Alarm goes off at 06:45. Peered out the window, overcast but dry, K100RS ready to go in garage. Looked like a ride to Lincolnshire for breakfast was on!
Ride out was about 65 miles out from Northampton to Kettering, Corby and Stamford on mainly smaller A Roads and was a good start to the run. On to the fast A1 dual carriageway running north and started feeling the force of a side wind coming in from the south west as the road climbed hills with no cover to the left. More worrying were the dark clouds now overhead and drizzle. Passed through Grantham and tagged on to the back of two BMW GS which I correctly guessed were going to Syston Park cafe. Nice cafe with lots of GS, an R9T scrambler, an airhead RT and a black K1 parked outside.
I wandered in to find Martin already seated at a long table with other bikers tucking into their breakfasts. I fell into conversation with a couple of the other riders and enquired was it obligatory for a GS to have as many spotlights as possible? The GS stereotypes were immediately seized upon and it was agreed that the aim of a GS rider is for their lights at night to be visible from space and that out of respect for the British astronaut, Tim Peake recently on the ISS, the peak of the white Arai helmet should also be long enough for Tim to be able to look down to see the message 'Hello Tim' written on the peak. All good stuff. Turns out the chap next to me was on the R9T, which was a dealer loan bike after his own new bike threw a rod 44 miles down the road after taking delivery... Two coffees later and Snod Blatter arrived for a late breakfast.
Martin, Snod and I had a good old chat about the challenges of running the bikes and appreciated all the GS types wandering over to look at Martin's K1.
As the motorbikes started disappearing and the cyclists started arriving, Martin gingerly did a 28 point turn to turn the K1 on the loose gravel car park and headed back towards Derbyshire while Snod and I headed back towards Leicestershire through the delightful roads to Melton Mowbray and Market Harborough. Leaving Snod who appeared to be heading back out into rural Leicestershire again I headed south into Northamptonshire and home, well pleased with the bike which was running very smoothly after a major service, valves adjusted, FI balanced and new Avons fitted.
Having reluctantly washed the bike last weekend I was intrigued to find an interesting new dirt streak across one side of the radiator shroud. Snod, you were right, fork seal has let go...
Good to see you again Martin and Snod! Until next time.
However, something was missing...David? Where were you?
Regards
Nigel
March Breakfast. Syston Park Farm Shop & Cafe ! 18th March ~ Wed Mar 01, 2017 1:05 pm
