Planning included making a route , downloading the forums, reading as much as i could about attempting a SS1000, getting a "1 am allowed out to play" slip from the wife, and talking to a few friends.
my bike is a honda blackbird supposed to be a fine sports tourer yet, those who do tour on it fit different seats for more comfort, raise the bars, lower the pegs and fit double screens.
I thought i would test what mr honda had planned for the bike when he made it so left everything as standard .
30th of may, yes 1 weeks of planning, and i had rigged up a satnav holder, (map bag velco to tank cover), put 2lb of mixed fruit and chocolate bars with 1.5L of water in the tailpack, packed a tool for every nut bolt screw and tools to adjust the chain, a torch and made sure my phone was charged and i was off to the petrol station tesco to get fuel and first receipt. Got the fuel but the automated receipt was out of paper and the garage was not open so off down the road with wife and kids in the car to act as my witness to sainsburys, got an atm receipt, kissed wife and kids goodbye with promises yes i will call or text at each stop and i was off up the A1 towards a1/m62 services for the first stop.
Got 1hr up the road and the sat nav died, hmmm got no maps() so try to remember route juncs etc in my head, which led me to miss the first services, came off at the next junc and worked my way back into leeds getting a bit worried as i need fuel and a corner receipt, found one fueled up (didnt test wife ) and i am a lot happier now, knowing that i need to stop at birch services on the m62
fought my way through leeds and onto the m62 arrgghhh roadworks 50mph limit ooo eerrr this is going to put me back abit i think.
found birch fueled and went again on the way now to telford, didnt find trench lock service but an asda instead fueled receipt and out, did not want to ride the motorway again as i knew i was going to be going m6/m5 for a fair distance so took the A5?? instead, onto the m6.
M6/m5 boring as always but make up for holding a steady speed, down to sedgemoor services, i was now aching in the left thigh and wrists, so had a smoke some fruit and 1/3 of my water, got back on the bike after a few star jumps and then needed to visit the boys room so had to get undressed again, fueled up and on to exeter, quick fuel stop and then the plan was to go to redruth by due to no satnav and me never been down there before i missed the turning, ended up going to plymouth over the tamar bridge ( i liked that bridge very nice) and on to st austell where i found a tescos for fuel, trying to remember the map and if st austell was as far as redruth, i decided it was and turned around.
back to exeter receipt gain and then on southampton via Bournemouth poole etc, nice riding road but it ate up the time and i was get a bit worried by time i had left, quick fuel and mars bar at poole i think it was and then to rownhams services.
At rownhams i was in a lot of pain due to cramp in the left thigh, neck was aching and wrists felt they were on fire. made a few calls whilst trying to leap about and walk by bouncing along to get the blood following again in my leg, ate my chocolate bars had a wash ( felt a lot better after that) and told the wife i was going to carry on , was not tired at all just some aches. up the m3 i discovered that i could lay on the tank and hook my feet on the back pegs the cramp went after a few miles, across the bottom of the m25 and down the m20 towards dover.
arrived at dover feeling good, then had to queue for 5 mins whilst a couple tried to decide at the till whether they wanted dr pepper or diet coke, paid , then watched as a car pull in with its rear bumper dragging on the ground, the driver had reversed into a post just down the road and was a bit miffed with himself.
Back up the m20 to the m25, through dartford tunnel and onto the m11 knowing i am nearly home, came off at stanstead down the a120 to puckeridge then up a10 to buntingford, next stop was baldock.( buntingford - baldock road is great in the day light but a bit scary in the dark) baldock back to start point.
Speedo said 1035 i think it was, didnt think about it being out until i got home. Next morning awoke with slightly tender shoulder but the rest of me was fine, checked the receipt and paperwork then noticed the speedo reading, so checked it out on 3 different routing applications, best 1 came out at 1011.5 miles hurrah!!!! the other two came out at 1001.5 and 1003.5 hmmmm arrgghhh after humming and arring about whether to send in the paperwork and speaking to the wife we decided that if i didnt send it in we would never know, so the forms and paperwork were sent off about 10 days later.
really enjoyed the challenge, in fact so much have now gone and brought a secondhand zumo and tested it out, have planned a 1200 miles route and also planned a route to visit the 39 historic county towns of england.
I did do enough miles, 1001 in fact, So now i am the proud owner of a IBA membership number and the back plate is in pride of place hanging in the shed.
Dont think about it, Just ride it
No comments:
Post a Comment