‘M off - To southern France (aka Sid’)

[EVskiy]

Not quite ready to go but, the iron hire is kicking up the dust with its hoofs, rearing to go.

Rewind back a couple of weeks…

I have been meaning to change the chain and sprockets on the bike for some time now, and after returning from a trip to Austria in June, it has proven to be the time to do so, with X-rings poking out the links left right and centre.
I’ve ordered a complete drive train set and taken up the challenge to do the job myself for the very first time. YouTube is a great source of education. I’ve carried out that challenge a couple of weeks ago, whilst discovering a cracked rear axle nut, meaning I had to park the bike for the time being.
New nut ordered, and it has arrived middle of last week, so it was a job for the weekend again.

The weekend:

It has been a packing challenge since Saturday morning, deciding what will be needed and what does indeed need to be left behind, whilst observing a weather forecast. Panniers packed by Sunday mid afternoon.

It is now coming up to 17:00 and the sun was still shining, so I’ve thought I’d get the bike out for a quick test ride (to make sure that the chain does not come off) and for a cheap refuelling session at my local Costco, saving me the hassle of it on the day of departure.

Tuesday:

So last night I’ve looked again at the forecast and made a decision not to take chinos, waterproof riding jeans nor a few other things, meaning repacking the panniers again. I’ve also taken an opportunity to update CHIGEE software.

Wednesday:

An early start at the workshop, as I wanted to finish off a job on hand.
Customer came by at just gone 13:30 to collect it. Excellent. Another one of the list moving closer and closer to a next project.
This allowed me to tidy up the workshop before leaving home around 14:30. Home by 14:50

A quick chat with my wife about MIL and her health amongst other things, and it was time to wheel the iron horse out the garage.

Panniers and top box clipped on, tent strapped to the pillion seat & I am ready to go.

Yes, I know, weeds need pulling out



Sadly there is no much point setting of just yet, as the boat does not leave until 21:30 and I do not have to be at Pompey Port until 20:15 - 20:30.
But first things first, before I arrive at the port, it’ll be a good time to refuel the bike at in Pompey (avoiding a €150 preauthorasation on a CC at the pump at La belle France) and rendezvous with two others, then roll in to port all together.

Meanwhile, I’ll have some home made dinner, saving me a few precious shillings on the boat. I might indulge in a beer or two.

Looking forward to setting off at around 18:00-18:15, whilst taking me all but less than two hours to arrive at Pompey.

More later…

 

[Santa-2512]

Same here -

Bike packed & lists checked and rechecked

Just probably set off at about 7ish for the ferry , Newhaven for me -

 

[wessie]

Not quite ready to go

Faffing time

 

[EVskiy]

Faffing time

Actually getting showered in a minute and changed into my riding attire. Then some grub and ‘M offskij…

 

[Tinytim]

I'd

Actually getting showered in a minute and changed into my riding attire. Then some grub and ‘M offskij…

Enjoy.

 

[Doc]

Sounds good Ev.
Have a good one.

 

[Udders]

Yep, have a good one!

 

[leadfarmer]

We’ve had a tropical heat wave all over France for a month or two now, it’s been hot as hell and dryer than a nun’s chuff

Decided to do a couple of hours down towards Sid’s tonight when wifey got in from work

It pissed down all the way

 

[EVskiy]

I

I'd

Enjoy.

I did!

 

[Tinytim]

I

I did!

LOL. Don't know where the "I'd" came from

 

[EVskiy]

I will update the thread, when I am not too busy being entertained or otherwise occupied.

 

[gerarddwatts]

As trip reports go, this one is missing something.....

 

[Redboots]

As trip reports go, this one is missing something.....

I think he imbibed rater a lot last night

 

[gerarddwatts]

I think he imbibed rater a lot last night

Amateur....

 

[Paul Young]

Lots of red wine and bed at 2:30am is liable to do that to a man…

 

[Ex-Call Centre Chimp]

But it wasn't his fault. He told me so.

 

[Micky]

Have a gudden everyone

 

[Oldrat]

I missed this thread, catching up and following now. have fun all.

 

[Redboots]

I missed this thread, catching up and following now. have fun all.

They are off on the final leg to Caen. Just left here.

 

[EVskiy]

Destination Tesco….

I left home at 18:03.
MRA suggesting 1:37 to get to Pompey. Fat chance. Enter M25 (worlds largest carpark) and just as I about to join J19 near 2 mile long slip road, the signs are illuminated with fabulous 40mph limit. Yep. 40mph right until you hit J16. Then it gone up to 50mph. Yayyyyyyyyy!!!! Basically it was 40-50mph all the way until J10. So I’ve put my brave hat on and done some strategic filtering with 1.12m wide pannier setup and high beam on. I felt like Moses parting the Red Sea.



