Kittens and Motorcycles

Take a look at this:

2012-01-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

Some stunning photography here. Enjoy !

Kevin Dean Photography

Cub Mag and Blog

2011-12-03T14:40:00.000-08:00

GBC has been very busy and there is a new Cub blog plus a Cub magazine in the pipeline - check out www.thecubmag.com

Also included in the "Blogs" sidebar.

Today's favourite tune!

2011-11-15T12:07:00.000-08:00

Just love this:

Engineering made simple

2011-11-07T10:46:00.001-08:00

Need an excuse to go for a ride?

2011-10-28T12:25:00.000-07:00

Check out the Bridge Club:

http://thebridgeclub2011.blogspot.com/

There's also a Facebook page...........

Batavus HS50 - seat renovation part 1

2011-08-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

I posted some pictures of the Batavus project a while ago and it was clear that the seat needed some attention, the cover being held together by lots of conspicuous re-stitching in now-rotting thread and bits of black sticky tape.

I've never restored anything before, just bits and pieces of things so I'm still unsure how far I'll go with this one. I think I'd like to do a reasonable job over time but I'm not aiming for an over shiny and perfect finished article. I really prefer things to look their age ('cept me!). What I have decided is that I want to do it at no cost at all. Now this clearly isn't realistic unless I go out robbing things so I've decided that if need to buy anything for it (which I certainly will need to do) I have to fund it by selling things, mainly on ebay I expect. Wherever possible, I'll use things I already have.

So far, I've paid £80 for the moped and £26 for some engine spares. I'm allowing myself the original cost and I already had a balance in my PayPal account from selling some biking gear to pay for the engine spares. Today, an item I was selling on ebay went for £68 (I'd been expecting about £40 so this was a good result). I placed an advert on the local Freecycle about a week ago to see if anyone had any vinyl offcuts to cover the seat with. I didn't get any vinyl but I did get a helpful email pointing me in the direction of Dunelm, so today I splashed out and ordered a sheet of black leatherette/vinyl with which to re-cover the seat. That's £10 spent, including delivery. I could have paid £2 extra for next day delivery but, tempting though that was to an impatient sort of person such as I, I opted for the economy 5-7 days delivery in the interests of being frugal.

This afternoon, I started to carefully take the seat apart, in readiness for the arrival of nice, new vinyl. I haven't seen a seat constructed quite like this before. There is a metal framework for the base, with seat springs. Over that is a rubber covering, made from four pieces of rubber stitched together. The rubber is fairly thick and holds it's shape when not fitted to the metal base but a lot of the stitching is rotten and most of it will need re-stitching. A thin layer of foam is glued to the top and back of the rubber layer and then the vinyl seat cover is fitted over the top. This is made from three pieces of vinyl stitched together. There are three holes drilled in each side of the metal frame and once the vinyl cover is in place, with the edges folded up inside the base, three tiny bolts each side go through the vinyl cover, then the rubber layer, then the metal seat base and then through the vinyl cover again before being secured with a washer and nut. Some of the original bolt heads sheared off when I tried to unfasten them, then the nuts had to be hacksawed off the inside of the seat - lots of rust!

Once the vinyl cover was removed, I was able to pull the rubber cover away from the frame and then start very gently prising the foam away from the rubber cover. It was glued in place but I wanted to keep it in one piece so I can use it as a pattern for the new foam (I will probably use an old camping mat for that). The pictures below show what I am left with.

The metal base will need a lot of work with a wire brush, then some rust treatment and some black paint.

The rubber cover needs restitching. Because it is quite thick and some of the old thread is stuck in the holes I will probably need to go round it all with a needle making sure all the original holes are clear before I do the actual stitching. I plan to use clear, plastic thread for this so that it won't rot.

I will then stick foam to the rubber cover. Because I'll be using camping mat it will probably need more trimming and shaping at the edges than the original foam, which is a lot softer.

When I make the vinyl cover I will probably try and save the middle panel from the original as this has the ribbed pattern and the Batavus logo on the seat hump. It's had a hard life and there are several splits in it so I'm thinking I'll glue it to a piece of the new vinyl before stitching it all together - this should give it more strength and some degree of waterproofness! Using part of the original should also mean it doesn't end up looking too Brand New - I don't want to have to make the rest of the bike too perfect just so it matches the seat!


The original seat foam. I didn't do too bad a job of removing it - it will serve it's purpose as a template for the new foam.

The inside of the vinyl cover, showing the numerous repairs it has undergone.

The "Batavus" name on the seat hump and a bit of the ribbed effect I want to keep on the finished seat cover.

Rough looking vinyl seat cover

The rubber seat cover, showing just one of the places where the stitching has completely rotted.


