Saturday, July 16, 2016

Day one: A mechanical spruce up and Going North(ish)

I've been wanting to do a really big trip for ages. It's hard for me to get time between September and June. I've built up quite a bit of leave. So the time is right! I'm heading as far north as I can feasibly go. I plan to avoid motor ways for the most part, for maximum exposure to the joy of summer biking. I have six days. Crazy to go so far when nearly all those days will be taken traveling there and back. Except they are what I have and traveling by motorcycle is holiday for me.

Ruby has been running well when warm but not starting with much enthusiasm. And occasionally coughing. I'd bought some carb inlet rubbers a while ago knowing that the originals were marginal. So I decided to change them before I set off. Close inspection shows they are perished but I could not see cracks all the way through. Better without cracks though so a pleasing job to have done.

Perished carb inlet rubbers
 And the valves were due to be checked.


And if I was doing a big tour and fiddling with the valves, I thought I  might as well fit the blue cams again.






 So I did that yesterday (Friday) and finished it off today, with a carb balance. I have an old set of Morgan carb tune vacuum gauges.


They are hard to read now because the tubes are foggy and the mercury inside them sticks and the bubbles are almost impossible to clear. But they give an indication that's enough to smooth things out.


leaving rather late but I loaded up with tent, camp cooker, sleeping bag, and a week's worth of clothes. And I have set off ...to Wales. Wales is not on the way to Scotland unless the traveller decided to make it so. Having decided to avoid motorways, there are several nice roads that run north south in Wales.

Ready to go, engine and gear all set for a BigTrip

I'm blogging now whilst on the road.
Arrived at Abergavenny campsite

Well, camp site. It's at a golf club near Abergavenny. Lovely soft field for my tent.

Light fading at campsite Abergavenny

Mmmm. Wonder what tomorrow may bring.

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