[Enhanced from the Other Place]

I took the KTM out again today, though with light but steady rain and
heavy showers yesterday I was rather expecting a scary, wobbly
squelchfest. I almosst didn't go, but I'd paid....

I was a little late getting out, but still had plenty of time. Until,
glancing in the mirror, I saw the bike topple over on the trailer.
In many years of towing bikes, I have never had that happen before. It
looked almost comical.

So, I pulled over and found nothing broken; the hook on the bottom of
one tie-down had simply unhooked itself. I guess I dind't compress the
forks enough. So, with a slightly wobbly but lockwired mudguard, I
carried on past Ely, into the Darkest Fens, and on to Washbrook Farm
MX, where I found a track in absolutely great condition. In fact, it
started drying out in places later in the day, getting dusty and
paradoxically, slippery. And very choppy - I think that the hard
"base" soil under the top layer of loose dirt gets acceleration bumps
and ruts (and ruts with acceleration bumps inside them) and these
don't get completely cleared when the track is graded - they just get
filled in.

I guess the skiing equivalent would be icy moguls with powder
bulldozed on top.

This may have been the cause of a couple of red flags., though the one
in my last session seemed to be either two bikes collided off a jump
or one fell on landing and took someone else out. I think there will
be a couple of sore riders for the next few weeks but hopefully
nothing serious.

Despite that, a great day out. I expect to be sore tomorrow.

--

-Pip

On 30/10/2021 18:16, Pipl wrote:
< snip >
>
> I carried on past Ely, into the Darkest Fens, and on to Washbrook
> Farm MX

Huh. I used to live near there: about 10 miles SSE, in Sutton-in-the-Isle.

--
Eddie eddie@deguello.org

Pipl wrote:

> I was a little late getting out, but still had plenty of time. Until,
> glancing in the mirror, I saw the bike topple over on the trailer.
> In many years of towing bikes, I have never had that happen before. It
> looked almost comical.

I once had a banger come off the trailer whilst towing. That wasn't
comical.

Fortunately, some of the rear suspension components got caught up on
the trailer when the rear wheels had rolled off the back of the trailer.

I looked in the mirror and thought "that car is sitting oddly - I can
see more of it".

Then a few moments later when the full horror dawned on me....
"FUUUUCK".

Followed by hasty pulling over. Even with two of us, it was really
difficult to get the car back on the trailer as it need jacking up to
get the suspension parts out of the ramp sockets and then shoving
forward. Fortunately I had a high lift jack but Triumph 2000s are
heavy old brutes, especially when tangled up with trailers.

Could have been very nasty. My fault as I hadn't strapped it down
properly and the strap had come loose.

--
Simon

On Saturday, 30 October 2021 at 18:16:46 UTC+1, Pipl wrote:

> So, I pulled over and found nothing broken; the hook on the bottom of
> one tie-down had simply unhooked itself. I guess I dind't compress the
> forks enough.

Don't you use one of those 'things' that sits between the top of the front
wheel and the underside of the mudguard that in conjunction with
ratchet straps eliminates almost all of the front suspension movement?

On Sunday, October 31, 2021 at 6:27:10 AM UTC-4, sweller wrote:

> I once had a banger come off the trailer whilst towing. That wasn't
> comical.
<snip>
> forward. Fortunately I had a high lift jack but Triumph 2000s are
> heavy old brutes

I've been offered a very nice Triumph 2500PI - crucially, in pale blue - in which I could do the Round Britain Reliability Run with Club Triumph (2000 miles around Britain in 48 hours). Anyone fancy doing it with me?

On Sun, 31 Oct 2021 04:09:08 -0700 (PDT), Stephen Packer
<stephen.packer@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Saturday, 30 October 2021 at 18:16:46 UTC+1, Pipl wrote:
>
>> So, I pulled over and found nothing broken; the hook on the bottom of
>> one tie-down had simply unhooked itself. I guess I dind't compress the
>> forks enough.
>
>Don't you use one of those 'things' that sits between the top of the front
>wheel and the underside of the mudguard that in conjunction with
>ratchet straps eliminates almost all of the front suspension movement?

