France Trip day

Today we had a little trundle out to the tourist ghetto that is Le Mont St Michel. The French have managed to reverse engineer Disneyland. Baking hot day and sweltering under remaining bike gear of jacket and back protector. Glad to get going again - went to a picturesque seaside place with oyster beds - 12 oysters to eat fresh Euros 3.85 - but no takers amongst us. Tomorrow I am going for a proper ride aiming for anywhere off main routes going West. Who knows where I'll end up. Funny how magnetic bikes are. On Day 1 a Belgian rushed up before I had got off the bike to ask directions to the D Day beaches then today the same thing with French and Germans eager to talk bikes and ask what we are doing. Odd how you are never alone for long when travelling solo yet get isolated when in a group.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Satnav woes

The plot thickens on the Blackberry satnav failing to charge from the 12v outlet. Tests show that current is reaching the connector to the handset but the charge symbol does not appear. Another PDA does show charging. The Blackberry does show the symbol and charges from the mains. The plug into the handset or the handset socket look to be main suspects - so the search is on for a new cable and connector.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

France trip Day 2 14th June 09

Having reset the satnav not to switch itself off all the time it was an early start for the 200 mile run over to Normandy to meet up with the Honda Brigade. No dramas , missed a few satnav turns but enjoyed riding through non motorway France for a time. Then, 18 miles short of the destination, the. Blackberry battery went flat and took the phone out with it. So it was back to old fashioned navigation as I stumbled upon the house, with people investigating Gold Wing electrics. With help from Steve the electrician and others we established that the expensive special BMW cable and socket is faulty. Good news is that the car size socket worked but of course I did not bring the adapter to fit as I thought I would not need it. So now need to go shopping for one of those or hope the battery charge holds out long enough...
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

France Trip Day One 13th June 09

What a day ! Zipped down to Dover taking the country route as much as possible only to pull up behind a K75 waiting for the ferry ! Also sitting there was a Suzuki kettle with Difazio hub centre steering and a BSA triple also with the same front end. That was it - the smooth crossing flew by in endless bike natter . The Blackberry satnav is a nightmare. Vodafone satnav does not work in France - what is the point of letting you set up destinations in the UK only to find it is useless when you get there. Similarly the Telenav download cuts out to give a blank screen every 60 seconds or so and no matter what I do you end up riding along pressing the Space bar to make it display. I got totally lost in Rouen and ended up asking a young guy on an 800GS the way only for him to lead me all the way out to the hotel. He even invited me over for dinner but found out his girlfriend had arranged for them to go out. So I'm waiting for a pizza delivery. Who knows what tomorrow will bring...
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

The wrong Dan !

Whilst searching for Dan 55 in the Donington paddock on Sunday I noticed a fairing outside an awning with 55 on it. I steamed in and asked the rider if he was Dan - he said yes and chatted somewhat absently. I noticed the bike was a superstock 600 and was surprised not to see the 250 Yamaha twin I had expected. We said our goodbyes and noticed that the 55 fairing was not his - he was Dan Kneen number 34 who has just finished 3rd in Sunday's race. Oops !
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Dan 55

Met with Dan Jackson of Gabfesters forum here at Donington Park then watched him take a steady 16th place by my reckoning - well done, nice ride Dan
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

The slum that is Donington Park

Spent today at Donington Park watching BSB practice sessions. On arriving all bikes were directed on to a long loose shale track to a shale surface bike park with entry through the kind of wire covered gate you see on tennis courts. On leaving I noticed proper hard bike parks 10% full. There were no directions to circuit entrances so upon slogging all the way back to Coppice we were told no spectator entrance here, go over to that gate to get in. Overgrown lank grass is eveywhere, paintwork is peeling, seating facilities are nil for most of the circuit, the lovely grassy infield now has the remains of a disused motocross track scarring it, the paddock toilets are filthy and rank, the paddock motorhome area is a jumbled up power cable strewn fire hazard nightmare-if one goes up they all will, catering is burger shite. The whole place has the look and atmosphere of a derelict landfill.
Donington does not understand that the paying public expects better than this and never has. Too late now. Place your bet now that the Formula 1 rug gets pulled out from under them and the whole place deservedly gets flattened for a new runway for E Midlands Airport next door.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device