BIRMINGHAM UK H.O.G - 6852 J U L Y 2 0 1 3 HTTP://BRUMHOG.NING.COM

A By the time most of you get around to reading this the Big Brum Bash will be a blurred

memory

Jason  and   the   team  have  put  a  lot  of   effort   into   the   organisa5on   so  let’s   hope   it   was   all   worth   it.  Whatever  the  outcome  we  will  hold  a  review  mee5ng  before  we  plan  for  next   year,   please   get   involved   in  that  process  if   you  have   something  that  will  help  us  to   improve  things,  details  will  be  on  the  web  site  soon.

The  rally  season  got  underway  with  the   Cider   Rally   and   BMAD.   The  Chapter   was   well   represented   at  both,   and   a  good   5me  was  had.   It  always   warms   my   own   cockles  when  we  meet  up  with  old   friends  from  other  Chapters,   it  reminds  me  what  this  biking  lark  is  all  about.

On  a  slightly   sour  note,  over  a  beer  at   the  Cider  Rally  I  had  a  couple  of  people   say   to   me   that   they   have  heard   that   people   are   not   happy  with  certain  aspects  of   the  Chapter.  

If   this   is   the   case   please   let  me  or  one  of  the  commiIee  know  what  is  wrong.   We   work   hard   at   trying   to  make   the   Chapter   a   success,   if   we  are  missing   something   let  us  know  and  we  will  try   and  sort  things  out.  BeIer   s5ll   get   involved,   this   is  our  club,   and   most   of   us   just   want   to  ride   our   bikes   with   like-­‐minded  people  and  have  fun.    Sermon  over!

A few words from our Director

THE BULL PEN

Talking   of   fun   the   HOT   training   in  Milwaukee  was  certainly  that.  I  was  amazed  at  the  number  of   Chapters  represented.   There   were   1400  officers   in   training   from   every  corner   of   the   USA   and   every  con5nent.  The  training  was  centred  on   mak i n g   t h e   Chap te r s   a  welcoming   place  for  new  members  with   the  main   emphasis  on  having  fun.   They   went   to   a   great   deal   of  trouble   to   point   out   that   the   real  measure  of   success  for  a  Chapter  is  the  reten5on  rate  of  new  members.  They   gave   us   some  great   ideas  on  how   to   improve   on   what   we   are  doing,   and   I   have   commiIed   to   a  few   ac5ons   that   I   am   sure   will  benefit   the  Chapter.     There   is   one  thing   we   can   all   do   that   is   really  easy.   Involve  new  members.   If   you  see  someone  new  on  a  ride  out  or  at   a   mee5ng   just   say   hello.   It  sounds  easy…………..because  it  is.

At   the   April   mee5ng   I   asked   for  volunteers  to  fill  some  of  our  vacant  roles  within  the  Chapter.  The  range  of   ac5vi5es   we   offer   is   something  that  we  need  to  improve,  so  we  are  looking   for   a   few   people   to   act   as  the   catalyst   to   geWng   things  moving.  I  say  a  few  people  because  I   believe  we  need  a  range  of   ideas  and  a  team  to  spread  the  work  load.  If  you  fancy  helping   out  please  give  me  a  call.

Another  aspect  of   Chapter   life   that  never   ceases   to   amaze   me   is   our  charitable   work.  Whenever  we  get  the  call  we  always  come  up  trumps.  It   is   great   to   be   involved   with   a  bunch  of  people  who  care,  and  who  are   happy   to   help   out.   We   have  really  pushed  the  boat  out  with  our  support   of   the   Phoenix   Centre.   I  

know   that   they   have   been   blown  away   with   the   money   raised   and  the   enthusiasm   shown   by   the  Chapter.   We   had   a   great   response  to   the   call   from   the   Cancervive  riders.   Richard   Burns   asked   for  support   for   the   food   banks.   Who  can  forget  young  Harrison  from  the  2012   BBB?   I   could   go   on   (and  probably   will!).   Whilst   all   that   has  been   done,   and   is   being   done   is  fantas5c   I   feel   we   need   to   think  about  how  we  best  channel  this  for  the   future.   I   already   have   one  willing   volunteer   to   help   co-­‐ordinate   things,  but   if   you   feel  you  would   like   to   help   out   please   give  me  a  shout.

The  biker’s  calendar  is  geWng  more  and   more   congested.   There   are  HOG   events  most  weekends   in   the  summer.  There  are  also  a  myriad  of  other   events  well  worth   a   look.   If  you   see   something   that   you   feel  that  Chapter  members  may   like   to  know  about  let  us  know.

