Between the Downs Rally

3rd rally organised by Rocket MCC on 24th June 1983.

I went down to Crawley for this rally less than a week after getting home from the Simmer Dim, but I did go home first. I hadn't yet been introduced to the idea of not going home between rallies.

This was, in fact, the second of six consecutive rally weekends, back when I had sufficient funds to do that. I still had the days in between these two off work, as I thought I would prefer time to recover. As it happens, I also required the time to get the top half of the fairing replaced following the crash a few weeks earlier. This means that the top half of said fairing was now black, instead of the silver, which matched the bike, but at least I could hide from the wind.

Unlike both previous Between The Downs, the weather was quite pleasant, and stayed so for the entire weekend.

The Friday night passed off in a relaxed fashion, with music and beer, and nothing of note happening, unless you count a single pole-climber as noteworthy.

On Saturday, it wasn't sunny, but still quite warm, and I even decided to go on the ride-out. This was well-attended and escorted by a few of West Sussex's finest on their Moto Guzzis, surrounded by the same disgusting-coloured fairing as Hampshire used.

After this, we headed back to site for the games. Again well-attended, (it must be the weather that does this - as well as the massive attendance this weekend), which included a bike tug-of-war/clutch burning contest and an obstacle course on piggyback, the carrier being blindfolded.

Following the organised games, a few impromptu ones took place, including a 'knocking the can off a log with your sidecar' game, with obvious results.

In the evening, more music and beer, with a few topless ladies to ogle at.

On Sunday, the sun came out at last, making the packing up a touch arduous, but the travelling home much nicer.

- Phil (the Spill) Drackley