News@nene summer q2 2014 web issue

Nene Valley Chapter Chapter No. 9946

NEWS @ NENE Summer 2014

Director Martin Dickinson

‘So Bad’ [email protected]

07740 871983

Assistant Director Dave Burridge ‘Brumbo’ [email protected]

07768 166490

Secretary

Maria Lapsley [email protected]

07984 122581

Treasurer

John Nicholas [email protected]

07808 648575

Editor

Chris Lapsley ‘Slow Hand’ nenevalleyeditor@

btinternet.com 07709 205571

Webmaster ‘Road King' Scot Haynes [email protected]

07970 421716

Safety Officer ‘The Reverand’ Steve Harris

steve@harris 1509.freeserve.co.uk

07779 877131

Activities Officer Dave Burridge ‘Brumbo’ [email protected]

07768 166490

Head Road Captain Mike ‘Mikey’ Ivers

[email protected] 07950 947681

Ladies of Harley Officer Jan Harter’


Merchandising Officers Mike & Jacqui Wakelin


Historian

Vacant Position

Photographer

Vacant Position

Nene Valley Chapter

DIRECTORS DRIBBLE Summer 2014

Over the last couple of months, although I have not been able to ride, I have where possible turned up to Jacks Hill to see everyone off. The number of people attending the rides, as well as the overnight trips has been a pleasure to watch. It doesn't seem right watching you all ride off into the distance whilst I get back on the car. At the time of writing this I am still unable to ride but by the time it goes to press I will have had a couple of rides, as long as the bike is back, which I have just had a call to say it will be. Once again there seems to have been some ventures over the water, with members heading down to Barcelona and then on to Orval, and a few doing the European rally in Croatia. I also know there were a few heading straight to Orval. Let's help Chris out and put pen to paper and share your experiences with other members. It great to hear other people experiences and it also wets the appetite for those thinking about planning a trip into Europe. So far I have got Belgium planned on 1st October to meet up with a couple of hundred Belgium riders then St Tropez next May, which has had a good take up. Setting up the Club run award in 2004 I never imagined that there would be members that would get to the 300 point mark. Along with Tal we now have Chris Ringer who has achieved the prestigious landmark, well done Chris. As I'm sure some of you out are aware we have had a problem with the website but hopefully by the time you read this the problem will have been resolved. I know Scott has been working on it but the problem and issues are far bigger than expected. At the moment I am not sure whether we will need a total rebuild, which if so could be fairly costly. Every year at the AGM the opportunity arises for members to put themselves forward for positions on the committee. The committee at present has been together for a number of years and it is always good to inject new ideas. If there is anyone who is interested in ANY of the roles on the committee could they please let either myself or Maria Lapsley know.

Don't forget our rally next month. If you haven't already got your tickets time is running out. I would ask you all, if possible to support the rally as there is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to make the weekend the success it has always been. Hopefully I will now be in a position to ride alongside some on you in the coming months, so until then stay safe and enjoy this great riding weather. Martin

Nene Valley Chapter

Editor’s View Point Summer 2014

Anybody know any companies looking for a full time motorcycle tour planner & guide – I’m your man. 37 Years of working in the power & electrical engineering business will come to an end in a couple of months time. That aside the riding year is going great – and in one more month � ……. well more about that in September. In the past few weeks we have had the Cream Tea Ride, the Vulcan Bomber Ride, the Weston Cider Ride, Salcey Forest Ride and the Solstice Ride – all in great weather conditions. The only fly in the ointment was the cancellation of Rickie’s Breakfast ride due to heavy rain. This issue captures some these events article and or photographs. The weather got so hot on the Solstice ride that when it came to filtering through a traffic jam some bikes were cutting out or very close to it any way. Hope you got yours sorted Paul. Groups have also been further afield to St Tropez, Croatia, Spain/Belgium etc. I’m looking forward to some good articles from these adventures. Alan Lee has been sending me regular photos of him, Marilyn, Panda, Mike & Bronwen Sharpe plotting

their progress down to Croatia. I include one for now but Alan will be providing a more detail review of this trip for the next issue.

After a very pleasant ride into Hereford on Pasty’s Cider ride we finished at the fuel station in Chipping Norton. After a chat and farewells I turned round to my bike and noticed how slick my rear tyre had suddenly become. On closer inspection there was a large cut / flap of rubber and regular splits all around the central portion of the tyre following what was left of the tread. Luckily it was a dry day but I still had about 40 miles to go to get home. This I managed without drama so it was straight on the phone next day to get Vixen booked in for a replacement and photographs send to the dealership because I had only done 2000 miles. The tyre had been fitted in February and normally I would get about 10,000 out of a rear. The upshot was that although clearly the tyre was defect in some way, Harley do not warrant tyres as they have no knowledge of how the bike has been ridden, the tyre pressures used etc. etc. However, Robin Hood had seen even worse before, one where the tyre had delayered

(still Harley would not take responsibility) but as a good will gesture they supplied a new tyre at cost and fitted it for free. Together with my 35k service, new front disc, rear brakes, fluid etc. it turned out to be an expensive weekend ! Any one wondered what has happened to our past road captain Owl. Well I have it on good

authority that since giving up work he has become a member of the cloth !!

Here’s a little teaser for you – what model, year & owner ? Don’t forget, there is no emag in July and as I am away during August � there will be no mag that month either. September’s printed mag will be bumper issue, all those oversea’s rally articles and in particular details of what happened out rally (which unfortunately Madam Sec. & I will not be able to attend) Until next time ride safe and ENJOY Summer. Cheers

Chris Lapsley, “Slow Hand” Editor

Last date for contributions to the September printed Edition : SAT 23rd August 2014

email :- [email protected] or phone me on 07709 205571 or 01455 450463

Nene Valley HOG Chapter (Editor) PO Box 9277 LEICESTER LE9 OBT

Nene Valley Chapter

Ladies of Harley Officer Summer 2014

You will be reading this after our AGM so I hope that a) you

came and b) you enjoyed the evening.

So, here we are in July. This month I am keeping my fingers

firmly crossed for dry weather.

