As we are moving back towards road bikes we thought we'd have a little trip to Andorra to sample some Frence roads and sit in the sun.

On Thursday 1st Sept we caught the P&O Portsmouth - Le Havre ferry which was delayed. It was due to leave at 2230 but didn't depart until gone 0030. After strapping the bikes up we heading straight for the bar to discuss the following days route.

Nealo had been speaking to Darren Young - an old France/Spain veteran - for details of some great roads. He was advised a couple so we tried to incorporate this into the route. Nealo also wanted to see the bridge at Missau.

So we set the route - a bit difficult with only one small map between us - wrote it down, finished the lager and went to bed.

Day 1

As we left the boat the sun was out and all was good. We found our way out of Le Havre and headed towards Le Mans. From there it was onto Tours, Chateauoux, Montlucen and Clermont Ferrand. From here we would join the blinding road the Youngy suggested before travelling across the bridge.

What a let down!! The autoroute was packed and there was a speed camera. Yeah fair enough it would have good, 120-140 mph sweepers down through a valley it there wasnt any cars but it did only last about 10 bends. Never mind onto the fantastic bridge!!

We stayed on the autoroute until Millau and went over the bridge. Then we went back through Millau town and back up the autoroute and West to Rodez where we had to scan the town for a hotel. We then set the route into Andorra Todays millage - approx 600.

Day 2

Today would be a quick little ride into Andorra so we could spend some money and sit by the pool with some beers. (There are no pictures of this - as we didn't get chance!!)

The traffic going into Andorra from Foix was the worst we've ever seen. The road was bumper to bumper of cars and coaches all wanting to get cheap fags and petrol. As the road was geting steeper the traffic was becoming clearer so the speed hotted up. Unfortunalty for Nealo he found a patch of diesel on a sweeping left hander and the bike spun up the road on its left side. Chris was unhurt but the pain of wrecking a 7 day old bike was obvious. The crash broke his footpeg, gear change, magneto cover, rubbed through the engine case, snapped, cracked and broke the fairing and warped a disk. At least the views were nice

After calming down and phoning Bennetts he decided to ride into Andorra Le Velle where we could try and patch the bike up. Using a pair of boxers to soak the leaking oil up he travelled the 20 miles in 3rd gear with no brakes.

When we got to town some Liquid Metal did the trick and there was no longer and oil leak. Some engineering genius fabricated a foot peg and the gear change was made so gears could be changed.

Tomorrow Chris and Martin would start the long trip home well Darren, Stu and Gary went road hunting in France.

Day 3

Chris and Martin rolled out of Dodge whilst the other 3 were having breakfast. No problem we thought, if we leave within the hour we should catch them up after 500 miles as Chris can only do 80mph max.

After waiting around for Stuart to put the phone down we left Andorra and headed back North. After a few miles we got seperated as Stu upped the pace and left me and Gary behind.

I can't remember when we met up with Stu again but we did have a slight issue with fuel.

Stu ran out first with Gary very low and me low. I went to find fuel not having a clue where a petrol station was. Coasting down a hill I spot some police using a radar gun at the bottom so I decide to stop and ask. He intially tells me 45 miles!! After riding for 2 miles I stoped and flagged down a couple of Frence motorcycle riders. They kindly take me to the petrol station and then leave.

So in goes the credit card - nothing. In the end I flagged down another couple of cyclists who use their petrol card for me. My tank is full and the 1.5litre bottle is full (1.5 litre is that all?).

After riding back to the boys we split the petrol up and off we go. There doesnt seem to be any sense of waiting for each other as I end going back between Stu and Gary indicating which way the garage is. Gary runs out first so I continue to Stu and his runs out just as we get to a garage. I should explain its a Sunday and most Frence garages dont open on Sunday so the only ones we could find were the card sort. After hunting around I fill my bike up again and also the bottle and go back to Stu. He chcuks a bit in his and then onto Gary. Eventually we all find the garage and get back on the motorway. This cost some 2 hours.

Chris and Martin had already found a hotel in Limoges but couldn't quite remember how they got there. Stu decided to split from me and Gary again (Maybe his phone was vibrating) and leave us with no friging idea where to go (Just aswell I didn't take the same attitude with the petrol). We found the Formula 1 an hour later after riding through some very deprived parts of town. Any one seen 'Training Day'?.

Day 4

Usual story. Chris and Martin left early, Gary and I waiting for Stuart to finish his McD's. Then he left the petrol station before us anyway.

It started to rain so I stopped and put my waterproofs on whilst Gary went on slowly. After I caught Gary up some 100 miles later it turned out he missed the hard rain as he didn't stop. The time it took me to put all the wet weather kit on was enough for the downpour to get brutel. I had to follow a lorry in it's wheel tracks as the rain was washing debrie across the road.

After ditching the waterproof's we kept going and met Stu the other side of (insert town name here). We had past him somewhere on route as he stopped for food. After 30 minutes riding we then stopped in a McD's. Stu was hungry today!

I turned my bike off but when I went to fire it up there was nothing. Investigation proved that it had blown the Fuel pump fuse and the ignition fuse.

We had heard that C&M were going for the 1630 boat so we decided we would try to get it aswell. Not sure why when we had 1.5 hours to do 150 miles.

We got on the motorway and were instantly presented with a diversion so we followed the signs and then put out heads down and got a move on. Turned out we had gone 40 miles in the wrong direction. Oh well, race over, lets go for the 2330.

Day 5

The holiday was meant to be 5 days but by 0930 we were home. As it turned out we could have spent Sunday relaxing by the pool as Chris managed to nurse the broken bike through France in the same amount of time we allocated to get back under normal circumstances.