Dragon rally 2005 report (long+piccys)

[stinkwheel]

Started off on Thursday night trying to get my mate Al's bike (GPZ500s) running. Spent three hours tracking down the mystery electrical fault which turned out to be a sticky starter relay (a black box inside a black box!). It then developed a mystery fueling fault by which point it was 10pm and we were frankly too pissed off to do any more. Spare bike time (a different GPZ500s).

Al and myself (MZ baghira) left about 10:30am on Friday from Cumbria, stopped at Tebay services to find one of the other guys had texted to say he was too cold and had gone home, intense piss taking will last all year (this is the second time he has wimped out, shandy puff etc.). So the group was down to three with Niall having gone ahead on his MZ 250 to meet us there. A good run down the M6 and M56 saw us in North Wales and at the start of the twisty roads, the constant drizzle that had followed us down the road stopped and things were looking up.

Started making a sedate way down the A494 as the road was extremely greasy now the sun was out, got as far as Ruthin when the first spanner hit the works. A car up ahead suddenly decided he was turning right and indicated this by means of slamming on the brakes, the Avon Distanzia tyres I had fitted the week before did their job and I pulled up with a couple of feet to spare, Al wasn't so lucky. I heard the slide then crunch behind me and felt the back-end of the MZ lift slightly. The front end had gone out from underneath the GPZ causing Al to go over the bars taking the front fairing with him, the GPZ then stuffed itself sideways between my back wheel and the mudguard!

Everyone OK though, the GPZ minus the flashers, mirrors, fairing and speedo but perfectly rideable so a quick sit down and a fag saw us on the way.
https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/gpzcrash2.jpg

About 5 miles away from our destination of Betws-y-coed the second spanner hit in the form of the MZ spluttering, backfiring then dying. Fired up again after a few minutes then died again, to add insult to injury it was now getting dark and the rain started with great enthusiasm. I reckoned by this point that there was water in my tank from the last fuel stop and started pushing. Luckily after half a mile I got onto the long downhill section coming into Betws and coasted the last few miles to arrive thoroughly sodden and quite annoyed.

Decided the bike could wait 'till morning and checked into the B&B where Niall was waiting. Lovely people there (even if they were expecting mountain bikes rather then motorbikes) who put the wet stuff in front of the Aga. A top B&B with comfy beds and warm showers Glyntwrog House. Next stop pub. The whole town fills up with bikers on the Friday night and most people meet up in the Pont-y-pair hotel for a big session. Met a guy from Greenock with one arm and one leg who had ridden down on a modified sidecar, he was also having engine gremlins but seemed convinced he knew what was wrong. We wished him luck and zig-zagged our way back to the B&B, totally soaked by the time we got back in but warm, dry beds sorted us out. https://www.betws-y-coed.org.uk/FRONTnew.jpg

Next morning the sun was out, slap up fried breakfast for us then 1/4 bottle of meths for the MZ and off to the rally control point in our dry and 'Aga hot' kit to get our tickets stamped. Stood about for a bit, got some hot chocolate and made our way a few miles up the road to the rally site itself.

This year it was on a farm so camping in a field with entertainment and bar in two covered silage pits that had been pressure washed out for the occasion. We headed up to the top of the field and pitched our tents in the lee of a big stone wall to keep out of the wind. The field was pretty dry but the gate was soon a bit of a quagmire, took a wander down to the gate to watch everyone slipping ad sliding about in the mud. https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/mudhonda.jpg

Next stop check-in to collect our badges, miniature whisky, chocolate bars, slate coaster and cup of hot soup. Found the Conwy club had put some big propane space heaters in the shed to stand and warm up in front of, they were going all night which was welcome! Bike-Safe had a bit of a stand there too, probably more to keep on the good side of the notoriously anti-bike North Wales Constabulary.

Still enough daylight left to wander round the field to see who and what had turned up. As is usual for the Dragon there was a huge variety of machines with a lot of trailies and combinations in the mix. There were quite a few sportsbikes including a club who all turned up on Kawasaki Ninjas with yellow headlights. They also wisely took ratchet straps and big pegs to tie them down so they didn't blow over. https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/ninja1.jpg

Also, as usual there were plenty of eastern block 2-strokes with the MZ marque making a good showing but plenty of others. too.https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/jupiter.jpg

There were a lot of older classic bikes, usually well used. One couple turned up on Indians again this year.https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/indian.jpg

There were the usual bunch of Europeans there with some Dutch blokes who had taken a big marquee in their sidecars and many people who had come straight from the Elephant rally in the Austrian alps (where it hit minus 20 this year I am told!) .

