Got quite a distance today. Bristol to Pont a Mousson – between Nancy and Metz. I would have got further but I ran out of fuel – A-GAIN! I kid you not.
Blasting along to toll roads merrily churning out the km’s. I was shifting a bit but hey I was keeping a close eye on the km’s done. Typically 490 to the tank. Fuel gauge still bust remember?
I think I misjudged how many km’s to the tank when on the toll roads. Got to 350 km’s and came to a stop. Great.
So, grabbed my 2 litre fuel tank strapped still to the back – and poured in the contents. I looked at the km’s per litre fuel consumption. 14 l/km. Looked at the sat nav for the distance to the next fuel station. 29 km’s! Oh no.
I had a little think and decided to go for it but take my time and try and conserve fuel. I trundled along the motorway with my hazzards flashing, doing about 50 mph, letting the cars wizz past me. Every car I saw go past, I’d previously seen as I had obviously blasted past them. Sure, they were probably grinning ear to ear after seeing the cock sure Englishman creeping along flashing like a beacon!
I was counting down the km’s one by one as they passed – thinking “well, thats one less I have to walk” as each one clocked up. I was managing to weedle out 24 km/l by the time the petrol station came into view. What a relief but in my mind was there wasn’t exactly 2l of fuel on the little tank – some had been used to top up a stove.
As I rolled down the hill to the pumps – the bike cut out again! I’m not making this up – honest.
Once fuelled up to the brim and spare tank also, I wheeled the bike over to the parking bays. Fuel pouring out the overflow as it heats up – probably from the engine heat. I said hello to three Maltese guys who had travelled to Failand (near Bristol!) to buy an Isuzu 4×4. They were driving back with it now. Unreal. I said I should have put the bike in the back and caught a lift.
One guy had great pleasure in telling me the 51k mile 4×4 was very clean. He showed me the engine to prove it. I was pretty unphased by the events over the past hour and was able to show a keen, polite interest in his new purchase. Anyway, I bid my farewells and set off again in pursuit of a hotel. No tent this time (just to see how I get on).