Back in 2001 I was invited to attend the event held at the Montlhéry circuit to the south of Paris.
So one Friday we set off, Claire and me aboard the Kettle for the relatively short run to Paris, it's about 199 miles. We took the A26/A1 route from the Channel.
I chose a Campanile hotel at Porte de Bagnolet, although those in cities were called Campaville at the time.
This one was within easy access to the city on the metro. Parking was a bit crap as it was a multi-storey building. The problem was getting in and out through the barrier and no marked bike spaces.
Once checked in we set off for the city on the metro line a few hundred metres away. It was also close to the Boulevard Périphérique.
We had a good wander around the sights like the Eiffel Tower etc. Had a meal and then back to the hotel.
After breakfast on Saturday we togged up and checked the maps to Montlhéry. A mere 35kms or so from the hotel.
It was an easy run on the Périphérique and then follow the signs. We had the paperwork/tickets and a sticker on the screen to get us in. We eventually found the French GT club and parked up.
After a chat with the members we had a walk to get some coffee!
We met the WBC and had a chat and a drink before having a walk around the site and watched some of the bikes taking to the banked circuit. My bike was too young to be able to have a parade lap.
They go on the registration date not the manufacture date. Mine was registered April 1977 and so was deemed too recent. Maybe I will try again in 2021 or 2022 when it is old enough!
On the walk there were a good few Kettles. I managed not to take one of my own bike, and the other film I used up on the on-track activities and the WBC stand appear to have all disappeared.
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| WBC Reimo GT750 |
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| I think the Sheene RG is ridden by Alan Cathcart? |
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| Pol Apolon |
Once we had had enough of the event, we bade our goodbyes and I ignored the comments from Pol that we would be lucky to get home on my Kettle (!). Claire remembers those comments. As we will see later they may have been right.
We had another night in the Campanile and would ride home on Sunday.
Sunday
After another leisurely breakfast we set off home.
I filled the tank locally and off we went. I expected given the range of the Kettle that we would need to stop again on the A26 to fill up again.
On the A1 northbound we had one of those moments where even though we had not gone that far and we were in the inside lane, the bike lost power.
We had barely got much past the turn off to Parc Asterix.
I indicated and pulled onto the emergency lane/hard shoulder. Turning the fuel tap to reserve seemed to work.
We picked up speed again and so I regained the inside lane and we stopped at the next services. Loads of oil in the tank and about half a tank of fuel. I filled up there anyway to save stopping again.
There was always that niggle in the back of my head that there was something wrong!
We got home okay though after that and the bike continued to run well until I allowed it to fester in the back of the garage.
Hence the Renaissance title to this blog.
Update
Since finishing the blog post I have posted on the Suzuki Triple Club a post to see if I can identify my French friend.
And we have a name - Pol Appolon. The reply was from Jacques Massé who has a site called "La Bouillotte".
Jacques also sent a better photo of the day. Mine has been cropped but this one shows the bike much better.