The “Have a go at Archery” day is Saturday, July 26th. Many

people expressed an interest when I first proposed the idea

and I have a list of those people. We are limited to a

maximum of 40 people so those already on my list will be

given first priority but I would appreciate confirmation by

second week of July that you are still interested. Anyone else

who is interested please let me know and I will ascertain if

there is space. Please keep your eye on the website for any

last minute news.

Bob the Bus has kindly volunteered to lead us to the venue in

Edlesborough with Mike Sharp and Mike Wakelin tailing. We

will be meeting up at Jack’s in Towcester to depart from

there at 10 o’clock. The ride is about 30 miles heading south

down the A5, around the Leighton Buzzard ring road and

then turning right off that on to the A4146 which leads to

Edlesborough, passing through the villages of Billington and

Northall first. Sparrow Hall Farm is on the right as you enter

Edlesborough from this direction and Silver Arrow Archery’s

range is at the end of the drive.

Starting at 11.00 will have a couple of hours of shooting, with

coaching, ending with a fun competition. We will then ride

down to the Travellers Rest about a mile away, for some

lunch.

The cost for this event is £10 per head (not including lunch)

which I will collect at the start of the ride, or if anyone prefers

to meet us there, before the start of the action.

People on the list:

� Richard Smith

� Pete and Hazel

� Peter Scriven

� Dave and Maggie Allen

� Mike Sharp

� Chris and Julie R

� Kiwi and Mrs Kiwi

� Steve and Di H.

� Gerald and Mira

� Mal Haynes

� Anne and Colin B

� Jackie and Mike W

� Chris and Maria

� Gary and Paula

� Paul and Sue W

� Rickie Ann

� Shani and Chris

� Jacqui Gray

� Dave Bowen

� Bob Rhoades

� Dave and Carol R

� Jason Higgins

� Babs and Billy

� Oh, and me!

That makes 38 so there is room for a couple more people as

things stand at the moment.

So, as I said, fingers crossed for dry weather as this will be

very difficult to rearrange owing to commitments that the

archery clubs have during the summer months.

Take care.

Jan

Nene Valley Chapter

Mikey’s Natter Summer 2014

Another busy few weeks. It's been great to see the variety of

events over the last few weeks. We have visited the Vulcan

Bomber at Wellesbourne, been to the Malvern’s for a great

ride, the Ace, Salcey Forest and had our Solstice weekend.

We have also had members all over Europe at various rallies

and travels to Spain. Quite a lot went to St Tropez, Croatia

and Orval and closer to home a number went to the Iron

Horse Rally at its new location (with good reports, one for the

bag next year I think) and some poor souls went to the Big

Brum Wet bash and got pi**** on!!!

By the time you read this we will have also been to the

Wootton Beavers Ride where the kids just love to see and sit

on the bikes and ask us

lots of questions, and our

June trip to the Ace Café

Harley Night

You will have seen in last

month’s Natter that I

borrowed Tal’s bike, due

to mine needing

some shocks etc.

Well Becks bike was first reserve for a ride but it was

being serviced and there was a challenge, sooooo.. I

borrowed one of Nutty's bikes for the Wellesbourne

ride... Cheers guys. A very worthwhile vodka donation

gave me the loan of the XR1200 sporty, mmmm I need

an every day runner. This is a good thing with Harley

Insurance as it lets us ride other Harleys fully

comprehensive.

We have seen quite a lot of people out and about and keen

to rack up their points on the club run award. Which reminds

me, some of you will have seen on the web site that Chris

Ringer has also hit his 300 points Club Run Award. Well done

Chris, we have not been

able to celebrate with him

yet as he is always out, the

chapter is certainly at its

best when it rides. But we

will do when he stops for

just a minute. Now our very

own Captain Pugwash has

racked up a 275 total.

We only had to cancel one event over the last few weeks or

so, which was Rickie’s breakfast ride, which was a good call as

the weather was pants, but it will be rescheduled in July so

watch this space.

We have got one heck of a lot to look forward to in July. On

5th we have the Independence Day ride to Sulgrave Manor

which looks great

fun. This will be a

great networking

event and a chance

to

meet with an

American Chapter

who wish to meet

with us. We have the Newport Carnival on the 6th and we

have been asked to lead in as a Chapter. Then on the 13th

July we have Groundhog taking us to some Gorges, then on

the 19th we may have Rickie’s breakfast ride, more info to

follow, and on the 20th Mike Sharp is leading his Secret

Island Ride out. We also have the Have a Go Archery Ride,

the Peak District ride and the Ace... ALL in July. If that's not a

great plan for us all, I am not sure what is.....I know people

have said it before, but talking to new members recently who

have been members of other chapters, they say we do more

in a month than most chapters do in a year and July is such a

great example of this, so let's

see lots of us out and about.

I might miss a couple of these as

I may go on an impromptu road

trip to Switzerland, more to

follow, as I am riding with an ex

bike surveillance rider and there

are always Mikey’s moments.

I am also pleased to say that we

are as always on top of our points and pins, I have always got

the record with me at club night so if you have any questions

please let me know. Also, if you are off to some obscure rally

that's not part of our normal calendar then please let me

know.

As well as being busy thinking about rides etc., I am also

personally getting excited about our trip to California, it's

coming around so fast. Whenever we go on a road trip Becky

always keeps a diary and has promised to do this for this trip

so hopefully there will be lots of great memories and stories

to share when we are back and also advice for future trips.

We have other chapter members on big road trip on Route

66 so ride safe ( I hope your fellow Geordie doesn’t get lost)

Lastly we have missed Martin out with us since his operation,

but he's back this month...I can’t promise any dodgy fields sir!

Well until next time, have fun and ride safe.

The chapter’s at its best when it rides, rallies and parties.

Mikey HRC

Nene Valley Chapter

RCs & Rides Spring 2013

Join us in a short ride to Sulgrave Manor to celebrate American Independence Day, we will also be meeting

an American Chapter who are looking forward to meeting the local chapter from the Sulgrave area that’s

us!!!

This is a insert from their website.. In our centenary year we are going to make our independence day

celebrations bigger than ever so save the date now. The battle reenactment group are already booked and

preparations are under way for our AngloAmerican day of fun.

