With insufficient people to fill a fifty-seater coach, it looked as if we would not manage a club outing to the NEC again this year. However Lee Sykes asked around and an affordable solution was arrived at. A minibus would be hired and Clive's brother Neil - who just happens to have a PSV licence - would be willing to drive us there and back in a hired minibus. Brave man!
On the morning of Sunday 23 November, the weather could hardly have been less encouraging. Crayford town centre at 8 a.m. was dark, cold and receiving a steady rainfall. However at least the McDonalds was already open. By 8:15 we were all assembled and squeezing ourselves into the minibus. We numbered sixteen passengers: Tom Friar, Lee and Andy Adie, Lee Sykes, Gary and Matthew Lineham, Dave Haigh and two friends, John Tolland and little John, Bob Davis, Clive and Helen, Bob Colvin and myself.
Progress up the M1 was steady but rain-lashed. A few bikes passed us but for once I did not envy them. After about an hour and a quarter a quick stop was made at Toddington for a smoke, a toilet break and a hot drink. By 9:45 we were back on the road and in another hour and a quarter we were approaching the Birmingham area and encountering the first tailback of the day, so it was another half an hour or so before we were within sight of the NEC. There then followed a frustrating series of contradictory parking directions by stewards that left us consigned to the South car park, from which it was necessary to get a shuttle bus to the main building. It was still raining, so we were glad not to have to wait very long.
Once inside the foyer there was more queuing to endure, as the lines of people buying tickets were long and slow moving. Consequently it was nearly noon before we were actually inside, by which time my first priority was some lunch. Walking around, progress was slow due to the sheer number of people. The manufacturers stands were not so crowded but the accessory and clothing ones were very busy, with people looking if not all buying. I gravitated my way from one area to another, but was not surprised that in the whole five hours we were all in there, I only encountered one group of Bexley people taking a break in one of the refreshment areas.
A mandatory objective was to check out the new Triumph Rocket III, as featured in a previous Kickstart and officially launched at the Milan show in September. It was not hard to pinpoint on the Triumph stand - just look for the dense cluster of people. I duly approached and vied for a close view. The sign read "pre- production model". It also read "do not touch", although many people seemed to be overlooking that part. The bike was raised on a plinth about two feet off the ground, which made it hard to gauge the effective height of the seat and handlebars. Easier to gauge was the width of the radiator: when seen from the front its true size is apparent - it's very wide. Likewise the back view is dominated by the rear tyre.
The rest of the Triumph stand was not without interest however, so I duly gave it a tour. There are limited "special edition" versions of the Bonneville, Speed Triple and Daytona 955i planned for 2004. The main feature of these is that all parts that are silver-grey on the standard bike are finished instead in black. For the Speed Triple and Daytona this means frame, wheels and swing-arm. For the Bonneville this is confined to the engine. All of these specials were on display and looked very alluring, and the recommended retail prices are the same as the standard versions. On some of the Bonneville, Bonneville America and Speedmaster models there were some lovely "custom" paint schemes on show, which Triumph are apparently making available to order - at extra cost. Of course all the other manufacturers and service companies were well represented too, so I pressed on; well I did have four more hours to occupy. Carole Nash had once again rounded up a group of distinctive custom machines including this year a Kawasaki V12 built by a guy who seems obsessed with taking two big Kwak lumps and grafting them together; this is not his first offence!
In a similar vein, the Back Street Heroes and Streetfighter magazines each had a display of about eight or ten custom bikes, all of which pretty much redefined the term eye-catching. Many of the BSH bikes were recognisable from recent issues of the magazine (the chop with a diesel cement-mixer engine is due to be featured soon) and I'm sure that applied to the Streetfighters line-up, in amongst which was a Hayabusa with a suspiciously familiar seat unit - yes it was from a Triumph Speed Triple.
I located the visor demist guy and bought some, but was unable to find a pair of winter gloves that I both liked and could get my hands into. Some XXXL were smaller than other Large sizes! I also thought that £15 for a winter buff was a bit pricey, so I abandoned that idea. After two or three stop-offs at one or other of the bars and another last-minute sandwich it was time to meet up with everybody else at back at the Triumph stand. Andy and Lee Sykes were filling in forms for a test ride of the Rocket III so by the time everyone had convened and taken a last look at the bikes it was about 5:15 p.m. when we walked out... to join a large queue for a shuttle bus back to the car park.
The shuttles soon turned up, the queue moved and we were back in the minibus and on the road by 5:45 p.m. with various purchases tucked into odd spare corners. Good early progress was followed by a succession of hold-ups, which made our likely arrival time in Crayford later and later. Lee Sykes was keeping an eye out for anyone snoozing, with some prank in mind, but no dependable victims were forthcoming. We had another stop at the services and then resumed our journey home, finally pulling in to the McDonalds at around half past nine! As it was cold, dark and wet I decided that trying to find a bus home was too much hassle so I cadged a lift back to Gary's with the intention of calling a cab. To my considerable gratitude, Jackie, who had come out to pick Gary and Matt up, offered me a ride up the A2 once she had dropped the chaps off, and I happily accepted, so before much longer I was tucking into my much-delayed dinner, as I'm sure several others of us were.
Thanks then to Lee Sykes and Neil for providing the transport to Birmingham and to Jackie for the last-minute lift home.