Another Good Friday - Ride out across England to Wales on Harley Shovelhead Choppers

Set off on my 1967 generator shovelhead to meet Aaron in the Cotswolds. He was riding his 70s shovelhead, and we kicked things off by visiting Jeremy Clarkson’s brewery before checking out a little village called Burton-on-the-Water. Proper scenic spot.

After that, we found a nearby campsite to crack a few beers and build a fire to keep warm. Night didn’t go so smooth for Aaron, though—his blow-up bed wouldn’t hold air. My fancy one from Kilos? No issues at all.

Next morning, we raided the campsite fridge for some leftover breakfast from previous guests and hit the road to Wales to meet Adam on his 1982 FXR shovelhead.

We aimed for this fancy campsite with a great view in Penmaen, but of course, we’d booked the tent pitches all wrong and only had space for one. Only option? Upgrade to glamping for the final night.

Once we found the campsite, we decided to head to a town about 20 minutes away for a few drinks and to find a good spot to hang out. On the way, my headlight decided to give up. A few roadside attempts didn’t sort it, but we managed to get it sorted at a garage before riding back to camp. Once back at camp, it was all about fires, beers, and enjoying the clear night sky.

The next day, I set off early to hit the road back home. But along the way, my oil cap rattled loose, and the horseshoe tank spat oil everywhere, causing the bike to cut out on the motorway. After scarring my head trying to figure it out, I spotted a Shell garage in the distance across a farmer’s field. Feeling like I was in a game of Frogger, I made it to the garage and grabbed whatever oil I could find to fire the bike back up.

It didn’t take long, though, for things to go sideways again. The cheap oil I’d bought was pouring out of a bottom-end gasket that had a small split I’d been putting off fixing for too long. The oil covered my back wheel, making the bike slip a little, and I knew I had to call it a day. Ended up calling recovery and retreating from the ride.

I’ve only known Aaron for just over a year, and this was only the second time meeting Adam (we met at a chopper show this summer), but I can honestly say these guys are solid—true friends for life.