Longest Day Challenge 2024

[hawkati]

This has been going for a decade - basic synopsis being land's end to john o'groats in one day, no motorways and cheap/bloody challenging bikes. It's all for Cancer Research and has been likened to the cannonball run, though It's Not A Race, er,officer.

Started by mille of this parish it has evolved and grown, turned into a monster that's now CR's biggest single event fund raiser.

This year it's changed - the budget for bikes is £600 or bikes that are deemed in the spirit of the challenge.
There's an ex phase one bike amongst the contenders, dammit!

Hence my own effort, selling a perfectly functional exup and buying a 2001 R1 that's not been fired up since 2009. It looks very shiney but it's rotten and has numerous electrical issues which has made it an utter bastard to sort.
Anyway, here's my charity page and any donations will be genuinely appreciated. It's not a jolly, it's not something mild like growing a tasche or going without booze - it's a debilitating proper endurance event that takes lumps out of mind & body (not soul, I got a tenner for that on ebay)
Have a rummage? Cheers!

https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/ ... jeant-2024
Here's a main page...

https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/ ... ay-up-2024

..and here be the first of a bunch of vids

[Scootabout]

Unless my maths is defective, that's just shy of 40 mph average over 24 hours, including any stops, without using motorways. Is that even possible? I assume so, unless nobody has ever finished. But I have to say it seems a bit bonkers. Good luck, though.

[mangocrazy]

Yes, I applaud anyone brave (or bonkers) enough to attempt it on Britain's third world roads, but I'll pass, thanks.

[Wossname]

I fancy the idea, as a challenge and an achievement, but I’d be using a 35 y.o. Serow and averaging 40 for 24 hrs is beyond the realms of possibility. How do they even do that?

[KungFooBob]

You're not the only one...

viewtopic.php?t=9026

[hawkati]

It's bonkers. Somehow it's evolved to be more bonkers because a bunch of us thought that one year when there were too many bypasses it was actually dangerous from the tedium point of view, especially the A9 from Perth to Inverness. So a damn fool, namely moi, suggested the ferry from Gourock to Dunoon then a big sweep round to Loch lomond, through Glen coe and the lochs zoop from Fort William to Inverness. Beautiful scenery, savagely engaging roads to keep the mind sharp and body unseized by bypass inertia. It adds a lot to the time but you're not nodding off and dropping dead.

It's addictive. Done it seven times before - stretched ligaments till I could no longer do unchanges, a permanently bent/broken middle finger from discs warping on an exup and I've done emergency stops for things that don't exist and doing it once on the 996 gave me four months nerve damage ( the bike I'd built fried it's loom and ignitor box three days before set off)

I keep doing it because every time I swear I'll never do it again someone I care about drops dead from cancer.

[dern]

Looks like a good challenge. Book's full now though so that saves me spending the whole day on ebay.

[hawkati]

Much gnashing - so many random electrical issues, but I think I've found the answer. Stealth alarm (hidden under tailpiece, not working) shorting out inside so that's been binned and I now need to sort out rewiring to bring loom back to a functional state.

[mangocrazy]

I hate alarms with a passion. All they do is fuck up perfectly good wiring harnesses.

[hawkati]

Quite honestly, I didn't even know it was there, because cunningly hidden and not actually functioning. It's a meta 357 thing that's supposed to have a fob but instead the bike has a suspect cheepo ignition barrel. That'll probably have to go as well.

Anyway, front brakes have had a bit of a clean up and all pistons are decent now. Next, for portimao, I've some braided hoses that will fit and a set of new ebc hh pads.

Apart from the bloody wiring issue it's ready for an mot, so fingers crossed I can press gang it into a bit 9f commuting, get to know it better and tweak it to suit me.
It's going to live as a charity tart for the longest day challenge so highly amateur gloss black & chrome panels with manylots of cancer research info will be the new old look.

[hawkati]

Sorted. Under adult supervision managed to remove alarm and get loom back to functionality. It's aliiiive! Much yay. Apart from the wheels which would appear to be so oxidised that both tyres losing pressure. That'll be a job for the weekend after mot on Friday. Think a bit of a ride is very necessary

[hawkati]

Good & bad news.....it behaved perfectly for just one day! Got through mot so yesterday I took it for a very roundabout 149 spin - oxford cross country to the malverns, on to Ross on Wye then home.
Bloody marvellous apart from the electrical gremlins striking - no headlights, pass or indicators and when I tried to use them the instruments display would switch off. Clearly another earthing/connector block issue so I'll have another crack at it today.
But for a while I got a fine impression of a damn good engine, comfy sofa handling (compared with 1198s) and overall good behaviour apart from slightly notchy gearbox. I'll get used to that.
Right - multimeter frenzy coming up!

[hawkati]

Brief update - the notorious multi connector block under the l/h bar was to blame. Cleaned, sorted, protected. Ought not to misbehave again but I'm bunging aux lights on for portimao journey, longest day challenge and just good old belts & braces security.

[hawkati]

Give or take a graunchy ignition barrel it's a goer - everything working fine & new charity clothes in the hope of attracting a donation or five...

[hawkati]

Gunning for Snetterton tomorrow to catch some mates at a trackday and force myself to get bike fit pdq

[weeksy]

Nice work and good luck! Enjoy

[hawkati]

Byeck, it's been a while...bike despite being a canal fund under the shiney bodywork is now a Functioning Thing, and as good as it's gonna get. Likewise me - done about 5k miles this year and no longer a sofa potato. So let's see what goes wrong eh? The event is this Thursday so nipping to tintagel Tuesday, camping and a short hop to land's end Wednesday. Fingers toes & bollocks crossed eh?



https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/ ... jeant-2024

[weeksy]

Brave and foolish in equal measures

[hawkati]

Brave and foolish in equal measures

I'll take that. It's bloody stupid but worth it. Cheers!