The Longest Day Teapot

Last month's write-up saw some jeopardy as the little Suzuki was neither running, nor had an MOT, with less than a week before the Longest Day Challenge...

- Dave Manning

Rather than witter on about the issues that I had during those last few days they're in a boxout elsewhere I'll just talk about the actual trip itself. For, yes, I got it sorted, so didn't have to use one of the back-up bikes that friends had offered.

With an MOT passed and a pair of Bridgestones fitted, I left Lincolnshire after tea on June 18, planning to get about halfway to Cornwall before finding a room somewhere. Due to no testing, I didn't know what the fuel consumption would be like, nor the tank range. I'd squeezed in 13 litres after the MoT, so guessed that I'd get over 100 miles, so I covered around that distance and topped up, with nine litres going in telling me that I could certainly get 125 miles before thinking about fuel, so used that as my gauge for the following few days.

After a nightmare finding accommodation near Bristol, only getting a room after seven enquiries (mostly fully booked, but one wanting £366 for one person for one night!), and only some slight aches from my knees after the 200 miles covered, my head hit the pillow at midnight, ready for an 8am start to get to Land's End the next day.

A steady 200-mile ride saw me meeting the other 35 riders and event organiser, John McAvoy, at 2pm, some introductions made, photos taken, and then to the hotel for food and instructions about leaving the next morning, June 20, the longest day of the year.

The Longest Day

We left on the strike of 4am, with John's instructions ringing in our ears of "Watch for the speed cameras on the A30", and I set a steady pace along the A30, bike tail lights stretching out before me as the sky began to lighten, heading towards Bodmin Moor. As the sun began to burn through, a scarlet glow added to the mist over the moor and, trying to get the phrase 'Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning' out of my mind, I concentrated on counting down to my first fuel stop on the outskirts of Exeter.