After joining the A3 south. I’ve rang @Skid to see what is what and how he and @Stevie4scoops were getting on. I was informed that they were making a good progress and will see me at the RV point before the phone signal got really bad and call got more or less cut.

I have managed to arrive at Pompey by 19:45.
Refuelled, or shall I say topped off the fuel tank at Pompey , meaning that I now had a full tank (250 miles) to the next planned fuel stop.



Paid up and parked up to wait for the other two to rock up.



Then there were three…



Greeting and pleasantries done, it is now gone 20:10 and we must make a move to make the check in with BF. MRA does a great job of directing us a mere 7 minutes to the ferry port.
As usual, it is all a well organised mess. We check in, get out bits of flapping paper from the tea hut and a room key in our passports.

However, there is alway something.
This faffing lot, between the pair of them, shuffling their passports has taken 4x as long to get their tickets as it did mine.



We are now guided into lane two by BF staff. Suddenly we come to a lengthy halt, so I kill the motor via the kill switch. Eventually the queue of wobbly boxes and stinking old hipster (vanlifers) camper vans have started to make their move, so I press starter switch and nothing, I have left the bike in 1st gear. As I tend to use it a bit like a handbrake on any form of incline when stationary for any length of time beyond a minute or two. The bike just simply refused to start. Try again and nothing.

1. Side stand up
2. Ignition definitely on
3. Battery voltage is above 12v
4. Kill the bike completely
5. Ignition back on
6. Attempt to Start again ️

My heart sinks, as BF would not let you to board the boat, if the vehicle you are traveling with, is not able to make it on or indeed off the boat, under its own steam. As I have found out a couple of years ago, at a very same port, where a bloke on an older Italian exotica was unable to start his V-twin, despite me giving him plenty of pushes up and down the lane, whilst he had attempted to bump start it. To be fair he was useless at it. I doubt he has ever bump started any form of a vehicle. So BF staff simply said no entry Sir, as he watched his four mates board the boat. Said mates were completely oblivious to the fact, that he wasn’t following them up the ramp. I eventually caught up with them on board, where they informed me, that the AA we’re on their way to fit his bike with a new battery and that their buddy will be on a first ferry out the port in the morning. I digress.

I took the bike out the gear and it has started just fine! Yay!!! Phew .
We got pushed into the lane all of our own, which was solely inhabited by a sole British bloke, who’s commuting on a regular basis from his place in France to UK on a pushbike.



We were the only three bikes in port and a this fellow on a push bike. I took an opportunity to fiddle with the clutch lever adjustment, as I’ve recently replaced the levers, and see if that was the cause of a “non starter” (pun intended). Time to board the bateau as we are called forward. Ignition on, bike still in gear (deliberately) pushed the start button and hey presto, the beast has kicked back into life.

We board the bateau, to be greeted by a sole “scabby” old 1150 GSA on board.



So that makes four bikes on board for this overnight journey.



We got our bikes strapped in, take our overnight stuff and head upstairs.

As we making our way up the stairwell, the announcement comes through the tannoy, “please wait in the bar, whilst our crews are preparing your cabins”.
Hands full of gear we park our selves at the four seater table, I dump my kit, and go order a beer & cola for the boys. I get to the end of a que, where I am met by a bloke who has a remarkably similar resemblance of a TMF.
Here we politely argue as to whom was there first, by means of “after you Sir, no after you, no,no, after you, age before beauty…”
The fellow has obviously figured out that I was a motorcyclist and has popped a question at me, “ so what do you ride?”
My reply was, “I ride a 1290 Super Adventure.”
He then proceeded to ask me… “Are you EVskij?”
By now I am taken back by his question with my facial expression, what must’ve looked like “how the f*ck do you know that? ”
He then introduced himself as Colin (@Kardecha) of this parish. We stand in the que, jabbering away and eventually after much refusal Colin succumbed to my offer to buy him a pint of Moretti. Beer in hand, I show him where we were sat and we join the other two. Skid and Colin recognise each other from last years do at Sid’ and do get on with catching up with each other, like a house on fire.



We took an opportunity to muck about a little (it is compulsory) and have gate-crashed kids photo session with BF mascot.



Meanwhile, I have started to type out this very part of the ride report, whilst sipping on an earlier purchased pint and chomping on some rather moorish roasted & salted pistachio nuts, whilst occasionally chipping in into the group conversation.
Eventually after a few pints, Colin calls it a night, whilst informing us that he will see us on a Saturday night at Sid’ and disappears into the depths of the M/V Mont Saint Michell.
We stay back for a little while to finish our drinks.
It is now gone 23:30, the phone signal signal has all but disappeared and Maritime Telenor has replaced my O2 network, meaning I had to stop typing this very report, as I was not able to load the photographs in to it.

We finish our drinks and headed to our four birth cabin. It is a tight squeeze in there, but we manage it rather well, the elders chosen their beds on the bottom level and I climbed onto the top bunk. Nighty night and light out.

More later…