Matt adopting the default classic motorcyclist pose.
At club night the possibility of a ride out on Wednesday was briefly raised but put off due to lack of enthusiasm, we did at least agree that some unspecified person would ring around if the weather was half decent.
Well Wednesday morning did dawn with weather somewhat better than half decent, in fact it was quite pleasant. I therefore waited for the unspecified person to get in touch. As the morning drew on and it looked like no one else was going to ring I thought I had better do it. Well after breakfast anyway.
I had just sat down to breakfast when the phone rang and Trevor wanted to know if we were going out as no one had rung him. We decided that Trev would start the ball rolling by ringing some people whilst I had breakfast and we would go for an afternoon run.
Trevor, Derrick, Matt and Rod plus me met at Pure Triumph at 1:15pm.
I led four other bikes from our Wellingborough starting point west towards Salcey Forest and Bozenham Mill. I deliberately chose some of the narrowest country roads that I hadnt been on since the great freeze started several months previously. What a shocking state some of these roads are in. Gravel down the middle that presumably was once the road surface and huge wide long and deep potholes that presumably were once filled with that gravel. So bad were some of these surfaces that it was necessary to keep an eye on the road immediately in front so you could thread your way through the devastation though inevitably we occasionally dropped into these bloody dangerous chasms.
Still we enjoy this kind of thing, riding and complaining that is.
The mood changed however when we noticed tail end Charlie or Matt as he is usually known had gone missing. Retracing our route we soon came across Trevor and Matt stationary. Apparently the old (classic) Norton twin that Matt was riding stalled as he tried to skirt a giant pothole at the same time as avoiding an oncoming Transit van.
When I walked up he was cursing Amal carbs and perhaps unfairly the rest of us for kicking up dust and stones as he followed.
Just as Matt was taking the plugs out for probably the second time a car came up he lane and stopped next to us. What an amazing coincidence, more than twenty miles from home down a little used remote track/road the driver was a friend of both Derrick and Matt being one of their cycling chums. Assured that we could cope the car went on its way.
A few plug changes and a carb fiddle later we were on our way again but only briefly. Another stoppage and another fiddle was called for, Matt was by now beginning to fail to see the joy in our motorcycling adventure and decided he was heading directly home. Thus the run ended with us following Matt and then peeling off as we neared our respective homes.
Trevor later told me by telephone that he and Rod had followed Matt most of the way home seeing Derrick turn off but the Norton was going so quickly they lost him near Wellingborough.
It appears that whilst the Norton may have been having trouble at low speeds it seems there is not much wrong with its top speed and overall performance.
I think we shall see it again soon.
John.
PS: All those participating in that run should check their wheels arent buckled and if they are we should sue the bloody council..
Pictures on the website gallery 2.
Well Wednesday morning did dawn with weather somewhat better than half decent, in fact it was quite pleasant. I therefore waited for the unspecified person to get in touch. As the morning drew on and it looked like no one else was going to ring I thought I had better do it. Well after breakfast anyway.
I had just sat down to breakfast when the phone rang and Trevor wanted to know if we were going out as no one had rung him. We decided that Trev would start the ball rolling by ringing some people whilst I had breakfast and we would go for an afternoon run.
Trevor, Derrick, Matt and Rod plus me met at Pure Triumph at 1:15pm.
I led four other bikes from our Wellingborough starting point west towards Salcey Forest and Bozenham Mill. I deliberately chose some of the narrowest country roads that I hadnt been on since the great freeze started several months previously. What a shocking state some of these roads are in. Gravel down the middle that presumably was once the road surface and huge wide long and deep potholes that presumably were once filled with that gravel. So bad were some of these surfaces that it was necessary to keep an eye on the road immediately in front so you could thread your way through the devastation though inevitably we occasionally dropped into these bloody dangerous chasms.
Still we enjoy this kind of thing, riding and complaining that is.
The mood changed however when we noticed tail end Charlie or Matt as he is usually known had gone missing. Retracing our route we soon came across Trevor and Matt stationary. Apparently the old (classic) Norton twin that Matt was riding stalled as he tried to skirt a giant pothole at the same time as avoiding an oncoming Transit van.
When I walked up he was cursing Amal carbs and perhaps unfairly the rest of us for kicking up dust and stones as he followed.
Just as Matt was taking the plugs out for probably the second time a car came up he lane and stopped next to us. What an amazing coincidence, more than twenty miles from home down a little used remote track/road the driver was a friend of both Derrick and Matt being one of their cycling chums. Assured that we could cope the car went on its way.
A few plug changes and a carb fiddle later we were on our way again but only briefly. Another stoppage and another fiddle was called for, Matt was by now beginning to fail to see the joy in our motorcycling adventure and decided he was heading directly home. Thus the run ended with us following Matt and then peeling off as we neared our respective homes.
Trevor later told me by telephone that he and Rod had followed Matt most of the way home seeing Derrick turn off but the Norton was going so quickly they lost him near Wellingborough.
It appears that whilst the Norton may have been having trouble at low speeds it seems there is not much wrong with its top speed and overall performance.
I think we shall see it again soon.
John.
PS: All those participating in that run should check their wheels arent buckled and if they are we should sue the bloody council..
Pictures on the website gallery 2.
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