Travelling with Suzi Triplo

It's true. The more miles I get under the wheels, the more I am confident that the Kettle (Wasserbüffel in German) will not let me down. Maybe I am tempting fate by typing this into a blog! Anyway, superstitiously I have "touched wood" a few times!

So once again we are back to pre-covid and and I am thinking about getting out further afield than the local area. As I am not the world's best motorcycle cleaner I prefer to take "Suzi Triplo" out for a run on dry days. There is so much chrome and polished alloy that needs cleaning to stop corrosion and all those nasty water marks that appear on unlacquered alloy, that it sucks all the fun out of nice ride.

So next weekend, August 6th 2023, it is "Suzuki Day" at the world renowned (and many franchised!) Ace Cafe in West London. In the early 80's I used to work nearby when the cafe was a tyre depot. The cafe having folded and been replaced years before. Mrs D v1.0 was from the local area too and we had car tyres replaced there on a few occasions. I worked in IT at FIAT situated in what was called the Lancia Building in Alperton.

Anyway, Suzuki Day. It's around 75 miles each way. It doesn't seem like much, but on a 46 year old bike it is a little daunting. Of course over the years I have been much further afield than London. If anyone wants to look further down this blog or even at the tags on the right, you will see that Suzi and me have done a few longer trips than London!

Of course, back in those days, I didn't have any choice. I only had one bike and if I didn't ride it, then it was public transport or the car. I look back on my time in Brno with fondness. Sometimes I wish I had had a car though. Not all the time, but it would have been much easier all round! All my EFL books and clothes could have been carried more easily. No problems with Czech winter weather....

So next Sunday. Ace Cafe.... I will go as long as the weather is kind, i.e. no rain! As I have said above, polishing isn't my favourite occupation. If I go I'll add to the blog (new post!) to report on how it went and include some photos. Looks like I'll need to keep my phone and Cybershot both fully charged!

Amazing. The weather forecast for today was ... Accurate!! Truly.

Our meeting for the Fifth Sunday was to be the Cliff Top Café at Capel le Ferne, between Folkestone and Dover.

The café is under new management. They smile now when you are ordering. They are also dog friendly, something the previous owner wasn't.

The café is as its name suggests on the cliff top. Some 200 feet below is the railway line between Dover and Folkestone. And the English Channel of course.

We had a coffee and bacon sandwich and a chat about things in general before setting off home.

The sunshine started to waver. My route back was into Folkestone down the A20. It seems that the 40mph limit is only advisable if you own an Audi A3.... After being tailgated down the hill I decided to come down to the harbour and out along the coast.

The sun came out again. Today was "Kate Bush Day" on the harbour arm and there were loads of women of a certain age in red dresses all over the town.

It was very windy though for the last part. A quick stop for essential stuff in Aldi and I was home before the rain started.

It wasn't much, but it has become persistent. Drizzle. Rain. Drizzle.

So another few miles under the wheels.

After almost a week on the battery charger, on and off not continuously, I decided as it was actually dry today, to pop it back in and press the "go" button.

Immediate success. It took four stabs of the button with the choke down and she burbled into life.

It's 39 years since I brought her home from the Suzuki dealers in Hanwell, West London.

That burble and the odd pop and rattle is music to my ears.

I got togged up and set off for a short ride around. By the time I'd got on the main rode I had to switch the tap to "RES".

The tank took £20 or 13.9 litres to fill to the top.

Then I was off, Folkestone, Hawkinge then down to Gibson's Farm Shop at Wingham.

Letting her run in a sweet spot around 50mph on the speedometer. On the short bit of the M20 I did run her up to 70. Smoothly in top gear just opening the throttle gently.

She had a rest whilst I was inside buying cherries 🍒. These are from their own orchard and £2.99 a punnet and BOGOF.

I added a pork pie too. Also sourced locally ... 😉

The ride back through Elham Valley at a lower pace was very relaxing.

I was home about an hour and three-quarters after leaving.

As the V-Strom is off the road with an expired test certificate it does leave Suzi with the job of being the bike I can ride. But before any more miles go under the wheels it's cleaning and polishing time!

Once indoors I put the fuel stop into Fuelly. The result was one on the best mpg's since she was put back into service.