Inside the rubber seat cover.


..and this is the metal base and springs. It must have been a fairly plush seat for a moped. Lots of work needed with the wire brush though.

More Batavuses / Batavi (?)

2011-08-02T13:23:00.000-07:00


Batavus Bilonet 1959 - does anyone else think it looks a little like a BSA Beagle? Does anyone else care what a BSA Beagle looks like?


Batavus Whippet 1963


Batavus Whippet 1963


Thanks to Bodger for posting this piccie via Facebook. More piccies on this link

Chinese Norton Skywing Honda Camino Amalgamation

2011-07-31T14:10:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, some brave/foolhardy souls from the Real Classic message board decided that it would be a good idea to take part in a John O'Groats to Lands End moped challenge to raise money for the Help for Heroes charity. They chose to attempt this on a Chinese Skywing moped, that became a Norton thanks to the addition of some genuine Norton footpegs and some badges. Sadly, the brave little mopeddy died a death after little more than 300 miles and ended up in my Home for Distressed Mopeds. The original plan was that I should just store it until MadMike collected it and took it for scrap but that seemed like a waste so I ended up with the log book and moped in the hope that some way of fixing it could be found.

We did some research and found that it was some sort of copy of a Honda Camino so I've been keeping my eye out for a bargain Camino ever since. It had to be very cheap just in case it didn't fit! Last weekend we collected a low mileage complete Honda Camino won for just £56 on ebay - I think the low price was helped by the fact that the auction ended at 8.00. bright and early on a Sunday morning. I was in two minds whether or not to get out of bed to bid but I'm glad I did!

This weekend, while I was tatting around with Bertie, The Boss was playing with the Honda Camino and soon had it running so it was time to try and fit the working bits into the Skywing. First attempt was to fit the complete engine and back wheel in but the main problem there was that the wiring didn't match up. The next plan was to just fit the Honda head, barrel and piston to the Skywing - this meant that we still had the newer wheel from the Skywing. I'm making it sound quite easy but that's because The Boss did most of the work. I was on engine cleaning duties. After connecting electrics, fuel pipe and cables the Skywing Norton Chamino hybrid was soon running and even got taken for a bit of a run up the road.

The Camino had pedals whereas the Skywing was a kick start. The "finished" Chamino retains the kickpart but there are no footpegs - apparently it didn't come with them, there is just a sort of plastic footplate but that doesn't really feel as if it is in the right place (you feel a bit of a twat riding it like that). Also the splines on the kickstart look pretty shoddy so I'm not sure how long they'll last. Longer term, we (as in The Boss) may transfer over the pedals and pedal starting gubbins instead of the kick start.


The donor Camino

I've noticed that you can get Honda Camino big-bore kits on ebay so, longer term, the donor bike may get fixed up, registered and sold on. Seems a shame to waste it!

Pete Sykes Mad Moped piccies

Batavus Update

2011-07-31T13:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I put the cleaned carb back together and then re-fitted it to Bertie. The fuel tap had been soaking in petrol so I refitted that as well, filled the petrol tank with a 50:1 ish mix of petrol and two stroke oil, then refitted the petrol tank. A bit of pedalling later and he was running. He stays running for longer than he did before but still isn't quite right. To be fair, the exhaust system is missing so I just cobbled on a knackered Ariel 3 one. I can't take him for a test ride because the Ariel 3 downpipe stops the front wheel from turning and the tyres (which look as if they are the original ones) almost certainly won't hold any air! I'm going to be funding his "restoration" entirely from funds raised by selling stuff on ebay so my next step is to raise enough money to buy some nice new tyres and tubes.

It seems to be a good way of shifting rust from an Ariel 3 exhaust!

RIP Amy

2011-07-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

Kitten vs Apples

2011-07-23T09:18:00.000-07:00

Batavus Bits

2011-07-22T10:49:00.000-07:00


Batavus Caveman - you can even buy hatpins with him on!


Magazine review of the HS50 - this is the model I've got.


Batavus Whippet - build your own.

Are flares practical moped-wear?

The former Laura Anker factory where they made the engines both for Batavus mopeds and for Ariel 3s.


Another view of the Laura Anker factory in Eygelshoven.


Batavus HS50 on the right (they were all red, apparently). I'd guess the yellow one is a Batavus Go-Go but I'll have to do more research.


Batavus Conforte - build your own.

Batavus Clutch

2011-07-20T09:52:00.001-07:00

Batavus Reading

2011-07-18T12:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Kawa for the following links:

Batavus HS50 manual

Batavus Service and Repair Manual

I like this bit:

Bertie Batavus

2011-07-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

I've already mentioned the Batavus moped I bought while at Uttoxeter so here are a couple of pictures of him.