Beer O'clock so down to the bar where we met the guy from the previous night who managed to get his bike running on two cylinders, which is enough to get you about at least. Spent most of the night wandering round speaking to people and getting progressivley drunker with the occasional stop in past the space heaters. Possibly a bit of a cat-nap too Al!https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/sleepyal.jpg

The band came on at about 9pm, just a folk band who played a lot of Irish favourites. By this time most people were drunk enough for a bit of a dance and we were soon down to T-shirts despite the freezing temperatures.

After things started slowing down we took a wander up to the field. Most years a few people have got fires going and you can sit around telling lies into the wee small hours. No fires allowed this year though due to the location and since the rain had got going again it was time for bed. Thermarest and four season sleeping bag made for a warm cozy night, woken occasionally by the sound of hail hitting the tent.

Woke up in the morning to find the field dusted white and the sun out again with the occasional shower of hail. A few people learned that you don't take cheap tents to the Dragon if you want it to be there in the morning! https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/windtent2.jpg

Niall headed home, Al and I were heading further South to stay in a mountain bothy near Llangurig. Stopped at a cafe for breakfast and came out to find the weather had broken. Driving wet snow that was settling scarily fast! https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/snowbike2.jpg

It was looking brighter to the south so we set off anyway. My bike kept conking out due to snow on the HT leads, we were just about to give up and check into a hotel for the night when the clouds cleared and the sun came out again. That is what you get in Wales at this time of year though and the combination of lots of layers, well nik-waxed boots, gore-tex outer layer and good gloves meant we were still warm and dry by the time we arrived at Llangurig about two hours later.

A bit of map reading found us a new route into the bothy about three miles along forestry commission tracks (the ford we had used in previous years being impassable). Chopped some wood, collected some water from the stream and got the gas lamp fired up then spent a relaxing night chilling out with a bottle of wine in front of the pot-bellied stove. Went to sleep listening to the hail battering against the windows safe in the knowledge that we were warm and dry and our kit was shedding any surface dampness hung over the stove. https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/bothy.jpg

Got up this morning thoroughly relaxed and ready for the run home up through Wales and back to Cumbria. Stopped at a Cafe for some breakfast and blatted home the rest of the way in sunshine. https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/memz.jpg

Thoroughly enjoyed the run once again, an adventure as always and happy in the knowledge that the bike and gear are ready for another years rallying.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Tarmacsurfer]

LoL, we headed up to Anglesea on Sunday, had breakfast (a couple of very good bacon baps) at what I suspect is the first cafe you pictured. Lot of artwork on the walls?
Bumped into a couple of lads on Armstrongs looking a bit battered and heading east, upon further questioning it appears they were on the way home from the dragon. Apparently the wind sunday morning was something else *grin*

Glad it was a good weekend, painkillers and finances willing I'll be trying to make at least one or two rallies this year
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I'm immortal. Well, so far.

[stinkwheel]

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

If thats you in the pic with your MZ then im glad to see proper bikers still exist, like the ones I used to see down in Hastings (some sort of meet).

Nice story and looked quite fun, even the snow!
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Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[mchaggis]

Are bothies just huts/ houses that anyone is free to stay in? Obviously they'd be quite important in the mountains. They sound like quite a good idea, lacking from England I should imagine without knowing any better.
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I must not be a troll...
Mmmm, Guinness
Discovering the delights of Hammerite and a 3/4" brush.

[stinkwheel]

[stinkwheel]

[Bendy]

Hardcore.

I enjoy the company of my warm bed far too much to be venturing out at this time of year.

[Sadie]

Have you thawed out yet?
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With experience comes age.

[dannyg]

I'd think twice about lending Al GPz's
The man seems to have issues with them

Danny

[stinkwheel]

[stinkwheel]

[EuropeanNC30R...]

Nice one. Those pictures remind me how mild the Southern winter is.