This is just an idea, I can see some people might baulk at the idea but please hear me out.

Most of us will be taking spares on the tour for our bikes and while we will probably have the more common items that may fail, Sods Law states that it’s the part you don’t have that you will need.

Would it therefore make sense to create a central ‘register’ of spare parts that people have brought to Normandy?

This could/would be a voluntary thing but I’m sure most of us wouldn’t begrudge offering a spare part following a breakdown. Having this information available may just save someone’s Normandy tour should they break down, or at least save them the wait and expense of having a part express shipped from the UK.

Loan, hire or purchase of any required parts would be a matter between the two parties, the list would just enable them to meet each other and discuss.

I’m not sure how this information could be collected, held, rules for accessing the information or even what format it would take.

Again it’s just an idea, what are peoples thoughts?

Gerard

Hi Gerard

Not an easy question.

In general we do help each other on these tours but its better for everyone to organize themselves in advance rather than letting people turn up with the idea that whatever goes wrong someone else will have the answer.

Hopefully everyone is servicing their machines before the tour which means removing and inspecting wheel bearings, replacing worn out tyres chains and brake shoes and generally having a bike that will do 1000 miles without letting you down.

Obviously any component can fail at any time and I will carry a few small bits, but as I'm riding my bike from the ferry to the camp site I won't have room for too much in the way of spares.

And I wouldn't expect someone to supply me with their only spare component if they had bothered to bring it thinking they were going to need it themselves.

Rob

email (option): robmiller11@yahoo.co.uk

I made a similar suggestion a while back and said I would be happy to carry spares over with me in my van from England as long as people got them to me before I travel and on the understanding that they were in a sealed labelled box with the owners details ,phone number and list of parts contained so that if anybody needed a part they could contact the part owner and negotiate with them

I don't think any such list of people with spares can be easily achieved or worthwhile if you are broken down at the roadside. Better the comradery of our group to get you recovered and a shout out for spares at the camp-site. I dare say most of us will bring as many spares and tools as we are able to carry. (obviously more by those who have a support vehicle). Also bring phone numbers of parts suppliers! As I found out on the 65th, a wheel bearing can be Fedex'd to the camp-site within 24 hours.......All be it expensive. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

I agree a comprehensive list would be difficult to achieve and agree it may not even be necessary,but the offer stands if you get your spares to me I will happily brig them,
Nigel

Personally I like to carry my spares (and everything else) with me on the bike...I could, for example, get unlucky and break down on the 140 mile trip to the ferry on this side of the channel..

I can also clearly remember a bike rider at a show near Portsmouth who didn't have a tent...It probably seemed like a good idea at the beginning of his journey to put it in the back of an Army truck (that subsequently broke down)....

I try to be as independent as possible when touring and do what I can to be ready to deal with problems myself...

Saying that though...If there were some additional spares/tools you could take over and above what you would normally carry it could be useful..

The best plan though is to do your preparation at home in the workshop...Apart from the occasional puncture my M20 hasn't broken down at all out on the road for over 15 years (and about 10 Normandy tours...)...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

I take the following..

A selection of nuts and bolts (they do fall off occasionally!)..
A gearchange return spring set..(essential)
A contact breaker set..
A kickstart cotter pin..
An inner tube and tyre soap..
A spark plug.
A head gasket..
A gearbox outer cover gasket..
A tappet cover gasket..
A carb gasket set..
A kickstart return spring..
Headlight and tail light bulbs..
A throttle cable..And the little split cable holder in the throttle drum that often falls out and gets lost when the cable breaks)
An adv/rtd cable..
A clutch cable..
A valve lifter cable..
A chain joining link and half link..(rear and primary)
A spare fuse..
Some wire..
A few cable ties..
A roll of tape..
A small tin of WD 40..
A few pieces of clean rag (usually wrapped around the tools)

That sounds like a lot but most are small items and easily packed...

Also the tools needed to fit/replace/adjust any of the parts above as required...

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Spoke to Peter Long of Cornucopia cycles, and he will be there at the campsite too, and will have some goodies with him, although, he does go there for some hollidaying, and will not set up a stall or anything like that!

Hope this helps,

Lex

email (option): welbike@sameagain.net

Yes I have spoken to Peter on several occasions about this. He is coming for a holiday with push bikes I think. But I have suggested that he loads his van with as many spares as he wants. It might seem mercenary that he is setting up shop at the camp site in the evenings. But it could rescue someone else's holiday.

Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com