2012 Irish Rally, Part 2

We traveled to Ireland from sunny California with fears of rain in our heads.  Yes, we are wimps, and don’t ride in the rain here.  But it really isn’t a big deal, as just doesn’t rain much here during our rides.  Like the song says, “it never rains in California”  But a quick trip to see Crystal at Scuderia set us up with water-tight clothes that apparently are magic.  When we wore them, in never rained.  If we took them off during a lunch stop, then it would rain 30minutes later.  So we got into the habit of just wearing them all the time, and saw only very mild rain and misting during our trip.  (except for the last hour on Friday night, when a deluge hit us 20 miles from the hotel.  But that’s another story).    And it was warm, not the frigid north Atlantic breezes that we had expected.  With a  T shirt under a leather coat we were fine for the week.

Katrin at the hotel lunch stop in Glengarriffe. 

 

 

Dave Jolly rode this 1911 Triumph, and earned much respect.  It is a single speed, clutchless belt drive bike.  And he went up and over all the mountain passes, through the tight switchbacks without stopping and killing the motor.

  

 

 

Dave’s flat tank Norton Big 4.  He rode it over from England, including a ferry boat ride of course.  Dave is a loyal member of the K.O.B.I.   –oops.  that’s not Dave’s bike, that is a model 16H from Sheffield.  thanks for the clarification Till.

 

This 25 Guzzi Sport came over from Sicily, Italy.  The rusty finish drew attention at every stop, as did the big gauges and the throaty exhaust note.  These motors are EOI, exhaust over inlet.  A little different from the more typical IOE configuration.

   

But the loudest exhaust was easily coming from this 1939 Moto Guzzi Condor.  I loved hearing him pass, with another red Guzzi following in tight formation. 

  

 

Katrin and Dieter, filling up the oil tank in the little JAP Calthorpe.  This had to be done each morning and each afternoon.  We were glad that the rally organizers had arranged for a truck of free oil to supply everybody from the hotel parking lot each morning.  Yay!

 

 

I was going to caption this “some old greyhair adjusting his belt”  Then I realized the photo was me!

 

 

Another great view.

 

 

Chris’ 1928 Ariel 500.  One of the Black Ariels.

 

 

Another of the 1930s BSAs with the bolt-up frames.  There were several of them at the rally, but I think this was the shiniest example.

 

Dingle Bay.

At the top of Healy Pass.

Another valley, with waterfalls way off in the distance.  I don’t know where this was, but it might have been on Wednesday?   Sunny and warm, but when we crept up and over the top of the pass, the next valley was filled with wet fog and a light drizzle.

 

 

James and Simon at the top of Priest’s Leap.   Reaching the top was quite an achievement.  The road didn’t used to be on the maps, it just winds through some mountains and passes a few sheep and shepherds along the way.  But it is paved, and just wide enough for a car, with numerous false summits and steep sections.  The 1915 Triumph Model H had a clean climb, using 2nd gear most of the time.   But the 1914 BSA had to go down to first gear on some portions of the climb, and overheated for a few minutes before reaching the summit.

 

Kim at Priest’s Leap.

 

  

John Quirke and his 1912 Sun Precision. 

 

Two views of Cathy’s 1929 Triumph CSD.  She was another of the lady riders who have attended the rally for years.   She also rode over from England.

 

Katrin at Ladies’ View.  We stopped there a couple of times, as they seem to have the very best Irish Coffee in this corner of Ireland.  Not too much coffee, not too much whiskey, and made with real cream.  Some shops make it with instant coffee…. 

 

  

Downtown Kenmare.  Many of the towns had buildings painted in varying bright colors. 

 

  

John’s Levis and and Till’s 1937 Indian Chief from Germany. 

I like the color on this little NSU

 

 

   

Another view of that chromed Rudge Ulster.

 

  

An accidental photo of the Triumph Model H at speed.