On Wednesday 23rd September, a few of us headed out for an evening ride to the Great Bentley Bike Meet.
Hazard took the lead for the evening, although rather than heading straight there, he took us on a slightly more scenic route via Ten Penny Pier in Harwich. We stopped there for a quick wander and a look around before getting back on the bikes and continuing towards Great Bentley.
Laptop joined us on the ride aboard his Ninja 400, although the little Ninja occasionally seemed to forget that Kawasaki gave it a top speed somewhere around 116–123mph. This resulted in a fair few radio messages along the lines of “Where’s Dave?” and “Keep up, Dave” throughout the evening.
Smasher’s bike also decided it wanted some attention. Partway through the ride it developed an increasingly noticeable squeak, followed later by some unwanted vibrations through the steering. Thankfully, he managed to get it home safely, but the early diagnosis is a likely front wheel bearing issue. As a result, Smasher and his bike are now officially grounded until it goes in for repair next month.
When we eventually arrived at Great Bentley, there was a brilliant selection of bikes filling the green and plenty to have a look around.
We also met the owner of The Phoenix Cake Company, who happened to have a Phoenix tattoo across her back. It seems that wherever Phoenix 99 goes, some sort of Phoenix connection manages to find us.
Laptop and Smasher then sampled the local cuisine with a very respectable pizza from one of the food vans, before spending some time watching the bikes arriving and wandering around the green to see what had turned up.
With food eaten, bikes admired and enough miles covered for one evening, it was time for a straightforward ride home and a well-earned chance to put our feet up.
Another good evening out with Phoenix 99, even if one motorcycle did decide to leave with a repair bill.
