[This just in from Pete]
Days one and two
I was there.
The challenge started for Ken at 5:30 on Saturday as the car left Kent. For the bike it started 4 hrs later as it left Leicester and for me about 2:30 as I was picked up in Edinburgh. Its still 300 miles to JoG and the motorway runs out past Perth. The car arrived in Wick about 8:30 and the van with the bikes a couple of hours later. We had a long ride the next day and an early start so we sat in the bar for an hour or two. The lads from Bristol went out on the town – but as the town was Wick they were back before the clocks changed.
The following morning saw the bikes getting assembled in the car park at JoG. The tardis ( what else can you call it) had 4 running C90s and a spare one in it plus a settee, tents and a small boat. John Morris’s van had our mighty machine two 100 cc scooters and another Cub. Add the NVT Easy Rider and a couple of Honda Zoomers and you have the fleet. A few wheelies round the carpark, photos by the harbour with either Orkney or the derelict JoG hotel in the background followed by some general faffing about later and we were ready for the off. John decreed that the big scooters go first, the Cubs second and the two 50cc weedy bikes last, followed by the van. A couple minute later the weedy bikes zoomed off figuring that setting off first and being overtaken was preferable to waiting in the cold drizzle to be last.
The mighty machine is a JianLing Skywing 50cc moped. Its been modified by Mike with the addition of Hippo hands, a back pack full of tools on the pillion, Norton footrests and Norton badges. We had already removed the back pack so it could travel in the van. It wasn’t just to reduce weight as Ken was sitting on the pillion seat in order to fit his legs on the bike. More bits were taken off a time went by, The bike was made in December 2002 according to the plate on the headstock. It was acquired in Feb 2011 fresh from the crate and Mike said he’d run it in. As we set off I realised that 10% of its mileage had been put on it whizzing round the car park. 10km on the clock as we left. Its has a strange transmission: a centrifugal clutch by the engine drives a gearbox on the back wheel via a rubber band. A lever on the rear hub engages drive (not always reliably) If it has a variator, I never saw it or detected it doing much. Direct lighting means no battery, and no lights either to be honest. The photons kind of limp out the headlight and fall to the floor a few inches in front of the wheel. It really is rather basic.
I reckoned having seen the fleet I’d be slowest but was soon proved wrong as I whizzed past the Easy Rider. I ignored the fuel stop a few miles later as the tank was already full and kept pressing on. Caithness is quite flat, quite bleak really so the bike was willing to get to a heady indicated 50 km/h on the flat. Headwinds knocked that down a bit. The Easy Rider was maxing out at 20 imperial mph but he later found a second gear he didn’t know he had and things improved. At one point a small deep read weasel ran out in front of me, saw the bike, ran alongside me for a few seconds and back into the verge. Yes that’s how fast it was.
About 90 minutes later the bike came to a halt. Started again briefly and stopped within ½ mile. I waited for the van. The rest of the fleet sailed past and I got refuelled. We were a bit worried about that as it’s a 4 litre tank and we were doing under 40 miles to a tank. The locking fuel filler was also a problem as we had no key, but as it didn’t work that wasn’t (yet) a real issue.
Riding position is variable. I experimented with conventional, feet on the pegs. OK but I find I’m sitting on the metal bar between the saddle and pillion seat. Slide forward and rest the back of calves on the pegs. OK but the bike, who’s stability is questionable at the best of times, feels worse. Heels hooked on the pillion pegs by the back axle is 2mph quicker but my head is so far forward I can’t see the mirrors and when the traffic behind is twice your speed that’s important. Stability goes too.
The first coffee stop was at the Bay Owl Inn near Dunbeath. Not only did they organise a photographer but they had also done a bit of fund raising and handed over £650. Amazingly generous.
Onwards to Evanton and the Store House restaurant. Now I may have said Caithness is flat. Well Sutherland isn’t and the coast road has 13% hills and hairpins. The mighty machine slowed to 20 kph uphill. About the same as the Easy Rider’s 13mph.
After lunch, Ken took over for the ride past Beauly to Drumnadrochit and down to Fort Augustus. Plenty of ups and steep downs and from the van we could see he was really wishing he was on a real Norton. In Drumnadrochit we removed the Hippo hands. Ken wasn’t keen on them and I was happier without them so they are in the van too.
Into Fort Augustus and the C90 boys from Bristol loaded up the bikes with tents, wood for a fire, food to cook on it, and small inflatable boat to go fishing with the next morning. They left the settee in the van.
The rest of us went to the pub but managed to spend so long drinking that the pubs had stopped doing food. Never mind, Beer’s quite nutritious isn’t it.
Day two and its gloomy and overcast. John is winding us up about the awesome Glencoe hills (They are awesome, but the road isn’t so bad) Off to Fort William and the bike is getting more lively. Running in or wearing out, your guess is as good as mine. More fund raising in McDonalds in Fort Bill (I would have gone to Nevisport myself but I’m not running this) and off to Glencoe. The NVT guys are just blasting on. No stops apart from rider changes. I’d been with them for the Great Glen but didn’t see them again until the end of the day. The bile climbs outof GlenCoe and heady 40 - 45kph or 25 -27 mph to you. Stops at The Kinghouse and at the Green Welly then Ken took over again. The bike’s now quicker and the road down to Loch Lomond is a good one. The sun is out too. Past Tarbert and its wider busier and faster, so not so much fun on a moped.
We have also worked out that although the tank is 4l. It only takes 2l before the petrol filler spurts so although we are filling up every 60 km, its never more than 2l and usually less ( yes we have bought a jug) We have however broken the locking fuel cap as the dammed thing worked and locked. Nothing a strap wrench can’t open though. The locking bit is now lying by the side of the road and the cap reassembled with the assistance of a small hammer
The last stop was at Luss and that’s where we saw the bike dribbling petrol. The Norton footrests are bolted to the tank mounts and its created a leak where the mount is welded to the tank. Gummed up at present but no doubts things will develop.
I hopped off home on the train earlier this evening leaving Ken to ride tomorrow and Mike, Steve, Steve and Ron to complete the trip. I’ve done 200 miles on a moped in the last two days. My next ride will be a bit quicker.
I hear after Mike has ridden the bike home from Penzance that it'll be shown various places and flogged sometime later. If you can get a go on it, do so. Its fun .... in moderation.
I’ll post some pictures soon. Give me a chance to download the camera.
Meanwhile you know why we are doing this. Click on of the links at the top of the page
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