As  the   long  evenings  are  here   I  for  one  like  nothing  more  than  a  short  ride   a^er   work   just   to   blow   the  cobwebs  away………..which   reminds  me,  what  the  hell  am  I  doing  on  this  dammed   computer.   Where   are   my  bike  keys?

Ride  safe  -­‐  Ian  

 

Directors Musings

Birmingham Harley Owner Group fundraisers on mission to help hungry neighbours

A city centre foodbank was given a boost when a group of Birmingham Harley Owner Group riders rumbled in to drop off a huge food donation. The Birmingham bike riders, all in impressive leathers, helmets and boots, rolled in on amaz i n g motorcyc l e s a l l i n formation with big waves and smiles.

Following them was a van brimming with donated tinned and dried food items for Birmingham Central Foodbank.

The foodbank volunteers helped the bikers unload the van full of food b e fo re t a k i n g t h e e x c i t i n g opportunity to go for a ride with a few of the bikers, which especially pleased some of the bike lovers on the team.

The donation drop off was arranged by Harley owner group member Richard Burns. Richard is also support worker for the Royal British Legion Birmingham who are one o f B i rmingham Centra l Foodbank’s referral agencies and have referred ex-servicemen in need of emergency food.

I a n B r a n n o n , ( D i r e c t o r o f Birmingham UK Harley Owners Group Chapter) said the group are hoping to support Birmingham Central Foodbank further.

“We are fortunate in many ways for the things we have and thought it was a good opportunity to give back to the community,” he said.

Birmingham Central Foodbank manager, Patricia Hoskins sums up the exciting day: “We got so excited when we heard a loud rumble of bikes approaching it was so exhilarating.

“Even though in some ways we may be worlds apart, today we all came together under one cause ‘to help feed our hungry neighbours’.

“Since the start of the welfare reform on April we are the busiest we’ve ever been since opening our doors in October 2011.

In the past year our foodbank has provided emergency food for over ‘3,700 adults and children. We are so grateful to the Birmingham Harley Owners Group for the food donation, the team had such an amazing morning with them – it totally rocked”.

Birmingham Central FoodbankBikers roar in to give Brum foodbank a boost

PICCIES

A lifelong ambition to cruise the Main Street of America will be achieved this summer when three bikers follow the legendary Route 66 to raise funds for St Giles Hospice.

On Friday 21st June, The CanCervive Riders will fire up their Harley-Davidson motorcycles at the start of an epic 13-day journey through the heart of the USA in memory of loved ones and in support of St Giles, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

For 2,500 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, Tamworth-based Richard Miller and his good friends Shaun Peaty (44) and Adrian Ashleigh (52), both from Cannock, will live their American dream and hopefully raise in excess of £2,000 for hospice care.

“As a biker, riding the historic Route 66 on a classic chopper is pretty much the ultimate road trip,” says Richard (50). “The journey has captured my imagination for years and it’s a holiday that we first started planning in 2011.

“But when my mother developed cancer, I postponed my plans while she was cared for at her home by St Giles Hospice – and then it was decided we would ride Route 66 in the memory of those we had lost.

“Shaun, Adrian and I have all lost loved ones to cancer and we will have them close to our hearts when we start our engines in Chicago.”

The three friends will each wear specially made The CanCervive Riders t-shirts throughout the trip, with the names of their remembered friends and family members – Sue Miller, Mel Lucas, Yvonne Rawlins and John Shaw, a former Sheriff of Lichfield –

emblazoned on the backs of their tops.

“We are extremely grateful to our good friend Dee Lucas for getting us The CanCervive Riders t-shirts,” says Richard. “Hopefully, the tops will attract the attention of the American public on our journey and encourage them to add towards our fundraising total.”

Route 66 was established in 1926 as one of the first US highways, linking Illinois to Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. The road came to prominence during the 1930s as people migrated west along its course, while the highway also acted as an economic lifeline for the communities it passed through.

Despite being officially removed from the highways system in 1985, many sections of Route 66 still exist under different names and The CanCervive Riders will navigate as much of the original ‘Mother Road’ as possible.

“I’ve spent an incredible amount of time researching Route 66 on the computer and reading books about it,” says Richard. “There’s so much that we want to see and do along the way – from catching a cable car up Sandia Peak in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to visiting the Endangered Wolf Centre in Eureka, near St Louis, Missouri, seeing the Navajo national reservation of Monument Valley, Arizona, famed for its sandstone ‘buttes’, and standing under the Gemini Giant in Wilmington, Illinois.”

