lofo`s sept ride / meet

[fazer390]

Hi Red, I plan on going to this, but will porbably ride down from the Ace with a small group from work. Hopfully will bump into you lot on the beach... (Quadrophenia all over again lol...) 

[red98]

Evening foccers.....tomorrows run from the ace cafe, london ,will be leaving at 10.30am.....I plan to get there for 9.00-9.30am....I might leave before the srart and take a different route.....anyone who wants a good day out with fishes and chippes by the seaside is more than welcome to tag along.......my numbers on the left if your there and cant find me....

I popped into the ace friday evening on the way home from work...it was packed  :eek..even some wild camping going on on the banks of the north circular....I kid you not.......... :lol

[dazza]

Hi Red, can't make it I'm afraid. Got to work all over the weekend and it's a long one Saturday nights.  :\

[red98]

Hi dazza...thats a shame, will post some piccies so you can see what you missed  :lol

[Arfa]

Right, I'm definitely out of this one (can't remember if I said i was in mind...)  My wife has seriously fucked up her back, totally spaced out on tonnes of (prescription) drugs and in now fit state to keep kids in check. Looking like it's gonna take a while to resolve, so can't see myself making a ride out for a wee while. Have fun everyone, looks super weather for a ride tomorrow!

[Exupnut]

Any piccy's....

[nick crisp]

Any piccy's....

Takes Paul a while; getting old bless him  :lol

[red98]

yeh,yeh,yeh  :lol .....good day, after a hard week  :\ ...got a few piccies,will try and post tonight... :thumbup

[fazer390]

Good to see you at the Ace Paul. Wasn't expecting to see you there as thought you were planning on going a different route...
I must admit the M25 & M23 was a bit tedious, but then it was all about the atmosphere.
Brighton was buzzing; loads of bikes, trade stalls and a lot of scooters too!
Had a good ride home which took longer that usual, but worth it as I avoided the motorways.
A good day all round. I'll post some pics later when I get time. 

[midden]

in the meantime i fought my way through the jams of London road closures

[red98]

Hi jase....only us two foccers there, we'll keep the flag flying...........yes, was planning on leaving early as a lot did....got blocked in and wanted some breakie so I rode with the mob....as you say "all about the atmosphere"...which it certainly had this year, well marshalled and planned, got to brighton at 12.30, took a while to get out of the car park, think you were ahead of me....a good day and like you I took a different route home, I'll also post my pictures later and also my route home.....

[red98]

Some piccies....at last  :o .....so, I went to the ace on my own  :\ ....but I did bump into fazer390  ..and I have to say he dos'nt look a day older than 350  :lol .....good to see you jason, its been a while....got to the ace at 9ish, planning on having some breakie and leaving before the rush, got hussled into the car park and blocked in right outside the place, great position if your leaving with everyone else  :'( .....so a change of plan, I'll ride with the mob  :thumbup .........pulled up beside an old boy on a 600 boxeye so had to have a chat and point him in the direction of FOC-U..so we might have a new member, shame he has a blue one though.....bacon sarnie and 2 cups of rosie lee..keep up, iam in london remember....and its soon 10.30 and time to leave....the noise on start up is fantastic, a few scooters running on castrol R sets the scene for the day...and we're off...........

not a fantastic route but riding in such a large group is always going to give you a buzz.......down the north circular to hanger lane and west onto the A40 past the iconic hoover building and onto the M40,filter onto the M25 heading south, still bunched up with a restricted speed of 50/60 mph....down to the M23...lots of people stopping on the slipway hard shoulder to watch the rest of the group ride by....not the best of places to stop the speed is down to 20 mph as we merge into one lane, a few sports bike riders have stopped for a stretch  :lol ....iam on the thou , have a chuckle to myself , carry on and open it up onto the M23 soon hitting the limit, bikes are getting spaced out now and theres less traffic, iam able to hold 70 mph with comfort riding along side harleys, triumphs and a very tidy 1975 Z900, with rider grinning from ear to ear.....off the M23 and onto the A23 getting busy again now bikes nose to tail...onto the sea front and iam able to grab one of the few remaing spaces, its now 12.30...2hrs to ride 80ish miles on mostly motorways on a one litre bike  :eek .....ddid I enjoy it....course I foccin did 

so...iam on brighto sea front......time for fishes and chippies....and then a walk up and down the prom looking at the bikes, something for everyone fron brit cafe racers, classic japs, sportsbikes, harleys, trikes and scooters.....the one I remember the most has to be the lambretta with a yam 350 ypve motor shoehorned in...the orange one in the piccies.....

