Ray's Reports
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Cornish Rally
By Geordie Ray at 06/07/2006 02:20:59 PM
KERNOW HARLEY RIDERS RALLY 2006
Only some of us met at the usual garage on Friday morning. Catweasle was moving house so would be down later on today. A couple of guys had gone down to Devon on Thursday to stay with friends on the way so we would all meet up at the rally site. At 9.20 am we set off. Grasscutter had worked out a scenic route for us to take. We headed down the M4 and came off at the Newbury exit. Down the A34 we went and joined the A303 just before Andover. Past Stonehenge we travelled, and just before Wylye the belt on Den’s bike snapped. A quick call to the breakdown service and they were there within the hour. Once the bike was loaded on to the breakdown truck and Den’s stuff had been redistributed around the other bikes, we set off again, with Den on the back of Gerry. Den’s bike was on its way home and arrived safely later on that day. Travelling west once again we turned onto the A372 and headed across to Bridgewater and the Riders shop where we met Deadeyes and Lainey. After a short break we set off again, Deadeyes heading direct while we took the A39 coast road. What a fantastic road this is. Past Minehead, then across Exmoor and down to Porlock we rode. Now I had been warned about Porlock Hill but it still surprised me. I made a right mess of getting up the hill. I dropped down to second gear before the turn, got round the bend, realised I needed first gear but I couldn’t get the bike into first gear. I ended up stopped part way up the hill in second gear. Fat boy came past me on one side while Nick and Helen came past on the other side. I could see all sorts of chaos in my mirrors, with cars and bikes backing up. I tried pulling away in second gear but the bike wouldn’t have it so I let the clutch out and crashed it into first gear with a horrible sound of grinding gears. Off up the hill I shot without looking back, I didn’t want to see what I had caused. At the top of the hill we pulled in to a scenic viewpoint where it was pointed out to me that I was a crap rider, although in more words than that.
The view from up here was beautiful. If anyone has never ridden this road before you really should do it. You will not be disappointed. We carried on past Barnstaple, Bideford and Bude, rejoining the A30 at St Columb Major. Heading west again down the A30 we past Deadeyes and finally made it to Camborne and the Rugby Club where the rally was being held. After getting our tickets we put up the tents and hit the bar for a well earned pint of liquid refreshment. We met up with some of our European friends from the HDC Big Twin Espania and sampled some of their Sangria. Said hello to Essjay and the rest of the Kernow clan. Did lots of drinking and a little bit of dancing and then it was 2.15 in the morning and bed time.
Next morning we had breakfast and chatted while we waited for the ride-out. We all set off at 11.00 and headed back to the A30. Down towards Lands End we went but turned off to St Just. We then followed the coast road through Pendeen and Zennor to St Ives where we parked up. We found a bar and watched the seagulls stealing everyone’s ice-creams, wandered around the town for a while and then headed back to the rally site. We had to get back to watch the England v Portugal game. I tell you, if I worked the way the England team take penalties I would be sacked. And they get about £70,000 a week for screwing it all up. After the match was finished we went and sulked for a while. I went and had a look around the bike show; there was some very exotic machinery on show. In the early evening there was a show by some local belly-dancers, very good they were too, they certainly went down well with the crowd, and even the enthusiastic amateurs who they got to join in did well. The raffle was held and some of us won some prizes and then the bike show trophies were handed out. The winning bikes must have cost a fortune to build. The Rosie Walters band came on after that and they went down very well. I crashed out around midnight which meant that I missed the topless female body surfing. All the blokes seemed to enjoy that, I was told next morning.
Sunday morning after breakfast I packed up and was ready to leave by 9.00am. Some of the club were staying down for a few days while others were heading home up the M5 and M40. After saying goodbye to everyone Catweasle and me set off up the A30 taking it steady. We caught up and past Grasscutter and Little Ray who were taking another scenic route home. The weather man had forecast thunderstorms today but we didn’t see any rain at all. We did get slightly wet by spray kicked up by car tyres so it must have rained sometime. We went up the M5 for a short while at Exeter and then turned off onto the A30 again. Up past Honiton, Yeovil, Wincanton and Amesbury we rode. We stopped for a cup of tea at a Little Chef and met the head guy from B&H Motorcycles who had been at the rally with his stall. He was taking his son up to London. We chatted for a little while and then set off again. The sun was belting down now so my jacket came off. Blasting up the road some flying insect hit my arm while we were travelling at 65mph. Shit did that hurt. Straight away my arm came up in a lump and there was blood there. It felt like a sting, and even today as I write this, four days later there is still a big red mark on my arm. We turned on to the M3 and made our way to the M25. We turned north and I turned off onto the M40 and London while Catweasle carried on round the M25. Round the North Circular Road and I was home by 3.00pm. A distance of 680 miles over the weekend; and what a weekend it was. Everyone had a great time and really enjoyed themselves. The weather was great, the ride-out was superb, the beer flowed and the belly-dancers danced. The only downside was England getting beaten, but even the Kernow lot couldn’t sort that out.
Our thanks go to Essjay and the rest of Kernow Harley Riders for putting on a great weekend.Geordie Ray
West London Harley Riders
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