DieselBike.net 2009 British Diesel Motorcycle Rally Page

Details for the 2009 British Diesel Motorcycle Rally.

THE BIG KNOCK

returns to the

BAT & BALL

I am pleased to announce that the 2009 British Diesel Motorcycle Rally is all set for Friday 29th and Saturday 30th May at the Bat & Ball. You are welcome to come Thursday or earlier.

RALLY NEWS: LATEST: The latest is that we are to be in the field next to the access road. Please pay over the bar for your camping giving your reg No. and let the landlord know whether you will want a breakfast the following morning. See you there!

This event is FREE and open to all who wish to attend.

If you own a Diesel Motorcycle please try and make the effort to attend as this is the only event of its kind in the U.K.

Camping costs will be £5 a night for both bikes and cars with caravan dearer. Most bikes will be gone by Sunday lunch.

Please note we will not have a band playing this year unfortunately. BSH have reused the diary from last year which is misleading.

The Bat and Ball Public House is situated at Newpound, Wisborough Green, Billingshurst, West Sussex, RH14 0EH. (B2133). Telephone: 01403 700313. See below for Maps and site photos.

Anyone wishing to come earlier is welcome to do so. Let me know and I will come say hello. I will bring some wood for everyone to rest the motorcycle side stands on and make sure a bin is available for the rubbish.

This is a small event so don't come thinking there will be many Diesel Bikes. This is a minority thing - at the moment...The British Rally, as was found in 2006, acts as a good feeder to the more established German Rally. Several British riders made the effort and arrived in Hamm for this weekend again in 2007. Well done those men! This is a good starting point for anyone willing to get into the scene. The 2009 Hamm Rally is in early September see www.dieselkrad.info

Contact: Please spread the word and if you own a Diesel Motorbike and plan to come. Obviously, as I said, this is a minority thing and I have no way of telling how many bikes will turn up but I shall be putting the word out and placing a few adverts. Feel free to come and look. You can phone me, Stuart, on 07763 305967 or Email me here.

All the visiting bikes may not be present on site at any one time due to Saturday runout.

The aim is for an informal weekend which will most probably consist of a ride out sometime Saturday for a few hours to a local place of interest and hopefully plenty of talk concerning things mechanical. This year we aim to ride to somewhere we havn't visited yet, Newlands Corner. Visible both here and here. But things may change on the day.

Local Attractions: For those arriving early and those wishing to ride out from the Rally to site-see, I include the following local sites. Amberley Working Museum, Arundel Castle, Bluebell Railway, Sussex Past, Weald & Downland Museum, Horsham Homepage, Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, Bury Hill. Or you may wish to visit the local town of Horsham to see it's historic Causway here.

Internet Access: Horsham Town Centre has a Public Terminal at its centre in the Carfax close to the bandstand.

If it's anything like the German Rally you'll find no bikes come late Sunday. I expect the busiest time to be Friday night and all day Saturday. Most bikes will be gone by Sunday lunchtime.

Apart from camping, there is a Travelodge locally between Five Oaks and Billingshurst on Stane Street. They can be contacted on 0870 085 0950 or book online through the link. Those travelling from the continent should realise the cost of Bed & Breakfast accomodation is very expensive in this part of the U.K. You have been warned!

Directions: Firstly aim for Crawley/Gatwick Airport (M23) in West Sussex from the M25 London Ring road, Then Horsham on the A264. Take the Northern Bypass A264 over Horsham and turn left at the Dorking roundabout onto the A264 Worthing Road. Go straight over roundabout. After .5 km turn off up the dual carragway slip way for BroadBridge Heath (turn right here towards Services) and take the Five Oaks Road left before garage, which is the A264 (A29) (sign posted for Bognor Regis).Go down Broadbridge Heath bypass and turn left. This will get you to the A29 at Five Oaks. Go South on this old Roman Road (Stane Street) until you reach Billingshurst bypass roundabout. Go right and (under bridge) until mini roundabout and take A272. (Note camping sign is for Fishers Farm Park and NOT Bat & Ball but they are close.) Go West until B2133 sign is seen to Newpound. Turn right (north) and the Bat and Ball is up here on the left. If you are coming from the Continent I would advise you travel via the motorway to the M25 and then down to Gatwick as the coast roads are very busy with traffic!

Positioning: Could I ask that people bringing Diesel Bikes position them appropriately so that anyone walking past can view them without falling over tent ropes and such. An information sheet is always a help here (stuck on a stick). In the same vein maybe petrol bikes (and 4 wheel vehicles) could be parked further back out of the way? I'd appreciate it if you could set up your tent without disturbing anyone elses bike. If you are bringing a Diesel Bike please be aware that you might be asked a question or two by the often curious general public!

If you come from Billingshurst you should cross the bridge in the background and turn right to Newpound as directed. The Pub itself will be seen on the left, set back from the main road.