Lands End Trial
Lands End Trial glory postponed – again
Or … ‘In praise of the good people of Barbrook, Devon.’ What are these? They are the end of my Lands End Trial, that’s what they are. At some hard-to-determine time between 3am and 6am on Saturday multiple punctures brought my LET 2012 to a complete halt with just two sections and two tests under … Continue reading
Laverda 2TR – preparing for the Lands End Trial – Part 3
As a first time competitor in a long distance trial and a complete off-road novice, the one thing that baffled me beyond anything else (beyond single digit tyre pressures even!) was how the hell I was going to read (and manipulate) a route card that runs to 20 pages of A4 whilst nipping around the … Continue reading
Of brake light switches and MOTs
With the Laverda mechanicals all sorted out I turned to the electrics, anticipating what would surely be an easy MOT. The horn had by-now given up the ghost, but that was no big deal. Simple pattern replacement sourced for a tenner; beautiful original stored for future diagnostics. New old stock CEV headlamp with lovely fresh … Continue reading
Lands End to Edinburgh without turning a wheel
Well the Lands End Trial came and went without me finishing the Laverda prep, but she’s done now and looking and riding great. Eyes now fixed on the Edinburgh in October (dates still tbc by MCC). Repairing and refinishing the badly corroded aluminium part of the enclosed rear chain was a tricky job. Cleaning off … Continue reading
Moto Simpatico at Influx Magazine
Had a visit from Mike Fordham, maestro at Influx Magazine. Cool guy and very ‘simpatico’. This was the result. www.influx.co.uk He’s done a great job of the photos. The Sport 15 looks peachy. Can’t see how the others could be bettered without a time machine or a bit of plastic surgery. (Now, where’s my Dremel?)
Laverda 2TR – preparing for the Lands End Trial – Part 2
I brought the 2TR from Cheshire in a tiny weather window at the end of November when the west side of the country was still virtually snow free. We loaded her up with thick snow on the ground. For four hours I dreamed of riding the Laverda to the rescue of snow-bound maidens on Bodmin … Continue reading
Laverda 2TR – preparing for the Lands End Trial – Part 1
Our Laverda 2TR is a beauty, and in great original condition, but it’s previous owner did use the beast in anger (in spite of its great rarity), and so it needs a thorough checking over before I use it in this year’s Lands End Trial. A couple of significant problems quickly emerge. One of the … Continue reading
