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We pulled into the 1st services we saw so we could get some fuel and also lift Andy’s tank to see if there was any sign of a loose connector block. But No nothing that would have been to easy. It was full luggage strip down for him this time, and he also had to take the front screen & headlight off.
Lo and behold 1 little wire had vibrated out of a block behind the headlight. Once that was found it was an easy fix, and build everything back up. Then load everything back on the bike. After we had all filled up we were back on the road heading for Antwerp.It was looking good as all bikes were running well, and we were making good progress now!
We passed Antwerp and were heading around Brussels on the ring road with the sun scorching down.
But then all of a sudden there were brake lights! Lots of them! Bugger a traffic jam!
as we all slowed the road surface suddenly felt awful!
That constant BaDum BaDum BaDum!!
But then we hit a newly repaired piece of road and it kept doing it!I looked down and in the words of James May, “Oh Cock!” I saw my front tyre not looking very healthy at all. It was running very untrue as I rode along. 🙁
I managed to get along side Andy and Tell him I needed to stop.
So we pulled over at a safe part of the ring road to have a look.
And give the bikes a breather as they were all getting very hot in the heat of the day, and running air cooled bikes in traffic is no fun! I thought my legs were cooking! 😕Now here we were 5 English riders…
Oh Sorry Tony, 4 English riders and a Scottish rider. (This is starting to sound like a joke!… It was feeling like a joke to be honest!)There we all were all gathered around my front wheel Ohh..Errmming!
looking at a wobble on my front wheel that was looking very terminal! 😕 😥
But after a little more checking we found that it was only the tyre.
Not the alloy rim. Lucky for me my front wheel was a tubed tyre.
So the egg in the side wall of the tyre was less likely to be a blow out situation? The decision was made in Typical Brit style! Adapt and overcome! We had about 110km to go, we just took our time and carried on until the next services where we could have a better and safer look at my wheel.
After all we couldn’t stay where we were! 😕We got to the next services, and pulled in!
I was glad of the rest. As I had also found myself singing Elvis Presley’s “All Shook Up” to myself! 😮 🙁
It was thought that I must have hit a small pot hole in the road and it looked like it had pushed the rim of the tyre out a little.? So if we took the wheel off and let the air out of it! We may be able to massage the tyre back into place or even just make things a little better!?
So Here lies the next problem! Guess what got removed from my bike just before the start of the trip. 😳 Yes! THE CENTER STAND!! :hammer:
In the words of Homer Simpson this time “Dooghh!!”
Arrr The good old British Stiff Upper Lip What! Strikes again..
We looked around and found a piece of wood that we could jam under the bike after we pulled it over onto its side stand. Crude Yes But it worked as long as we held the bike all the time it shouldn’t tip over!
This we managed to do, and the wheel came off! and the for mentioned surgery began!
Wheel out, tyre deflated, (Somewhat like my ego at this point! As everybody was once again Hanging around for me! 😕 ) and tyre rim pushed away from the ally rim and lubed with some shower gel to see if it would help it seat back on the rim better!
All that remained to do was pop over to the forecourt air pump and inflate the tyre.
Airline located off Andy went with the deflated tyre to put some air in to see if we had improved anything at all?
Improved!!! Hmmm Interesting word that!
And Not Exactly what we had done either! As Andy now giving up and seeing the funny side of thing, Now came back with the anticipated inflated wheel, Still very Deflated!
Ironically just like my inner hopeful anticipation! 😛
Andy was Approaching from afar explaining that said Forecourt airline was indeed Out Of Order!
In my words this time ” Bollocks!!! 😡
But lady luck fell on us just in our time of need! A Latvian Truck driver heard our predicament and came to our rescue by hooking up an airline to his trucks air brake tanks! What a Guy! 🙂 Crisis Over!
Tyre inflated we fitted the wheel back onto the bike!
And I could give my arms a rest!
Well may as well get fuel while we were at the services as we were there.
So we rode on things a little better, but to be honest my tyre was knackered, No two ways about it! It would need a New tyre asap!
But as time was now clocking on we decided to have the final push to the camp site. We would just keep the speed down a little and take things easy!
The plan was just get to where we were staying, and get the tents up, and then crash and have a beer!
The tyre would have to wait until Saturday Morning now!
We arrive at Pont De Dulin camp site at around 5.30pm Tents were Pitched and bikes rested up for the night!
Alas We were not the only ones who had had a crap journey getting to the camp site! And I’m afraid the party was well under way by the time Poor Michael and Maria arrived! They had been stuck in traffic from Hell, and didn’t arrive until 11pm at night!
But Beer was at hand and the Famous GaGa Pizza oven was going and the BBQ was sizzling! :pint:
Well the Next morning came with Blue Sky and a Bad Head!. 😳 😎
But after a Coffee and a Breakfast all supplied as part of the trip.
We all started to feel better, and attention once again turned to my front wheel.
Some one made the suggestion to go and ask at the Camp site if somebody could enquirer where we may get a tyre from?
If we could find a local tyre shop I could nip down and quickly get a Nice New Tyre fitted before the planned Ride out on what was looking very much like a perfect day for a ride! 😎
Over at the Camp Site Café
The situation of my front tyre was explained, and the request for some help finding a tyre shop was made.
Only to be met with a grimmest of looks on the faces of the staff and owner of the site.
It turns out that EVERYWHERE! is closed on a weekend and we would have a job on our hands finding somewhere that would sell tyres on a Saturday! Never mind one for a 38 year old Classic Kawasaki! 🙁
But Hats of to the Camp site staff the internet was searched an they did find one possibility not to far away! A local Yamaha dealer was open until midday. 😀
So they wrote down the name and post code of the dealer and one of the German members had a sat nav on her bike and very kindly said she would lead me there, so coordinates
were punched in and off we set!We arrived at the Yamaha Dealer in good time after a very bumpy and wobbly ride.
It is not easy to try and explain what your problem is when Nobody spoke the same language?
But our friends the Campsite Staff had pre foreseen this and had rang ahead to give the poor Yamaha Sales man and his mechanic a ruff idea as to our problem!
The bike was wheeled away to the work shop and looked at!
Unfortunately there was nothing they could do! No tyres they had were anything like the old size needed. But they tried to do the best they could, and I was grateful for that!
But Gutted at the same time!
I may not be able to do this ride out! with my bike in its current unwell state! 😕 😥
Oh Well We Tried!
Unbeknown to me Plans were afoot and changes to the Ride Outs route where being redrafted by our German Friends.
Tango was going to the Ball No matter What!!
The Ride out was shortened and it was discussed that I would be put in the middle of the field of bikes and everyone would look after me and speed would be kept to a manageable pace for my deformed front wheel! 🙂
One Very Happy Johnny!
I could go to the Ball after all!
I Must say a Massive Thank You to Everybody at this point as It was a very special feeling to be apart of what I believe was the biggest gathering of 750 Twins on a ride out! Ever!:-)
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