Okay, the bike hasn't been used much this year. Other commitments and of course, weather. So it was still has a little surprise when even with the power pack (that can start a 2 litre diesel car!) there was nothing but a click.

As I no longer have a battery charger I was a little stuck. The battery is a Motobatt and usually it's very good at keeping the charge levels up.

First stop was to pop into Halford's and Argos online to see that they have. I don't have any power in the garage and so I had to opt for one that I can use in the house. I opted for a 4amp charger and picked it up for £22. It's cheap but seems to have decent reviews though.

Once the battery was out of the bike I had it set up on the table in the conservatory. I had expected, according to the instructions, that the needle would be way over the right and as the battery charges it would swing to the left. It started off in the middle.

It's been on now for only about and hour as has moved quite a bit to the left!

Fingers crossed.

After quite a few years I have actually decided to update this blog a little.

Another target that might be more achievable than the Coupes Moto Legende in May 2021 might by the Suzuki TandGT Club Nederland Treffen at the beginning of June.

As with many events it was supposed to have taken place in 2020 as the 20th Anniversary rally but was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. So now it is the 21st Anniversary Treffen!

Claire and I went many years ago and it would be nice to have another trip over there. The timing looks quite good as the week that it starts is when I am on half-term holiday. I doubt that Claire will want to go on the bike but once it is back from Dr Phil she might change her mind.

The last time we went ex-GP racer Wil Hartog was the main guest and he led the ride-out. I have a photo of Claire and him together. This would have been 2003 I think and the rally was held at Bosschenhoofd. This was a reasonably short run of about 211 miles from home.

The rally this year is to be held a bit further away from UK than the last time we went. it looks to be about 320 miles from home. Might be a good shakedown for the Kettle. In the Wasserbueffel Club magazine it was shown for 2020 to be at a riding club in Luttenberg. This is a town somewhere between Zwolle and the German border.

A quick look on MyRouteApp shows it to be around 290 miles from the Shuttle terminal in Calais Coquelles.

Until the bike comes back with it's newly rebuilt engine and overhauled carburetors I have no idea what mileage I will get to a tank. So I can't really plan too much this far in advance. What planning I have done on the MyRouteApp is to look for petrol stations along or nearby the computer mapped route and at intervals of 75 miles! On the Rocket I'd be looking at twice that! Maybe as part of my luggage I'll be carrying a jerrycan!

Only time will tell.

The pandemic is one thing and it looks as though most of Western Europe will be under Covid-19 Lockdown again. In England we are going to enter a month of lockdown from 0001 on November 5th. The Government haven't ruled out extending it is the virus continues to

From where I live France is visible on the horizon most days as it is around 23 miles from my house and about 22.5 miles from the nearest beach. France is about to enter another month long lockdown and so we won't be crossing the Channel any time soon.

Not that the GT (aka Kettle) will not be going there for a while in any case. To move under its own power it needs to have an engine as one of the important component.

Mine is still in pieces.

The crankshaft came back from a rebuilder in Essex a week or so ago. Nicely bagged up and sporting new lots of things, too many to list but mostly crankshaft oil seals and bearings. Please don't ask what the bill for that was!

Once the engine is put together, as an internal combustion engine (ICE) is needs fuel. In the 1970's this meant carburetors. These have also had to be rebuilt as they were really in need of some work after 43 years.

Refurbished carburetors

Refurbished carburetors

The brakes have been cleaned and repaired with new pistons and seals. They look just like new now.

The plan is to have the Kettle back on the road in time for the start of the riding season in 2021. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

This will probably be viewed as a "useless" or "stub" blog entry and maybe it is. It is aimed at setting the stage for the future.

The GT750A in question is a two-stroke, three cylinder, liquid cooled, Suzuki motorcycle built in the 1970's. I have owned it since 1984. Currently it is being rebuilt pretty much from the wheels up after some years of neglect and having languished in the back of my garage for a number of years.

It has already featured in a few of my other blogs.... and I will link them to save you hunting about. That's obviously if anyone cares what other bloggers blog about?

Austria - Mars Moto 1993
Jasna 1992
Austria - Wasserbueffel Rally 1999
Off to Dr Phil
Coupes Moto Legende 2001
Coming Home 1993
Wasserbuffel Treffen 1993