I was going to leave a quick report after last years rally, but a computer crash and some other things sort of got in the way, but at last, here is a brief report from this year.
Skåne Runt is a two day rally in the south of Sweden,24-25 Aug, for motorcycles made 1945 and older, about 500km along small winding roads both along the coast and through Skåne, wich is the southernmost "county" of Sweden. Last year was the 100th rally since start, but i think it has been a vintage motorcycle rally about 40 years. I rode last year for the first time, on my "civilised" 1942 M20 together with my friend Jonas on his RAF M20, and it was a great experience, about 200 bikes in total.
Since i was quite happy with how my M20 turned out in civvy colours, i decided to get another to have in military spec, so i bought a decent 1940 M20 last autumn and slowly started to fix it. Another friend was keen to come along this year, so i said he could use my 42 and i'd fix my 40 to the event.
But time was running out, this was the 1940 bike two weeks before the rally.
So it was two weeks of late nights in the garage, and late nights at work using the sandblasting and paint box etc. On the friday just before we loaded the bikes and drove down to Skåne, i managed the first test drive around the block 
Down at Jonas place, some more tinkering, and after a few beers painting the markings and other details. Since i am also very interested in old planes, it had to be a RAF bike, even if it means stretching things a bit having a 1940 bike painted blue with panniers etc, but i can live with that...
We managed to find the time to visit a crashsite close by, were a Halifax crashed that very night exactly 70 years before (428 Sqn Halifax Mk V DK267, W.O. Sgt C.E.Crampton KIA) A very moving moment to be there and see the place in person at that time. We hope to visit the grave of Sgt Crampton next year.
Next morning, up early, load all gear on the bikes and away! I was a bit nervous of how far i would get on my very untried bike... lost a bolt and a nut on the way to the start, i thought "now it starts to fall apart" but we made it. Here is a photo after having ridden a bit and had breakfast at the old Saxtorp race track. (Thanks for the helmet Sven!)
Bike kept on running and starting, ran a bit rich and some clutch adjustment needed, but i was a very happy rider! We lost Jonas nice teamug, but managed to find it, then lost his rear light, did not find it, then we had to ask Sulan, who was the leader and map-reader, on hís 1933 REX OHV, to slow down a bit,or we would have no parts left on the M20's. Here is after finishing the first days stretch, mostly around the coast of Skåne from one side to the other, finishing at Åhus:
Jonas to the right, Henrik behind with my civvy M20, Sulan left back with his REX, and me behind the aptly named "Smokerings" (really after a famous swedish radioman who did some 1000 programes about 20's to 40's swing music, a lot of wich were listened to in the garage while fixing, but the bike turned out to smoke a bit during the rally probably due to a somewhat modified main jet
Four quite happy, exhausted and thirsty riders, halfway through the rally. A great dinner was held there that night, and the traditional midnight dip in the ocean was also performed, with screams, as it was cold as hell, dispite some efforts of internal frost-protection
Next morning, a very exiting part of the rally, "cold start within 30 seconds on bike untouched since last night" was performed, some nervous faces, but we made it! Then back in the saddle, for the trip across Skåne's interior back to the start/finish at Örenäs castle.
We had some minor issues, all fixed roadside, and got back to the finish just in time for the price-seremony. Jonas got a price for finishing 5th in our class, and best placed BSA, and best placed Military Bike, so 3 prices in all, Sulan on the REX was third in his class, great show!
A bit later, after a total of 580km, we were back at Jonas place and started to pack for the trip back to Göteborg. A great rally, well organized, great roads and weather, nice food and lot of interesting bikes and riders.
I met a very nice fellow, who said he used to work for a company in Malmö, wich imported M20's in the late 40's from GB, and for some import reason they were inported as junk, then stripped to pieces, fixed, painted and put back together and sold. He said they had to go down to the docks and bribe the crane operators, otherwise they unloaded the bikes as junk and dropped them rather hard from the ship If he remebered correctly, they sold them for around 1350 SEK, wich is about £120. Perhaps one, or both of mine came that way. This nice fellow, age 85!, rode his 1939 DKW NZ to a succesfull finish, very impressive!
If anyone is interested in experiencing a bit of Sweden, i recomend Skåne Runt 2014! We're doing it again if we can!
Now that the shake-down cruise is done, perhaps time to start thinking about Normandie next year then!
All the best!
email (option): jerry.carlsson(at)sspa.se
Very nice Jerry!
Good weather too.
It's nice to see that you use the helmet what it's made for.
Regarding Normandy; pm me to see if we can arrange something to catch up or stay at the same place.
Regards,
Sven
email (option): snvosselman@gmail.com