Page 81 - 100% Biker (January 2020)

Spike and his Shovelhead at one of the Hasse and Caprice return to the Norrtälje show –
most famous custom shows in the world. this time with Hasse’s children, Linnea and Calle.

And this is where it
all started. This was the wood stove to dry our stuff for the morning as we were
Caprice when we first leaving for Trelleborg the following day. Next morning the
saw pictures of her. We
never thought that, over sun was out properly, so we ate breakfast and drank loads of
thirty years later, we coffee before prepping the bikes for the 600-kilometre blast
would be riding along- to the first ferry. This place felt like home and, as much as we
side this bike. What a
trip this has been. looked forward to the ride back, neither of us wanted to leave.
As soon as we were ready to roll, Hasse led us out to main
road and I made a point of glancing back at the Station where
the Saltire flag we brought with us waved goodbye from a tall
pole. A couple of hours later my bike went bad again. Too far
from Ervalla for quick help and still a long way from our ferry,
I made the call for recovery and sent Bob onward as it was
better that one made it than none. This was the start of a long
day of waiting, broken by many offers of help from passers-by.
I spent the day and most of the night there waiting on recovery
so when the guy did turn up, I politely told him in very thick
Scots to keep on going. I had already contacted Hasse who
hooked up his trailer and was on his way to get me. It seemed
my Shovel didn’t want to leave either or maybe she overheard
me talking about fitting some long tubes on her again.
Meanwhile Bob had made it to Trelleborg by the skin of
his teeth. We have both done many miles riding alone so his
solitary ride back across Germany was no big deal—except for
the day of the show saw warm weather, then rain, then sun. the Monday traffic which was chaotic all the way to the Dutch
But when Hasse, Chresten (another Dane), Bob and I left border, but his Shovel outfit made it without any problems.
Norrtälje, the rain really hammered down. We had around I got a cheap flight out of Gothenburg next day and set
250 kilometres to ride back to Ervalla where Danish friends about getting insurance to ship the bike back which turned
of Hasse’s were waiting and hopefully cooking! out to not be as straightforward as I’d hoped but, thanks to
In the open flat land, the Swedish rain fell as straight as Katy B of AXA Breakdown, everything was organised and
nails on us and our fenderless rides. Around 90 kilometres the Shovel on its way back, including spare parts to fix her
from Ervalla we managed to lose Bob and Hasse and then from Snake’s place.
I lost Chresten, so I pulled off in Vasteras. Man, I was so Now that I am back home on the west coast of Scotland,
cold and wet and couldn’t care less that I was parked in I wonder what went bad in my motor? Personally, I think
Pizza Hut’s car park with diners staring at me. I had to get a lifter may have collapsed. Before the trip I had converted
dry. I had some dry clothes in my bag on the sissy bar so I Evo hydraulic lifters to solids and fitted them along with the
stripped down and squeezed into those clothes, ignoring the Evo blocks to my Delkron cases, so if anything is to blame
patrons coming and going. Put it this way, they got more than it is only human error and not the trusty stroker. Bob too
peperoni to look at... got home safely—albeit a bit wet when he was greeted with
Finally we all found each other again and we were back at some real Scottish rain. For now, we’re both getting our
Hasse’s where all the guys had hot food, Danish lager and Shovels ready for the next trip, for our next big adventure! p

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