my epic voyaging of courageousness... How far have you been?

Fun Times!
So, after I was screwed by a brummie when i bought my speedfight 2 i was very upset. mums inheritance monies paid for it.

As some of you know, I spent the next few weeks paying and tinkering for parts (too much, more than the value of the bike ) and it still had issues. Much more tinkering, dozens of break downs, late for work, pain in the f*%&ing ass etc etc.I was about ready to junk it and give up on biking (cant afford another one now )

had a final tinker / adjust / clean out / glue / duct tape / prayer....!

and this week end I set the bike a challenge. Coventry to Norwich.

Now, me being a total idiot, I had no clue of the distance, just that ive got friends in Norwich. I knew it was roughly 100 miles. So I popped 1 ear phone in under my helmet (bloody uncomfortable) downloaded a free sat nav program on my Samsung S2 and set off at 8 p.m. on my my epic voyaging of courageousness...


Problems on the journey there...
The weather... hmmm... slightly frozen bollocks after the first 25 miles. that was with thermal trousers under jeans with a pair of trackies over the top, that plus 3 jumpers, thermal lining, back armor and my bikers coat, I musty have looked like the bloody Michelin man.

Overheating... It turns out mopeds/scooters dont like to run at their max speed for the entirety of the long journey . While overtaking a lorry I nearly went under it when the engine cut out at 64mph. Sat at the side of the road for ten minutes and after a change of underwear I was off again. This happened again later when approaching a round about...

Battery... The guys in McDonald`s were most helpful in plugging my phone in as I have the directional skills of James May and would surely have starved to death before reaching Norwich had I have not had my satnav.

SPEED CAMERAS!
fucking bastards, I kept to the speed limits the entire journey there, I do NOT speed, I take it easy and try to be as responsible and alert as I can be. I was coming out of Norwhich on a dual carriage way. I had turned on to it, didnt see a speed sign and so took it up to 40mph, after a hundred meters or so. *Flash Flash* bollocks its so bloody unfair, I really do take care to drive properly and I get caught because I dont know a particular inner city dual carriageway is a 30 and not a 40. So I will be looking forward to the £60 and the points on my clean license. Bastards.


Distance... fuck me it was a lot further than i thought.


http://goo.gl/maps/TCcb1

it took 7 hrs going there. 5 hours coming back.



Other than a mild case of hypothermia it was fun. On the way back I kept to 55mph and didn't have a single heating issue.


Result: success. I now posses a reliable SpeedFight 2. possibly the only one in the world.

 

My dad and his friends did that on their bikes at about this age, My dad on his Suzuki GT250, his friends on a Yamaha RD200 and a Honda I think, but they went from Derby to Wales, ahaha!

As for the speed camera, if it's your first time speeding then you can choose to go on a 1 day course that costs around £80 and you don't get any points

 

Man! Sounds epic I bet you did freeze, that eastly wind was biting, hope your friends appreciated your efforts to see them. Well done

 

Not you ya fool though yours sounds epic too, I meant darkstar82's epic journey, my fault I just jumped in

 

you desreve it,

either for survivng the cold, or brave enough to cruise the A14

i take my hat off and salute you..

 

*blinks* pretend I know nothing...


is the A14 a particularly unpleasant road? didn't seem much could go wrong dribbling along at 50.

 

going from mine to norwich is long enough for me to wish i never started and thats only 20 miles

 

I lose my testies after 10 minutes in this weather can't imagine riding for 7 hours!!

 

Sounds like an epic voyage btw, may have to do something similar in summer time

 

well if anyone wants to do a run with me to norwhich come warmer months, i`m happy to stop by and join up along the way

It was bloody cold but it was an experience! cant wait to do it again. Next time with heated grips and handlebar muffs... !

 

408 miles from mine to Norwich and back :/ haha sounds like a lot of petrol

 

id be lucky to see a 30 mile run on my bike with out it breaking down on me lol

 

Crap yeah, that A14 is a $hit road at the best of times, and nasty too, you were lucky you weren't lunch for the lorries