The three friends are all seasoned bikers, but each of them is more accustomed to riding Japanese superbikes. Richard, Shaun and Adrian recently enjoyed a Harley-

Davidson warm-up session at St Giles Hospice, courtesy of the Birmingham HOG chapter.“When around 30 members of the Birmingham HOGs arrived at St Giles Hospice, we couldn’t believe our eyes,” says Richard. “The bikes looked fantastic and sounded amazing.

“We are so grateful to the bikers for coming to St Giles Hospice and giving us the opportunity to learn more about these fabulous machines.”

The Cancervive Riders get their kicks on Route 66 in aid of St Giles Hospice!

This is a fantastic rally to attend, the first of the year, demand is high so book early to avoid disappointment, you then book your accommodation separately, we left our booking a little late so ended up with bunk beds, (oh dear Faye I bet Paul was not happy with bunk beds – did he go on top?), very basic rooms clean and tidy, good food, breakfast and evening meal for £79 for 3 nights.We hit traffic on M5 at 5 o'clock but some good white lining got us on site for 7pm let the party begin NEON FRIDAY.

D J ROB and DEVIOUS make it a great start to weekend as follows:-

SATURDAY  - at breakfast we sat with 15 of our chapter members and decided to do our own ride out Cheddar, Wells, Glastonbury and back to Riders of Bridgewater for a coffee.

We all showered, got changed, had dinner and another two really great bands, BROTHERHOOD a 70s band, and  SMOKIN  MONKEYS staying up for the 3 O CLOCK photo.

SUNDAY - with a little sore head we decided to enjoy the sunshine, sat around talking to new and old friends ,then caught the rally bus into Weston Super mare sat on sea front with hair of the dog and fish and chips a must ,free bus back to site ,where chapter members had been on a long ride to HOVIS HILL very nice but very eventful for  Pete and  Jean Harris. so glad  I decided to stay and top up tan and alcohol levels.

Cider Rally 2013 - Fay Dutton

Many   people   have   been   commen5ng   on   my   recent  weight  loss  and   asking  me  to   share  the  secret  of   how  it’s  done.  Well  it’s  quite   simple  really   –   Kim’s  focussed  on   some   fund   raising   ac5vi5es  again   this  year   and   as  such  is  never   around   to  keep  me  fed  properly.     I   can’t  even   grab   a   snack   from   a   cupboard   as   they’re   bare  because  the  on-­‐line  shopping  orders  aren't  being  placed  on  a  regular  basis  any  more  either!

Last  year  Kim  took  a  rest  from  Ironman  challenges  and  started  to  get   into  her  cycling,  so  much  so  she  decided  on   the   spur   of   the  moment   to   cycle   London   to  Paris,  because   “we’ve   got   nothing   on   that   weekend.”   She  raised  over  £800  for  Help  For  Heroes  as  a  result.

The  success  of   Sir  Bradley  Wiggins  and  Sir  Chris  Hoy   in  the  Olympics  later  last  year  spurred  Kim  on  to  want   to  ride   the  Olympic   cycle   route   as   part   of   the   100   mile  ‘Pruden5al  London  Surrey  ride’  to  help  raise  money  for  the   work   of   Ac5on   Heart   at   Russells   Hall   Hospital   in  Dudley.  She  would  welcome  support  from  Birmingham  

HOG   Chapter   members   to   support   the   fantas5c   work  this  charity   does  to  help  rehabilitate   over   700   cardiac  pa5ents   at   a   5me.     While   Kim   has   supported   this  Charity  since  1999  its  work  has  become  more  poignant  as  she  recently  had  a  work  colleague  cruelly  taken  from  the  world  in  his  early  for5es  as  a  result  of  a  heart  aIack,  leaving  behind  a  wife  and  two  very  young  children.  

For   those   interested   in   trying   to   shed   a   few   pounds  there  are,  unfortunately,  no   secret  fixes.   However   Kim  would  be  more  than  happy  for  you  to  send  her  as  many  of  your  sterling  pounds  as  you  can  spare  to  support  her  in  her  challenge  via  her  Just  Giving  web  page  at:www.justgiving.com/Kim-­‐Babb  (hIp://www.justgiving.com/Kim-­‐Babb)

Thanking  you  in  advance  for  your  generosity.

Nigel  Babb

Nigel’s Way to Wonder Weight Loss

To All Chapter MembersThis   is  an  ar)cle  to   say  a  few  words  about  the   road   captains   and   thank  them  all   for  doing  such  a  great  job  a  I  believe  they  may  have  been  ge<ng  some  unfair   s)ck  at   the  moment  !!!

