Back home today after completing the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride around the Isle Of Wight yesterday and what a wonderful ride it was despite the bike emptying its oil over the front of the engine! Riders were requested to complete around forty miles or keep to two hours but despite that I rode for around seventy miles and was out for about five hours. It seems a long time for that mileage but having a stroll around some of the stops added to my time - as did the ice cream and the cuppa!
I'm so pleased that I did this ride for charity and have been elated about it despite the repair I need to do to the engine to make it oil tight again. The thought of raising money to help research into Prostate Cancer and to provide assistance for men's mental health has been a great driver for me.
Thank you to everyone that gave donations to the Movember Foundation, it has made all my effort so worthwhile. The site is still open for donations and will be until 11th October, I'm just £124 short of my £1000 target so any further donations will be greatly appreciated:
gfolk.me/AlecEdge286386Some pics:
My Suzuki sat on the trailer on Saturday morning waiting to board the Red Funnel ferry at Southampton
First stop: Ryde Hover Port
Second stop: Priory Point, Puckpool looking across to Portsmouth
Third stop: Seaview looking across to No Man's Land Fort and Southsea
Fourth stop: St. Helen's looking out to St. Helen's Fort
Fifth stop: Yarborough Monument, Culver Down, Bembridge
From the same point but turned 180° for the view across Sandown Bay
Sixth stop: after riding through Sandown, Lake and Shanklin I turned into Luccombe to take this view back across Sandown Bay to the Culver Down
Seventh stop: Ventnor Haven, time for an ice cream and a wander along the front. Got back to find five blokes around the bike reminiscing about their bikes back in the 70s and 80s.
Still at Ventnor, a view looking back up to the Victorian and Art Deco Architecture of the town plus the Winter Gardens that the road zig-zags around.
Next stop: a very sadly deserted Blackgang Chine. It should have been buzzing with life but events this year have sadly put paid to that
Next stop, Compton. Here I had to park the bike up and walk to the steps down to the beach to get this view across Freshwater Bay to the Tennyson Down. I took the opportunity for a nice stroll along the beach here too.
Next stop was Totland Bay. I wanted this view but couldn't get the bike in the picture because of other cars. So many memorable family holidays spent on this beach over the years.
It was at Totland that I found some oil dripping from the front of the engine and the oil level gauge empty so I wasn't going to take it any further. I had wanted to get a picture of the bike with The Needles in the background. That wasn't to be so a short walk along the front towards Colwell bay gave me the view of The Needles instead.
Underneath the engine it doesn't look too bad, some wet from oil there but it had run down from the cylinder base gasket. Good job Annie had joined me on the journey over and we had the trailer!
I also have videos from the camera on the front of the bike. They are quite grainy and will need some editing but I will post a clip when I've got one sorted.
Again, thank you to everyone that gave donations to the Movember Foundation, and for the support all your posts have given me.
gfolk.me/AlecEdge286386Sam.