Last Wednesday we had real bad weather in our part of the UK. Very heavy rain and thunderstorms. The rain was really bad, lots of roads closed due to flooding.
I had to take my son 80 miles to a Ducati dealer in Aylesbury to pick up his new 999. I would have taken him on the BA but I had to carry the documents back and I didn't have any panniers - I would have LOVED to ride in the rain, but was forced to use the car this time !!
As it was his first ride since he was knocked off his Gixer totalling the machine and breaking his collar bone on November 11 last year, he was a bit apprehensive about the ride back.
I gave him a 5 minute start and followed on. The rain was frightening, I was sure he must have pulled onto a service area. I kept going at 70 - 80 mph where I could but was down to 40 in places. The spray off the trucks was blinding.
When I pulled up outside the house, there was no sign of him. I was a bit worried, but not having seen any incidents on the way back asumed he'd stopped for a coffee.
No chance - when I got in, he'd already put the bike away, dried it off and had a shower !!
Lord knows what speeds he must have been doing. It was a good job we'd spotted the speed camera van at Hopwood on the way down as they were still there when we came back.
So - he now calls me the wet weather wuss ! - he didn't say that when he was sitting in the warm dry pasenger seat on the way down !
