this and the jumpstarter.

Stopping at the next services I discovered something *bad*. The (dry)
charged battery only had 33% charge. 30 mins on the charger made no
difference. I'd been sold a dud battery. 74Euro wasted. Grrr. So it was
down to lady luck whether the remnants of charging, the jumpstarter and
the car battery (in parallel) would get me to the ferry (on time). It
nearly did but I ran out of fuel on the Rotterdam approaches and it
stalled while trying to dig out my jerrycan. By the time I was mobile
again the ferry was sailing and arrived just as it threw its moorings.

The freight terminal guys were lovely and had me warmed up and booked
into the best hotel within 15 mins. I rode back around to find a very
nice place, a good little town, a pub which did us a Lock In and those
girls that only exist in Holland. I realised how much I miss living
there.

After a spanking late brekkies we agreed a 1200 checkout and I set off
to do something about electrons. The next village up had an auto spares
emporium similar to that found in Flitwick. 90Euro got me a FOAD 75Ah
drycell battery, two lovely brass terminals, some emergency wire and
other odments. It was snowing but I happened on a self service filling
station and the awning made it a good place to work. I wired the big
battery straight into the bike with the jumpstarter connectable in
parallel without getting off the bike. Bodged the badly blowing left
silencer and boarded the 14:30 ferry. I slept the journey away in a
cabin after a meal and left the jumpstarter on the charger.

Disembarking at 20:00 in Harwich it was perishing and the broken leg was
sore, though well splinted by the touring Gaytonas. The MyCoal inserts
continued to toast my tootsies and I ran the headlight and heated jacket
and gloves. With a stop for fuel this got me to Doncaster services in
good order after 4 hours but the big battery was drained. Bridging in
the jumpstarter and ripping off the left silencer I set off again and
made it home by 0100.

A hot bath was followed by the sleep of the dead and followed by a hot
bath. I then drove the 911 into our hospital. Left foot clutch/brake.
Not a good idea. The fracture clinic had me taped up same day so the car
stays. I've ordered an Adapted hire car for a month. Auto box with left
foot throttle!

Final bike verdict. The 27 year old R65 is a gem. 33k miles and in great
condition. It did nearly 2000 miles on full throttle and returned almost
50mpg. It will make someone a lovely solo (soon) with new pipes and the
wire repaired. The seat was good for 10 hours. Lugging a chair needs
just a little more and the Squire is going on my R100RS. 30 more bhp
will see me cruise at an easy genuine 80 with 20 in hand for overtakes.

 

No, the girls in Holland are special, just >-< so and that's not the
paid for company IHYK

 

Finding Belgium is easy when the satnav has been programmed by Captain Hoek.

 

I'd like to pretend that I'm not impressed, but I can't.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Champ

"No sense, no feeling".

 

AOL.

 

Clumsy fucker.