boboneleg

By now the wind was really picking up and the rain was just begining so we decided the camp in front of the tv in the marquee, watch the rugby and get pissed...... By evening it was carnage outside , the place was just a mudpit and peoples tents were either flattened or blowing away. When I walked back to my tent at midnight I had no idea wether it would still be there or if it was would it even be inhabitable. As it was my seven year old Coleman tent survived the night and kept me dry though sleep was severely limited as it was whacking around the head all night where the wind was so strong. Some of my mates were not so lucky as there tents were fucked and they spent the night in the marquee with lots of others. I have no photos of the chaos the following morning as it was a mission just to get your stuff packed away and make your way out of the site, then the fun really started ? The winds were horrendous and the rainwas coming at you horizontally, we made our way back towards Capel Curig but after about 12 miles found the road blocked , trees down and telephone lines. The police told us that the wind speed had been recorded at 83mph and I didn't disbelieve them in the slightest as it was all you could do to keep the bike upright at times, it was the worst conditions i've ever ridden in. We back tracked and managed to get to Porthmadog and found a cafe open which was bloody ace. When we set off again it seemed even worse and you could hardly see out of your visor. Gaz came past me on the A470 and signalled to pull over as he couldn't see. We pulled into a layby and you hardly hold the bike upright, he got off of his Africa Twin and came over too speak to me and with that the wind blew his 200kg bike straight over. He was now hanging onto me and my bike to stop me going over and the wind was so loud we could hardly hear each other speak. We must have stood there for at least 15 mins trying to stay upright before there was a slight lull and we managed to lean my bike against the wall and eventually got his back upright. All the while there were some twats in a car just gawping at us and taking photos, fucking wankers ? Anyway, the further I got south the easier it got and I got home about 6.00pm in the dark and still in one piece. It was something I'll never forget and I know that I'll never camp knowingly in those sort of conditions again. It's a shame that there are no photos of the journey home but taking photos wouldhave been impossible.

I hadn't done this rally since my last time with Fred which was 2017 (I think ??), anyway a mate of mine insisted that we should go so we put the word around and in the end six of us met up at Conwy YHA on the friday night before the rally and then went to the pub of course..... and then for a curry..... Now one thing you need to do in the week leading up to the Dragon Rally is to keep an eye on the weather forecast, when I tell you it wasn't looking good, it really wasn't . There was a storm coming in with 65-70 mph winds and torrential rain forecasted ? Saturday morning we assembled at the meeting point and were given the instructions as to where the site was this year (it's a different location every year), what a fine body of men ........ We got to the site and it didn't look good, it was just a farmers field up a track and at the top of a hill. I would much rather have been down in some sheltered valley out of the way of the worst of the weather. We picked a spot at the top of the field as it was obvious that by next morning anything down the bottom would just be a bog. It was a great laugh just trying to get to the top of the field as conditions were soft and it hadn't even started raining yet. We pitched our tents and then walked down to the marquee to collect our goody bags and have a nose at the other bikes

That's ace Pedro ?

Current model in the UK

Hello Mess ?

I feel your pain Fred, I recently had to remove the swing arm/rear engine bolt out of a DRZ400 , that was a real bugger

Superb Pedro ?

I'm shamed to say that we took the path, that was my first time ever that I'd done that Fred, but the twat in the car was on the shallow side.

Good to hear from you ? I'm on my third 'flex foot' , I somehow managed to delaminate the carbon on the other two ?

Hi Fred , good to see you in here.

Hi Scott, good to see you here ?

Like it Fred, we managed a ride on the Friday before lockdown as we thought it was coming Just a loop around the Cotswolds and sandwiches and flasks, no stopping in cafes. We also came across this twat............ It's time for you to look away now Pete ?

Hah ! I wondered if that's what you were going to say as there aren't many in Bristol. That's 1/2 mile from my house, my mate has a motorcycle repair place on that estate, GJB Motorcycles.

My favourite bench .

I had a GS1150 like yours Pedro but not for long, I called it 'the Barge'. It was the worst bike I ever owned, I got shot of it after about 4 months. It's in the background here.......

Hah !! just like old times ?

Nah, never worked with caravans. I retired a while ago but I work (ahem) a couple of days in a Ducati place now. Where's the auction house ?

Bruce, how's it going mate ?

Understood, we're all getting older ?

Ooooooops, they're a big old bus

Hi Dell. how are you doing there in the far saff ?

Hi Chris, how's tricks ?

Hi Laurie

Ace ?

I know that you said it's not meant to be a commiserations thread Pedro but that's so sad. I'm sure I remember a ride report in the past where you were just starting to take her out on the bike you had back then (Transalp? ) I hope life is treating you better now.