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Euro End to End (EE2E) |
| Part of the UC2C2C Training is a Euro End to End. |
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Raison d'etre for this trip was to try man and machine on high mileage multi-day trip to check if both were up to the Ultimate Coast to Coast to Coast before I'm 60 and the short answer is no. So although this trip was abandoned it did fulfill its objective and a major re-think is now under way.
As in all simple answers there is a lot going on to come to this simple negative NO. For myself it has been a complex decission but one I've been building towards for the last six months. I think the underlying factor is the dirt. I'm not a natural rider and know my limitations. On this trip the 10km of sludge and mud just South of Alta I think was my turning point. I did it but was not in a happy place doing it and to think of 1,000 miles of that stuff did not sit well with me. As I rode Norway I looked at the side roads going off into gravel and mud, remembering my two days in the forrests of Wales, and thought do I really want to leave the comfort of tarmac grip for a very long ride on dirt? Each time my head said no. I'd recently heard of a Dusty Saddle Sore 1,000 and I think there is nothing I'd rather do less on a bike than 1,000 miles of dirt in 24 hours; for me doing it on tarmac was enough of a challenge to be living on the edge.
So what worked and what did'nt.
The bike let me down but perhaps I let it down too? I'd had a 10,000 miles service before I left but the plugs had not been changed which caused a serious missfire; coughing and spluttering my way to Nordkapp and it is virtually impossible to change a rear cylinder plug without the specific tools. Also the only way to adjust any bike settings is with a laptop and the Buell technical programme. Then the exhaust. The whole problem started because the front collector box bracket support bolt went missing. It was either not tightened up or just sheared, then the weight of the whole system was held up by the header pipe flange bolts, which they are not designed to do, one shearing. Because of Eric Buells central mass idea and the ride being the motivation of the design then functionality is sacrificed for central mass and to tighten the header bolts the engine has to be dropped from the frame! Not a task for the side of the road.
Touratec kit was good but those bags on top of the boxes and tank are NOT waterproof.
My Roadcrafter is good. It's main claim to fame is its impact protection, which thankfully I have not tested. The pockets are good to store things in the same place all the time. It is not however waterproof in consistant all day rain so an additional waterproof layer is required.
Garmin Zumo; how on Earth did we manage before the Zumo? It is a great bit of kit. Booking overnight stops, taking phone calls and directional control all worked well and helped the project no end.
LD Comfort are a miracle. I would not leave home on a bike ride without them, nuff said!
Altberg boots on this trip leaked. I've had this pair a few years and they have had one refurbisment so I'll be going to Altberg in Richmond, North Yorkshire to explore why and what can be done. Is it another refurbishment, are the boots watertight but the water entered over the tops or is it time for a new pair?
Xenon head light from Touratech is brilliant and for the same power as the Ulysses light this pumps out a lot more seeing power, vital in the tunnels.
Sybel air horn, I love it. People really take note of the volume and piercing sound; does its job well.
Fuel Cell was a great comfort factor, it stretches the range from 150 miles between gas stops to 250 and in remote areas this range is essential. It did not alter the handling either in my opinion, even though it holds 10 litres high to the back of the bike.
Me? If the bike had stayed 100% I'm sure I would have finished the challenge. Having the bike issues made me evaluate why I was doing this trip and what it is that I like about LD Riding. I had the same thoughts and questioning of my motivation during the completion of the recent Brit Butt Rally. Later this year I'm to ride to the HOG Rally at Lake Garda with Jen (my long sffering wife), Graham and Jeanette, this will definately be a flower sniffing ride so will allow me to gauge where my riding pleasure lies. I have really enjoyed working and 'farkling' the Ulysses
Post Script: Bev made it to Tarifa in six and a half days, not a recognised IBA ride but quite an achievement on a Harley Davidson Electra Glide, a big well done to Bev from his two Scandinavian riding buddies.
Go to Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, Epilogue
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