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View Full Version : MoFo Welsh Recce 7th & 8th July


mac99
07-07-07, 11:35 PM
What an eventful day. I'm knackered, but I guess I'm first back so a brief report is due.
Today, well yesterday technically, we did a recce of the planned route for the rideout (http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=92593)planned for the 4th & 5th August.
We (me, Xan, Vickster, Beenz and stretchie) Started at Stretchie's in Bristol at about 11ish, and from there to :
Abergavenny ( where we picked up valleyboy),
Builth,
Rhayader,
Up the Elan Valley (which is very very cool),
Aberystwyth,
Aberaeron,

Somewhere around here, stretchie's bike broke. Again. The front sprocket had worked it's way off.:smt103 Looks like it wasn't fastened up properly after the gearbox rebuild. Waited for the recovery truck for a while, but as it was getting on a bit, and we were at the edge of the known world, we decided to head back and leave him at the mercy of the locals. Back via Aberystwyth, A44, Rhayader, Builth & Abergavenny. To round it all off, the old bridge was shut, so we had to detour to the M4 and over the new bridge.

Oh, Xan and Vicky only had dark visors as we weren't meant to be out that long.

Photo's may follow.

_Stretchie_
07-07-07, 11:44 PM
Right.. JUST got in...

Yeah, got to ring the garage on Monday, they hadn't fastened the front sproket on properly I guess and no lug washer to hold it securely...

I'm well lucky it didn't lock the wheel up...

Beenz
07-07-07, 11:50 PM
Back safe n sound, starting to thaw now. a grand day out, the Elan Valley is like another world, wonderful!

Hope you got back OK Stretchie, the pickup ETA was ten mins when we left. Thanks everyone for the great company on the run. Xan, Vickster hope you got back OK.

mac99
07-07-07, 11:52 PM
Glad you got back OK.

Could have been very nasty .
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t114/bmPiccys/sprocketoff.jpg

valleyboy
08-07-07, 08:05 AM
Weren't there more photos than that ? lol

1000 sheep road at 10pm is cold.. plus when you have a dark visor, the sheep seem to apear about 10feet away from you... did most of it with my visor open....

the white rabbit
08-07-07, 08:24 AM
Wow, bad work there by the looks!
Elan is wonderful, isnt it? Glad you had fun there.
Its times like that why I gave up dark visors and went for a light tint with sunglasses. Got caught out a couple times and that was enough, I dont like riding in dark as it is.
Alls well that ends well!

valleyboy
08-07-07, 08:33 AM
Im glad everyone enjoyed the Elan valley... on the ride itself, I think we will make a stop at the visitors centre... the resevoir was full yesterday and had water spilling over the top... its a photo oppertunity.. lol.. then a stop at the last resevoir, just to make sure people survived that part... also the mountain road to Aberystwyth is way cool.. but too many places for furry critters to hide and jump out! so will warn everyone to take their time on those stretches!

Gutted for you stretch, but its a case of phone up the garage and ask if they had any bits left over, as the general consensus was, they couldnt have put the nut back on, as thers not enough room for it to come off the shaft when the sprocket cover is on...

Did those man eating sheep make an appearance ?

plus, we had a comedy moment of stoping near the roundabout for teh A44/A470... and a small hurd of cows took interest in us...

squirrel_hunter
08-07-07, 09:59 AM
Sorry I missed this one guys but I didn't get in until 4 in the morning and needed a bit of sleep ;)

Thats not good about your chain mate, very dangerous. Would be interested to hear what they say about it on Monday.

mac99
08-07-07, 11:06 AM
Not many good pics I'm afraid. And none at all of the Elan Valley.

Got to Aber bus station only to find the Xan's left indicator had committed suicide. Duct tape to the rescue.
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t114/bmPiccys/XanBikeIndi.jpg


First stop, Erwood. Save our Toilets.
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t114/bmPiccys/AllErwood.jpg

Stetchie adjusts his clutch. And pours my tools all over the road.
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t114/bmPiccys/StretchiClutchErwood.jpg

Lots of missing time here, until Aberystwyth. Nice day for it.
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t114/bmPiccys/AberystwythZedGSXR.jpg

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t114/bmPiccys/AberystwythNoOne.jpg

mac99
08-07-07, 11:10 AM
10 minutes down the road from here to Llanrhystud where stretchie's sprocket came off.

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t114/bmPiccys/AllAtLlanrhystud.jpg

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t114/bmPiccys/VbStretchBikeBrokeLlanrhystud.jpg

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t114/bmPiccys/XanScary.jpg

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t114/bmPiccys/XanLoon.jpg

valleyboy
08-07-07, 11:14 AM
Im sure Alex took one photo in the Elan valley.. we should have taken more, as its an absolutley stunning place to go...

Xan173
08-07-07, 11:27 AM
http://img365.imageshack.us/img365/2734/sany0012qy0.th.jpg (http://img365.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sany0012qy0.jpg)

Here it is.

