Cleethorpes - BSRA National Scooter Rally 2011
Hot! We were blessed with a very hot and sunny weekend perfect for Scootering!
Well that’s the weather out of the way and now for my rally report, well
it’s not really going to be a rally report parse because this was my
Vespa Chopper’s maiden voyage so I apologise for my self-indulgence.
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The weekend for The AFSC Cleethorpes travellers started on Friday evening with Mitch and a few camping on the BSRA site and Cav riding down from way up North to meet up with Stu RV’ing at Mik N Sue’s.
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Joey and Helen rode down from the North West to hole piston, well not
just hole, it looked as if it was being run on semtex with the amount of
damage done but every one arrived safe and sound and Mik n Sue did there
hostess with the mostess in the way they do best.
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My weekend started early on Saturday as I RV’s with da Rotherham Massive
and rode across to Jill and Dave’s house for early morning tea and
toast.
The Vespa Chop, I have named her “Abomination” had just 83 miles on her
pretty little clock and this was going to be a journey to put my riding
to the test as I was now confident that she behaved herself on corners
and straights but I was now going to ride with a group of Scooterists
and they come in all shapes and sizes with different experiences and
takes on riding skills so I was going to have my skills challenge as I
had only ridden solo and now I was to be in a group.
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I think it was the best thing possible as I was soon riding on an
average speed of 55mph, possibly the normal speed for Lammy’s and
Vespa’s the “Rally Rate”?
The roads go from busy traffic to weekend racers in tricky cars trying
to do the max between speed cameras with little to no consideration to
any other road users and this put me under a little pressure and I found
my self-tensing up on a few corners and this is not conducive for
cornering on this Chop as the forks and frame must find the natural line
rather than being bullied into what it doesn’t want to do and to be
honest this was the only problem I had that lasted a split second or two
but it quite un-nerving to say the least but I am learning the
appropriate coping strategies.
We had a leasurley journey to Cleethorpes and the 81 miles was eaten up
by the Chopper in an elegant way giving me extreme satisfaction and my
sense of achievement was immense.
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I did the normal pulling up to the front for a pose but I was so focused
on not messing the roundabout up that I didn’t quite see anything other
than the tunnel vision.
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Soon it was up to the camp site where the custom show was on and I was
anticipating winning every trophy that had ever been given including
best ridden around a corner and best pot whole bounce. The punters
seemed to like the Chop and the kids all loved it, the judges on the
other hand didn’t seem to be impressed and I sulked away empty handed, I
do hope none heard me sobbing under my helmet? Mitch didn’t win a
sausage either so I didn’t feel too bad, well apart from burning my head
and neck with the scorching sun!
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It was great to see Derek and Gleniss plus a healthy smattering of
AFSC Solo
Riders out enjoying the sun sea n sand.
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Mk n Sue, Helen Stu, Cav and Joey and Helen arrived at the show and
after and hour or so we headed off back to Mik’s gaff for our farewells,
I had decided to ride home choosing the less trodden path getting lost
almost immediately and I found myself back tracking to Mik’s to join
them at their local carvery the “Rear Gunner”, this was an old RAF
hanger where our boys in light blue maintained the kites that won the
battle of Britton.
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| Mitch's scooter "EXTREME" |
The first beer didn’t touch the sides and neither did the carvery
Dangerous Dave drove down to rescue the broken piston and we embarked on
a beer frenzied evening of Scootering fun and frolics.
I woke early, scrubbed my sheets and wheeled “Abomination” out onto the
street.
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My ride home was a complete joy and I have fallen madly and deeply in
love with my new chopper “Abomination”
Massive hug n kisses to our AFSC
family who are just mega, see you soon.
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