All American Barbecue, Harley Davidsons, Cheer Leaders, Live Music, Childrens' Activities, Exhibition of

Native American Artifacts, New George Washington Exhibition, The Battle with live Musket Fire and as much

Mississippi Mud Pie as you can eat. Some activities carry an additional charge but you can still come along and

have a lovely day without the need to spend any more than your entrance £3.50 adults, £1.50 children, £10

Family (2 adults and up to 4 children)

Contact Us: Email: [email protected] Tel: 01295 760 205

So get out those American flags, it sounds like a great event.

Chris Fawcett - ‘Jedi’ Email : [email protected] 07964 775677

Becky Ivers ‘Becks’ [email protected] 07901 716385

Mike Sharp [email protected] 07748 913326

Rickie Anne Gee Email : [email protected] 07969 809662

Andrew ‘Pasty’ Pugsley [email protected] 07971 903581

Neil ‘The Ambassador’ Harrison [email protected] 07810 870167

Bob ‘The Bus’ Rhoades [email protected] 07817 700958

Head Road Captain Mike ‘Mikey’ Ivers [email protected] 07950 947681

Chris Lapsley ‘Slow Hand’ [email protected] 07709 205571

Mick Gray ‘Badger’ [email protected] 07946 299447

Chris Ringer [email protected] 07897 729749

Mike Waklein – ‘Groundhog’ [email protected] 07989 975444

N e n e V a l l e y H . O . G . C h a p t e r

Secret Island Ride Summer 2014

TheSecretIslandRide

Sunday20thJuly2014

LeavingJacksat09:30am

For those that don’t know the Secret Island at Waltham

Abbey is steeped in military history, it’s more commonly

known as the Royal Gunpowder Mills. Yes this is the place

where the explosive stuff was made!

The oldest group of buildings on site, Walton’s House, the

mixing house and saltpetre melting house were constructed

soon after the government’s purchase of the works in the

1787. Walton’s House was named after the last private

owner of the works. Despite its domestic appearance it

seems to have been constructed as a purposebuilt office

building. Various additions were made to the original two

storied structure.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, it was used as an

office. It now houses the Archive and Study Centre. The

mixing house was where the gunpowder ingredients

sulphur, saltpetre and charcoal were mixed ready for the

lengthy process of incorporation. The building alongside it

was for a melting house where saltpetre was melted for use

in gunpowder manufacture. From the 1780s it was prepared

concentrated and crystallised in a refinery whose remains lie

beneath the junction of Highbridge Street and Beaulieu Drive.

Cordite propelled the millions of shells fired by the British

Army during World War I. Vast quantities were needed and in

1914 the national product jumped from 3,600 to 16,000 tons.

The Royal Gunpowder Mills entrance building (H7), situated

on the Great Hoppit, was built in 1904. It was a ‘cordite

drying stove’. Steam pipes ran through the whole building to

supply the heat to dry the cordite. The earth traverses which

surround the building were built to contain the blast in the

event of an accidental explosion.

But there’s also loads of stuff to do whilst you are there :

1) Test Range where you

can try your hand at

launching, catapulting,

shooting and firing a

variety of air and water

rockets, rocket cars,

cannons, and air soft rifles.

Explore the history of

technology through time

with a series of your own

test range trials.

2) The Rocket Vault from tank busters to rocket motors

used to launch satellites into space – see some of the secret

rockets worked on at Waltham Abbey in our brand new

exhibit.

3) The Armoury is a

comprehensive collection

of small arms and militaria

recently acquired,

catalogued and redesigned

by The Royal Gunpowder

Mills

And much more !!

There’s a café on site for a spot of sustenance.

Our ride leaves Jacks Hill at 09:30am and heads straight

down the A5 with a second pickup at the Esso garage just

before the M1 at junction 9 at about 10:15am. The route

then takes us across country past Redbourne, St Albans,

Hatfield and Hertford there is a 15 minute fuel stop (about 62

miles) at the junction of the A414 and the A10 where we

head south towards London on the A10. Just past Cheshunt

we turn left towards Waltham Abbey arriving around

11:30am.

There is of course an entrance fee to the Secret Island, they

start taking group bookings once we get over 20 people so

please let me know on the website if you’re coming. When I

get an idea of numbers I’ll try to negotiate a group rate but

current full adult price is £9.50 per adult.

The return route will start at 3:30pm and will be all motorway

M25, M1 and the ride will officially finish at the Milton

Keynes Junction 14 exit which should be no later than

5:00pm.

If you want to know more try visiting the Royal Gunpowder

Mills website http://www.royalgunpowdermills.com

Mike Sharp leading, Becky & Mikey tailing

Nene Valley Chapter

NV Gallery – Cream Tea Summer 2014


Come Ride the Dragon II Summer 2014

After the preplanning, the preriding, visiting hotel and lunch

stops, and arranging menus; April 25th was fast approaching.

The only thing left was the weather – not much preplanning

possible there !!

Then bang – the unexpected happened and Maria was taken

ill while we were on a long weekend break in Berlin and well I

think you all know the story, but it was then touch and go as

to how long she would be in hospital and how quickly she

would recover. The day before departure and it was clear

Maria would not be able to ride up to the lakes, however,

with a few walking wounded going by car there were options.

Maria decided to leave it as long as possible to see how she

felt and with Ange and Di travelling up to the hotel on the

Friday evening and back on the Sunday morning – this turned

out to be the best solution.

This meant for the

first time I was going

to lead a long ride

without my copilot

and general goffer.

On the other hand,

the bike would not

include the usual

clutter of 6 pairs of

shoes, optional night

wear depending on

weather, mood,

cold/warm – and no

straighteners, or

curling tongs etc etc.

Friday morning and the forecast was for rain moving north

and time wise it looked likely we would stay ahead of it.

Although a bit damp at Jack’s everyone’s spirit was high and

all were eager for the long weekend riding. Riding north it

was foggy and cool. By the time we headed west into

Yorkshire and round the bottom of the Dales the rain had

caught us up. We were lucky though as it never really got

heavy.

Lunch stop was

with ‘the boys’ at

a real biker café –

‘Dusty Bluebells’.

