Club Arnage

Unfortunatley this coming Le Mans will have to be reduced to a shortish dash accross the channel and back on 2 wheels (motorised of course) and was looking for peoples ideas who have done on the various crossings ease of routes petrol stations (140mile tank range) etc.

Any help would be muchly apprecitated

I had this problem a few years ago on a 100 mile range, and its worse now as many filling stations have shut.  With the 'van I've got about a 200 mile range and have problems every year.

Calais to Rouen should be OK as most of the aires have petrol and this is all on the signposts, but Rouen is a problem.  There is one on the way out in the middle of the industrial area, if its open.  Then on the N138 most of the villages had filling stations, but these were bypassed and took some finding.  Plus most are now at supermarkets, like the one at Broglie just south of Bernay.  Gace is good too.  Sees is a problem from memory, and Alencon gets bypassed, and the ones south of there are shut.  If going via Caen there is one at Falais ring road, and not many more.

Look for signs in the hedges, either a little petrol pump with "a 5 min/a gauche" or a supermarket with the symbol in the corner.  And there may be fuel on the new M138.

Remember the lazy b@st@rds go home at 5, so after then you can forget it, except the aires.

Do I win an anorak, or am I disqualified for not finding thge website

Chris. When i have taken my bikes i only found problems leaving middle of the night for morning ferries and waiting for the places to open.

Caen - LE Mans is on a tank easily.

Cherbourg maybe the best as its a favourite truck route, I had to fill on the N138 outside Alencon  for both Cherbourg and Le Havre and never had anyprobs after that. Its also a genuine 24hour station with people near the machines and everything.


I was surpised just how far i can go on a long run fully freighted up on my CBR600. 130 miles per tank at a genuinely happy continent cruising speed.

The cherbourg route is a quickie too.

Liverpool to Portsmouth is a good run, 4 hours ?

What about Poole, thats nearly as good, pain to find the ferry i believe but much less travel than dover and the BF rates Poole to cherbourg are good. Plus they have a fast ferry if times a problem.


The last idea is....

Hein Gericke sell a 5 litre fuel sack that folds away. Maybe a good idea for an extra 50 miles on a night run.

Just a bit of info, Poole ferry is very easy to find, well signposted, a very good transport cafe by the ferry gates good breakfast before boarding, or stay locally with one of your CA chums  the night before.  What could be better.

Poole is use to receiving mortorcyclists, try coming down during the summer to the Quay which is closed especially for the Bike meet every tuesday, somwhere in the region of 2000+ bikers.

Yep, Poole ferry dock is very easy to find, and a very relaxed atmosphere.

Go through check in and tell them you are going back to the pub for a couple of beers and they'll point you over to a safe place to park at the side until you return. The Ferryman is just over the bridge before the turning into the dock.

The Ferryman is the closest to the port, if you have an hour or two before departure a short walk over the lifting bridge to the quay where you will find more pubs and eateries depends on what you want to do.

My personal preference would be to visit the quay especially on a summers evening, bliss.

Cheers guys keep the suggestions coming looks like will prob be pompey caen and fill up before leave pompey as robbo said caen to mb is doable on a tank.

But keep the suggestions coming cheers

When are you travelling down Chris?

Theres always a Team JOC contingent travelling down later in the week who you could travel with if you could train it down to Basingstoke? (or join the guys travelling from Sheffield)

Hi Chris

It's about 110 miles from the port at Caen to MB, I can do it on a tank with the Duke so you should have no problem with the Kawa if you splash at Portsmouth.
As has been said elsewhere if you are coming down from Cherbourg there is a gas station signposted off the Farlaise by pass, at about 100 miles, but it's attached to a supermarket so the usual times of operation will be if force for cash or UK credit cards.
Would recommend Portsmouth/Caen especially if you are returning on the Sunday, however to my knowlege there is not a petrol station open for cash/UK cards on this route on a Sunday, so a full tank when you leave LM is a must as the next guarenteed fuel will be at Portsmouth, I've even had problems finding a non French credit card only fuel stop on Monday's at lunch time.
If you fuel on Saturday you can use a lot of fuel just running about at LM over the weekend, which can leave you short to get to the port, but I expect you will prefer to have a 'few' beers rather than be zooming about on race days, or prehaps Ian can take down a spare tin for you to top up.
If you are having a leisurely trip back on Monday I can give you a good bike route back to Caen.
Checked brittany fares about 2 weeks ago on Portsmouth/Caen, was quoted £125 for me and bike, overnight Tuesday ( with reclining seat ), back Monday afternoon, not bad as if you booked 2 weeks before the race this year it was £225.

Cheers

If I remember  rightly, there is a small petrol station at or near Sees on the main road so if you are doing Calais there should be petrol in the day time, night time is, as allus, the bugbear.

Won't the new Rouen to Le Mans section of the motorway be open next year?

We found a place in Quisterham on the road into the port.

You putcash into a machine  then select which pump you are using and it dispences the selected amount.

It worked twice for my sister in the thirsty car !

I wouldn't rely on it, is was bust when I tried it.

I've done it on a bike loads of times and never had a problem.
Make sure that you fill up Saturday, or you could go to the filling station on the way out of town toward the D301 (Paris). Can't remember the exact name of the street, but it leads straight down to the circuit (if you're coming into town on it). There is a Triumph bike dealer across the street.

We then go back to Dieppe via the back roads a bit, Chanteloup - Belleme - Mortagne au Perche - Gace then the 138.

Even on a sunday, we've found a filling station or 2 that are open. You'll be ok.

