Al takes the high road and Nige/Steve the low road

After two nights in Vianden its time to head further east into Germany - Braunsfels in the Taunus. Unfortunately we get split up on the motorway again and eventually make our own way. Steve & Nige drop down to check out Cochem and Nassau whilst Al charges over to Braunsfels and has a ride around but we all get to the Brauhaus Obermuhle with a couple of minutes of each other.

The digs are a a brewery and top class, just having been refurbished. Quick wash & brush up and the bar opens at five. First beer is a black beer - ok, second is Weizmann for Al and pils for Nige. Steve can't drink beer so its apple wine (cider) and then Mosel wine.

 

Not happy - he lost me!!
 

A happy Nigel just after a vey nice steak

 

Up into town and a couple in the the Gasthof von Thurm - great local, we meet some scottish guys who give us some pointers for tomorrow.

 

Braunsfels - Von Thurm pub in right hand corner - recommended

 

Into the Fatherland and back

Big loop into Germany and along the Mosel to Zeltingen Rachtig where Al stopped last year. The attraction is lunch at the Kloster Machern, but the 60 miles or so of roads to get there are excellent. Stop at the viewpoint overlooking Piesport and its another picture opportunity of a river bend.

Another river another bend, this time Mosel

Down the hill, over the bridge and follow the Mosel to Zeltingen Rachtig. Stop at Kloster Machern for some lunch at the brauhaus, but its alcohol free beer this time to wash it down.
After schnitzel it's back towards Vianden via Echternach and Diekirch.

Echternach - man with fountain fetish andds another to his collection. Whatever you do don't google 'fountain fetish' -good grief.



Echternach and no dodgy characters in this pic - or is there???

 

Back in Vianden, Nige opts for a chill out beer at the auberge, whilst Steve & Al risk death and destruction falling from the chairlift and have a beer at the viewpoint at the top overlooking the town & castle. Good value I reckon only 4.80 euro return ticket.

No standing on the seats please

Nige is down there somewhere, I can see him waving

 

French Ardennes, Verdun and onto Vianden Luxembourg.

Weathers good and its onto the D roads from Givet, through the woods and hills towards Charleville Mezzieres. Stop off at a viewpoint overlooking a bend in the river Meuse at Montherme. Think the viewpoint was called Longue Roche.

 

 

Find our way through Charleville M with only one or two wrong turns in the one way system, and get back on the D roads and follow the Meuse towards Verdun stopping at a place called Douzy for a bite courtesy of sandwiches, pizza and fruit flans from the patisserie in the square.

 

Douzy - Steve not having pizza, he had a banana and started growing a tree out of his head.

Not far is Verdun, and we're planning to stop for an hour or two to have a look at the Ossuary and visit Fort Douamont. Steve & Nige not been before and its a sobering experience for them at the Ossuary. This is Al's third visit and Fort Douamont will complete the things to see.

 

Ossuary at Verdun

 

 

On top of Fort Douamont

 

History lessons over, its heading north into Luxembourg and two nights at the Auberge du Chateau in Vianden.

Home from home for the next two nights

 

Another castle

 

Bikes tucked up for the night in a garage across the road

 



On our travels yet again - France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany

Friday to Friday jaunt to the continent via the 08;35 boat from Dover. The boats packed as its a bank holiday weekend I suppose, fair bit of a swell but I must have got me sea legs as I put away a full English breakfast and feeling fine. Steve looks a bit green around the hills but Nige just has a moan about his sinus and has a kip.

Plan is to hit the A26 to Cambrai and then head across country to Givet on the Belgian border near Dinant via le Cateau, Hirson, Rocroi & Fumay.

However, Nige & Steve have other ideas are behind me and pulll into services for fuel on the A26 near to the turn off . I keep to the plan as I can't turn around on the autoroute, and wait for them whilst having a slice of pizza and a apple flan at a patisserie in a village called Beauvois on the D643 between Cambrai & Le  Cateau. Nige eventually gets in touch and they've managed to take a wrong turn and ended going the wrong way along the A2 and then coming off and heading for St Quentin in vaguely the right direction.. It'll be a hour or so for them to get here so we agree to meet at the digs. 

I get a great ride on D roads especially the Route de Fortifications between Rocroi and Fumay, then along the river to Givet, getting there for 15:20.

Very nice lady at reception says we can have three singles for the price of the original triple room we booked,so first come first served and I blag the single with a view.

Currently in the bar getting around the outside of a Leffe waiting for the other two to turn up, which they eventually do at 17:20 with many tales to tell.

They're here at last in Givet

Charlemagne Fort, Givet. Castles & rivers end up being a common theme on this trip

Hotel Van St Hilaire - good vfm just down from Dinant

 

Commando nearly there

Chroming back from Hull and fitted - very nice it is too. Carbs also rebuilt with new slides, jets etc and back on. Only thing waiting for now is for the front brake master cyclinder to come back from machining and the bike is pretty much done.
Put some fresh oil and  a new filter on the engine, and started her up - carbs need a bit of fine tuning but that needs a quick spin to warm up to do that right, but not recommended without a front brake.
Classic Bike show at Stafford next week, so might pick up a few more bits as theres a bit of slack in the budget - new stainless front mudguard and stay as some of the cross brace rivets on the old one have rotted.

Shiny bits from http://www.qualitychrome.co.uk/index.php

Wheres the front master cyclinder?

Shiny bits on, carbs back on, tank on, fuel in and started up

 

 Hopefully not long now and its MOT time followed by going into battle with the DVLA about historic vehicle status to get free tax.

What the hell has he bought now?

A Mercedes van that's what it is. All part of a master plan to be revealed shortly.

The dreaded Norton 'pinch bolt crack'

Noticed that the LH fork slider on the ES2 has cracked at the bottom pinch bolt area - not me i hasten to add as I'm well aware that this is a common failure as the pinch bolt can get over tightened. The recommended torque is something like 15ft lbs, and on the Commando I remember putting a washer in as packing so that it couldn't get overtightened.


You don't want to see this crack on your Norton single. I've slackened the bolt off to make the crack wider and more visible for the picture as you had to get up close to see it.

Anyhow, found a place in Lincoln that was willing to repair it - http://www.paintperfectlincoln.co.uk/ - Only around the corner, had a chat with them and they also have a dip tank big enough for bike frames and have done a number of motorcycle jobs in the past, so might give them a try when its time for the Commando frame etc next winter.


Many LH fork legs end up looking like this - ally weld repair.

Fork leg stripped down o.k, nothing to them really and even more basic than the Commando's. Fork oil changed and replaced with Castrol TQF.
Also did oil change on the engine as I wasn't sure when it was last done, but looking in the drained oil tank revealed a fair amount of sludge so off it came for a clean out before refilling with Castrol Classic GP50.

Been meaning to have to take a look at the pipe joints and drain plug as there's been a bit of oil weeping - copper washers I reckon that had been re-used but not annealed. So a quick blast of the washers with the propane torch and the tank's leak free now, so not so many drips on the garage floor now.