Actually they had

tried to man up a

bit by renaming it

Stride Wood

after the

surround

woodlands of

Bolton Abbey. It was all very …well quaint – coloured tea

pots, nice sarnnies, pasties etc. but lunch took a bit longer

than planned. The

Boys did shut the place

just for us – so a few

keen walkers had to sit

and wait outside in the

drizzle until we

decided to leave.

We were further delayed due to some foreign driver

managing to plonk his car upside down on top of a dry stone

wall – don’t ask – couldn’t work out how he did it!!

Arrived at the hotel to find our walking wounded already in

the bar or having spent the afternoon chilling in the pool and

spa – so as soon as I could get my riding togs off I went and

did the same.

The hotel are great at looking after us. Menus had been

sorted and no one else was in the hotel. We had all 30 rooms

and no other groups were using the other smaller function

room. (not like 2 years ago when the Masons were in !).

Good food, plenty of beer (although the Wainwrights didn’t

last long !!) and everyone was heading upstairs – some for

rampant sex (Gary & Paula) others just knackered.

Meanwhile me, Pasty and the Rev had to carry out a lone

midnight vigil waiting for the girls to arrive.

Saturday morning – light rain – but the forecast was for sun

by 10:00. After a mutiny the night before the Saturday ride

start time was put back to 09:30 (light weights) – but that did

allow more time for a full Cumbrian breakfast (superb

sausages & black pud, supported by the full works). Had to

do a quick reccie for a new fuel fill up spot as road works had

closed my start road and access to the filling station.

Anyway, by the time I was back the sun was trying to break

through and everyone was getting ready. As happened 2

years ago, Mike & Jackie Wakelin disappeared only to

reappear as a dragon & maiden in distress !! they looked

great – especially as they rode the first half of the day in

costume – head gear and all. Brilliant. Lakeland must have

wondered what the hell was going on.

Come Ride the Dragon II Summer 2014


After a stop at Asda (sorry Mikey – no Morrisons around that part of town) it was down a little bolt hole of a road to avoid the road works and off we went : Back way into Windermere (great twisty road), on to and over the Kirkstone Pass (epic ride), down to Ullswater – with a coffee stop on the steamer pier at Glenridding. On up and over to Keswick and down through Borrowdale, up and over Honister Pass (avoiding a cycling event using the same pass)

along the side of Buttermere and Crummock Water, then round and over Whinlater Pass and back down to Keswick again for lunch stop. Quick chat with the

Road Burners MC who were on a ride from their rally site in Maryport, then the afternoon route took us down past Thirlmere, Grasmere, Rydal Water to Ambleside. From here it was over to Hawkshead and up Hawkshead Hill and down along the ‘Quiet’ side of Coniston water. Finally a run back around to our start point, fuel and back to hotel for more beer & food. The sun stayed out for most of the day and not a drop of rain !! brill. Even though I done a preride briefing, it was a bit like being out with the kids –

“are we there yet” or similar was a very regular question at every stop. Sunday morning and this time the start time stayed at 09:00 as we had a long way to cover. Again, after good brekkie, check out the hotel, say good bye to Madam Sec. the sun was out. A detailed preride briefing was intended to do away with the “are we there yet”. We headed off out of Kendal toward the Yorkshire Dales and Wensleydale in particular. The road out of Kendal and over to Sedburgh and beyond is great –

twisty, scenic, narrow etc. and at that time in the morning – empty – apart from Sheep ! The only problem was the cloud came down and although it stayed dry – the temperature dropped considerably. Anyway, after a coffee stop at Aysgarth Falls and onto the east side of the Dales it did warm up again. The route from here was to go further east to Selby then down through North Lincolnshire and a quieter country run (as opposed to the motorway) down to Retford and the edge of Sherwood Forest, into Leicestershire, round Leicester and the ride finished at LFE Services on the M1. The sun came out for most of this leg and it was only getting close to Leicester that the clouds came over. A big thanks to all those who took part and made the weekend a great one. Also thanks to Becky, Mikey, Jedi, Groundhog, Bob the Bus & Mr Ambassador for tailing duties over the long weekend. To be honest, I was absolutely shattered when I got home Sunday evening and that first beer went down a treat. I was also lucky in that the moment Vixen was put in the garage, it chucked it down with hail for about 15 mins. Hope all others with further to go didn’t get too wet. Until the next one……. Slow Hand

Nene Valley Chapter

Oh – the Joy of Biking ! Summer 2014

A Trip to The Netherlands

The adventure started the previous weekend in a twelve mile

traffic jam into sunny (in fact swelteringly hot) Wales. Whilst

filtering through the traffic (bad planning by Slow Hand) into

the country where sheep can only hope to be slaughtered for

food my bike started to falter and give me the jitters. People

with far more know how than me come up with, bad fuel,

loose wires, broken throg sprockets, etc, etc.

Unfortunately it was not until the following Wednesday I

could not get upto NVT to have a diagnosis; which inevitably

turned out to be bad and presumably expensive; however to

add to this we were booked onto the 23.15 ferry from

Harwich to Hook of Holland. The sensor that was needed was

in Newmarket. I left home at 2.50 pm. Left Black Bear at

16.05 on the return journey and arrived through the rush

hour to NVT at 18.05 whence Dave proceeded to take fifteen

minutes to fit the new bit in the correct place. Assured that

all was well I set off home to pick up luggage and wife.

We left home at 7.30 and chased all the way, surprisingly

past Newmarket, to Harwich having quickly showered packed

and eaten nothing since breakfast. We arrived in plenty of

time so why we were panicking I do not know; got on board

found our cabin and then went for a meal and a small bottle

of red. Our long weekend break had started.

Six thirty on Thursday saw us disembark into a long stream of

lorries and stupid English people driving over the middle of

the road, but, worse of all roadworks. This meant that my

carefully planned route was thrown completely into disarray

as the roads I wanted were closed and no diversion signs. An

hour of going around in towns where I could not find a sign

for the direction I wanted the Bluetooth was getting very hot.

Eventually heading on the right road in the right direction I

calmed down only to find us having a lovely ride around in

Amsterdam; certainly not in the original plan. This did not

dissuade us although I did refer to Holland as something alike

to a toilet with nasty bits in, aloud.