Being   a   road   captain   is   no   easy   task   –  when   they  organise  a  ride  out  there   is   no  

way  that   they  just   look  at  a  map   and  say,  “Right  well   take  the  A45  then  go  onto   the  B15  and  then   travel  along  the  M4  and  we  will   be   there!”   There   is   a   lot   more   to   it  than  that.

These   dedicated   people   travel   to   the  des)na)ons   we   are   visi)ng   in   their   own  )me,  talk  to   owners   of   restaurants,   cafes  and   places   of   interest   in   order   to   check  with  them  if  it   is  OK   if  we  all  invade  them  and    visit,  and   when   they  have  done  this  they   find   the   most   enjoyable   route   for  riding.   And   what   do   we   do?   We   simply  turn   up   on   the   day   and   enjoy   ourselves  and  have  a  great  )me.

Of  course  there  are  )mes  when  there  are  hiccups   and   small   mistakes   can   be   made  but  the  road   captains  are  normal  too,  and  this   is   just   a   part   of   life.   I   would   like   to  applaud   them   and   thank   them   all   for  doing  a  sterling  job  and  promise  you  that  I  for   one   will   always   be   grateful   and  understanding  for  all   the   fun  rides  we  are  going  to  have  in   the  near  future.  Our   road  captains  are   one   in   a  million   and   I  would  like  to  dedicate  the  next  poem  to  them.

Your  loving  editor  Linda

It’s  )me  to  plan  another  trip,

Where  are  we  to  go?

Have  to  get  the  Sat  Nav  out

And  travel  there  tomorrow.

We  have  to  find  the  best  roads

Can’t  go  down  the  motorway

Need  to  make  this  trip  enjoyable,

And  decide  where  we  aim  to  stay.

They  decide  on  a  trip  to  Barmouth.

A  beau)ful  spot  in  Wales,

When  they  planned  the  trip  it  rained  all  day

But  on  the  day  we  went  the  rain  fails.

We  go  on  a  trip  to  Stonehenge,

And  this  was  a  long  way  for  us  to  ride

The  journey  was  fab  all  the  way  there,

And  even  the  showers  didn’t  spoil  it  as  the  guides,

Our  super  road  captains  as  always  were  ace,

As  they  worked  together  to  get  us  all  there,

The  des)na)on  was  beau)ful  and  a  sight  to  see,

Food  was  great  but  no  roasts  Dave’s  s  belly  was  bare.

Recently  we  went  on  a  trip  to  the  arboretum,

Always  an  emo)onal  place  to  see,

The  ride  was  great  and  organised  well,

Nowhere  else  on  that  day  would  I  want  to  be!!”

I  remember  well  our  trip  to  the  Marina,

That  was  another  cracking  )me,

The  weather  was  great  and  we  had  a  good  )me,

And  the  scenery  on  the  way  was  sublime.

The  only  thing  that  bloYed  that  day,

Was  I  had  bought  a  large  double  cone,  

It  was  lovely  and  aZer  three  licks

My  ice  cream  hit  the  decks  and  my  cone  was  alone.

Anyway  enough  of  my  rhymes

I  just  wanted  to  share  my  apprecia)on

For  ALL  our  road  captains  out  there,

Carry  on  as  you  do  with  your  true  dedica)on!

There  are  several  ways  to  get   to  France  but  being  old   school   I  chose  the  Dover  to   Calais   trip   £63   return   for   bike   and  rider   (cheaper  than  the  tunnel)  but  has  to   be   booked   in   advance.   From  Coventry   to   Dover   its   183   miles   easy  route   M1-­‐M25-­‐M20   and   can   be   done  easy   in   3.5   hrs   with   a   short   coffee  break,  but  my  advice   is  to   allow  plenty  of  )me  for   the  Dareord  crossing  as  we  got  held  up  and  missed  our  ferry  )me  ,  this  was  not   a   problem  as  we  were  on  motorbikes  so  we  caught  the  next  ferry  some   55   minutes   later.   We   chose   to  take  a  long  route  down  and  visit  friends  in   Dordogne   and   this   is   a   beau)ful  riding   area   in   its   own   right.   Although  we   used   Sat   nav   this   isn’t   compulsory  as  the  road  network  from  large  town  to  town   is  so  easy  in   France  with   brilliant  sign   posts   the   old   method   of   wri)ng  your   route   on   a   piece   of   paper   and  s)cking   it   to   the   tank  each   day  works  fine.