No. But they sound like a bloody good idea.

--

-Pip

On Sunday, 31 October 2021 at 18:19:47 UTC, Pipl wrote:
> On Sun, 31 Oct 2021 04:09:08 -0700 (PDT), Stephen Packer
> <stephen...@gmail.com> wrote:

> >Don't you use one of those 'things' that sits between the top of the front
> >wheel and the underside of the mudguard that in conjunction with
> >ratchet straps eliminates almost all of the front suspension movement?
> No. But they sound like a bloody good idea.

I got one after an XT660 came loose in the back of my pick up.

https://bit.ly/3mu7yfS

On Sun, 31 Oct 2021 06:56:28 -0700 (PDT), Ben Blaney
<benblaney@gmail.com> wrote:

>I've been offered a very nice Triumph 2500PI - crucially, in pale
>blue - in which I could do the Round Britain Reliability Run with
>Club Triumph (2000 miles around Britain in 48 hours).

>Anyone fancy doing it with me?

<hmmm>

I could be persuaded... :-)
--
Champ
neal at champ dot org dot uk

I don't know, but I been told
You never slow down, you never grow old

On Monday, November 1, 2021 at 8:53:14 AM UTC-4, Champ wrote:
> On Sun, 31 Oct 2021 06:56:28 -0700 (PDT), Ben Blaney
> <benb...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >I've been offered a very nice Triumph 2500PI - crucially, in pale
> >blue - in which I could do the Round Britain Reliability Run with
> >Club Triumph (2000 miles around Britain in 48 hours).
>
> >Anyone fancy doing it with me?
> <hmmm>
>
> I could be persuaded... :-)

I left off a crucial piece of information: the route includes John O'Groats to Lands End. Thought you might be a volunteer, even before knowing that!

On Mon, 1 Nov 2021 06:18:01 -0700 (PDT), Ben Blaney
<benblaney@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Monday, November 1, 2021 at 8:53:14 AM UTC-4, Champ wrote:
>> On Sun, 31 Oct 2021 06:56:28 -0700 (PDT), Ben Blaney
>> <benb...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> >I've been offered a very nice Triumph 2500PI - crucially, in pale
>> >blue - in which I could do the Round Britain Reliability Run with
>> >Club Triumph (2000 miles around Britain in 48 hours).
>>
>> >Anyone fancy doing it with me?
>> <hmmm>
>>
>> I could be persuaded... :-)
>
>I left off a crucial piece of information: the route includes John O'Groats to Lands End. Thought you might be a volunteer, even before knowing that!

OK, yes, I'm definitely in !

--
Champ
neal at champ dot org dot uk

I don't know, but I been told
You never slow down, you never grow old

On 01/11/2021 17:21, Champ wrote:
> On Mon, 1 Nov 2021 06:18:01 -0700 (PDT), Ben Blaney
> <benblaney@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Monday, November 1, 2021 at 8:53:14 AM UTC-4, Champ wrote:
>>> On Sun, 31 Oct 2021 06:56:28 -0700 (PDT), Ben Blaney
>>> <benb...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I've been offered a very nice Triumph 2500PI - crucially, in pale
>>>> blue - in which I could do the Round Britain Reliability Run with
>>>> Club Triumph (2000 miles around Britain in 48 hours).
>>>
>>>> Anyone fancy doing it with me?
>>> <hmmm>
>>>
>>> I could be persuaded... :-)
>>
>> I left off a crucial piece of information: the route includes John O'Groats to Lands End. Thought you might be a volunteer, even before knowing that!
>
> OK, yes, I'm definitely in !

So that's the support truck driver sorted - now what about the car?
;-)

--
Bruce Horrocks
FJR1300AS