NEC 2004

After dragging myself out of bed at 5.30 am, I got ready to leave real early. I wanted to miss any Friday traffic and get to Birmingham on time. I was meeting my brother and my nephew there for our annual pilgrimage. 

All went well; no traffic meant I arrived at 8.30, plenty of time for brekkie with my Bruv and nephew. I sold the spare ticket I had and was through the turnstile at two minutes past 9.00. Now that’s what I call enthusiastic. 

I have spent loads this year at many of the events and so it was good to simply wander around and enjoy the atmosphere. I stopped off at the VSOC stand to hand in the rally flyers I had brought with me and had a chat with Ian Murfit from South London, who was manning the stand. 

Distracted, quite happily, by the volume of beautiful girls drapped over bikes, sat in hot tubs and posing for pictures, we sauntered around the show. I must admit to being a little dissappointed that there were very few new bikes to get excited about, but the Rocket 3 still got my wallet twitching. I wonder how long it will be before I cave in and buy one!

The MT01, I thought, looked as though it should be on the film set of Teminator! A bit plastic for my taste and no chrome…! Whats going on!

Harley did their usual stuff including the fashion show, which is always worth a look, and I must admit to feeling very comfortable on the Road King. Royal Enfield always gets a visit, I love those bikes and they are so cheap! One bloke stopped to ask if was on the Enduro – India last year? I was very good and told the chap No, even though I had thought at first that I would spoof him and pretend to be a touring veteren.

What do you all think of the food up there? I think it’s crap considering the cost, and the coffee was rubbish; anyway, other bikes of note were BMW’s big tourers, pro Honda Goldwing Trikes and the custom section where there were a load of beautiful individual machines with fantastic paint jobs, and more girls!

 I do wish they wouldn’t have all those gorgeous girls wandering around with hardly any cloths on, it really spoils the show and distracts you from the bikes! 

Because of them we had a really terrible day out………………..NOT!

 I enclose one or two pictures for your interest and eagerly look forward to next spring and the fantastic host of events that being a member of VSOC provides for us to attend. This is a great club isn’t it?

Big Rog!