The Infamous Dragon Rally - 2024

This is the second time I have attended the Dragon Rally in Wales, and I yet again not disappointed !
As an added bonus I managed to squeeze in the Barmouth Bridge too!
🖤💙🚑💙🖤
#royalenfield #himalayan #royalenfieldhimalayan #paramediclife #restdayrider #bikerchick #bikersofinstagram #ladybikers
#motorcyclecamping #motovlog #womanrider #womenthatride #moto #motorcycletravel #bikelife #enfield #thisgirlcan #motorcycle #bikergirl #womanmotovlogger #motorcycletravel #swindonbiker #swindonladybiker #adventurebiker #dji #djiosmopocket3 #dragonrally #dragonrally2024 #barmouthbridge #bikemeet

[@tonycamplin8607]

Glad to see that the Dragon is still on. My how different it is from when I did mine, not a fleck of snow or ice. I went on the rally in 1963, the worst winter ever, and again in 1964 which was also very snowy up there. No camping back then you had to sleep in the castle, it was bitterly cold. I travelled from Surrey in more or less continuous blizzards in '63, '64 was a bit better but there was still a lot of snow in N Wales. Was on a 250 James the first time and a MSS Velocette the second, still have the badges.

[@restdayrider]

I bet that was an amazing adventure! I think maybe health and safety means that have to have certain provisions now. 😂

[@tonycamplin8607]

@restdayrider There was no such things as h&s back then, or "is your journey really necessary"!! Back in 1963, the second Dragon, it made all the national paper's headlines and was on all the wireless news programmes. Happy days?

[@niallwildwoode7373]

Really worth the watch. I've not been to a rally since the early 80s. That last one was at The Hollybush in Derbyshire, when someone spiked my beer with a half-tab of acid. I lost in a quiz and my forfeit was to stand on one of the bar room tables, my jeans and pants around my ankles, and and one of my boots filled with beer which I had to drink before I could recover any dignity. At the Brolly Rallies in Derbs, the legendary wet teeshirt contests never stopped at that, and getting rolled down the hill inside a tractor tyre was a right of passage. Your tent would oft be anointed by someone nearby, projectile vomiting a bellyful of beer and burger over it while you're passed out inside. Good, memorable rallies then and as has aready been said, the average age was twenties-early thirties. I've just had my first pop to the monthly Classic Bike meet at Wray, Lancs, since I've returned to bikes (Classic350 Dark Stealth), and the average age is early-mid fifties with very few in their twenties, and even fewer women. How it's all changed....

[@restdayrider]

Sounds like an utter nightmare and a fabulous time all in one! 😂

[@christinesatchell5948]

Hi,great videos of the last 2 dragons,well done,we stop fridays at Pentrafolas at Bruce Pollard Memorial rally,an old friend who did Dragon for 35 years,,died of motor nurones,last Dragon was his wish,then we move on to control for the Dragon,my wife comes,married for 50 years and celibrated at Dragon,now my57th Dragon,my wife has been 35 times,on the pillion,we are now in our 70,s and still bikeing,might see you in 2025,Peter and Christine Satchell,never missed since 1967,at llanberis.

[@restdayrider]

Fabulous! Hope to see you next year!

[@77MrRd]

Hey , Satchel , how're you doin , I haven't done the dragon since 2018 (I think) by the lake nr. Bedgelert and it was crap all round , even Mr Bartlett didn't do it now (never thought I'd see the day😏) but we still do other rallies some white weather too😁 Incidentally , my profile picture is from 1975 Capel Curig dragon when I had a lot more hair 😂😂

[@speedfinder1]

Another gem in the long history of the love affair, of Motorcycles and cold mud! 😁😁. Thanks for posting!

[@restdayrider]

Love that analogy! 😊

[@spokedtoosoon]

omg that bridge at the end! What a wild one this one was, love it

[@restdayrider]

It sure was!

[@keithbateman5360]

Greetings from down under. Thanks for another great episode.

[@restdayrider]

Thanks for watching! 😊

[@beakittelscherz5419]

Very beautiful & Fun tour! The leftside driving gives me heart attack once in a while though😂😂😂

[@restdayrider]

😂 sorry about that!

[@rickhughes811]

On behalf of CMCC thanks for coming and sharing cant have good weather 3 years on the trot roll on the next one !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@johnluckwelldroneenthusiast.]

