National Rally 4th & 5th July 2009 - Page 6

05-07-2009, 02:46 PM

Anyone back from the National Rally yet?

**stroppybitch** · 05-07-2009, 06:43 PM

I am

KNACKERED. over 24 hours with no sleep, got to bed at 1130 this morning only to be woken up at 1.45 this afternoon.

Met Kestrel, really nice bloke

Will do full report tomorrow, ache like you wouldn't believe, the smell from my boots has driven both cats into the bedroom

and I have run out of Radox

Going back to bed after Top Gear

stu104 · 05-07-2009, 09:20 PM

Back too, well Knackered! also had no sleep but thanks to the control at wisbech got a few coffees and pieces of cake in me around 1am to keep me going.

the most worrying part of the trip was riding to harlow at about 4/5am this morning, i really thought i was going to fall asleep!

fell asleep on the grass outside so i didnt get the chance to meet anyone. my wrist hurts so much!

oh and my total mileage was just over 800miles. tomorrow I have to go buy a new front tyre as its now worn down to below the minimum

**stroppybitch** · 06-07-2009, 01:08 PM

Finally summoned up the energy for my Rally report

As this is a Biker Forum, I had better start there

Some of the bikes I saw stick in my memory, The 4 1960’s Lambretta’s to begin with, heard them before you saw them, and they all did the Platinum award, 540 miles and 24 checkpoints and the special test. Brave men, my hats off to you all.
The old Velocette, bought in 1964 and leaking oil all over the place

not sure what award he went for, but he seemed to be about most of the night, felt like following his oil trail

, at every checkpoint we met, the guy was moping up leaked oil from the footboards, and bits of blue tissue stuffed into places to absorb it.

The Monkey bike and sidecar

that turned up at the finish flying a full sized American Flag, don’t know whether it was a stunt or if they did do the rally in it, but it was certainly the talking point at the finish.
3 Triumph Rocket III

one of which had been Triked, unfortunately I dint see this one

but the other two made up for it

The Vincent, Which Ian says was the Black Shadow, but updated/modified, lots of wires all over the place, not a show bike, but one that is used every day, including the scrapes where it has been dropped. Good job there was a crash bar on it to save any damage to the engine.
Saw a Laydee on her CB400/4 who I believe did the rally on her own. Saw quite a few Laydee’s and not only as ballast, one was on a 1200 Bandit, and the Triked Rocket was ridden by a Laydee.
And if you ever see a FireBlade with the registration that reads as BLADE, he was also a competitor.
Lots of other old bikes, including Triumph, Ariel, BSA, Matchless, Moto Guzzi’s and a lot more Ducati’s than you usually see

, the C90, a few Harley’s and every modern sports bike you can think of.

When we got to the finish, I sent Kestrel a message asking where he was, got a message back saying he was outside the entrance to the control, so I went outside to find him, one bloke with a mobile so said “Are you Kestrel?”, he said No, I’m Tim, sorry wrong guy, couldn’t see anyone else with a phone, so sent another message saying WHERE, heard phone behind me and there was Kestrel, sitting in the sun, grinning, so hugs and introductions all round, followed by the standard Rally Conversation, ‘Which Award, How are you Feeling, How many Nationals have you done and how far are you from home?’

All in all, we had a good run, Jamie our regular Rally Companion, was having trouble with his hip, frequently saw him with his foot off the peg to stretch it, Ian’s wrist was giving him gyp, as was his shoulders, my shoulders and bum were suffering, so towards the end of the Rally, we all looked like this

And today we are all bludy stiff and sore and could sleep for England.

Will we do it next year

……………………....................

Course we bludy will