Rubber Solution

So, having investigated the available options for ensuring another trip doesn't end in the undignified manner our recent French one did, I have to say, I'm confused.

It would appear that the Road King Classic has an inner tube in the rear tyre, this is why the puncture repair carried out in France didn't work. To have fixed it correctly, they wheel would have to come off, the tube repaired and everything re-installed. Now, to those who aren't intimate with the rear end of an RK Classic, that is not a roadside job. The other options would appear to be the use of an emergency "gloop" product or a rubber liquid "liner" which coats the inside of the tyre and is forced out by air pressure in the event of a puncture. However, these products seem to be only relevant to tubeless tyres - so I'm told by my local HD dealer.

If the above is true, then long distance touring on a spoked-wheel Road King starts to become a bit of a lottery...!

More investigation needed I think.

An unfortunate end to the trip

So, there we were, arrived in Lille from Arras and very happy that the tyre on the Road King had been fixed. We found a nice little restaurant off the Market square and enjoyed Coquille St Jaques, Pates and Tarte , all accompanied by a pert little Chab. Unfortunately, when we returned to the hotel, the tyre was flat again. M. Barbier the tyre fixer, who had risen so high in my estimation, now plummeted down to zero. Sunday night, 10:30pm..France. Aidez-moi? No chance.
The tyre, although 'flat' seemed to have some run flat capability and so we managed to get to a service station to inflate it. Two further stops allowed me to make it to Calais and the train.
Once on the other side, I realised that I needed more air but now another problem. In France, the air hose is a pipe with a lock similar to a foot-pump so reasonably easy to squeeze onto the valve. In the UK, the bit that goes on the valve is rigid metal. Fine for a car but useless for the
Harley. I only had 100 or so miles to go so I decided to press on at 50mph using the run flat capability. However, after 20 miles, the smell of hot rubber was too much and I gave up. Four hours later, I arrived home on the back of another breakdown truck and Blackbear turned up the next day to haul the bike away for a new tyre.
So, the lesson?
1.Pack a right-angle valve attachment so you can get air into the tyre. Squeezing past the brake disk is a tough job otherwise and UK systems just won't fit.
2. Think about an instant repair kit- the type that fills the tyre with foam. It's a last resort but even with all the breakdown cover available, on Sunday and Monday in France, you're stuck if you need a motorcycle dealer.

The Offending Screw

Punctured

Five kilometres from Arras I felt the
Harley was acting a little strange going over a roundabout. Sure enough, a nasty rubbery smell confirmed the worst. As i sat by the roadside cursing my luck and wondering how to continue, H proved his value once again and suggested calling
my banks helpline. 'Yes Mr Juneau, you are RAC covered in Europe'

And So to Lille..via Arras

A simple view of the bikes parked in Arras town square while we sampled some petit assiette. Little did we know
what horror awaited.

Paris From the Hilltop

Monmatre - Vibrant and Difficult for Harley's

This town, which smirks down on Paris, is alive with a capital "A". Bars restaurants, moulins aplenty all congregate on this high hill. Paris may
be for lovers but Monmatre is for the fancy free.
H, who had booked the hotel and was navigating, stopped his bike and informed me that 'it doesn't appear we can get directly there on the bikes...' Translated, this meant we had to walk 1.5 km from the car park, up the steepest b****y hill this side of the Pyrenees in 28c to get to the hotel. He bought dinner later so was forgiven.

A Rose of Picardie..?

Well, perhaps not.
After leaving Le Touquet, we headed south for Monmatre via Picardie. What truly beautiful countryside. Open roads and fields that stretch for miles as far as the eye can see.

You want a sandy beach...?

...OK, here's more sand than you'll ever need,

Click on image to enlarge

A massive 2.3 litre Triumph Rocket keeps the Harley's company.

Le Touquet

Where the Parisian's come to be by the sea. A very pleasant and prosperous town but breathtakingly expensive. Two small beers 14 euros, coffee and beer 12 euros etc, On the other hand, a set menu 17 euros -lovely pate with half an excellently roasted chicken and creme caramel dessert.
Most satisfyingly, it is completely acceptable to tour the main drag on the Harley's until you find your eating establishment of choice. Then park on the pavement and stroll in...

Busy Going South

The biking season seems to be well underway. The Tunnel train was certainly the busiest I've ever seen it. The weather in the UK an Northern Europe has been exceptionally good for the last six weeks, Amongst the bikers on the train (slightly older ones anyway) there is talk of it being "similar to '76". Leaving Ipswich for the run to Dover at 7am the temperature was 7c but by the time we arrived a couple of hours later, it had risen to 13c. Good omen!

Sent from my iPhone

Paris Run II

Really looking forward to kicking the season off next Friday. I spent yesterday uploading the trip itinerary into the Tom Tom Rider and was surprised to see our round trip distance will be about 800 miles. The weather in the UK has been very pleasant for the last three weeks so H and I are slightly worried that a deluge will be visited on us for the trip to make up for it...

The Road King was serviced by BlackBear towards the end of last year and has been hooked up to an Optimate over the break so started happily at the first push of the button last weekend. A few lessons from last years touring:

1. Use the best possible ear plugs for cruising with the full face helmet. Soft foam are best, plastic useless.

2. Wax (or oil) all zips lightly. When the rain starts or when fuelling and Peage'ing (?), stuck zips are a pain.

3. Use a zipped bum-bag or neck-pouch for tickets, wallet etc. DON'T use pockets, which you can forget to zip. My Barclaycard probably still lies forlornly at the side of a Riojan road just past the Peaje...

4. Wipe your visor and screen with sunflower oil when possible and rub off with a paper towel. Enough residue will remain to turn water into droplets rather than smears.

4. Change the batteries (or keep spares) for the proximity key fob.

5. If possible, bring a lightweight bike cover.

6. There is no such thing as too many bungees.

7. Stop folding clothes when packing - roll 'em. You get more in and they don't crease. I now do this for non-bike packing as well.

All being well, we head off on Friday 6 May and I'll provide updates via iPhone.

May 1 2011 - The Paris Run Route

View Larger Map

Here's to 2011

After a bitterly cold winter with snowstorms and ice-rain, here we are again. With the sun starting to poke out from behind grey clouds, I am drawn to the garage. There, under a wool-lined cover and connected to a life-preserving Optimate, the Road King Classic slumbers on. She deserves her hibernation after 5000 miles touring around Europe last season but the time is fast approaching to wake the gentle beast.
H and I have decided to celebrate the new riding year with a three day trip down to Paris via the Tunnel, Le Touquet and then Montmartre. Our return will be North Eastwards
through Amiens and St Omer. Heading out on 6th May, we're hoping spring will have truly sprung to give us a warm start to the touring year.

Well, that's it for this year. A three day trip in which we covered 456 miles in some beautiful countryside finishing a year where the Road King clocked up some 4000 miles. Added to that, H and I also did another 800 or so in the USA. The Harley has been excellent, never missed a beat and provided a comfortable seat on some pretty long journeys. Also, I think some praise for the Tom-Tom Rider which, once you get used to the strange logic, does the business time after time. My days of riding in foul weather are over so next week the Harley goes in for a service and then it will be plugged into the Optimate, covered up and enjoy a rest until next March.

Quite a few people have logged in from places as far apart as Australia, Glasgow, the USA and India with some Middle East readers for company as well. So, thanks for looking, I hope something here may be of help or interest to you. In the meantime, enjoy what remains of the season where you are and above all, ride safe!

Best wishes

Juneau