From Kidderminster-northumberland on a....

---- · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Karma :

...Honda VT 125 chopper/cruiser.

Getting the train down there on saturday morning and riding the bike back to my mates house in alnwick.(he only has c.b.t so cant do motorway)
Never been there before so looking for any info that could help on the route.

Was thinking take the M5 and onto the M6 all the way to carlisle?
It will be at around 2pm,Whats the traffic like in that area?
The routeplanner tells me to head for the M1 but that looks like a long way to do it??.

Any suggestions?

I know its not a huge ride out so no big deal,but i've never been to such a populated place.Hope its not as bad as london Rolling Eyes

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doggone · World Chat Champion Joined: 20 May 2004 Karma :

M1 would be better at this time of year - not much holiday traffic.
M6 would be OK but you'd have to cross the pennines I would've thought - cross winds, cold, fog, rain are likely.

---- · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Karma :

Will have another look on the routeplanner.I would rather go up the A1 but im useless with directions and the A1 looks a lot harder to get to from kidderminster.

Its probably going to be cold,wet,and windy anyway Laughing

so will be fun either way.Cant wait Laughing

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Scotch Bonnet · Scooby Slapper Joined: 23 Jul 2007 Karma :

From Kiddy, A448 into Bromsgrove, then A38 up to the M42.
Keep on the M42 all the way round, until it becomes the A42, and ultimately reaches the M1 near Donnington/East Mids airport..
Then up the M1, you can either stay on it all the way, or take the M18 over to the A1 and avoid sheffield.

I've got family in the west midlands so do this a fair bit.

Also, be careful going from the M42 to the A42, as if you're in the wrong lane you can end up on the M6 Toll.
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Hmmmm..... is it supposed to do that?
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Odie · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Jul 2004 Karma :

avoid the M1, road works at M1 / M18 junction are causing no end of problems, have to travel it most days and it is adding at least 1 hour to my journey Evil or Very Mad

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Annabella · Like a person, only smaller Joined: 03 Feb 2002 Karma :

Scotch Bommet - That's exactly what I was going to suggest. You're almost straight onto the M42, bit of a long way round Birmingham, but it'll be far quicker than going M5-M6. Thumbs Up

Good luck!

---- · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Karma :

Whats so bad about the M6 toll then?
Just the price/traffic or something?

Never used it before.
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Scotch Bonnet · Scooby Slapper Joined: 23 Jul 2007 Karma :

---- · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Karma :

Oh right

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Annabella · Like a person, only smaller Joined: 03 Feb 2002 Karma :

One major issue with the road is that it spits you out in the middle of Cannock... mmm nice Wink

Great if you live in Cannock, not so great if you're heading North. They'll also demand money before you can get off the road, and it's not cheap - definitely not worth using on a bike.
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NSR Mick · World Chat Champion Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Karma :

---- · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Karma :

More problems now.
my insurer Bennetts wont let me insure the bike for 1 day to get it back because its not mine.They also dont let me ride other bikes Sad

.
So i just rang around for a quote and got a policy that lets me ride any other bike not belonging to me for £193 quid Laughing

What i forgot to ask is if the other bike needs to be insured allready.
Im not sure the bloke im getting the bike off still has his insurance going?
On my car policy it says i can drive any other car but doesnt say if the other car needs to be insured,i've allways assumed not and have drove loads of cars that are not insured by anyone else.

Anyone know if this is the same with bike policy's?
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NSR Mick · World Chat Champion Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Karma :

Can you not trailer or van it?

Your mate could always ride it, might take while though. Laughing

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If you dont like the way that I ride.......Stop trying to keep up!!!

---- · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Karma :

Im picking it up for my girlfriends dad,who only has c.b.t so cant use motorways,and even if he could his health would not allow him to ride that far Sad

.

Could have done the van thing but i was just trying to save him some money.Van would be £80 quid then the fuel costs.
My way would only cost £24.00 train ticket then about the same in petrol,much cheaper than the van
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deanoet · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Jul 2007 Karma :

Insurers give you a 2 week cooling off period

As long as no claims are made in the 2 weeks (obviously) you can have a full refund. Smile

Just an idea for ya.
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CBT Passed 18th July 2007 : Previous Bikes> CG125 : Current Bike> Hornet 600 : PASSED DAS 30th Oct 2007
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---- · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Karma :

Turned out to be a l0ong trip.
In the end my mate decided he didnt want me to ride it back all that way,so...
Left alnwick at about 9am and headed down to redcar to buy a bike trailer.
Left there at about 12ish and didnt get to kidderminster till about 6pmish.Finally got back home last night at 12:30am Rolling Eyes

Of course we blamed the sat-nav Laughing

heres the bike we went down for:
https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=300173583149&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=020

Never again.
Oh and we were driving a rover 75 2.5v6 auto,which cost a BOMB in fuel Sad

Then today i thought id put the trailer to use again and bought this:
https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=160185184633&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=006

Thumbs Up

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NSR Mick · World Chat Champion Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Karma :

Glad you got it sorted in the end. Thumbs Up

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If you dont like the way that I ride.......Stop trying to keep up!!!

---- · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Karma :

Was a good day out i spose...
What amazed me is how many bikers there are down south.
The further south i went the more there was,nothing like that up here Sad

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Shay HTFC · World Chat Champion Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Karma :

I think the Midlands is a bit of a hotspot for bikes. Don't know why I think that, but I've always thought that. Smile

Oh.. and watch out calling Kidderminster the south Razz

. Some people on here think that you're in the deep north once you've crossed the North circular in London Laughing

Bandito · Scooby Slapper Joined: 01 Feb 2005 Karma :

I am originally from Kidderminster, till I moved to the North West....
it is crawling with bikes on sunny days... Halesowen has a couple of big bike shops which attract alotg of attention, but it also has easy and pleasant routes to Wales and some nice biker routes...

Much better to be a biker there than it is in the North West. Fortunately its pretty quick and simple to get down there!