Charlie, that event looked like a LOT of fun! So many people recognise you now, it's lovely! Another brilliant episode, thank you ❤

[@restdayrider]

Glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@johnluckwelldroneenthusiast.]

🤗🤗@@restdayrider

[@inout3513]

Awesome rally I did it once from Northern Ireland on a Honda c90.. On the Saturday night a member of a Big local club was pissed and bench pressing it for a laugh meanwhile I was laying passed out with my feet in a fire and my boots got melted and the guy that was lifting my bike gave me his spare boots albeit two sizes too big but still you wouldn't get it anywhere else

[@restdayrider]

Sounds epic. 🤣

[@MalcolmStaines]

Brilliant in everyway, been watching your videos for a while now and you get better and better and now you are one of the best on KZbin long my it continue.

[@restdayrider]

Thank you so much! Please do share the channel with anyone you think may also enjoy it. 😊

[@darrellmeganfoxall8830]

Absolutely brilliant, thank you.

[@gazman3568]

Used to do the Dragon rally when it was in proper venues with views of Snowdonia. . Or when it was just down road from the pub in the cliff face or on the hill from the lake near Capel Curig and many more . Riding on snowploughed roads to get there. Tents frozen solid in the morning. Stonking views. Not fit enough for me anymore but best mate has done all last twenty years + but last two years rode up,he was not impressed and left and did his plan B. Camping in proper beautiful countryside by himself as sites they have now are not anywhere near what it used to be.

[@restdayrider]

Sorry to hear that he's not finding it the same , I suppose health and safety has taken its toll in the last 20 odd years.

[@debbiemorris8422]

Brilliant video Charlie, great seeing everyone having fun and all pulling together

[@chuckwilson2301]

Looks like fun would’ve loved to join y’all, spent some time with my son and daughter in law in Aberystwyth while they were going to university there. Loved the sea shore there.Love the country and all the scenic outdoor stuff to do ,it would be a fun cycle ride. Cheers from the states.

[@restdayrider]

Hello back from across the pond! Glad you enjoyed it. 😊

[@rodscott7734]

Excellent video as always, unfortunately I couldn't make it this year although I had bought my ticket. I dislocated my foot, broke my ankle and fibia ! No not on a motorbike I was dancing at one of my daughter's wedding ! Lol ! . Weldon Charlie, brilliant content X

[@restdayrider]

Oh no! definitely one for next year. 😊

[@robpowell8648]

Hey Charlie good to see you come to my home town of North Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿. Brilliant video

[@tommyvandor6557]

There's an awesome chippy[Walkers] at 45:51 on the timer where all the pedestrians/dog/buggy etc are on the left. Another great watch. Many thanks

[@iantoy7778]

Good video, don't you ever camp when it's not freezing or up to your knees in mud lol. Real biker keep it up.😊

[@mikebutchers9764]

I did the Dragon a couple or more of times back in the early 70's. I road up from Wilton, I noticed a Sailisbury sticker on your machine. LLanberis pass was the normal location. But later they did change owing to gatecrashers. Loved it drove straight up and into the camping field. Great memories.

[@jannerfox9292]

Brilliant video yet again, it is always good to see a bunch of mates having a great time, thank you.

[@restdayrider]

Glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@brycehermon5939]

Excellent video, thanks Charlie.

[@restdayrider]

Glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@trishschofield7808]

Thanks Charlie for that funny video of the rally. Jay was right, that bridge was awesome 😂😂 Love the adventures, stay safe. 🌺🌺

[@restdayrider]

I feel that letting him know he was right is setting a dangerous precedent 😂

[@user-wl1sr5ng4t]

When I went the Dragon from Liverpool in the mid 1970s,we had belstaf jackets open Face helmets ( centurion ) British bikes and old ex army bags ...no phone,no cameras,no plastic cards... Just tough scousers.. Less traffic and people. We survived on hovis bread, liquorice all-sorts and bottles of pop... You kids now are pampered...where is Wiltshire man.... he's tough.

