Well Friday dawned and it was not a nice dawn at all. It had been raining overnight and more rain was predicted through the day before the sunshine came in for the weekend for a change.
The original plan had been to ride to work loaded up and then head straight for Northwich after work, but I decided that I'd have to spend a load of time cleaning the bike before the show if I did that, so I left the bike at home and headed off straight from there. It meant I didn't arrive at the campsite till later but was a load easier.
For a change, the weather followed the forecast. I left shortly after 6 and was there by 7, after a lovely ride down the A roads to Northwich. Doris ran like a .... Dream. By the time we arrived at Witton Albion Football Club, I was completely smitten. Lovely smooth, unthreatening power delivery - never going to set the world alight, but perfectly OK in normal traffic on A roads. She encouraged me to sit up and enjoy the journey a lot more than I'm used to on the VFR, which always seems to be egging me on to look for the next overtake or take that corner just a little faster next time. I really felt in my comfort zone.
One minor problem was evident - there was oil leaking from all around the base gasket. I know I'm a really bad mechanic, but when I tightened the head down I found that my torque wrench didn't have a low enough range for those bolts, so I guessed (shame :( ). But I definitely erred on the side of caution - too much on the side of caution it would appear....... Snagging job no 1 - buy another torque wrench and get it torqued down properly. It was not enough to be a problem though - the oil level was stll well up. So I mopped up the mess and gave a few bits a little clean ready for the following day.
This was my third year camping at Witton Albion and it's feeling like a nice tradition now. I got the tent set up quickly - decided to camp in the "quiet area" on the pitch this year (mainly because it's nearer the loos!)
Then I called into the Social Club for a drink. It was heaving, as they'd put a Race Night on to entertain the campers - not really my thing so I had a couple of pints then settled down for the night. Really clear skies were forecast and it was a very cold night's sleep. Reminder to self - get better sleeping bag!
Up early the next morning as all the show entrants were to be in place by 9.15. I rolled up and was slotted onto the "general modern classics" line - right between a GSXR Suzuki Barry Sheene special edition (one of only 3 in the country) and a very well used Yamaha TTR250 that had recently completed a 20,000 mile journey to Cape Horn. Suddenly my Dream felt very mundane......
But what good fortune to be next to adventurer Ken Thomas - the most interesting person I have had the good fortune to meet in many a year. Read the blog of his amazing journey here then look at the journeys of Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman in a whole new light. Thanks Ken for a fascinating day.
The show was a huge success, with great attendance and loads of people taking the time to come and talk to me about Doris. One of the highlights for me was when previous owner Steve and his wife Sally called in to say Hi. Again - lovely people, and it was great to be able to share the journey with them, as I knew Steve had been disappointed not to be able to do the restoration himself. Nice to see a couple of members of the Classic Bikers Club forum that had been following the blog as well and also some friends from work showed up.
The very best bit was when one guy gushed at me that he'd had one in his 20's but hadn't seen one for years and it was by far the best bike he'd seen at the show so far! (I think he had a very specific point of reference compared to most people, but my ego is very easily inflated!)
You can see the dribble of oil in the photo above. Several people were amused to tell me that they thought only British bikes leaked oil - it was funny the first 4 or 5 times...... (Apologies to Northwich Council for the stain on your pavement, by the way.)
And so back to Witton Albion to camp overnight again. Another chilly night but I compensated with extra socks! I could afford a lie in this time though and once I'd got most of my camping kit packed, I rode back down to Northwich for the Thundersprint proper.
This is getting bigger every year - the crowds were huge this year. I spent the morning mooching round the race paddock and all the trade stalls - some serious classic bike porn in that paddock!
At midday, I went up to watch the cavalcade.
Then after that I took up position on the hill for the Spitfire display and the Thundersprint itself.
The fastest lap time I saw was 21.08 seconds - they don't call it a sprint for nothing! It also doesn't take itself too seriously, as evidenced by the George Formby tribute below - apparently from the film "No Limits that he did about the TT.
So, all over for another year - I headed back to the campsite to take down my tent and head for home. As I was heading back to the site and getting more confident in the bike, I braked a little harder for something. A minute later, the bike started labouring and slowing down as if it was running out of fuel. Uh oh! Actually, the front brake was stuck on - the handle was pumped up solid. Obviously, John hadn't quite sorted it out - it was OK for normal braking but not releasing after heavy braking ......
I sat by the side of the road, really disappointed as I was thinking that there was really nothing I could do to sort out a wonky master cylinder at the side of the road, and that Doris would end her journey going home on a trailer. The only thing I could think of was to just crack open the hose union a fraction to let off the pressure and then see how it felt - bingo! We were moving again.
So we made a pact (well I did!) that on the journey home I'd anticipate like never before; only use the rear brake if I could and not go over 50 (remember the slight oil incontinence problem the old lady has!) and in return I asked Doris to deliver me home safely, which she did :).
A fine first adventure - we looked after each other well and had a marvellous time. Doris will now get a thorough clean and those two issues (oil and brake) sorted before we venture forth again but, on the evidence of this weekend, I have no doubt that our relationship is going to be a long and happy one.
Well done for getting there, what's a little oil between friends, it'll clean up the sun breaks it down and the rain washes it away. One good thing about all the rain we've had lately I think our courtyard here is oil free finally, including what my XJ600 dumped when my oil pipe fix burst last year, it's fixed better now. Brake problem sounds like a small blockage in the master cylinder, there should be a little hole somewhere under the reservoir. I find contact cleaner blasted in cleans everything up nicely. What's next then? Regards and all, Michael.
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