This is part of the fifteenth section of our around the world trip.
Complete Trip Overview & Map

Coming from France or read our previous visit to the United Kingdom   

24/10/09 The ferry arrived to thick fog and rain but it soon cleared as we headed around the south of London on the M20, then the M25 was slow again, like most times we have been travelling on it, stop start, no accidents, just volume of traffic on a Saturday. Went straight to the Thames Valley Harley-Davidson shop, who will be looking after our motorcycle when we are back in Australia, and met up with the local HOG Chapter's Saturday afternoon coffee session, and ended up chatting with them for most of the afternoon.

25/10/09 A last repack of what is staying and what we are taking home after the six and a half months in Europe, and just winding down at the Etap Hotel in Beaconsfield.

26/10/09 We were again at the Thames Valley H-D shop early morning and on closer inspection of our old engine, in pieces on the work bench, we could see many problems with rebuilding it. The oil pump drive cog that failed in Germany earlier in the year seemed to have dispersed broken metal pieces into the oil scavenger area and into the main bearing causing its failure. But there were other problems, a small crack in the casings near the cam bearing, a crack in one of the heads near the valve guides, and another casing crack on the primary side casing. All the bearings and bushings would need to be replaced, a new oil pump, and ultimately, would the engine be reliable enough to continue with its trip? We had been thinking of options for the last week since receiving the report on the engine, and had decided that even if it was not repairable to be reliable, we would still like it repaired. The casing and head cracks could be welded and machined, and the cylinders honed, so that most components would remain original. This engine, along with the rest of our motorcycle, is still the only vehicle to have been ridden in every country of the world, and as the world is still creating new countries, fairly regularly, it would seem fitting for it to have the opportunity to visit any new countries that are created, using the original engine. Hopefully the Harley-Davidson Company might have a similar view and assist with the necessary repairs, and as we flew out of the UK for Australia, we left that decision with them.   

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