[@restdayrider]

He is, but sadly could make this trip. 😊

[@fatherjack1148]

I am with you there brother I am of the 'olds cool' (old school) class, got my first bike in 1969 at 16 years old, it was a BSA 250 C15 which I managed to 'haggle' down to £20 he had wanted £30, cheek! my first insurance was £12 that's TWELVE pounds for a years of TPFT. a set of L plates a provisional licence and off I went, none of the restrictions young riders face today, and for the sheer fact that they go through all of that in order to be able to ride gains them some deep respect from this old 'rocker' I seriously doubt I would have bothered. How I survived my first two weeks is nothing short of a miracle, I was utterly clueless about the 'rules of the road' it was a very steep learning curve. As for decent riding gear, well back then, it was expensive, and not to effective, but it was mostly for 'wimps' anyway.

[@robertmorris5214]

Brilliant video Charlie, fantastic experience

[@restdayrider]

Glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@MrAustina35]

Hi Charlie, probably the best KZbin video of this year's Dragon. These videos will promote it even further. Back in the sixties and seventies, you could almost guarantee snow and ice but nowadays it tends to be wet, and boggy. When your water bottle freezes overnight it takes a lot of snow to make a cup of coffee! Hope to see you there next year. Thank you so much for posting.

[@restdayrider]

Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed it. 😊

[@Grumpysprout]

One word.........Brilliant!

[@johnterry804]

Was a good weekend! Nice to meet you and jay at the check in! And I tagged along your group to the campsite! Band was excellent! Had a few beers and fell flat on my face going back to the tent covered in mud 😂 all good fun 😂

[@restdayrider]

Hahahhaa! Great to meet you too, sorry you ended up in a puddle. 😂

[@paulstokes393]

That was pretty hardcore! Looks like a lot of fun though, thanks for posting a great video 😁😅

[@Jules750..]

A another entertaining and enjoyable vlog Charlie can't wait for your next adventure ❤

[@restdayrider]

Glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@martintraffordmoorlandbike7121]

Really good video Charlie, every aspect covered and entertaining too. Thanks for this, a great reminder of a great rally, cheers. 😎👍

[@restdayrider]

Hi Martin, was a fab weekend wasn't it!

[@intergalacticshovel]

That was a very nice way start a lazy Saturday! Many thanks for posting and looking forward to more videos over the summer!

[@restdayrider]

Definitely more to come! 😊

[@CotswoldBiker-bn5tw]

Another great video Charlie. Looks like a great trip and the weather was kind!

[@restdayrider]

We were so lucky!

[@bucknut7241]

Camping in feb....screw that my hats off to ya 😂

[@markchase7419]

I would love to travel with you and the gang!! Looks like so much fun!! always and keep on truckin" 😎

[@restdayrider]

We tend to pick up stragglers so it's just the right place at the right time kinda thing! 😂

[@markb3180]

I live in Snowdonia and originate from the midlands, thank you for showcasing the area your vlog is wonderful!

[@restdayrider]

It's an easy place to showcase, so lovely. 😊

[@haylesonahimmy]

Great vid 👌

[@Coalface]

Awesome vid ❤❤❤

[@overkillnick1003]

Great vid…..thanks

[@drost582]

A spectacular video. The building rally held in is exactly what we expect to see in UK, great stone and Timbers. Thank you for sharing.

[@restdayrider]

Glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@mitchellsteele3878]

Thanks Charlie, great vid with stunning scenery, looked a great night at the rally , been over the Barmouth bridge myself , great achievement, love riding the bike round Wales and love the people, being Scottish I feel comfortable around Wales, my daughter spent 4 yrs in Cardiff university and they looked after her, myself and a few others will be riding around the dams later this yr, many thanks Charlie, Cheers 🍻

[@restdayrider]

The Elan Dams are indeed epic. 😊

[@kevbaldwin9552]

Great video Charlie glad you enjoyed your muddy weekend at the Dragon, and the bridge was excellent 👍

[@restdayrider]

Glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@pauldoyle9709]

As ever - a terrific vlog Charlie 👍😎 and, by far the best coverage of the Dragon Rally on KZbin. Keep practicing that wood chopping 😉

[@restdayrider]

Thanks, will do! 😃

[@maskedavenger2578]

Good Dragon vid 👍

[@markrobinson2387]

Great video Charlie I must get to the dragon before I’m too Knackered I think I’d have struggled with the Nomad in the bog😅❤

[@johnimmins7302]

Very well presented enjoyable video Charlie. All you people that attend these rallies are Stars in my eyes. Luckily, these past two years you have attended, the weather has been kind but it can be very bad weather as you will know. Anyway, thanks for sharing your weekend and another entertaining vlog.👍

[@restdayrider]

I have indeed been lucky with the weather!

