Caldarium Egg Run
  After my recent problems with bikes in general I thought I'd ride the V-Max today in the hope that a decent, non motorway ride might just scrub in the new set of tyres which have been giving me so much grief. We awoke to a beautiful morning, much to our surprise and contrary to our expectations, and after popping out to buy Easter Eggs and a few cans of petrol for the bikes, we were off to the Elly.

I was just about to say to Arl, "Well it looks like just you and me girl" when I heard the thunderous roar of Chris's bike. Now after the recent trouble with his Flux Capacitor, which recalibrated his Time Space Continuum, Chris actually thought he was on the Spinakker Tower Ride Out but he settled for an Egg Run none the less.

We arrived at a deserted Lambert Arms where Arl jokingly called out to the lady sweeping and cleaning the outside seating area, "Doing any teas and coffees?". To which she replied, "No, sorry, this is our last day ....... we close tonight". I said "So why are you cleaning?" She stopped, looked up, frowned, surveyed the scene and said "Routine". A second later she had picked up her cloths and brush and disappeared inside leaving the rest of the tables as they were. I guess the reality had finally hit home.

With no one else coming out to play we set off to The General Elliot and were soon having a cup of tea with our Caldarium friends. Keith and Di joined us having had an eventful morning of work and punctures, and at half twelve we were off to the first of the Hospices. The pack of I guess around 100 bikes was brilliantly Marshalled by their 'Canaries' in their own inimitable fashion (A little more forthright than VSOC) and soon the A34 traffic was calm and compliant !!!

Chatting to the kids and the parents at these places is always a delight but there is always an underlying sadness about it. After an hour or so, gifts and eggs distributed it was off to the next one. The route was about ten miles of twisty country lanes so if my tyres aren't bedded in now, then I'm afraid they'll have to go.

It was after this visit that Arlene discovered she had lost the remote key fob for her bike from around her neck. Panic stations as others prepared to depart on the next leg of the ride. By this time the rain had started and we were all getting short of fuel. Fortunately I always carry a spare set of keys for each bike as a precaution following an unfortunate event at a Yorkies rally about 10 years ago. We then decide we would call it a day and leave the ride out. We were to follow Keith back to civilisation. Off we went and soon a Petrol Station came into view. I flashed and signalled to Keith that we would pull in for fuel. Keith sailed merrily on. We refuelled and waited for his return. After several minutes we all waved as he sailed back past us and off into the distance. We waited. We waited some more, and we waited a bit longer. Then just as we were thinking he had got lost, he suddenly re-appeared, and we were off again to find somewhere recognisable to us Berkshire folk.

We said our goodbyes and Arl, Chris and I set off towards Reading. At Benson Arl and I stopped for a cuppa but Chris decided to make tracks. Fully refreshed we took to the road for the final leg and just after Twyford Arl came on the inter-com to say I've got a message on my speedo saying "Side Stand". " What ?????  do you want to stop?". "Yes as soon as you can".  We pulled over and I took a look. Sure enough, like the newsflash sign at Piccadilly Circus, there was a message saying "Side Stand" scrolling across the mileage window. Just then the engine warning light came on.!. We killed the engine and I turned on the hazzard lights .... well at least the front ones, the back ones would not work !!   Aaaaarrrrhhgggghh!.  I called Harley Davidson and our friend Russ diagnosed a fault on the side stand switch. Now this came as a surprise as we didn't know it had one. I have ridden off on that bike with the stand down! Assured that the engine warning light was only telling us there was a fault on the bike, we got geared up to get moving again. BUT, every time Arl put it in gear the engine cut. Bizzar. The fault meant that the bike was now doing what it should have been doing all along, but now it was doing it when the side stand was up !!!   A bit of percussive maintenance and we were off home, very tired, very wet, but content of a good day out despite the hiccups, and low and behold, there on the hall table was Arl's key fob !!!!