The day started out as any other Sunday. OK that was a lie as I never get up earlier than 12pm unless I have to (especially Sundays).
I got up, had a wash, put leathers, gloves and helmet on then proceeded to go outside and start FZR up. Bastard... It wouldn't start. Down the drive it goes trying to bump start and it did but then shortly died. Click it in to first and push it down the road. It fires up and I have to rev it a few times to get it idling as it was that cold.
Off I go to meet everyone for breakfast at M&Ps. I arrive at a petrol station and see Fishy filling his bike up (Kawasaki ZX6R). I do the same. Several seconds later Dep arrives on his CBR600F and fills up.
Once we finished we then set off (much to the annoyance of car drivers as we waited in the road for Dep) for breakfast.
When we got to M&P there was hardly any bikes parked outside so I got to pick and choose my space. I'm very worried that my bikes will fall on top of other peoples' bikes so I tend to park away from everyone else!
We call Rambo and T-Mac but no answer so we went inside and ordered breakfast. Fishy very kindly let me borrow some money to order breakfast as I only had a pound on me.
Soon Rambo arrives (he only just got out of bed) along with Matt and Big Dave. They all order food as we're finishing ours off. If anyone is curious, it was an OK breakfast. Nothing to shout about.
We decide to head to Aberdare (I don't know where that is) and go outside to get ready.
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From left to right: Big Dave, Dep, Rambo and Matt.
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A very bad picture but it's Fishy.
We jump on our bikes and set off to get petrol, again.
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Left to right: Big Dave, Rambo and Fishy.
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Dep.
So we set off again. Thankfully this was the last time we would stop for a couple of miles (except traffic lights, of course

).
We head onto the M4 and travel all the way down to Neath. We leave Neath onto some A road (I don't know what it is but it's very long and bendy) and then from there on towards Aberdare.
About 30 or so Miles later we arrive at our destination; A motorcycle shop which was closed. We take a breif stop to prance around and clean our visors.
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Left to right: Matt, Fish, Rambo, Dep's helmet and Big Dave.
I'm not in any of these photo's.
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Big dave and Fishy.
Right well we soon set off from there on our way to Brecon.
Alot of twisty roads later, (I'd go into them more it's just I haven't got a clue about the names of Welsh places, it all sounds like garbage) we arrive at a nice mountain side burger van where I assume the Hells Angels were because there were more tassels, leather and chrome than I ever though possbile.
I could be wrong.
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Rambo. Adjusting his bike because it's a Kawasaki.
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Fishy on a Honda! Sacrilege!
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Just a few pictures of the scenery
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T-Mac on the left with Fishy on the right.
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Road.
We set off after about fiftenn minutes of talking. Our destination? West End Cafe!
This ride was great. I lost all my confidence on cornering previously as I've come off several times this year (not big ones, just scared me a little) and was worried about leaning the bike over. I practised hanging off the bike to keep the bike upright a bit more and was going a bit faster than I would of normally.
Not a big achievment by anyone's standards but it helped me feel a little more confident.
Everyone darts off and leaves me and Matt behind. I'm more worried about the corners than keeping up at the moment so 80 was the most I'd do unless on a straight. Obviously

.
Me and Matt arrive at the Cafe not too long after everyone else (they were parking up) so we parked our bikes and went over to T-Macs bike where he had some visor cleaner which we all 'borrowed'. The cafe was really busy but there were two tables that we managed to salvage.
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Rambo pondering life and how many wheelies he could pop throughout the remainder of the day. I think Big Dave can see me but is trying to not show it.
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Sorry, you'll have to tilt your head! Fishy with a grin that makes me wonder what is going on in that ginger brain of his.
We leave the cafe to get petrol and there's a minimum charge of £10.00 for using a card. I only had to fill up 7 quids worth so I let T-Mac have the rest. We leave the petrol station, Dave rides off towards Carmarthen whilst Fishy, T-Mac and Matt ride off home. Me, Rambo and Dep wonder what we're going to do so we speed off towards Big Dave and follow him that way. The plan was to goto Mumbles (where all the posers and middle spread bikers come to chat and reminisce about the good old days. They also talk about "So I popped this wheelie and rode past these four hot chicks. The police were after me and started to chase me but I sped off".
You know the ones, 'internet bikers'.
We head the long way around and it was great. It made me remember why I love Wales. We have the best roads and countryside.
We get back onto the M4 about half hour later and get through Gorseinon and head towards Swansea centre on another dual carriageway. We speed off towards the lights and have to stop again.
We get to Sketty and turn off onto Mumbles road and the queue of traffic was AWFUL. Rambo heads up first, leading the filtering. I'm behind and I think Dep must of queued up as we didn't see him for a while. We filter through these roads with car drivers moving out of the way for us. I gave them a little wave. Rambo speeds off and I make my way through the traffic.
I just noticed I've said 'We' alot...
So I arrive at Verdi's in Mumbles and Rambo gives me a little cheer as I park up. Some guy comes up to me and says "Your timing chain is fucked".
Do you know what next weeks lottery numbers are? No? You seem to know everything else, cock. I wish I'd of said that.
Dep eventually gets there and he parks next to me and out of total shock Big Dave manages to arrive aswell. Thought we lost him. We hang about for a bit watching the
really fat people on their bike's. One massive guy has a ZX10R, fuck me he's huge.
I let the guys know I'm absolutely starving and decide on going to McDonalds in Swansea Centre. They all follow me for a while until we stop at the lights on Mumbles road. Rambo pulls up next to me and this guy on a Thundercat pulls up the other side. The lights go green and me and Rambo give it some. I don't know if he was going easy on me (probably was) but the little 400 managed to keep up for a little while! Woo!
We get to McDonalds and decide there's no where to park so we change our minds and goto another one which is not on a main road. We pull up behind this
really chavved up car and Rambo decided to do a burnout. Burning rubber smells awful, just to let you know. We set off again (I'll stop saying 'We' anytime soon. Honest.) and get to McD's.
Parked up and then order. I wanted to go through the drive though but no one liked that idea.
I buy Rambo some fake cow in a bun and we munch away to our hearts' content. About 10 minutes later after stuffing our throats we set off and Rambo leaves Me, Dep and Dave to make our way through to Morriston. All nice and easy until we get near the industrial park by Morriston where the queue of traffic is long due to the footblal just ending. Big Dave undertakes all of the cars and Dep attempts one and decided to overtake. I however, having no common sense undertake aswell eventually getting to the end of the seemingly endless queue just behind Dave. This woman in a big family car beeps and starts swearing at us because we were behind and now we're in front! Buy a bike then if you don't like it. Dave teases her and then pulls off with Dep following shortly behind.
I try to beep my horn but it didn't work (I'll have to find out why later) so I give the guys a wave even if they didn't see me and head off home.