[@tamar5261]

Nice one Charlie, I loved that 😊

[@restdayrider]

Glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@user-vw4rv7em1k]

Amazing scenery, would look to ride over there!

[@restdayrider]

You should check out my Wales tour videos with the drone footage, really shows the country off. 😊

[@millinutz]

Good idea there at the beginning, taking a, shower-on-the-go, that must have meant you being able to lay in a little longer that morning lol. I've followed many channels from their Start, or very young days..., but yours is a little different, in that you have reached (almost) the 15'000 subscriber mark, a lot quicker than most others. Let that be a recognition of your efforts, as well as a hearty WELL DONE from me for your phenominal success. I love your YT work, as i've mentioned on other occasions here, and wish you much luck and happy, safe riding, as you approach the next 15'000 subbers. Thx 4 all so far, from a guy and his Suzuki in Switzerland, Steve.

[@christinei5490]

This was great fun to watch brings back lots of Happy memories. Last time I did the Dragon rally was 1968 still have all my memorabilia of that time, scarf, badges hat and waistcoat. The weather was atrocious, the field was flooded with bikes and tents underwater, very wet and very cold. The first aid tent was full.

[@restdayrider]

Glad it triggered happy memories. 😊

[@grantrussell2076]

oooooh, taking the B5106 and A5 route down through the mountains from Conwy to Bangor would have been splendid as well :)

[@d.Cog420]

Really enjoyed that. Sub from NZ

[@restdayrider]

Thank you, and welcome to the Channel! 😊

[@andrewoh1663]

I see the weather hasn't improved since I did in the 1970's, but everything is so much more gentile! No burnouts and nobody got their tent set on fire! I suppose we're all older and wiser. I vividly remember getting dreadful Diarrhea from a bad meat pie and staggering through the night to the bogs and not making it. Imagine the panic; getting out of a sleeping bag then unzipping the tent inner and outer all while a volcano was erupting internally. No, I didn't make it to the toilet. :-(

[@restdayrider]

Oh gawd that sounds horrific!!!!

[@PatGill-tu6oq]

I did it on a Tiger Cub, I think it was 1972, snow, camping but the guy with the tent broke down...................

[@grahamebradford1028]

Found your excellent video quite by chance. Brought back memories of my Dragon in 1966 during which I have never known such wind and rain. Still got the badge though🙂

[@restdayrider]

The weather was really kind to us. Keep your badge, they're collectors items!

[@brinthomas442]

great stuff, had to get soup and toast to watch this one

[@gerardcullen5131]

Hi Charlie great video on the Dragon Rally I did it 1 time back in the 90s it rained so much the camp site flooded the reception tent had a lake in it we collected our goodie bag and found a hotel always did the Rhino rally after that 😅😅

[@restdayrider]

Oh wow! 😳

[@alain7338]

Heureux de revoir ce sourire charmeur encore un partage plein de bonne humeur et plein de prise de vu de ciel et vieilles pierres magnifique et a voir le maniement de la hachette vous êtes prête pour une nouvelle saison de la série Viking 😁 💪✌️🇨🇵

[@restdayrider]

Merci Alain, je suis contente que ça te plaise. Peut-être que je pourrais y être. 😂

[@michael1061]

Great vid charlie , thanks for the sticker .

[@restdayrider]

No problem 👍

[@carlton683]

Charlie I look forward to seeing your content,❤

[@restdayrider]

Thank you 😊

[@stevecoppin4278]

Hi Charlie , thank you for sharing this with us omg who was it got soaked off that car at the begining , what a blast of a weekend i really enjoyed your vlog , so as always take care & ride safe

[@restdayrider]

That would have been Jay. 😂

[@conniewaite1371]

That bridge was so cool! It would have been crazy if you were on it when a train went by! Too bad the weather wasnt so good for camping,but a nice time was had by all

[@restdayrider]

I did hope for a train! 😊

[@flatbrokefrank6482]

That was a muddy Dragon! Ride safe.

[@peter236uk1]

Nice video Charlie nice to meet you as well

[@restdayrider]

Always nice to meet people. 😊

[@geoffballe8766]

Thanks again girl,, you have developed yourself a real talent in the filmmaking world,, as always it gets better every time 🇦🇺😇

[@restdayrider]

Thanks Geoff! 😊

[@sjdenterprise]

Great video, thank you. As a novice rider on my little 125, I was terrified trying to negotiate that muddy car park on the way out!