Not to be defeated we carried on and did make it to our

friends place in Den Helder. This turned out to be a pleasant

town where all ages ride old fashioned bicycles as the

landscape is so flat. What very nice people the Dutch are and

they did not mention too often about our football team; not

that I care a wooden clog.

On the Saturday a friend of the family, young chap mad on

cars and bikes, came around. He decided to change our plans

of going to the maritime museum to taking us to the HD

dealership in Alkmaar, some forty five kilometres away. He

turns up in full racing leathers on a Suzuki 650 something. I

warn him that he will have to slow down a bit for me and my

pillion to which he agrees. We go off along some beautiful

coastal road seeing the seaside towns missing the cyclists

(just on more than one occasion) and every now and then he

stopped to allow us to catch up. On one stretch of road he

takes the opportunity to jump in between vehicles on a

regular basis, I have to do the same as I have absolutely no

idea where we were geographically. I note the police bike

race past us and joke that he is after Mikey (no not that one).

There they are stopped a little way up the road so I pull in

fifty yards past to wait. In behind me pulls up a VW van and

out steps the politest policeman you could never want to

meet. He explains to me about not overtaking on solid white

lines and I retort by saying you can do this in England, Blah,

Blah, Blah, pants on fire. That did not work, even saying that

the police bike had overtaken me so I thought it was OK. Even

Mikey pleading that I was only following him did not save me

from a 237 euro fine – the maritime museum at this point

looked very attractive. The dealership was like all of them lots

of used bikes, new sportsters and merchandise, nothing

exciting; did not even get a free coffee.

Sunday night saw us reversing the sea journey and arriving

back in jolly old blighty have covered just over 500 miles. Got

to add here that the boats and cabins were really

comfortable and user friendly and luckily the North Sea was

not unlike Caldecote lake on a calm day. I will not go on

about the food and German beer we found but needless to

say back on salads and green tea for a while.

Paul and Sue Whiting

TSSM’s – a cautionary tale by Jon Page

John Nicholas asked me to write this after a recent problem

with my bike. (I thought those of you with modern Harley’s

might appreciate the heads up – John N)

I resigned from my job at the end of May, and found myself

with a little time on my hands. Inevitably I got out and about

on the bike given the sunny weather and decided to bimble

down to Oxford Harley for a shufti and to order a couple of

spare parts.

John and I with a couple of mates are booked on our

European tour in early July, so it was good to get a few miles

in and reacquaint myself with the joys of filtering down the

A34, which was rammed even for a June Friday. The bike was

Oh – the Joy of Biking ! Summer 2014

Nene Valley Chapter

behaving nicely after a couple of minor technical issues fixed

as ever by Dave and Jules at Northants V Twin. I had a pair of

Kuryakyn spots mounted on the front bar (which look

brilliant) but the bike kept popping fuses – turned out it was a

crimped cable, now mended.

I pitched up at the Oxford dealership and had a good natter

with the folks there, got the bits I needed (a couple of spare

blade fuses and windshield bushes) and pushed off round

Oxford via Witney and Bicester.

Then the speedo stopped.

Not a flicker. I pulled up a junction and the engine stopped.

Indicated to turn, restarted the engine, and carried on – as

did the indicator – no selfcancel.

Nightmare.

This happened again whenever I had to stop, even blipping

the throttle made little or no difference. I got home safely

and as you might imagine rang Northants V Twin.

The lovely Jules answered the phone.

“Jules, me bike’s bust!”

“Don’t worry Jon, I’ll get Doctor Dave for you”.

Dave gets on and I describe the symptoms.

“It’s your TSSM.”

“What the chuffing Norah is a TSSM?”

“It’s the Harley security module and we can’t fix it, it needs

specialist software and is bloody expensive”.

At this point I can see my European trip go down the toilet.

It’s less than two weeks away, it’s a Friday evening, and it’s a

techie gremlin.

I ring Oxford Harley. Service bookings are backed up for

weeks and the service manager is on holiday that afternoon,

so noone can help me. I ring Black Bear and speak to

someone who knows what a TSSM is.

“Get the bike to me, will have a diagnosis in 15 minutes, but

these TSSM’s are rare and on a two to three week lead time.”

Panic.

The bike is not safe to ride so I call Dave again and ask if he

can trailer my bike to Black Bear on Monday morning.

“No problem Jon, I’m at a wedding tomorrow but text me

anyway and we’ll get it across for you.”

I live thirty five miles south of Stenson Street so this is no

small favour!

I ring John and say I’m now a doubtful for the trip.

This is the point in my cautionary tale where those of you

who know Harleys and TSSM’s will knowingly chuckle and

wag your beards.

I went onto the forums. I typed in “TSSM problems” and all

sorts of stuff came back. This is the link that saved my bacon:

http://www.hdforums.com/forum/dynaglide

models/659844tssmtrouble.html

This is what it said:

“We tend to overlook the FOB. If you’re on the road

somewhere and that battery takes a ****, you better hope

some kind of a store is around that has a battery. The same

goes if you're away from home and you lose that FOB, your

trip is done!”

And here, just for fun, is a picture of the TSSM. Note the key

fob! Incidentally, TSSM stands for turn signal security

module.

Inside each key fob is a CR2032 lithium battery. They cost

£0.78p from Tesco or £3.00 for a party pack. The CR2032 in

my fob conked out while I was enjoying the sunshine.

I changed both batteries and got back on the bike for a short

test run. Surprise, surprise – speedo good, engine good,

indicators good. Suddenly everything works!

I ring John. The trip is back on, the rideout to Wales on

Saturday is back on. I describe the fix. John asks that I write it

up as a cautionary tale.

The moral of the story – keep CR2032 batteries with you as

spares and before a big trip make damn sure both fobs have

fresh batteries in them. Or bad things might happen.

Jon Page


Vulcan Bomber Ride Summer 2014

A beautiful Sunday morning and a warm ride down to Jacks

Hill. 7.30 in the morning and no thermals, no thick clothing &

no water proofs.

Jedi had planned an early start

so we could ride over to We llesbourne Airfield in plenty of

time as it was l ocals open day to the airfield & on site

museum. However, Jedi had arranged for us to see the Avro

Vulcan Bomber XM655 and the preservation society people

would be on hand to show us over the bomber and explain its

history.

