Just need to pack and then all ready for the Bol. Chunnel tomorrow afternoon and then on to Troyes for an overnight stop. Thursday sees us continue to Brignoles some 35 minutes from the Circuit Paul Ricard. Officially now excited
Hope you're not planning to get any sleep while you're there - those French bikers are nuts: bouncing their engines off their rev-limiters all night... It is EPIC. But you might need a good night's rest before the return leg...! Have fun!
long time now since i used to go,,( mid 80s ) but loved it,, always stayed on site.,,,,,,,, lucky you, enjoy... btw,, where is 35 mins away,, Aix ??
My mate Dave's fueler for Team Bike in Classic 4 hour the day before. Hes taken his 907 in race truck and riding it back.
Pah. My plans for the Bol have been cancelled. Hope it's good, maybe I can get more people interested next year.
Well it was nearly Bust!!!! Hadn't realised September is monsoon season in France. It actually started raining after the Dartford crossing. But once in France it got worse. The rain was relentless from Troyes to Lyon. Temp was 13 deg C. Just after the tunnel at Lyon the EOBD light began to light intermittently. Stopped to refuel and all was OK. Set off and the sun came out and now 25 deg C. EOBD light starts flashing again. Then 40 miles outside Lyon EOBD lght comes on andvstays on. Speedo readout goes and all 4 lights for the DTC come of. Also lose the headlight. Limped the bike 10km to the services. Once parked up water is pouring from near the V piece like a tap. What to do? Call a plumber? Call breakdown? No, 30 minutes in Doctor Sunshine and all is well. Currently fed and watered at the hotel in Brignoles. Having a day off bike tomorrow the off to the Bol Sat and Sun.
Bonjour , that is how i remember my trips to bol in the old days ,,,,,,, getting off. The hovercraft and doing that shit fkn road into paris , always winds wet and incredibly rutted ,,, then on down to lyon , after that the weather always got better , that nice bit along by the river ,,,,,,, didnt often have mechs as the big old kawasaki was bullet proof , except. Getting punted off by a moped one time. In boulogne. ( He came off worse than i did but took me two days to get the h bars straightened in paris ) ,,,,,,,,,, wnjoy mate , and look out for those crazy frogs !!!!!
Back from the Bol. Just for good measure it pissed it down from north of Troyes all the way to the Stanstead turn off on the M11. I thought it was Joan of Arc not Noah's Ark that France was famous for!!! Got to ride some great roads between Brignoles and the Circuit. The Gendarmes pulled every single bike on the Sunday. Was just a document check so no problem. Would I do the Bol again? Probably not. Endurance racing is not a great spectator sport. After the first 5 laps they seemed to have sorted themselves out and it was just a case of attrition. Those crossplane Yams sounded Ace. The Panigale also sounded great.
the MCN has a nice piece about by on BoLs last week,,,,,they were golden era,, i remember the all nt beer and partying, the sneaking in the back of the paddock and pit areas,, watching mat oxley yammy 750 ( i think ) the works kwakers nd hondas , moto guzzi etc etc,, then the crazy runs round the circuit post race into the evening darkness when it was lethal to get off line because of the marbles ,,,,,,,the gendarmes would wave us throo the payage ,, and then the drive home on monday in the rain !!!
I got back from the Bol on Monday, rode my Radical Pantah there and back without a hiccup. Rain Thursday was torrential, but Paul Ricard was glorious. Not quite the same as the Bol of the 80's or early 90's, but still a good laugh! My mate borrowed my Scrambler and loved it. Both bikes ran at a constant 80mph, and did an identical 55mpg
