When I got back the rear tyre was completely knackered down the centreline, the victim of high speed on all those straight French roads and UK motorways. This was to be expected.
Yesterday I decided to wash all the accumulated cr*p off the bike. Sticking the wash brush onto the rear wheel I discovered that my chain had about 4" of slack in it - enough to rattle around on the surrounding exhaust, bodywork etc.
The tension was OK when I left, as I lubed up the chain on the last day, so all the stretch had occurred in the 2000 miles of the trip. Now this may seem obvious to the mechanically minded amongst you, but for me, to lose so much chain tension in a week's riding was a big surprise.
The message is to check your chain on a regular basis.
ps One thing I didn't mention in my France report. Pulled up in my nearest village, Rosans, for a beer and what should be parked there but - an identical turquoise Storm! The owner, from Marseille,said he hadn't seen one the same. Small world.
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