The things we do...PIX ADDED

[Cal Price]

This weekend a few of us from the local Suzuki Owners Club in southeast England will be riding up to Oostende in Belgium for the Sint Niklaas day rally which is great fun, it's not often that you get to ride through a big city centre at 50-60-70-80 mph with a police escort and marshalls keeping the way clear and a big turnout of locals to watch.
Probably get soaked and it'll be freezing but it was a great laugh last year, let's hope it ain't lost the magic. I am the only one of the group that has been before so it promises to be entertaining.

I bet you guys didn't know that St Nik was a Flemish fisherman who comes off his boat and leaps onto a motorcycle to deliver presents to kids in full furry kit and white beard etc. I fell for all that santa and reindeer stuff myself but now I know the truth.

[scottpA_GS]

 I remember the pics from last year.. be sure to post lots more! I wish I could go, sounds like a great time.

 

[pandy]

Yes! Pictures of the REAL St Nik, please! 

[Cal Price]

Well, got back soaked and cold, dropped the bike, broke the clutch lever, complicated story, couple of the guys "lost it" on wet mossy country tracks in rural France and another guys hard luggage was damaged (by me - wnen I dropped mine!)

Altogether we had a WONDERFUL time, it's what being a year-round biker is all about....and we had the customary excellent meal in Oostende! I'll sort some pictures out shortly, and hose down the muddy beast, already ordered a replacement clutch lever, another little job to do..... As i do a fair few of these continental group rides i have taken to carrying a spare set of universal-fit-anything levers under my seat and the universal clutch lever fits the bandit fine but you have to disengage the electrical - clutch-in-to-start switch. It's the first time I have had to use one but its very handy to have. Five minute roadside job.

[BaltimoreGS]

Glad you had a good time, I look forward to seeing some pictures   

-Jessie

[trumpetguy]

As i do a fair few of these continental group rides i have taken to carrying a spare set of universal-fit-anything levers under my seat and the universal clutch lever fits the bandit fine but you have to disengage the electrical - clutch-in-to-start switch. It's the first time I have had to use one but its very handy to have. Five minute roadside job.

That's one spare I hadn't thought of.  Light and small and UBER-necessary.  DOn't know why it didn't occur to me before now, but thanks, Cal!

Glad the ride went well!  Pics when you can, bro!

[Cal Price]

OK here what the old boy looks like, note the bishops mitre instead of the anglo-saxon red'n'white bobble hat.






Some of the interesting bikes, a BSA Bantam just like my mother rode in the 50s



Weird "no forks" steering..




and....a genuine old Indian



I always wanted a Triumph Cafe Racer



Enogh said ...



If I go next time I will sit out the actual rally and get some decent pix of it passing, impossible to get when you are actually in it.

[tt_four]

I'm so jealous of places that let you ride quads on the street.

[The Buddha]

Ooo Cal - your bandit has ohlins ? Or is that something else by that thruxton.
I am building a cafe like something or other if I can ever get the damn xs650 to stay running.
Cool.
Buddha.

[Cal Price]

No mate, my bandit is pretty standard except for the full hard luggage touring kit, you can just see mine in the background on the "Indian" picture but dont bother straining your eyes. Here it is without the big screen, luggage and touring Scotoiler kit (a godsend!)
My mate has Ohlins on his 1250 Bandit, if I succumb and go to the 1250 I would probably do likewise but I'm not sure that the difference between my 650 and his 1250 justifies the expense - us old timers have to watch the coins y'know, and Srinath congrats on becoming number one Test cricket nation, Australia had it long enough!

[The Buddha]

Yea we cheated SL right to #1 ... though the umpires were not Injun ... I think they were blind, and we picked them so in a way we do get credit ... but could have easily bit us ...
But we'll prolly lose it shortly, cos we're not playing tests for another year.

And bandit, its mono shock ... that bike by the thruxton was twin shock ...

Cool.
Buddha.