[@restdayrider]

I bet you nailed it. 😊 Each of those experiences will help you, and you won't be able to call yourself a novice any longer!

[@suefarmer4470]

I was just watching one of your earlier videos and I thought I recognised the bike you test rode at blade! My husband bought the himmy for me for Valentine’s Day last February 2023! 😁. I then had to find a trainer and tests, after digging very dip though those wonderful tests I passed the A licence in dec 2023! So MAJ the himmy and me are very inspired by your videos and planning adventures! The lowering kit has made the difference from Hitchcock,s and the adjustable side stand is in the box to be fitted on a dry day! Thankyou for reviewing these helpful modifications, I am only 5’ 4.5, I can touch the floor better now! 😁👍

[@restdayrider]

Oh Wow! Well, strangely I met the bloke at the Dragon rally who handed the Himmy over to Blades! It's a small world! I'm so glad you went out and got that licence and are now inspired to travel, maybe have some camping adventures with Maj too!

[@suefarmer4470]

And I also know your bike trainer coz I am a driving instructor and my local is Swindon test centre , very small world! 😁. And that’s crazy you met the previous owner ! Yes got the tent and am planning some camping trips! Thankyou for doing these videos they are great!

[@anidiotonboard6539]

Great video Charlie. Nice to see some familiar faces. That Timothy Preist gets everywhere 😂

[@restdayrider]

Glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@anthonywiseman174]

Loved watching it .ill try do it next year with all of you I will have to buy another bike as my ducati 748 not the bike .

[@MauriceTarantulas]

Might have to do this next year! Will know more of North Wales after the summer.

[@rabh6746]

We are committed said Charlie, I think you really meant you should be committed 🤣I wouldn't even take my e bike over that😂Cracking video Charlie, loved every minute😊

[@restdayrider]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. 😊

[@robertogrilli4574]

Good video, I got a lovely smile from you at the rally when you saw my dog

[@restdayrider]

I'm all about the Furries! 😊

[@edwardkaminsky8142]

Thank you, Charlie, for bringing us along on The 2024 Dragon Rally. The videography is always top-notch. Whoever received the splash from the car at the beginning is an absolute marketing individual for a line of waterproof ride wear. We'll done! Best part of the Video. ( I hope that wasn't Jay ). Looking forward to Bristol footage!

[@jasonelliott-uc3ob]

Surprise! It was me 😂

[@edwardkaminsky8142]

@jasonelliott-uc3ob That shot is worth a cover on a magazine. Epic! Every manufacturer COULD send you rain gear. Ride Safe and dry!

[@restdayrider]

😂

[@simonchilli2088]

R1Liz's bike in the drone photos is like a where's Wally. Altho an easy one!!

[@pauldixon3089]

Good morning Charlie, Looks like you had a wonderful time. Fold up hovercraft would be handy for the boggy field and avoiding the cow clap though 🤣 🤔 Don't think you'd get me on the Barmouth bridge for all the tea in China 😱. You're far braver than me😃 Can't wait for the next thrilling adventure.🤗

[@restdayrider]

Hahahhaa! Glad you enjoyed it. 😊

[@RD-650]

👍

[@MeAndMyRoyalEnfield]

We both said WOW at the same time, 17:00. This was stunningly beautiful. Thank you.

[@restdayrider]

Glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@ed7540]

Hi Great video !!! it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done thank you so much for saying hi and encouraging me to do it on my own. Looking forward to this year’s videos from you ride safe and hopefully bump into you next year. All the best. Ed. Ps you probably won’t remember who I am. 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@restdayrider]

I do remember! I'm so glad you made it and came and said hello, and definitely see you next year!

[@brockett]

Your videos just keep on get better and better.

[@restdayrider]

I appreciate that! 😊

[@stephenchapman8344]

Great turn out. My bike wouldn’t have made it through the car park let alone the field. 😂

[@nigelbush7255]

Thank you for posting that was extremely entertaining ❤

[@restdayrider]

Glad you enjoyed it. 😊

[@trekker8187]

Enjoyed watching your video, glad you had a great time. Amazed people took there bikes in a boggy field with road tyres on?.. What did they expect!! I personally couldn't think of anything worse lol each to there own i guess.