When will you be travelling Chris? I guess a Sunday return could cause you problems? Assuming you leave on Monday we can just ensure a couple of the regulars who are in cars/vans can carry a can of fuel for you in case of emergencies.

Good call Mark.

Just thought when we travel we always have the genny fuel which is un-leaded so always have a minimum of 5 litres. We then put it into a car at the ferry port on homeward bound.

The girlfreind has just bought a 52 plate SV650s for £1900 and its a cracking bike, fast , but not silly.

My Missus has a 1300 Suzuki

Busa ?

Thanks, I was hoping for that response.

Wagon R+.  And its 70 bhp, not 170bhp.  She was short changed.

It was made in Hungary - do they make bikes there yet?

Excellent choice for a first bike.
Welcome to the 2 wheeled ranks Fidget.

Right number of cylinders and in the right configuration. Just a shame you can't use them to warm your hands in cold weather like certain Italian V-twins!

My bike has heated grips and is lush. I just need to pass my test now and stop my man riding my bike.

I took a naughty ride around my close and its lovely. Its a grumbly beast.

Hi Robbo, Please explain 52 plate for the benefit of the rest of us. ::) Well done Fidget.
Welcome to the 2 wheel world
Canada Phil

Its the GB registration number Phil.... the "2" = 2002 and the "5" = ummm October believe it or not = so it means its an October 2002 bike!! 

(additional info, if it was "02" it would be February 2002, the "0" = February!!!).  We only get February and August registrations now, ie. 02, 52, 03, 53, etc.

Its the new system that we went to after we ran out of registration letters to show the age of the vehicle!!!

Fran

I'm jealous of course.  I gave up the bike when my wife was pregnant.  She asked the doctor if it was still safe for her to go on the back, and was promptly told "it's never safe".

I sold it to a woman who turned up on the back of her husbands Guzzi V50, so at least it went to a good home.  Only a 400 Honda, but its taken me ten years to get the thing on the left to go faster.

MArch and September though.

The 5 denoted half a year.. Ironically her bike is registerd in Feb 2003 just before an o3 plate so its still MOT exempt.

It needs a new chain and sprockets, and rear brake pads, but she got the bike very cheap as the fella selling is getting divorced and couldnt sell it locally to him, we were the first people since April to look at it ?

My bike mechanic has seen it and thinks we got a bargin.


LOrry - The think on the left to go quicker ??? - The speedo ? Or your wrist action ?

Damn - so close and yet comletely wrong!  :-[  Just proves the point that its illogical tho  ;D

Lovely little bike the V50- great round the twisty bits. My other half has one as well as a honda 400/4.
The V1000 will be making a return trip next year now the Granada is no more!

Coincidence - my Granada is no more (didn't think of towing the caravan with a V1000 though), and we have a Virage 1200  in the team (Similar? - makes children jump and women scream when you fire it up). 

Trashed the caravan too, but its ghost will returm to Le Mans as a bike trailer, with Virage, concours BMW R45 and Suzi Bandit 600. 

I'd love to take my bike again, but after 2 close shaves in one year, 2002 i vowed to never  again.

For me just too many idiots going the same way, in the same place for comfort.

And i am one of those idiots from time to time !

Shame, just been looking at newer bike from the CBR600FX

Quite fancied a Blackbird ( no puns required H or Andy ) or even a very late model ZX9R.

So Fidget is a great looking biker girl..............and a good sport.

You lucky ba***rd!!!  ;D ;)

And dressed in leather too  :o

She does look good in leather. New female cut Hein Gerike stuff.

Thanks for the compliments.

looks like it will be portsmouth caen anyone want a bunk for the night in the cabin as also looks like I will be on my own

H, it's your lucky day!!!!!  ;D

Would you believe that my first trip to le Mans was on two wheels? The bike was a 1966 Triumph 5TA 500cc.

Blew a coil on the return trip so ran the rest of the way back with both spark plug wired to the one remaining working coil. Got back, but caused some amusement.

No prizes for anyone guessing what year that was!

Not before 1967? Am I on the right lines?

(http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:PmxbSyfe82cJ:www.jwoodandcompany.com/2002/daytona2002/preconsignments/triumph_5ta_59.jpg)

On the right lines- could be 1996 as the D-registration suffix started in January that year. Didn't change to August starts  until 1967. Would have attracted a lot of attention from PC Plod as I wasn't old enough to have licence in '66

M

Me neither ........................................ (I was three !)  ::)

Wasn't even born  ;D

Blarryell! I had one back then, first provisional was to use at work on bikes! '64 'C' plates... ooh Gosh suddenly I feel very old!

 :(

Girlfriends old man just ralised he's got a full bike license.
His only "bike" was a 150cc bike of unknown parts !! He last rode in the early 60's .

He's not too pleased his little daughter has got a big hairy arsed bike !

And I thought you were going to say "big hairy arsed boyfriend"   ;D ;D ;D

Chris

When are you going and coming back? and have you booked the ferry yet?

Due to unlawful wife intervention (UWI) team fat bob are looking extremely shaky for attendance next year, but I may be able to squeeze in a friday to monday "weekend away", if so you could jump in with me. Let me know your plans.

Never heard the saying

Back , sa** and crack ?

brings a tear to my eye when I hear it  :'(

Exactly Chris!!!

I'm not sure whether your brave Robbo, or just mad!!  ;)

Tell her not to worry, It's a well known fact that the best riders pass second time.

But I passed first time - suppose you could be right then

I passed first time with only 2 minor faults ??

Yes but how much did you pay him ;D

First time one minor for wobbling when I had a coughing fit going down adual carrigeway at 70 or so