Having exchanged a few PMs with SidecarPaul and made sure that he doesn't mind, there is an opportunity to crash another of his gatherings to maybe get a few K forum members together for a meet up in the SW of England for a coffee/ride out/scones/pub lunch/camp or any combination of these. 

It would also be a perfect opportunity to get some more signatures on the Aussie banner while I still have it!

Open to ideas and suggestions, but as a starter for ten, I'm looking at the weekend 26/27/28 Jun 15 when SCP will be camping at Forest Glade Campsite, Cullompton, Devon with some of his sidecar pals. Camping is entirely optional, as it is a very central location for us folK in the SW area to meet up and easily day ride-able. However, I am seriously thinking of camping overnight 27/28th as a trial run for the Irish Eccentric week out at the start of August. 

Options for ride outs on the Saturday and/or the Sunday - Exmoor and the North Devon Coast or Dartmoor and the South Devon coast or anywhere in between or even a blast down into Cornwall. I have been in touch with Krambo and know that he generally can't do Saturday's, but being only about an hour away from Cullompton, hopefully he will be able to join us at some stage. SCP will be heading north at some time on the Sunday. 

So how's about it all you Sou'westers? Any interest?

fantastik job there Paul, hope you get a few to join you and SCP. look forward to the report as well. Cheers Ed.

OK, so not exactly overwhelmed with responses ....but I thought I'd give the meet one more push to see if anyone is interested and able to meet up over the weekend 26-28 Jun (now that it is close enough that most people should know what they are up to that weekend).

No pressure, but it would be good to meet a few fellow Sou'westers.

I'm planning on going down to the campsite on the Saturday morning, camp out and ride back on the Sunday. If camping ain't your thing, then Cullompton is easily day ridable from all parts of the SW for Saturday and/or Sunday. No idea what the weather has in store, but hey - it's summer - how bad could it be?

I would have been interested, but I am in hospital that weekend (Musgrove)

Well, the weekend is nearly here, I'm all packed, so I'll be at Forest Glade tomorrow (Thursday) on my solo K (it's a hard life being retired but someone's got to do it). 

BAE will be there on Friday or Saturday, so, will any southerners come and see us 

Paul.

I hope you guys get a good weekend. But bring the wet gear as it looks like we will be shipping some rain over your way so we can have a sunny weekend here for my birthday bbq! Looks like you guys have the makings of a good weekend, wouldn't mind being there as I have some nice memories of Devon and Cornwall. Looking forward to our visitors on 1st August too.

Just back from an excellent meet with the Culm Valley Sidecar club near Cullompton in Devon. 

This was a bit of a proving weekend for me, ahead of the week long camping adventure coming up in Ireland at the start of August. New tent, new bedding, new table & chair etc. - all in need of a thoroughly good testing, as well as a new load plan for the bike.

With a mixed weather forecast for the weekend, things were looking good for the trial. Torrential rain late on Friday afternoon stopped exactly at the time the weather forecaster said it would (19:15) which was perfect because that was when I had planned to set out on the short ride to the campsite. It was warm too and the roads soon dried out as I headed west straight into the slowly setting, and at times, blinding sun. 

I arrived on site at 20:30 and easily found the large field where the good and the great were gathered for the weekend.
I had no trouble finding where Side Car Paul was pitched - he had ridden down on his solo RS and it stood gleaming in all it's blueness in the evening sunshine. I soon had my tent pitched and first beer in hand.

Fully Loaded...


Perfect pitch - flat, smooth and level...


After a very sociable evening, it was time to test the tent. Now my particular tent is designed to house 2 people and the bike - an odd design, but the "bike section" makes for a much more comfortable living area that is high enough for sub-six foot people like me to stand up. All the cooking gear, food, beer, wine table and chair get stashed in the living area. The bike gear (trousers, jacket, boots and helmet) all get stashed out of the way in the hall way and that leaves the bedroom uncluttered, with more than enough room to swing a cat or two. Positively palatial and enough room to stand up to dress. Quite a difference from my last little 2 man touring tent! A comfortable, sound nights sleep soon followed.

The Saturday dawned bright and warm. After a leisurely breakfast, and a lot more socialising and looking at bikes and sidecars (outfits) we suited up for a ride-out. A mix of solo bikes and sidecars made up for a procession of 18 or more bikes, heading out to terrorise the local tin can population on some narrow winding country lanes. Our organisers did a cracking job of shepherding us and keeping us all together as we rode down to Bovey Tracey.



It wasn't a fast ride, but some nice twists and turns as we headed towards our destination. Suitably revived by a couple of sKones and cup or two of tea, SCP and myself broke away from the main group and meandered our way back to the campsite by a different route. 

Sadly, no one else from the K100 forum was able to meet up with us, however, there were a couple of other K100's on site and we did our best to recruit a couple of new members, posing our bikes with the Aussie banner and gaining some new signatures.











Posing done, beer and bbq and more socialising (and more beer) around the camp fire until the wee hours. Can life get much better than this?

Steady rain and a misty, grey day greeted us on the Sunday. But at least the tent stayed dry (on the inside) and it stopped raining as soon as I had finished packing it all away and loading the bike. Typical! At least it allowed me a dry ride home.

Passing the Haynes Motor Museum (mostly a collection of cars and not very many bikes) on the way home,  I stopped off briefly to have a nosey around the displays at their Somerset Bike Weekend http://haynesmotormuseum.com. I didn't stay long - the most interesting thing there was a Hossack K100 RS (apparently the 3rd one that was built by BMW using Norman Hossack's front suspension design). 



Now to go and hang the tent out to dry....

enjoyed your report Paul , sounds like kamping suits you down to a tea ( err ..... skone ).
I'm sure if your friends say hello , they will receive a very warm welcome here. Cheers Ed.

good to see BAE

a great trip indeed   and a glowing report

cheers to the other k bike riders and so good to see SCP s solo bike out and about

thanks for the pics ...wonderful

Thanks for doing the report Paul, yet another fine weekend.

BTW, as most camp sites don't like fires that damage the grass, the Culm Vale Sidecar Club use a washing machine drum, complete with drive pulley as a stand. It makes a good focal point for the evenings.


So don't throw that old washing machine away..........bit tricky to carry on a solo though. 

sidecar paul wrote: the Culm Vale Sidecar Club use a washing machine drum, complete with drive pulley as a stand. It makes a good focal point for the evenings. So don't throw that old washing machine away..........bit tricky to carry on a solo though. 

use it as a top box.....in the wet.....Makes your K a rinse cycle