After an hours ride

through the countryside

we parked up in the

airfield. Unfortunately,

the open day meant it

was busier than usual so

we would not be able to

get the bikes or some

bikes parked up in front

of the Vulcan for photos.

After being put in small

groups to go off with the

preservation people we

spent a couple of hours

climbing up into the

cockpit and having various explanations given us of its

history, stories and how they preserve the aircraft.

Avro Vulcan B.Mk2 XM655 was third from last of the Vulcan

bombers produced for the Royal Air Force, being delivered in

late 1964, and was part of the UK's nuclear deterrent force

throughout the 1960s and 1970s. It is now owned by

Wellesbourne Airfield, and is looked after by 655

Maintenance and Preservation Society (655MaPS) which is a

volunteer organisation of Vulcan enthusiasts.

XM655 is one of the few Vulcans remaining in ground running

condition, the only one with the most powerful of the engine

variants (Bristol Olympus 301s) and 655MaPS aim to keep it

running for as long as possible. The aircraft systems are

powered up and exercised regularly, engine ground runs are

carried out several times every year, and a "Fast Taxi" event

is carried out every summer to show off the aircraft and raise

funds to support its preservation.

XM655 is maintained by a

small team of skilled and

dedicated volunteers, many

of whom are exRAF, (some

even exVForce personnel

and one of whom actually

worked on XM655 in service),

who give up their Saturdays

to preserving XM655.

The Vulcan has a particular

interest to me as my Dad worked for Hawker Siddeley /

British Aerospace at Bitteswell (now Magna Park on the A5).

As a kid, when they flew in for maintenance (or the Red

Arrows etc.) or out after refit, my Dad would let me know

the time so I could cycle up the A5 and watch from outside

the airfield fence, as the crew usually did a little display for

the workers before heading off. Saying this on the day, it

turns out Mike Wakelin’s Dad did exactly the same. When

my Dad was alive his shed was full of aircraft rivets, bolts and

all sorts of stuff from the planes – including a V Bomber

fibreglass nose cone as a large flower pot. Turns out Mike’s

Dad had the same stuff. Small world.

The term V bomber was used for the Royal Air Force (RAF)

aircraft during the 1950s and 1960s that comprised the

United Kingdom's strategic nuclear strike force known

officially as the Vforce or Bomber Command Main Force. The

bombers, whose names all started with the letter "V" and

which were known collectively as the Vclass, were the

Vickers Valiant (first flew 1951, entered service 1955), Avro

Vulcan (first flew 1952, in service 1956) and Handley Page

Victor (first flew 1952, in service 1958). The VBomber force

reached its peak in June 1964, with 50 Valiants, 70 Vulcans

and 39 Victors in service.

Vulcan Bomber Ride Summer 2014


For long range operations, tanker variants of each

were developed. When it became clear that Soviet

missiles could successfully bring down high flying

aircraft, the V bomber force changed to lowlevel

attack methods. As a result the Valiants were

removed from service after problems with fatigue

in their wings became apparent; a planned low

level variant of the Valiant did not progress

beyond the prototype.

The V bombers were to carry the GAM87 Skybolt,

an airlaunched ballistic missile, to update their strike

potential as new innovations in the Cold War made

their early style of operation less viable; however

Skybolt was cancelled by the US and the Royal Navy

became Britain's main provider of the nuclear

deterrent, using UGM27 Polaris intercontinental

ballistic missiles from nuclear submarines in the

1970s. While the V bombers no longer held

precedence in Britain's nuclear strategic planning,

superseded by aircraft such as the SEPECAT

Jaguar and Panavia Tornado, which carried

smaller tactical nuclear weapons, the Avro

Vulcan would be perhaps best remembered for

its conventional long range bombing raids during

the 1982 Falklands War. The Valiants had been

used during the Suez Crisis as conventional

bombers. Victors had been deployed to the

Malay Archipelago as a deterrent during the

Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation but were not

used in missions. Usage of all V bombers as

weapons platfor ms, nuclear or conventional, ended in

1982.

After we had all squeezed into the cockpit 4 at a time –

(the crew of 5 had no space to move around on a 16,000

mile flight say to bomb Port Stanley – apart from laying

down on the bomb aimers window in the bottom) it was

off for lunch at the pub a few miles down the road and a

relax out in the garden. On the way we passed through

Loxley. In the reign of Henry II and Richard I, a knight

named Robert Fitz Odo lived in Loxley, Warwickshire. A

1665 drawing of Robin Hood’s grave resembles a grave in

Loxley. There is no evidence that Fitz Odo was ever an

outlaw and no evidence that the Loxley grave is his, but

this is just one of the possibilities for the real Robin

Hood…… anyway..

Thanks Jedi, a nice chilled ride out in great company –

finished off sitting in the sun at home with a large cold

one!

Slow Hand


St Tropez Euro Festival Summer 2014

For those of you who haven’t been to this rally here’s a little

taster of what it’s like for those that have been here’s a

reminder of what it’s like.

In total 13 members went to the 2014 rally, we went in small

bunches this year going all sorts of different routes, my group

Bob Rhoades, Paul Whiting, his mate Goff (on a protype

Harley Boxer) and me went down via Orleans and the Millau

bridge and back via Route Napolean, started Saturday arrived

Monday mid Afternooon. Chris Ringer after his ride to the

Cider Rally and Henley Cream Tea ride started a couple of

days later avoided

all motorways, took

back roads that

don’t even show on

the map and

arrived on

Wednesday

evening. Clive and

Tracey Rayner set

off early, arrived

before all of us…

just to make sure they had enough time to cook the Nene

Valley BBQ on Wednesday evening. Mike Fletcher and Jane

Nash rode down through Switzerland just to visit a restaurant

at the top of the Schilthorn..romantic!! John and Jackie

Nafzger started two days earlier than us had a four day break

in the Dordoigne …. Chill out riding. Colin & Sue Barnard went

down via Annency ….. it was a bit wet I understand. Jim Thom

just rode down and back on his own… that Lone Rider patch

says it all. Just goes to show that bikers are an adventurous

prepared to go in any direction to get to a party.