[@restdayrider]

Glad you enjoyed it, no way was I trying Roger on that ground even with my TKC 70's. 😂

[@allanmason7544]

that was a brill vid charlie

[@restdayrider]

Thank you 😊

[@LadyFarrow]

Love Barmouth! Have cycled and walked over the bridge. You can hire bicycles at the garage near the start of the path to the bridge and cycle to Dolgellau along the 9 mile/off road Mawddach Trail. There's a great hotel/pub called George III to stop at before heading back. Pub is very busy in the summer so you might want to book 👍

[@restdayrider]

I'll definitely go back and re-ride it. Would have loved to have the drone up but was too windy.

[@GrandadTinkerer]

Last time I went to the Dragon (late seventies), the average age of attendees was about 20. Just shows how motorcycling has fallen out of favour with the young.

[@restdayrider]

It is a thing that I have sadly noticed too.

[@chrisbennett7039]

That was a good watch . Dragon does it again . Diolch cariad.

[@restdayrider]

It did indeed do it's thing! 😊

[@Jimdirt7898]

Went there in 1963 as a 14yr old in a sidecar it was so cold and I said I would never go again. I went again in 2019 very wet and windy and that is the last time looks like you had good weather.

[@restdayrider]

Maybe give it another go! 😊🫣

[@williamjones6478]

Cracking rally nice to say hello again hope you all got home with no problems bsa man.

[@restdayrider]

Hey you! Bill you will forever be BSA man to me. 😂 😊

[@toshkonya1419]

You mentioned losing your keys in one of your various pockets during a stop. I sometimes have the same problem, especially when wearing my winter jacket that seems to have too many pockets! I solved the dilemma by using a lanyard and attach my keys to it once off the bike. You can get them free at many events.

[@restdayrider]

Good tip! 😊

[@fatherjack1148]

great video, only just found you, (subbed) I haven't been rallying since the 1980s, (unless the rock n blues counts) Great to see the famous dragon rally still going, it's actually a rally I never made it to, did most of my rallying in the mid to late 70s and early 80s, when for years it was one, sometimes two, a weekend, regardless of the time of year or weather. I doubt I could even do a summer rally these days, and parking my bike and carrying my kit is a non starter straight away, I get out of breath brushing my teeth! 70 years old, been riding since I was 16, never owned or learned to drive a car, and still ride now, although sadly usually alone and not for any distance, Name a joint and I have arthritis in it, the price we pay for 50+ years on 2 wheels, (and sometimes 3, had a couple of trikes over the centuries) Some of my best memories are from rallies, and the one's with memories are probably not as good as the one's without! our club was 'the potters wheels mcc' quite a big club in its day. Anyway, off to watch more vids/

[@restdayrider]

Hi, and welcome to the channel! Incredible that youve never owned or learned to drive a car! Keep on riding. 😊

[@fatherjack1148]

@@restdayrider I intend to, but sadly my days of sleeping under a plastic sheet hung between two bikes are long over, I made a promise to myself way back in my late teens that I would ride until I am too old, or unable to physically get on a bike, at the age of 70 I am certainly beginning to feel what I guess are the signs of impending early middle age, I was an idiot in my youth, decent protective clothing was for wimps and was a waste of good beer money, as well as being seriously un-cool, as a result just something as simple as a ride on a wet or cold day can cause an arthritis flare up I am old enough to be able to remember 'taking the proverbial' out of people who wore a crash helmet ... and it wasn't even raining! I am certain that I am among the first bikers to break the crash helmet law, (always the rebel) I did this by intentionally getting the bike out at about 11:45 pm (without crash helmet) on the night that it became compulsory at midnight and went for a ride of over an hour. I was after all the local 'MAG' rep so it was almost expected! I do get nostalgic for the rally days though, the last 'camping' biker event I went to was over 20 years ago now, and it was the rock and blues custom show... 2003. These days I tend to go on short rides to 'blow out the cobwebs' I still love my riding and my custom bikes/trikes, recently finished my winter paint job project, on my Kawasaki Vulcan 900 bobber and am GAGGING for some decent weather so that I can reassemble it, I have no workshop or even a shed, so all work is done outside in the weather, I have not had my leg over a bike, since October last year, I hate winter always have. I used to be a 7 days a week 52 weeks a year all weather all year round rider, I had no choice, as my bike was my only transport and I had to get to work everyday, I still remember getting on the bike when it was so cold the seat was like a brick and by the time I got to work I had 'thawed' a nice arse shaped dent in the frozen seat. Now I have my bike looking as I want it, flames flames and more flames (it IS a 'Vulcan', the Roman God of fire, after all) please more video's, I am also intrigued by your camera set up, what? how? where? haha. Stay safe.

