Ian & Ady's bike trip to the Isle of Man

1. Sunday - Pub night, Ian & Ady agree to arrange the trip.

2. Tuesday Jan 25th - After a brief chat, followed by a drunken phone call at 11pm, it is agreed that we will book the trip the following day.

3. The deed is done, 2 non-refundable Sea Cat tickets are purchased for the second week in May.

4. The pressure is now on, for Ian to get his TZR 250 Import ready and MOT'ed, and Ady to get his CBR 600 ready and MOT'ed.

5. We explain what we've done to our Wives...

6. & 7. Recovering after No. 5

8. The proposed route for the trip

ENGLAND

BELPER - A517 - ASHBOURNE
ASHBOURNE - A52 / A523 - LEEK
NR. BOSLEY - A54 - CONGLETON
CONGLETON - A54 - MIDDLEWICH
MIDDLEWICH - A533 - RUNCORN
RUNSCORN - (WEST BANK) - A562 - ALBERT DOCK

TOTAL MILAGE: 68 MILES

ISLE OF MAN

DOUGLAS - A23 - CROSBY
CROSBY - A1 - PEEL
PEEL - A4 - KIRK MICHEAL

TOTAL MILAGE: 15 MILES

9. Recieve Call from Ian to say his bike has passed it's M.O.T. (1 down, 1 to go), well done mate!

10. Ady finishes his bike and calls the local mechanic to collect it for some minor pre-M.O.T. work. (fingers crossed!)

11. Ian & Ady discuss bed & breakfast options as the tent may be to big to take on the back of the bike.

12. After much calling around and bartering with the manx folk, we finally settle for a pre-errected tent with kitchen and beds at a total cost of 30 quid each for the whole weekend.

13. 1st April, Ady calls in at the local Mr fix-it to see how his pre-mot inpection is going, great news, the bikes going for it's MOT today!

14. 4th April, Ady returns from a weekend break to find his local Mr fix-it's workshop has been broken into and the bastards have nicked several key items from the bike i.e. the tank etc. and generally kicked it around a bit.

15. 4th April after a pint, Ady purchases several replacment components from a top local breaker, courtsey of Mr fix-it who kindly offered to foot the bill due to the break in, nice one Mr fix-it.

16. 4th April, Ady explains the bad news to Ian but assures the bike will be ready in time, (fingers crossed)

NOTE: To the low-life cow shaggers that butchered my bike and Mr Fix-it's workshop, kiss my fucking arse you nancy boys, cause while your selling my parts to get smacked up! - I'll be still be off to the IOM, and when me and me good mate Ian are crusing the TT circuit, I hope you'll be fucking dying of cancer of the bollocks you gay mother fuckers!!!!!. Cheers, Ady. PS. Thanks Mr Fix-it for being a top bloke and offering to cover the cost of the parts with out me even asking and recommending a top breaker who had everything required in stock.

17. Ian discovers his TZR has only been firing on one cylinder, after much tinkering he discovers the power of running the bike on both it's cylinders, hold on mate! and make friends with the brake pedal!

18. Ady gets a phone call from Mr Fix-It to say that his bike has passed its MOT, MINT!!!!, "however Ady" - he says - "unfortunately the MOT station gave me the bike back claiming that although it passed, they couldn't get it started again after the test". So basically I get an MOT certificate for a bike that don't work - Fucking Great!!! - I'll fly to the sodding IOM on my MOT certificate - it'll be like a magical bloody carpet!!

19. Ady phones Ian to explain that he's one step closer to getting to the IOM. After shelling out for a full set of new spark plugs because Mr Fix-it said all 4 plugs have failed and non of the cyclinders are getting a spark, Ady waits for more news on the bike. (PS: Any one else out there ever have all 4 plugs pack up? - every one tells me it's a first!)

20. Ady gets a call from Mr-Fix (who's now on my friends and family list with BT) - to say that the bike has fired up and is running, just in time for the trip in a week. For the pleasure of servicing my bike Mr Fix-it presents me with a bill of 265.00 for his trouble!!!!

21. Ian helps Ady gets up from the floor after passing out, following much bartering Ady bargins Mr Fix-it down to 200 uk pounds for his efforts - then promptly calls his mother to lend him some dosh and get him out the shit!! - Thanks mum!

22. Ian & Ady discuss the above events over several pints down the local pub, courtesy of Ian as Ady is now more broke than his bike has ever been.

23. Ian & Ady take both bikes out on a ride to MFN (Middle of Fucking Nowhere) in Shipley, and although both bikes are running very well, Ady sees fit to test out his R&G crash protects when he trys to turn the bike around right angles and falls flat on his ass - (It's amazing how hard it is to pick up a 600cc CBR on your own in the middle of the road - fucking embarrassing too!!!).

24. With the his crash protectors worn in, and his wallet worn out, Ady chases Ian's lightening fast TZR around several sharpe bends, and although the CBR is probably faster when it comes to top speed, Ian certainly proves that the TZR has far superior handling and acceleration and can be thrown in and out any bend with ease.

25. So with 2 bikes on the road, 2 MOT certificates at home, 2 tax discs on the bikes, and 2 blokes ready to ride, LOOK OUT IOM THE BELPER BOYS ARE ON THERE WAY...!!!!

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES & MOVIES FROM THE IOM TRIP

More details to follow as the story progresses, photo's will be uploaded at the end of this page, on our return.