Day 15 & 16 Bulgaria - Moto Camp Idelevo

I'd heard so much about Moto Camp, I'd heard about it at festivals and I'd read about it in books by various authors including Graham Field, a motorcycle traveller and author who loved the area so much that he decided to move to the village permanently. Horizons Unlimited holds an annual event here each July, It must be good surely?

Well from start to finish the conversation, the music and the beers (in the evenings only obviously) flowed. Amongst others I met Alex, a biker from Ireland on a five week trip to clear his head and Alun, a Kiwi who has spent most of his life in Australia on his Grumpy Old Biking Guy Last Hoorah Tour. They'd just been out on a jaunt through one of the passes I was destined to miss this time around but will try and get there next time.

Alex (left), packed bike on his leaving day. Here with an Australian guy who's name escapes me at the moment but apparently has a "Lifestyle Home" (which I guess means a nice house) in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, Australia.

It was Saturday night and this was the liveliest place in the village (possibly in the entire area). All the expats from around and about turned up. Alex is a great guitarist and there just happened to be a guitar lying about which Phil the expat engineer had fixed up so it would work ok. One thing lead to another and sure enough, within a beer or two a sing-song ensued. It was a fantastic night great conversation with great and like-minded people. I recorded a couple of the songs, it didn't feel right videoing so just recorded the audio. Thanks Alex your playing and singing really made the evening, would love to do it again sometime.

Saturday night's alright! From left to right, Trio, Alun, Peach, Ivo, Laura, The next three were the "Belgians" then Phil the engineer and Alex

Strangley enough the next day was less about an alcohol induced headache, more about a bike maintenance headache. I replaced the wheel bearings, chain and sprockets before I left but I kept having to adjust the chain. This shouldn't happen with a brand new chain and sprockets, I also noticed some very odd wear around the rear hub that I've never seen before. I couldn't for the life of me work out what was wrong. Ivo the guy in charge at Moto Camp referred me to Phil the expat engineer who happened to have a few bikes which included the exact make and model I have (BMW G650GS). So I removed the back wheel and took it to Phil's for him to take a look. It didn't take him long...he asked if I had the spacer that goes into the sprocket carrier which ensures that the bearings are contacting metal on metal, ah, okay, I don't seem to have that bit! It suddenly dawned on me! I was in such a rush and stressed out getting the bike ready for the trip that after I'd replaced the wheel bearings I'd completely forgotten to install one of the most crucial parts of the rear wheel hub assembly before I refitted the wheel, what an idiot!

These things occasionally happen and can usually be fixed easily in the comfort of our own country but I'd ridden thousands of miles without this part, what other damage has it done and where the heck (or words to that effect) am I going to get the replacement parts from? I'd already lost the chain adjuster cap - the replacement for which I ordered on Ebay UK from a bike breaker in Greece and then had sent direct to Bulgaria from there - but this part will need to be ordered specially from BMW, it's not an off the shelf part!

Phil then nonchalantly pointed to his lathe in another part of his workshop (Phil had a huge workshop, bigger than a house btw). No problem, tomorrow morning I'll make one up for you. Wha? Ah okay, wow, you have a lathe and the metal that can be worked into the correct shape? "Yes, no problem" he said, "I might even have the actual part in my box of 650 spares. I'll make it up for you in the morning but in the meantime would you like to come over this evening for some nibbles and a couple of beers?" "Alex and Alun are invited as well, we can have a few beers and a bit of a sing-song, I'm practising guitar and it'd be great to get Alex over for a few pointers and a bit of a jam." So we had a jam, a sing-song and another really lovely evening with Phil, his wife and Peach, one of the other expats. They are all such lovely and helpful people. I produced a small bottle of Rakia as a token but they then brought out the big guns Rakia which was also thoroughly enjoyed by all.

I'd already checked the bearings and they were still fine, everything else looked ok apart from the hub itself but the damage doesn't affect the operation thankfully and I have another wheel back home that I can replace this one at a later date.

Sure enough, the next morning, as promised, Phil made up the part and the bike was back together in no time ready for the next leg of the journey. I can't thank Phil enough for all his help, he saved my trip and I was able to get away in good time the next day.

This is the spacer that Phil made up for me. He really did save the day!

Thanks very much Phil, I am indebted to you. Your help was so very much appreciated. I was to meet Kathrine, my partner, in Istanbul for the next week, thankfully she found the part in the mess that is my shed and brought it along to replace Phil's but I dare say his would've lasted the entire trip anyway. I eventually replaced it when I got to Trabzon on the north coast of Turkey. Since then I've rarely had to adjust the chain at all.

Remember all the stress I was having about getting a vignette in Bulgaria? Well Alun casually pointed out that vignette is not required for motorcycles in Bulgaria! Oh, ok...well that was a complete waste of expletives and stress then wasn't it?! Thanks Alun! :-D.

I'm not sure but I think this might be an Alex original.

Moto Camp is absolutely fantastic, can't wait to get back here in July.