[@jasonelliott-uc3ob]

That was a great read jack! I also remember the days when you were branded a wimp for having anything but a leather jacket on. But I’m not old enough to remember no helmet laws. I wear all the kit now, I see it as a right of passage for 40 years of riding 😂 I also have a bobbered VN 800 and feckin love it. Keep on riding mate 👍

[@restdayrider]

I'd love to sit and listen to you share some of your adventures and stories, what a fabulous time it must have been to be a rider. 😊

[@fatherjack1148]

@@restdayrider HAHA I could talk your legs off with some of the things we got up to back in the day, it WAS a great time to ride, One of my greatest memories has to be when most of our club went on an anti compulsory crash helmet law demo in London, about 60 of us set off from Stoke for London, as we got closer the number of bikes on the motorway began to increase, we were to go to a rallying point for the northerners at a services outside of London, we pulled in to see thousands of bikes already there, DAMN I wish we had video back then, and this was just the northern group, there were groups gathering from the east south and west at other services, then at the given moment we all set off for the last stretch into London, What a sight, all three lanes of the motorway full of bikes as far as you could see, and then as we got near London the east and the west groups converged with ours, the estimates were of over 30 thousand bikes!! an amazing sight to be on the motorway amongst thousands of fellow bikers and then to look to the side and see another huge column of bikers merging with yours, a once in a lifetime thing. 😁

[@alanlake5220]

Wales is truly beautifull

[@77MrRd]

Good video , I nearly regretted not going , my last dragon was 2018 when for me personally I realised it had turned into the worst rally of the year ,,, but hey , never say never again 😏

[@restdayrider]

Maybe the good weather has tempted you to give it another go!

[@77MrRd]

@@restdayrider I had been going for over 40 times so I've all sorts of weather , so it's other reasons

[@jamespatterson4468]

Does anybody remember the infamous freezing snow ice cold 1963 ! Dragon Rally. Nothing like modern day motorcycle rallies. I wasn't there but my good biker friend was. I have long lost track of him but will always remember the times he told me about the 63 Dragon Rally. I'm 75, but don't get an image of an "old man" coz I'm not, not just yet. I've owned a good many motorcycles. My last bike was a Honda Rebel 500A. I've traded it in for a new Rebel 1100. Yes I will be making this my final motorcycle.

[@StreetBob-tn1ed]

did the dragon in my teens in the 70s snow the lot never again

[@restdayrider]

😂

[@theyorkbiker.8214]

Been to the Dragon rally a few times over the years,hated it every time.lol😅

[@restdayrider]

😂

[@pete147]

What can I say ? It was both awful and lovely at the same time. Awful to see bikes and riders covered in Mud but lovey to see the camaraderie with like minded people! Thanks Charlie. Stay safe 😊

[@restdayrider]

I suspect that's the true spirit of the Dragon. 😊

[@yellownev]

A great video …. I recon you were one of the few not sporting a beard ! Loved the bonus bridge crossing …. Did make me wonder what would happen if you met a bike coming the other way … or is it one way for traffic ?

[@restdayrider]

A very good point! I think it would have involved some pannier removal and juggling! 😂

[@davidhead9689]

In 2020 we had storm Ciara which made the rally very entertaining and my friends backed out due to the Met Office giving Danger of Death warning.2021 was cancelled and 2022 had high winds very very heavy rain. Soaked and the final straw for a year or two. You must be a lucky charm for the weather, so I'll get a ticket for 2025 and enjoy the sunshine and warmth. Luved the vid.

[@restdayrider]

I've been so lucky with my Dragons so far!

[@davidn1562]

no way in hell I would ever camp in mud, had my days back in the US Army, NO more of that for this old man

[@restdayrider]

That's fair !

[@martindavey8742]

Nice one, if you haven' done it do the farmyard party ;)

[@restdayrider]

Not heard of that one!