The rally itself is held on the largest mobile home site La

Prairies de la Mer, which is right on the beach in Port

Grimaud. Our

group had two

mobile homes

between us, very

comfortable

with all mod

cons, even air

conditioning.

When we arrived

on Monday our

first job was to

stock up with supplies from the onsite shop. Then we walked

around the site to get our bearings, although it didn’t start

for three days already the rally was starting to take shape,

the sound stage was up on the beach, HD dealer trade tents

were up along the beach front, the Harley bar opened up just

as we walked by…. Had to stop for swift liquid intake. The

trader area at the back of the site was starting fill up. Monday

evening we went

into Port Grimaud

for a drink at

Heskeths bar and

meal at an Italian

restaurant.

Tuesday dawned

bright sunshine, a

little breeze and a

snow storm of

floating tree seeds. Today we headed off to St Tropez

proper, an interesting ride with a six mile filter into the

centre of the town, apparently this is normal every day. After

parking up we all wandered along the harbour front to the

Irish bar for a Guinness or two. By 2 o clock we had soaked up

enough atmosphere, taken a few photos then rode back to

our site for an afternoon siesta. This evening we found the

Guinness Mecca of Port Grimaud Monroes, great beer and

super food, this was to become our regular nightly watering

hole. Happy Hour from 7:30 – 8:30 meant a few pints could

be bought at less than £3 per pint led to a very happy

evening.

Wednesday it was off on a ride to Monaco. Paul’s nephew,

Jason, lives there and we planned to meet him for lunch. An

hour and halfs’ ride got us there about 1ish, we had a hell of

a job finding parking spaces but eventually we found a whole

bank of empty motorbike parking slots under a bridge. Paul

phoned Jason to let him know we had arrived and to come

and meet us. Whilst the call was going on a bloke and his son

came over to explain that the reason the large number of

parking slots were available was that at 2pm the local tow

away truck came round to pick up the bikes, take them to the

local pound that charged 140 euros to get them back as this

night the Monaco football team were playing a match and we

had parked in restricted match day parking slots. Jason

arrived and saved the day by finding us free parking right

down on the harbour. As is normal though Bobs V Rod didn’t

like it by the harbour, bike immobiliser dislikes wifi, but we

manage to sort it out by pushing under a tunnel which

obscured the wifi signals and hey presto bike started. Well

what good organisation to be in Monaco on this day because

it was the build up to the Historic Grand Prix taking place on

Friday, so Jason guided us down to the circuit and we

wandered freely around the pits admiring some of the

famous grand prix cars, there were Aston Martins, Allards,

Ferraris, BRM’s, John Player Specials, Marlborough Mclaren’s

and Maserati’s what a great sight these all made all along the

harbour in Monaco. After a good wander about is was back

to the bikes and back to Port Grimaud. John, & Jackie, Mike &

Jane, and Colin & Sue had arrived. Tonight we had all been

invited to Clive and Tracey’s Nene Valley BBQ. Chris Ringer

arrived just as the BBQ started



, James Thom turned up as well. Clive and Tracey surpassed

themselves this year with roast Pork and roast Beef, as well

as the normal BBQ, and for desert Tarte du Pommes ….alright

Apple Tart …..we were all stuffed by the end.

Thursday the start day of

the rally, first all off to

registration to get

armbands, then first full

check out of the trader

area. After the arduous

shopping trip it was

decided that a little

beach side bar time was

required so we found a super table with mixed sun and

shade right on the edge of the sand and settled down beer

and rose wine for chilled session of people watching, and

general blokes banter. By 1:30 it was pizza time …. Five big

ones tomato, cheese, herbs, fried egg in the middle and

chips sil vous plait …. More beer and wine. At 3:30ish it was

time for more trader visits, I bought 4 tee shirts on a deal

won a prize. I had to fish in a paddling pool for a

duck with a hook on its head, much as I tried the

hook just wouldn’t catch the duck as I was trying

to impress the young lady in the bikini who was

manning the fishing site, in the end Paul helped by

putting the hook though the ring on the top of the

duck whilst I distracted the young ladies attention.

I won three posters …. Two will be available as

raffle prizes at our rally in August. I’m keeping the

signed one to put up in my garage!!! After a short rest

following our exhausting day we headed for Monroes for

Happy Hour, this was the night when after the first couple of

pints before 8:00 it seemed the rest of the chapter arrived

and proceeded to order rounds of Guinness during the happy

hour, at 8:25 the barmaid still had 27 pints of Guinness to

pour and we all had at least 4 pints each lined up on the

table. After

finishing the drink

and eating another

great meal we all

headed off to the

beach for the

Aerosmith tribute

band, what a super

band very tight,

and very realistic.

Friday is Custom Show day in the village of Grimaud, so we all

headed of planning to arrive at the village early enough to get

good parking….. wishful thinking! We eventually got parked

down a side road but with an uphill walk back to show area

itself. The show is held in the town square and there were

some very good bikes to see. We heard later that the best

Sporster (see photo) was won by Sam Wood, the bike had

been partly prepared by Dave Barringer at Northants V Twin

…… small world! We had a nice little NV lunch at a local

patisserie baguettes, quiches and raspberry tarts. Back to

the site for a few drinks and a siesta before heading off to

Monroes for another night of Guinness and evening meal

before heading back to the beach to watch Bonnie Tyler …..

very old skool.

Saturday was a mixed day of a little ride to the local

dealership… about 20 miles each way, lunch in St Maxime on

the way back, trader area visits, buying the odd item this

time, and an afternoon of rest to get our bodies ready for the

evening bash, whilst progressively emptying the fridge of

most of the food and drink. Our evenings were now set out

off to Monroes for a few Guinness’s and evening meal then

off to the beach to watch the nights band, tonight was Eric

Burdon and the Animals. This bought back lots of memories

of festivals and smokey night clubs in the late sixties and

early seventies. Eric sang his classics finishing with House of

the Rising Sun…… not quite as good as I remember him but

still who cares he’s a real blues

singer. After the show it was into

the Harley bar for a bit of shaking

to the Bogus Brothers, wishing

those that were leaving on Sunday

a safe trip back and finishing off

with a few early hours beers then

bed.