Hole in fairing = Bad Times
Happy to be home, warm, not on a bike = Good Times

mac99
08-07-07, 11:54 AM
Nice pic Xan. That Elan valley is a fantasy landscape.

What time did you two get back?

valleyboy
08-07-07, 11:57 AM
Very nice photo! I appear to have a light on my head!

Beenz
08-07-07, 12:31 PM
Nice one Xan, that must be VB having an idea ;)

Xan173
08-07-07, 04:32 PM
It was half past midnight by the time we got back. Could've cried when we got to the closed bridge :( Especially having just picked our way along the Usk road half blind.

Vickster
08-07-07, 04:48 PM
It was half past midnight by the time we got back. Could've cried when we got to the closed bridge :( Especially having just picked our way along the Usk road half blind.


Oh he forgot to mention after the bridge diversion we ended up going toward Cardiff !!

Any hows great day, you guys had me in stiches most of the day. Good company.

I have now programmed in my breakdown telephone number into the phone, just in case.

Mac, thanks for posting the pics, although a few missing I see !:D

tinpants
08-07-07, 08:16 PM
Nice one Xan, that must be VB having an idea ;)


Nah. Won't happen!!!

hovis
08-07-07, 10:58 PM
Sorry I missed this one .
me too............ i didnt even know about it:confused:

Viper
09-07-07, 12:48 PM
me too............ i didnt even know about it:confused:

But would your bike of made it round ????;)

valleyboy
09-07-07, 01:10 PM
Considering those roads killed stretchies bike.. and also mine now by the looks of it :(

Mogs
09-07-07, 01:55 PM
I appear to have a light on my head!

It blinds the Hellicoper pilots?

Xan173
09-07-07, 03:07 PM
Considering those roads killed stretchies bike.. and also mine now by the looks of it :(

What??????

sarah
09-07-07, 03:10 PM
Considering those roads killed stretchies bike.. and also mine now by the looks of it :(

What??????

http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=92934

Xan173
09-07-07, 03:13 PM
I phoned Fowlers today to get the price of a replacement nose fairing for my bike...

£446
:smt046

I think I'll be getting it repaired. Found a place in Nailsea that will collect and return the panel just over a week later. Given that the plan is to go back to "that place of doom" in early August I might wait until after that trip to get it done. Until then I'm going to colour code the duct tape :)

Xan173
09-07-07, 03:21 PM
http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=92934

Ooh f***!

A whole bucket load of bad luck has come out of that one daytrip.

Xan173
09-07-07, 04:21 PM
Oh, and those two films I was talking about, I remember now...

Severance (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0464196/)

and

Wilderness (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465670/)

both quality british horror movies

_Stretchie_
09-07-07, 04:38 PM
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t114/bmPiccys/XanLoon.jpg


Phhoonnnne Hommeeeeeeeee

hovis
09-07-07, 04:56 PM
But would your bike of made it round ????;)

yes, it would:confused:

if it had the chance.........?






unlike stretchies

RingDing
09-07-07, 05:49 PM
The Elan Valley is great, looks like a good route you have there. I do have a couple of suggestions for other roads you might consider in that area. Feel free to ignore me though because:
a) I won't be going!
b) I hardly ever post!

The B3458 from Newbridge-on-Wye to Beulah is a blast. A roller coaster piece of tarmac if ever there was one. It was featured in an Avon tyre advert in the early 90's and we used to hunt it out everytime we went to Rhayader. It has some amazing bits where the road just drops away and some great corner combinations with elevation change. Beware the 'tight corner' signs though...they mean it. There is even one on a blind crest just to keep you on your toes.

The B4519/4520 from Garth to Brecon is also great. Fantastic views, a smattering of sheep and some super bits of tarmac (some bad ones too but it's worth it).

Whatever route you use I hope you all have a good laugh and that there are no nmore machine failures.

So sorry Stretchie and VB! :(

anna
09-07-07, 05:53 PM
Ring Ding .. nice to hear from you again mate seen you lurking here !!... your comments and inputs are always welcome mate ;)

valleyboy
09-07-07, 06:03 PM
sorry, but this route is locked as is now... having difficulty dragging people around it as is, let alone making detours!

RingDing
09-07-07, 06:12 PM
sorry, but this route is locked as is now... having difficulty dragging people around it as is, let alone making detours!

I can understand that! 'twas just a suggestion. Maybe next time I'll make it out and can show oyu myself.

Vickster
09-07-07, 06:18 PM
Phhoonnnne Hommeeeeeeeee


You are soooo funny !!!!

:smt046

Xan173
09-07-07, 07:05 PM
Phhoonnnne Hommeeeeeeeee

http://www.threequestionmarks.com/blog/ETBone.jpg

hovis
09-07-07, 07:34 PM
im still sulking about not being invited

:smt090

Viper
10-07-07, 07:00 AM
im still sulking about not being invited

:smt090

Ahhhh Hovis dont be sad buddy, I didnt go either (but i was invited);)
We all wuv you very much and wont do it again.