Next day I contacted AMT in Newhaven & booked a test for 27th June. The receptionist was very helpful taking all my details and on telling her my UK address stated you do know where we are?
Yes replies I ,I shall be riding up from France
OK says she intrigued we open at 8am.
No problem I replied I will be the bleary eyed mess waiting on the forecourt as my ferry docks at 5am.
We can't guarantee a time says she, not an issue I replied my return ferry leaves at 5pm
What if it doesn't pass the MOT she causally asks
That's NOT AN OPTION I reply
So time moves on and Monday I wheel the Suzuki Address 110 out of the barn, pump up the tyres, check fluids & add luggage. 30 litre top box a tad to small, so the 48 litre goes on making it arse end heavy (and that's just the rider)
Tuesday as UK weather looks grim I unpack the jet boil,mess tuns & all luxuries and pack waterproofs,thermals & jumpers
2 five litre Aspen fuel bottles are my reserve one only half full to save weight.
At 10.15 today (Wednesday) I leave Airvault (region 79 Deux Sevres) and have a plotted route avoiding all major roads to Dieppe.
10 hours later (with stops) I sit in a harbour side cafe sipping espresso writing the first part of this post.
Conclusions today Aspen fuel is so clean the scoot drinks it like an Irishman necking Guinness on St Patrick's day & I achieve 66 miles though to be fair the needle showed a full tank & visually looked brimmed but within a very short time the needle dropped by a third. The scoot has been sitting for nearly 3 months
Two fill ups later (5.1 litre tank according to manual) I appear to average 110 mpg not bad for fully loaded and my fat arse astride.
Final fill from the jerry can outside Dieppe.
I also noticed E10 gets dearer the further north I get ranging from €1.79 litre to €1.88 at supermarket prices
I got two bug strikes to my lid that would have done Starship Troopers proud.
The knee night support cushion I mentioned in another post worked well my sciatica not seeming an issue yet (age has robbed me of arse fat & put it on my belly) my left shoulder gripes a tad. We shall revisit mobility tomorrow
The French do love a Route Barree and Deviation this time of year & it's the only time I've kept up with a Beemer 1250RT as his twat nav was as crap as mine (who'd have thought you would go against the signs and turn up a dirt track to MaccyD to get back on route
I'm still playing with disposable jerry cans on long trips & am yet to find an ad blue container with cap but I today used an ad blue funnel which works with the aspen bottles but ad blue seems to leave a crystal deposit on the funnel (guessing the urea content) which needed banging & brushing out to he sure none went in my fuel (though I doubt a small amount would hurt much but....)
Total mileage so far today 278.
Let's hope MaccyD at Newhaven is 24 hour & I can walk in about 6am and grab some Z's
When called it's £101 for four hours kip (normally £35 when booking)