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With just 2 weeks left before I'm due on the overnight ferry from Plymouth everything is nearly in place. The bike is running ok and the time has come for me to start treating it with a little more respect for it's age and stay within it's stress limits. Bother.

Last weekend was spent fiddling with the front sidecar fixings to raise the back end a little to stop it scraping on the ground. With a lot of head scratching, assorted bricks, scraps of wood, borrowed spanners and a measure of BFI*, the solution emerged as a relatively simple matter of twisting various brackets to push the front end of the sidecar downwards by a very small amount. This had the effect of raising the back end enough to stay clear of the ground on all but the bumpiest of surfaces.

A week later and everything seems to be pretty much in the same place as when I had tightened it all up. Some, more mountainous, speed bumps still give rise to the tell-tale graunch of metal on asphalt - unless I angle my approach slightly to take the more severe ones obliquely.

I took one last long run to satisfy myself nothing else is on the cusp of breaking, seizing, slipping or falling off. Glad I did, because it didn't sound happy the following day. I admit to running it at full belt for maybe a lot longer than I should, and I have to learn that I can't expect to do this without consequences.

Yesterday was pre-tour oil change day anyway, and I took the opportunity to check over general adjustments. The exhaust tappets had closed again. No wonder it wasn't sounding happy. It doesn't make sense to me, unless the valve seats I had fitted not so many miles ago aren't up to the job, but even then I would have thought it would take longer than that for the valves to work their way back into the head.

I have decided that in the short term I simply have to run the engine more respectfully, which won't be difficult on my trip as I will be avoiding long streches on autoroutes, and will only need to cover 200-300 miles per day. There will be no need to rush and plenty of lovely scenery to enjoy at a leisurely pace.

A further potential disaster in waiting became apparent yesterday. The upper left hand spark plug was loose - not a major problem except on closer inspection it was bringing the collar insert with it that had been fitted as a repair for the previously stripped thread in the head. The insert itself was threaded, so I gingerly tightened it as much as I dare. Luckily it seemed to go up fairly tight, but it will be something I must keep an eye on. I dare not try to remove the plug because it is going to bring the collar with it, so I will have to be in a position to take the bike off the road for a while if it turns out that the head needs further attention.

I have the feeling it will come to that eventually, but in the meantime it is a calculated risk that I won't need to remove the plug while in France. They are new this year so shouldn't be a problem.

The front brake is now bedding in nicely, especially since I realigned the front wheel in the forks again.

And I have fitted a nearside mirror so I will have an offside one in France - being really sensible now that the time is getting near.

That's about it for now. I was going to do a separate entry about the route I shall take, but it is essentially:

- south from Roscoff as far as poss or until I get fed up (2-3 days)
- turn left and go west until I get to Cannes or thereabouts (2-3 days)
- hang around there for a few days, meet up with friends unless I get lost, delayed, or distracted beforehand
- return by a different route (5 days)

I'm even thinking of not bothering to take a map - mmm - but that would be stupid - it is an idea though...

More next week I hope

*BFI - Brute force and ignorance.