WeeMac 2014 writeup

Weemac 2014

Well my Weemac nearly didn’t actually happen this year, the Monday off the weemac week I decided to check my brake pads to be on the safe side as they had been in there for a few years.
So I get home from work, dust off the Haynes manual, get my tools sort and ready for my first foray into working on a bikes brakes. It was all going so well, I got the right hand calliper off the disc no problem, got the pads out no problem but then got worried that the pistons weren’t all moving when I pulled the brake lever. So being a working on brakes noob and ignoring the fact there should have been something in the callipers when I took the pads out I gave the lever a few more squeezes till I notice liquid pouring everywhere and a piston rolling round on the floor…bugger

I tried in vein to try and get this damn thing back in, I even tried every swear word in the book to get this piston back in but alas nowt!
After some deliberation I decided I was screwed so gave up and went to bed.
The following morning I did some hurried research for mobile bike mechanics, thankfully luck was on my side and I found one not that far away, so called him and explained the situation, it didn’t sound hopeful but having gone away to look as his schedule I got a call back saying he’d fit me in, even though I was 15-20 miles out of his usual range he said he’d help me as best he can.
This was all great though cutting it fine as I was to leave on Friday morning and simon the spanner man was coming to sort the bike Thursday night!
So 8pm and simon turns up and cracks on, explaining what he’s doing as he goes along. I leave him too it occasionally checking he’s ok and supplying him with tea, the night wares on and he’s still at it on the drive, now with some high powered lights on as its dark. But finally at 11:28pm I get the news he’s all done and happy with everything. He’d done a sterling job and really got me out of a rut and to top it off was ace for going out his way to help me and was very well priced. Anyone in the Oxfordshire area near Thame should really try out Bannons Motorcyles, I’ll stick a link up on the site.

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So Friday morning comes around and I gear up and set off heading north for Selkirk in the boarders as WM is back at the brilliant Broadmeadows house again.
Simon had done a great job on the brakes, I’ve never had such good power and feel from the brakes since I’ve owned the cat.
The ride north was fairly boring and mainly motorway, but took my time to get stuck in constant slow traffic on the M6, with only one minor nearly running out of fuel scare, it was a pleasant if a bit boring ride up until I got on the A7 with was deserted and was able to enjoy some corners after hundreds of miles of straight lines.

Rolling into Broadmeadows in the early evening I was one of he last to arrive with everyone else already there with a beverage in hand!
It was great to see old friends and meet new ones, the 3 geordie boys had some lovely bikes with some rather lovely exhausts too!
The evening was filled with banter, pizza, wedgies and many a beverage.
And then at 10pm rosco decided to make some meringues, it was a rather entertaining thing to watch and after spraying meringue mixture across most of himself and the kitchen they were finally in the oven by 11:30pm, the ones that I saw looked and tasty rather nice and more were appearing when I went to bed. As per with the Scottish rideouts a hearty breakfast of meaty treats, eggs and beans was served up by mally and myself as his sous chef and terry assisting as well.
Sadly for the meringues they were all like play dough in the morning so had to be binned, so meringues were added to the shopping list for that day!

After breakfast we all geared up and headed out, the weather was ok and though a bit windy was clear and not raining!
We set off heading towards Moffat and then onto Dumfries, the roads were brilliant with some tight twisty bits in the middle of no where and also more open sweeping corners which made for very enjoyable riding. Sadly we did get a bit of rain but nothing too heavy but it was interspersed with sunshine so that made things better.
Then for Rosco incident number one…. He’d cleaned his bike so it was slowly losing all its structural integrity and the back part of the belly fairing near the rear wheel split and was dragging along the floor so we all stopped to have a laugh and that and patch the bike back together and on we went. Then not too much later on after that his front mudguard decided it had had enough and broke apart, so again all stop to botch it back together and watch terry hunt around for a packet of swan vestas he was sure he left in his jacket for an occasion just like this!

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We stopped for lunch at a pub in Newton Stuart which was nice and where we parked had a haul of yellow Vauxhall calibra’s a real blast from the past.
Just as we were setting off the clouds parted and the sunshine came out which was a nice turn in the weather.

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We headed back towards Dumfries, skirting the Galloway Forrest park then taking the coastal A75 which in the sunshine was a cracker!
Then just outside Dumfries we stopped again for another break down on Rosco’s bike, this time a tad more serious. The locking nut on his front sprocket had gone walkies and had to stop to try and fix the issue, terry as per usual wanted to set the thing on fire or dump in the hedge we were parked next too.
The stop was actually well timed as a bit further back one of the junctions wasn’t marked and we lost the tail end of the group, DBD went off and found everyone, except one of the Geordie boys who ended up going entirely the wrong way! But thankfully found his way back to Broadmeadows.