Our   first   stop   was   in   Rouen,  the  place  Joan   of   arc  was  burnt   at   the   stake   336  miles   from   Coventry   and   my   advice  here  is  if  you  haven’t   pre   -­‐booked   your  hotel   is   to   arrive   at   a   decent   )me   at  you r   s top   po in t   and   find   the  informa)on  bureau   they  all   speak  good  ‘anglais’  and  you   just  have  to   tell   them  your   budget   ,   tell   them   you   are   on  expensive   motorbikes   and   require  secure   parking   and   they   will   find   the  hotel   at   your   budget   for   you,  we   had  secure   parking   all   the   way   down   and  back!!!!!

The   second   day  we   rode   405   miles   to  Dordogne   but   in   beau)ful   sun   shine  and   fantas)c   scenery   this  was   so   easy  to   do   as   this   really   is   a   lovely   part   of  France  to  ride  in.  We  leZ  Dordogne  the  next   morning   heading   south   through  Bergerac  and  it  started  to  spit  with   rain  and   before   we   had   )me   to   pull   over  and   put   wet   weather   gear   on   it   was  raining   cats   and   dogs,   the   only  difference  with   French   rain   apart   from  being  on   the   other   side   of   the   road   is  that  it  was  warm!!!!!

There  are  plenty  of  petrol  sta)ons  and  places  to  get  a  coffee  and  I  prac)ced  my  school  boy  French  Ii  did  always  get  what  I  ordered  but  also  got  a  laugh  from  the  waitress  (never  did  like  Mr  Munro  the  French  teacher).  Now  anyone  who  is  worried  about  riding  abroad  don't  the  roads  are  so  easy,  pot  hole  free  and  the  French  people  just  ‘brill’,  so  friendly.  We  stopped  twice  at  the  side  of  the  road  to  set  Sat  Nav  and  both  )mes  fellow  bikers  stopped  to  see  if  we  were  Ok!The  rain  con)nued  and  we  made  progress  slow  as  we  were  on  A  roads  and  twisters  so  we  gave  up  in  a  town  called  Rodez,  some  205  very  wet  miles  and  found  a  great  hotel  with  covered  parking.

A  good  )p  when  you  do  stop  for  coffee  use  the  hand  dryers  in  the  toilets  to  dry  gloves  and  Necker’s  .We  woke  the  next  morning  thinking  it  s)ll  couldn't  be  raining  and  it  wasn't  but  by  the  )me  we  paid  the  bill  loaded  the  bikes  it  was  and  as  heavy  as  the  day  before!!!This  was  a  great  shame  as  one  of  the  high  lights  on  this  route  was  to  cross  the  tallest  suspension  bridge  in  Europe,  the  Millau  Viaduct,  a  truly  beau)ful  bridge  but  when  we  crossed  it  was  65  mph  winds  ,  torren)al  rain  and  heavy  cloud  not  much  fun  so  high  up  on  a  fatboy  with  solid  wheels  and  65  mph  cross  winds  ,  hence  we  didn't  stop  to  take  pictures  at  this  point.

We  set  of  and  made  our  way  south  s)ll  not  mee)ng  many  bikers  at  one  point  I  thought  we  might  have  the  wrong  weekend  it  was  so  quiet  ,  that  is  one  great  thing  riding  in  France  the  car  traffic  is  so  light  and  the  roads  so  clear.  The  sun  came  out  just  outside  Montpellier  so  we  pulled  into  a  service  sta)on  to  remove  our  wet  weather  gear,  greeted  by  about  50  other  Harleys  from  various  countries  the  first  )me  we  actually  saw  Harleys  travelling  south.The  sun  remained  for  the  next  three  days  yep  it  was  official  I  was  on  my  holidays,  Dordogne  to  Rodez  was  about  

205  very  wet  miles  and  then  Rodez  to  the  rally  site  in  Grimaud  198  sunny  miles  .      

During  the  ride  down  whilst  it  was  raining  I  went  to  wipe  my  visor  and  on  removing  my  leZ  hand  from  handle  bars  the  bike  violently  shook  side  to  side    on  further  trial  and  error  I  found  this  only  happened  between  15-­‐55  mph  ,  at  first  I  thought  it  a  balance  weight  come  of  so  I  checked  wheel  bearing  play  and  everything  in  between  but  couldn't  find  fault.  We  arrived  at  the  rally  site  in  Grimaud  early  Wednesday  aZernoon  some  1266  miles  since  leaving  Coventry.