Sunday this was the day when the site emptied, the trader

area stands were mostly gone or well down the route of

going, the sound stage was in the process of being

dismantled. This was bike cleaning day before setting off

home on the Monday morning, completely emptying the

fridge of food …. John & Jackie were staying until Wednesday

so in the evening we gave them the remainder of our

supplies. Evening was again at Monroes, low Guinness intake

tonight as riding in the morning our last meal in Monroes was

a bit quieter than the previous few but still enjoyed as much

as usual.

Monday morning we set of at 8:00am and headed for the

Route Napolean and home our Euro Festival was over.

This is not the complete story of all the laughter, the fun, the

riding at the rally as a lot of it was done in a bit of a blur. But

there is no doubt this is one of the best rallies on the

European calendar, always the first, always in early May……

So get on your bike and come with us next year!!!!!

Book your interest with Martin now so we can get the best

deal on accommodation as soon as the rally dates are

announced.

Mike ‘Sharpie’ Shape

Nene Valley Chapter

Humour Corner Summer 2014

TRAINS Alex Salmond's colleagues decided it would be a worthy gesture to name a railway locomotive after him. So an official went to the National Railway Museum at York, to investigate the possibilities. "There are a number of locomotives at the NRM without names" a consultant told the official, “but they are mostly freight locomotives." "Oh dear, a freight locomotive is not very fitting for a party leader," said Sir Humphrey. "How about that big green one, over there?" he said, pointing to the 'Flying Scotsman'. "That one has already got a name" said the consultant. "It's called 'Flying Scotsman'." “Couldn't we rename it?" asked the official. "I suppose for Alex Salmond it might be considered," said the consultant. "That's excellent", said the official, "So that's settled then...let's look at renaming the 'Flying Scotsman'. How much will it cost? Remember we can't spend too much, given the expenses scandal!" "Well", said the consultant, "Why don't we just paint out the 'F'."

JET FUEL Shane and Phil were a couple of drinking buddies who worked as aircraft engineers in Melbourne, Australia. One day the airport was fogged in and they were stuck in the hangar with nothing to do. Phil said, 'Man, I wish we had something to drink!' Shane says, 'Me too. Y'know, I've heard you can drink jet fuel and get a buzz. You wanna try it?' So they pour themselves a couple of glasses of high octane booze and get completely smashed. The next morning Phil wakes up and is surprised at how good he feels. In fact he feels GREAT! NO hangover! NO bad side effects. Nothing! Then the phone rings. It's Shane. Shane says, 'Hey, how do you feel this morning?' Phil says, 'I feel great, how about you?'

Shane says, 'I feel great, too. You don't have a hangover?' Phil says, 'No that jet fuel is great stuff no hangover, nothing. We ought to do this more often..' ' Yeah, well there's just one thing.' 'What's that?' 'Have you farted yet?' 'No.' 'Well, DON’T 'cause I'm in New Zealand ' I Like this one !! A Dog Named DICK ! (check out his back !)

Date Event Location Information

July 2014

Fri 4th Nene Valley AGM Night Towcester Rugby Club

Sat 5th American Airforce Ride Sulgrave Manor ‘So Bad’ Leading – in this magazine

Sun 6th Carnival Ride Newport Pagnell ‘Becks’ Leading – Leaving Jacks 11:00

3rd

– 6th

July Wake the Lakes Kendal RFC Check Out Red Rose HOG website

Wed 9th Club Night Towcester Rugby Club From 7.30pm

Sun 13th Ride the Gorge Cheddar ‘Groundhog’ Leading – Details to follow

Sun 20th Secret Island Ride It’s a Secret …….. ! ‘Sharpie’ Leading – Leaving Jacks Hill 09:00 details in this issue

Sat 26th Haveago Archery Edlesborough Bob the Bus Leading – Leaving Jacks Hill 10:00 – details inside

Sat 5th High Peak Passes North Derbyshire ‘Slow Hand’ Leading – Leaving Jacks Hill 09:00

Thurs 31st Harley Davidson Night Ace Café London Check website for confirmation and details

August 2014

Sun 3rd Ice Cream Ride Lincolnshire ‘Bob the Bus’ Leading – Details to follow

Wed 6th Classic on the Common Croxley Green ‘Sharpie’ Leading – Details to follow. Afternoon ride

Sun 10th Seaside Ride TBA ‘Panda’ leading – Details to follow


15th – 17

th August NV Rally Towcester RFC Details to follow

22nd

– 25th

August Thunder in the Glens Aviemore Check out Dunedin HOG website

Thurs 28th Harley Davidson Night Ace Café London Check website for confirmation and details

Sun 31st Dads Army Ride Thetford ‘Mikey’ leading – Details to follow

September 2014

Sun 7th Chilli Ride Waddesdon Manor ‘The Ambassador’ Leading – Details to follow


12th

‐14th

Sept Circus Maximus Rally Chester Check out Deva Legion H.O.G Chapter website for details

Sat 13th Disco Boat Ride River Thames ‘Bob the Bus’ Leading – Details to follow

Sun 21st Ring of Fire Ride TBD ‘The Ambassador’ Leading – Details to follow


Sun 28th Food Stop Café Ride Bridgenorth ‘Groundhog’ leading – Details to follow

October 2014

Sat 4th RTTW 7 and The Return National Memorial Arboretum ‘Mikey/Slow Hand’ – Details to follow


Sun 12th Brightona Brighton ‘Bob the Bus’ Leading – Details to follow

Sun 19th Hoggin the Bridge TBD


November 2014

Sat 1st Halloween Ride (Provisional) Forest of Dean ‘Groundhog’ leading – Details to follow


Sun 9th Remembrance & Baps Bletchley ‘The Ambassador’ Leading – Details to follow

December 2014 Wed 10

th Club Night Towcester Rugby Club From 7.30pm

Disclaimer: The Editor accepts no responsibility for the views and comments expressed in this publication. All views and comments contained are those of the individual

contributors and not necessarily those of Nene Valley H.O.G®, Harley Davidson

®, their agents, or authorised dealers. All H.O.G.

® Logos and marks are used under licence

in accordance with article X of the current H.O.G.® Annual Charter for H.O.G.

® Chapters.

News@nene summer q2 2014 web issue

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