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Been party by text and face to face chats with my friend (the one in the bike accident last year) on his return trip this weekend....anyway spur of the moment decision sees me packing the bike for a blast to Ypres and back. Just couldn't resist it..only one bike for the job....
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That'll be the Yamaha Majesty then ? :))
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I'm like that Rob don't like planning live for the moment enjoy yourself and no speeding.
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I did fleetingly consider the Maj on the way home tonight when it dawned on me that the trip was a possibility....but it will be the GS (due to loadspace) - my friend is doing it on a 125cc......part of a personal challenge....the plan is to ride down A roads mainly, he'll be riding through London, I'll divert via the M25. The plan then is to ride down the A2 to Dover. Any tips for that road - I usually route via the M20.
It's not the destination but the journey.
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The M20 must be the most boring and bland motorway in the country once past Maidstone, and attracts some of the worst drivers.
I had the pleasure of travelling it three times last weekend, twice on Saturday in the car and once on Monday in the lorry to arrive at Brakes at Paddock Wood for 6am.
Even at that ungodly hour it was full of idiots aiming at the tunnel with no awareness of what was going on around them.
Luckily it was Morrisons Sittingbourne next so the return trip was back up the M2, but sadly missing the best part from Faversham to Dover.
You'll enjoy it...have a good trip!
Pat
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We hit the M20 around 4.00am this time last year, we stopped in some large Shell Services just before the Tunnel. Totally deserted, wide open...would have been trashed around here...
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Well - I'm back. 800 + miles in 60 hours. - Met up with him as arranged at the crack of dawn at his home - rode from Denbigh to Wrexham then down the A41 via Witchurch, the intention being to join the A5 via Cannock and then onto the "smoke" - traffic was heavy on the way down - with large numbers of HGVs to compliment our progress. The max usable speed was by chance around 55mpg. Heavy traffic encountered in Dunstable and St Albans put me off the idea of going through London and opting for the M25 with the intention of meeting my friend on the A2 Junction after he took the direct route through the city. We were behind schedule for our 5.30pm sailing in Dover so he opted to get on the Motorway. Queuing traffic on the Dartford Crossing (a freebie for bikers) saw unwilling filtering through the blocked lanes, then a boring trip down the M20 me stiking to him like glue and plodding along at 55-60mph. The plus side was the fuel economy on the big bike improved dramatically with 66mpg being averaged across the ride (normal is an unbudgable 55mpg). We arrived in Dover with time to spare.
We crossed with Myferrylink.com - the former Sea France boats. The crossing was bare bones with one restaurant open and I would reckon on 20 cars or so on the load. The boat was 30 mins late leaving. The crossing was uneventful and best described as minimalist.
Pleasant couple of days spent in France and Belgium.
I crossed back alone yesterday morning - slept in the quiet boat. The bikes were well secured by the crew in purpose made "racks" on the crossing back the car deck was soaked and consequently absolutely lethal put a foot wrong there and I would have been over....
Left Dover around 12.45pm - routing M20, M26, M25, M40, M42, M6 (not the toll), M54 and the last 60 miles along a quiet A5 arriving home at around 7.30pm. A good run really. Fuel economy around 55mpg - longest leg was from Clacket Lane Services to Shrewsbury Services, although I did stop in Beaconsfield M40 to put waterproofs on.
Good trip worth the effort.
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Have you done the Hull crossing Rob ? The entry and exit to/from the boat is fraught with danger for bikers. I just point it, squirt some gas in and see where I end up !
Ted
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And absolutely no pre-trip faffing I notice Rob. You are an example to us all. What is is to be a rich young fellow with a stableful of oat-fed thoroughbreds...
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Over and above tyres and oil checks - nawt.
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Interesting observing the world from a lofty perch. Very good driving standards observed all the way, courteous moving over even in the M25 queues on Friday. Nice chats in the stop with Harley drivers and a group of scooter riders (Vespas etc) on the way from a Rally in Brighton. One dozy mare on the M25 near Heathrow, overtook me in her little car - texting with one hand, must have passed her at some point as a few miles up the road, she forced her way in front of me crossing three lanes to get to the M3 exit...silly cow.
Another in a sky blue Q5 - jammed to the gunnels with children's kit. Pulling in between me and a low loader on the A5 near Shrewsbury, no appreciation of stopping distances - bullying pillock. RA60*** wish I could remember the rest.
One abiding memory is the quality of British road design and construction, the former is superior to French roads and the latter seems pretty sharp where we rode. The main Autoroute between Dunkirk and Calais seems to be breaking up - the National routes in Belgium were getting "rocky" with surfaces breaking up and exposing pave beneath.
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The roads in Belgium are still rutted by German Panzer tanks. Awful roads, and terrible drivers to boot.
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I thought Belgian motorway driving, some years ago now, was fussy and busy but not dangerous.
I have a video of my son-in-law's Skyline doing 150 on a Belgian motorway. Not a busy one though.
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When I drove through Belgium I found the drivers liked to stick to your boot with only centimetres to spare.
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Tailgating is rife everywhere on the continent. They can't help it. They're stupid enough not to mind having to be tense all the time. Perhaps they are anyway.
Just as in this country, if you let them past they often turn out to be going slower than you are and you have to pass them again. Morons.
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Last time I drove in Belgium/France I found it paid to be aggressive with acceleration and positioning. They're wimps at heart and give way if you appear threatening. Arc de Triomphe, no problem.
They do know lane discipline.
Last edited by: bathtub tom on Tue 4 Sep 12 at 00:12
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Arc de Triomphe for RP, no chance, he didn't even brave the M2/A2 after all :)
Pat
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Impulsive or what. - Fullchat