Ii  contacted  Hog  breakdown  which  were  fantas)c  and  they  sent  a  tow  truck  for  the  Thursday  morning  at  0900  am,  this  was  brilliant  un)l  they  told  me  my  bike  would  be  returned  on  the  Monday  morning  gone  for  the  whole  rally  period  ,  I  thought  I  had  ridden  all  the  way  like  it  so  i  would  ride  all  the  way  back  so  I  sent  the  tow  truck  away,  my  only  complaint  at  a  rally  of  this  size  and  being  the  30th  anniversary  rally  was  there  wasn't    any  technical  staff  on  site  or  any  support;  I  knew  of  two  other  bikes  needing  urgent  help,  Hog  European  recovery  was  so  easy  to  deal  with  and  actually  called  you  back  when  promised.    I  was  well  impressed  with  them.

Thursday  the  Rally  opened,  registra)on  was  easy  and  only  took  minutes  and  we  were  in  but  bike  security  was  none  existent  and  only  people  received  arm  bands  a  few  people  were  moaning  that  bikes  didn't  have  bands  as  well.  The  site  was  well  set  out  plenty  of  trade  stands  set  within  a  wooded  area  selling  good  quality  items,  Rally  packs  were  easy  to  pick    up  just  showing  rip  of  part  of  )cket,  plenty  of  places  to  eat  and  more  importantly  get  a  beer  at  a  decent  price  .behind  !!!

Jon Lintot - A European Adventure

Friday  was  spent  wondering  the  rally  site  and  a  ride  up  the  road  about  6  miles  to  St  Tropez  here  beer  prices  were  very  stupid  7  Euros  for  half  a  lager  ,  the  highlight  would  be  Friday  night  as  Suzi  Quatro  was  playing  main  stage  on  the  beach  and  yes  lads  she  s)ll  wears  the  leather  trousers  and  before  you  ask    she  has  s)ll  got  it  from  behind  !!!

Saturday  was  the  highlight  for  me  as  there  was  the  mass  parade  of  Harley  bikes.  We  started  lining  up  at  1400  for  a  ride  of  at  1600  I  believe  there  was  nearly  3000  bikes  on  the  ride  out  which  went  via  St  Tropez  and  all  the  towns  in  the  area  people  were  four  abreast  lining  the  streets  as  we  rode  through  a  truly  unforgeYable  experience,  Saturday  night  was  rounded  off  by  Status  Quo  playing,  who  as  usual  put  on  a  terrific  gig.  

Sunday  was  pack  the  bike  )me  and  yep  as  we  rode  up  the  road  it  started  to  rain  ge<ng  heavier  the  more  north  we  travelled  and  we  were  flanked  by  many  Harleys  heading  home  most  of  the  way  to  our  stop  in  Dijon.  

The  next  morning  we  set  of  in  the  rain  and  decided  to  keep  riding  un)l  we  

reached  Calais  367  miles,  1hr  30  minutes  on  ferry  and  183  miles  and  home,  the  Dareord  tunnel  was  a  nightmare  but  it  was  bank  holiday  weekend  end!  In  all  it  was  a  most  enjoyable  trip  total  of  2845  miles  and  150  Euros  on  toll’s  so  my  advice,  if  riding  solo,  is  to  carry  a  small  purse  or  money  bag  full  of  change,  easy  to  get  at  with  wet  gloves  on  as  car  drivers  get  a  liYle  restless  if    you  take  too  long  ,  don't  do  what  one  guy  did  pay  by  a  50  euro  note  and  get  it  all  back  in  change  was  funny  seeing  him  stuffing  it  into  his  pockets  though,  as  for  the  wobbly  steering  it  turned  out  to  be  a  a  loose  steering  head  bearing  sorted  by  Harley  dealer  in  UK,  apparently  a  common  fault  on  Harley  fatboys.

So  to  sum  it  all  up  would  I  do  it  again  well  probably  I  would,  plan  your  journey  take  your  liYle  bag  of  Euros  and  go  enjoy  the  great  French  roads  which  are  pot  hole  free,  riding  out  there  is  so  easy  and  the  French  really  are  so  friendly.  It  was  worth  the  long  ride  down  and  the  trip  up  the  coast  road  to  Monaco  was  really  fun  so  I  hope  that  this  gives  you  a  taste  of  a  European  rally.

Saturday  was  the  highlight  for  me  as  there  was  the  mass  parade  of  Harley  bikes

PICCIES

CanCervive - Sat 27th April