Ariel 3 engine removal

2011-07-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

While at Uttoxeter, I acquired a Batavus HS50 moped, having somehow justified the purchase on the basis that the Batavus was running and had the same Laura Anker engine as the Ariel 3s.

Now, Bertie Batavus has missing engine covers and he's having to live out in the rain at the moment so I thought I'd borrow covers from one of the Ariel 3s. The Ariel 3 engine I bought on ebay came without covers so that was no help. Next possibility was the snot green Ariel 3 that apparently used to live in a hedge.


To access the engine bolts, the yellow chain case cover needed to be removed.


Note the BSA rubber bung proudly advertising the name of the manufacturer. Bear in mind it would have been completely hidden by the engine enclosure almost all of the time!

It looks fairly clean inside the chain case, quite unlike everything else. Engine bolt is accessed just behind the top run of the chain but there is enough slack to not have to remove the chain:

With the two engine bolts removed, the engine lifted out easily, leaving the layshaft, drive chain and inner chain cover in place. They drop down without the engine bolts to hold them in place:


The engine

Engine bolts were replaced to keep the chain case and layshaft in position. The tall nut on the left hand side is apparently the belt drive adjuster but I haven't really worked out yet how it works - not helped by the distinct lack of belt, I suppose.

Behind the plastic flywheel cover.

Dead bodies

Plastic cover just needs a clean and it is ready to fit to Bertie Batavus.

The flywheel cover fits directly on to the Batavus engine. There are supposed to be some sort of spring clips to hold them on but those were missing, of course. That probably explains why the covers are missing on a lot of the other Batavus images I've found on 'tinternet. I'd been hoping there would be a cover for the clutch as well but I'd forgotten that the Ariel 3 has a fan fitted on that side that means there is nowhere for a clutch cover. However, the flywheel cover also fits where the clutch cover should be so I need to check if there is one in with the original blue Ariel 3 so it can be loaned to Bertie and help keep him protected from the rain.

The idea is to get the Batavus all sorted and running properly and reliably (and road legal so I can use it on NACC runs), then use the running engine as a reference for when I try and put an Ariel 3 together.

Festival of 1000 Bikes

2011-07-17T10:53:00.001-07:00

Piccies to follow

Uttoxeter Show 1st-3rd July 2011

2011-07-04T13:58:00.000-07:00

A week before the show, I was surprised to receive a phone call telling me that my TriBSA was being allowed on the BSAOC stand. I'll admit I've regularly been nagging for it to be allowed on the stand but I didn't really expect a result!

I was working all day Friday so Gus drove over to Uttoxeter with the TriBSA in the trailer, got the bike in it's rightful place as a Show Bike Trailer Queen (ha ha!!), got the tent put up and then drove home to fetch me (I hadn't just been wasting my time working, I'd managed to fit in getting Horatio, no 2 XL185, MOT'd!). In spite of both being Very Tired (Gus has been working nights so had been awake for more than 24 hours and I'm nearly always tired), we managed to stay up enjoying ourselves until a reasonable hour.

Saturday was bright, sunny and hot; there were more showers available than in previous years and the water was hot; the racecourse cafe were able to provide delicious bacon butties; there were lots and lots of shiny and not so shiny bikes to look at and lots of people to meet and chat too. It didn't seem as busy as in previous years but, as a "punter", that felt like a good thing - more room to move around and look at things and most people on the stands had time for a bit of chat and banter. Everything you need for an enjoyable day, really. The organisers provided a band in the bar each evening and lovely Uncle Jim Reynolds was an entertaining Compere during the day. What more could you want? Oh yes, free weekend tickets for sticking my bike in the show for a couple of days!!

Gus pointed out the Batavus moped for sale - it has the same engine as in the Ariel 3. But this one was running! I resisted the temptation. Until Sunday afternoon anyway. The Batavus moped came home with us but, unusually, I had haggled - so successfully that I felt I could have got away with being less generous. Still, it was a good result by my standards!

Here are the pictures:

http://www.flickr.com//photos/bsanorthstaffs/sets/72157627114033460/show/

You'd think I'd have learned by now but I got horribly sunburned again on Sunday (I used the factor 50 on Saturday but sort of forgot until too late on Sunday), to the extent that I had to come home early from work today because I felt so ill. I feel I need a nice lacy parasol to protect my delicate skin in future!

Eddie Kidd's Marathon Success

2011-06-07T10:02:00.001-07:00

Well done Eddie!

BBC news

Thinking of Pooh!

2011-06-06T23:58:00.000-07:00

It's a year since Cliff's funeral (Pooh on the Classic Bike Forum).

