'I was using so much oil I was worried
I might send the barrel price up by a
couple of dollars'
Cheered on by Gustavo, the Argentinean press, and a crowd of locals, the
boys finally started out on what would prove to be the adventure of
their lifetime. Holmes noted in his diaries 'As we headed away from
Buenos Aires I had the grin factor. The engine was thumping away like
Mohammed Ali in his heyday. This is why James Lansdowne Norton had
created this machine all those years ago. It was an amazing feeling,
although I was using so much oil I was worried I might send the barrel
price up by a couple of dollars.'
The 'amazing feeling' was soon replaced by a serious concern over
the bikes' handling capabilities, laden as it was with at least 155lbs of
luggage. 'The nearest I can compare it to would be trying to steer a
blancmange around a slalom course with a half-full barrel of water on
the back sloshing around to catch you out when you least expect it' says
Pete.
Riding into Bahia Blanca, the pair were again accosted by news
crews and journalists, prompting Steve to note in his diary. 'Everywhere
we take these Norton motorcycles we're mobbed by young and old, all
wanting to be photographed with these supermodels!'
As in Guevara's time, the roads through Argentina were
demanding. 'Riding here you need to concentrate 100% all of the time'
Pete wrote. 'You're constantly scanning the road surface for the best
route to take around the bumps, lumps and holes. Even so, sometimes
there's nowhere to go and nothing to do but just hang on, grit your teeth
and take the jump, both wheels in the air.'