A Busy Weekend 1

[Millietant]

This Saturday was the annual Ride To The Wall, Remembrance Event, for those who fell during service in our Armed Forces since 1945.

It's the most emotional and inspiring bike event I've ever been to and it just gets bigger and better every year. Many of my riding pals are ex-Servicemen, so it's a popular ride with us. Our local group totalled around 500 this year and it was great to be part of the 40 mile ride-in to the event. The organisers estimated over 15,000 people attended this year and it was awesome to see such an outpouring of respect from such a diverse group of our biking family.

A couple of video links - 1) a short piece of the Lancaster Fly-Over and 2) a view of some of the attendees

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xuBJlqhiatFHnsfS3MZBnacWB5F7Vmsc/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ISxneHrWzAcSyoXqT0NpJOwv1d3UvP1Y/view?usp=sharing

And some photo's, First 2 at our local meeting point, some from one of the bike parks, the service and leaving (which took over an hour, to get from the Bike Park to the Gate, 1.2 miles).

Sunday was the 50th Birthday of one our group and he wanted a ride out somewhere for coffee and cake as his main birthday activity.

[Millietant]

Sunday morning saw my wife Liz not feeling very well, with more shoulder/arm pains which meant she couldn't safely ride, so as I'd just taken her bike out of storage and refreshed it (coolant swap, carb overhaul, Oil and Filter, new fuel filter, brake fluid etc, plus a nice clean and polish) and checked it over and made sure everything was right for it's Govt Safety check last Thursday, I decided to leave the FJ at home for once and take her Fazer 1000/FZ1, for the ride to celebrate a riding buddies 50th birthday.

I'd also agreed to take a friend - a 75 year old lady who had never been on a motorcycle before in her life - as pillion for the ride.

Simon, who's birthday it was, wanted to visit the Triumph Factory, to tour the Visitor Experience/Museum and to have a little get-together in their cafe for coffee and cake.

With hindsight, and knowing I was taking a pillion, I probably should have taken the FJ (wider, roomier and lower pillion perch) but I really wanted to give the FZ1 a decent run as this was it's first proper outing for over 2 years. Anyway, the rides there and back were a joy, with sun shone and little traffic to bother us. My pillion loved the whole affair and was enthralled by the exhilaration of cornering, so in all respects, the day was huge success.

Took my first walk around the small museum/exhibition (I normally don't bother and just have a drink and use the toilets before riding straight off again) and was pleasantly surprised. i'll definitely go back for a better/longer look. While we were there, Simon's family turned up for a photo with Dad on the Tiger 1200 in the entrance