Club aims to help charity

For years it carried a lovable television twosome on their comic capers but now the car made famous in Only Fools and Horses is set to face a tougher challenge.

Instead of Del Boy driving Rodney, Trigger and Granddad a few miles down the road to the Nag's Head six strapping bikers are hoping to take two Reliant Robins from Norfolk to Germany to raise money for the East Anglian air ambulance.

Mark Vickers, Brian Hope, David Hood, Baz Taylor-Hone, Chris Evans and Phil Wharton, from Raptor Motorcycle Club in Reepham, yesterday left the village for one of the most notorious bike conventions in the world, Elephant in Bavaria.

Mr Vickers, 47, said: “I've always wanted to do this. It's the most extreme rally you can go to. If you survive this you can survive anything. Last year there were 14,000 bikers camped in sub-zero temperatures.

“It was one of those ridiculous ideas you have on a Saturday night in the pub. Each year we try and go to a rally. Elephant has always been on my list of things to do before I die, so we thought why not?”

The group, who will be wearing their uniform of kilts throughout the sponsored journey, chose to take Reliant Robins because they are classed as trikes so will be allowed into the festival.

Local pub the King's Arms is holding a competition for customers to guess how many miles the group will travel, and on Saturday night owner Peter Salisbury donated £100 to the cause in return for the six working an hour behind the bar.

But cramming tents, food, water, oil, petrol and parts into the compact vehicles is difficult.

Mr Hope, 47, said: “Once we're in there isn't a lot of room left. We're taking the bare essentials - sticky tape, tents etc.

“We've also got a very large ball of string which should come in handy if bits start falling off.

“There's no space for anything else so it's a spare pair of pants and that's it.”

To sponsor the journey donate to the East Anglian air ambulance on 0845 0669999 or visit the King's Arms in Reepham Market Place.