a great day and ive still got the ride home  ....theres no way iam touching a motorway on the way back, its time to have some fun...up onto the costal road heading west , A259  takes me too shoreham and I see a sign for shoreham fort.got to take a look at that...worth stopping, the fort looks great and was manned by the home guard, took me back to watching dads army when I was a small boy...this was real life though, those guys made a real difference , cheers boys  :thumbup .....standind on top of the fort and looking east I get a great view of  brighton with the fading sun picking it out in the distance, last piccie....I few quiet thoughts to what it must have been like for all those brave men and women and its time to go....well worth stopping if your down that way....

turn onto the A283 and across the south downs taking in storrington, pulborough, petworth and onto midhurst.right onto the A286 to fernhurst, A287 through churt, millbridge and onto farnham, a quick blast on the A331 takes me too camberley..A30 too bagshot, A332 too bracknel and onto local roads I used as a spotty teen on my suzuki gt 250 X7....used castrol R in that like the scooters at the ace........all of a sudden iam back in 1981, astride my brand new x7, on roads I know well and have hardly changed in the 30 odd years...ive not been this happy for a long long time.....left.right over a blind sumit down to the switch back, knock it down a couple of gears making a horrendous noise back wheel bouncing around the twin rear shocks struggling to keep things under control.......iam soon back in high wycombe, going through marlow, my home town town all those years ago, pausing in the high street where we would meet for the "sunday thrash"  X7's...X5s...Z250s...CB250rs...wet dreams....and the odd RD.......wonder where they all are now.....

well thats the brighton burn up...and Iam well and truly hooked....a fantastic day, well organized by bikers for bikers....a big thank you to THE ACE CAFE and all involved....see you next year  :thumbup

[red98]

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[red98]

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[red98]

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[nick crisp]

Wow Paul, you came over all poetic almost for just a minute there! Even the first couple of shots look a bit misty-eyed - oh, wait a sec, that's camera shake  :lol You got it in just before I dropped a scathing remark about "where's the bloody pics then!"  :lol

Good write up and pics mate, job offer from EMAP in the post!  :thumbup

[nick crisp]

P.S. Hailwood Rep... Love em!

You going to be up for Stafford next month Paul?

[red98]

hi nick  :lol ....one of those days spent looking back on my biking days....had some good times on bikes and course theres the people you meet  .....will be going to this event for many years to come.one not to miss for me now....


you would have enjoyed the route home,some of the roads we have already ridden,a few new ones which were just as good...


forgot to mention my mileage...filled up on the way to the ACE,220 miles for the day, all on one tank of fuel,light on for the last 15 miles, think thats the most i`ve done on a single tank , used more coming home than going  :lol




might be up for stafford,i`ll let you know nearer the time.......




my posts are getting longer and longer....must stop reading NOGGYS posts  :rollin :rollin :rollin

[slimwilly]

l Paul, that was a good brekie read, nice pics,,oh and you forgot to mention your mileage  :lol

[nick crisp]

hi nick  :lol ....one of those days spent looking back on my biking days....had some good times on bikes and course theres the people you meet  .....will be going to this event for many years to come.one not to miss for me now....


you would have enjoyed the route home,some of the roads we have already ridden,a few new ones which were just as good...


forgot to mention my mileage...filled up on the way to the ACE,220 miles for the day, all on one tank of fuel,light on for the last 15 miles, think thats the most i`ve done on a single tank , used more coming home than going  :lol




might be up for stafford,i`ll let you know nearer the time.......




my posts are getting longer and longer....must stop reading NOGGYS posts  :rollin :rollin :rollin

Funny you should mention about people you meet. I ran into an old friend of mine from my Harlow days at Haynes. Brought me up to date with all the old mob I used to run with back in my yoof 
And also bumped into the guy who now looks after my bike; he was up there on his 2005 Blade - encouraging that he still rides and is actually interested, nay, enthusiastic about it all  Mind you, I've probably seen a wider range of classics, Jap and otherwise, go through his workshop than the show had, over the past few months!

I did the Brighton run a few years back. Maybe I'll do it again next year if it doesn't clash with anything out this way 

Bill, you interested in the Stafford one? Might put a thread up later, as it's nice and central for many folks. Not long now either.