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With some help from a few of the guys they got ross back on the road and riding much more gingerly than he usually does! We were now off to a tea stop at Billy W’s house in Langholm and after a quick call to billy to try and borrow some parts of his thundercat , Billy ended up offering to lend Rosco his bike for the remainder of the weekend!
Billy’s neighbours must have wondered what the hell was going on with all these bikes rocking up outside their houses!
Big thanks to billy and his lovely other half Karen for letting us invade and for all the tea and treats! We’ll try not to do it on Karen’s birthday next year!
With the tea stop done and rosco now on his new cleaner nicer stead (and one that terry actually approved of!) we headed off back to selkirk for the evening, we nipped onto the A7 for the quick blast back, where we seemed to get every weather condition going!

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With everyone back safely and a good days riding under our belts it was time for ross and dave to get their cooking on for the pasta off!
An evening of more banter, more booze and dice was how the evening went, everyone mucking in with cooking and cleaning and terry mucking in to beat ross at his dice game!

Sunday morning and yet another extremely well prepared breakfast by mally and helpers. We set off a tad later today and were heading east rather than west, skirting into England with a visit to Northumberland and Kielder then back into the boarders.
The weather was much better today, bit windier but not as many grey clouds and no rain! Result!
We headed off with Rosco leading on his new borrowed bike, billy will be pleased to know it was treated with lots of respect and well looked after……..sometimes.



There were lots of bikes out today and when we stopped for fuel at Selkirk there was a large group there as well having a tea stop. We headed off towards one of the best roads in the area that runs from Hawick down to Newcastleton, it really is a cracker and if your ever in the area should really make a detour to try it, sadly one section was closed but wasn’t a problem riding back up the great stretch we’d just ridden!
We then headed off into the kielder forrest park where there were yet more cracing roads, then we went a tad off piste on these single track roads full of gravel and with lots of bumps and undulations. My gents area really didn’t appreciate those very much! But that said the views were stunning!
We worked our way to our tea stop at a Forrest View walkers inn, where a hearty supply of tea, coffee and doughnuts were hovered up.
The slight detour had added on a fair amount of time to the day so the decision was made to head back a bit earlier and watch some bike racing on the telly.
We heading back to the digs on the A68 which was a cracking road, and was open, flowing and fast in sections, much better than sheep and gravel strewn tracks!
Back at Broadmeadows by mid afternoon, all safe and sound.
Some of the Geordie boys offered to make the curry for the evening, with a few helpers. Others went off to play pool upstairs, me and ross had a run going then got destroyed by dave and euan , others sat around in the lounge chatting. Chriss managed to get his ipad and apple tv hooked up to the telly in the dining room and people slowly filed into watch some of the moto2 and moto gp race which was great fun.

Dinner was excellent as usual with the rideouts and was enjoyed by everyone, there was then a nice birthday cake for Cath (Littlecat) which was all gone by the end of the evening so was obviously a goodun!
As the evening wore on more beer and wine was consumed, more funny stories told and finally cards and dice bought out. I decided to get me some dice action and won! Probably all beginners luck, it really doesn’t help when each time you play it the rules change from the last time you played it!
People filtered off to bed until it was just ross, chris, dave and myself left playing cards into the wee small hours making sure there was nothing left to drink in the fridge, may as well get ya monies worth!
With everything drank and seen to we sloped off for some kip.

Monday morning and of course the best weather on the day everyone’s heading home, typical! After yet another hearty breakfast people starting heading off, north and south to get home.
I rode down the now newcastleton road with ross, dave, terry, chris, rob and mally. The scots based boys then split off from terry, chris rob and myself to head back to billys to give him his bike back.
I followed the others down to longtown where they split off east towards yorrkshire. I had a quick splash and dash before hitting to motorway to head south. With such nice weather it wasn’t to bad. Much better than last time coming back from a Scottish rideout where it was raining extremely hard and blowing a gale!
All was well until hitting traffic at Birmingham but wasn’t too much of a problem, after a quick jaunt on the m6 toll road and m40 I was home just over 6 hrs later, tired but worth it after a cracking weekend!

Thanks to ross and dave for organising, all the chefs, helpers and washers. Bring on the next one!

Great write up Dave (or should i say dave   )

MrNutt wrote:
With some help from a few of the guys they got ross back on the road and riding much more gingerly than he usually does!

I don't believe you for a second! Have seen the aftermath of a rear tyre puncture and a front wheel deformation with no noticeable decrease in speed  

more pictures coming shortly, shitty internet connection makes everything web based impossible

Another cracking write up Dave..  

Davie

Great write up Dave.

Looking forward to the rest of the pics....any caption comps?
I hope you took pictures of other plonkers too.

Cheers
Rosco

Billy would of loved showing off to his mates that his chicken strips had all vanished.

Good write up again we have here. Must take pointers off of Radar on how to do them. But generally a good selection of roads and even the ride back with Chris and Terry was very good indeed.

Roll on next year's meeting!

Robcat wrote:Billy would of loved showing off to his mates that his chicken strips had all vanished.

Good write up again we have here. Must take pointers off of Radar on how to do them. But generally a good selection of roads and even the ride back with Chris and Terry was very good indeed.

Roll on next year's meeting!

Agreed Rob - I don't so much have chicken strips as chicken wings!

Stonking write up as usual Dave, only problem...I wasn't there! Top marks to Billy for lending Rosco his bike!

I am off to buy shares in Gaffa tape!