This is for you, Pooh. It's a pleasure to have known you.

Kittens on motorcycles

2011-05-29T11:11:00.000-07:00

Eddie Kidd's Marathon

2011-05-26T10:39:00.000-07:00

This is heroic, what a man!

Eddie Kidd's biggest leap of faith

You can support his fund raising efforts here:

Eddie Kidd website

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

2011-05-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

While at the Thundersprint the other weekend, I started reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The White Company" over breakfast in the hotel. Afterwards I sort of wished I'd nicked it so I could finish reading it but that would have been a bit naughty really. Today I'm very happy to have found the following website, which has all sorts of classic books available to read on-line, including The White Company.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Plenty there to keep me quiet :-)

Pink Kittens

2011-05-18T14:52:00.000-07:00

Pink kitten story - click here

1960 B33

2011-05-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

Is yours like this, Larry?

BSA 6 spring clutch

2011-05-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

I'll soon be re-assembling the clutch on the B31 so I'm looking for any useful information to help me with it. All I have at the moment is the exploded diagram in the parts book so I don't have any info about tolerances or how tightly things need to fit together etc.

I've found some useful advice here:

Clutch assembly

Clutch set up

Clutch plate adjustment

BSA Service Sheet 308

Tips for oil tightness

More Googling needed!

If anyone has any more info/diagrams/instructions I would be most grateful!

Magenta!

2011-05-15T05:33:00.000-07:00

I've pinched this piccie from Bob on the Real Classic message board - must be one of the best bike colours ever. And I thought it would look just right on my Pink Blog!

Another Ariel 3 (not mine!)

2011-05-15T05:29:00.000-07:00

I'm most disappointed to discover that someone has beaten me to it - I'd been thinking of building a trailer out of the back end of an Ariel 3 and now I find it has already been done! This one is for sale on ebay at the moment:

How cool and groovy is that?!?

I was also delighted to see this press cutting that the seller has included with the ebay listing:

Thundersprint

2011-05-14T13:28:00.003-07:00

The Thundersprint in Northwich is an event I've wanted to get to for years but never quite got round to it. We headed up there on the morning of Saturday 7th May and were glad to be in the car as there was torrential rain most of the way and very poor visibility on the motorway (although plenty of people still too stupid to use their headlights). We started off in town to have a look around the static display before heading to the hotel where we were spending Saturday night. After checking in, we went back into town for another look around. The weather had improved now and we were enjoying a mixture of sunshine and showers. We'd planned to hit the town on Saturday evening but were both too tired (poor old things!) and stayed at the hotel to watch Dr Who instead! There was more going on the next day, with more trade and club stands and lots more bikes. Parts of the town centre are closed off for the Cavalcade and a variety of bikes do three laps of the circuit, watched by hundreds of people. Later on, the Thundersprint takes place on a racetrack put together on what is usually a car park.

A fantastic weekend and I'll definitely be going again.

Thundersprint Slideshow

I'll try and upload my film of the Cavalcade later on.

Thundersprint Website

Red Marley

2011-05-14T13:28:00.001-07:00

'Twas another sunny day for Red Marley Hill Climb. We arrived fairly early, so there was no queuing up to get in and we spent quite some time wandering around the pits, as you can tell from the photos. As always, a fantastic day out. Arthur Browning regained his King of the Hill title, which was a popular result with the crowds (and me!)

Slideshow - static piccies look out for the Cub, GBC!

Slideshow - on the hill Can you spot Editor Britton?

Slideshow - mishaps No serious injuries, thankfully.

Stafford Show

2011-05-14T13:27:00.001-07:00

I don't think there is very much I can say about the Stafford Show that hasn't been said before so I won't try. Except to say how lovely the bike in the picture above is - beautifully done, built by the same bloke who built a twin-engined Triton that was featured in Classic Bike. I would like to own this bike!

Anyway, just enjoy the piccies:

Stafford Show Easter weekend 2011

Wistanstow Show

2011-03-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

After sunshine all week, the weekend weather was a little disappointing but at least it was dry. Gus was up at the crack of dawn this morning, in spite of the clocks moving forwards, because he wanted to watch roundy roundy racing on the telly. I stayed in bed to try and catch up on some sleep and was woken up with a nice cup of tea at 9.00am.

Having sold the XBR and the Serow and not having got around to MOTing either the Morini or Herbert the XL185, the only road legal and running bikes at the moment are the Tribsa and Horation the XL185. Gus took the Tribsa and I took Horatio. After filling up with petrol, we headed off through Much Wenlock and along Wenlock Edge towards Church Stretton and then to Wistanstow. It was a little chilly for my kevlar jeans (bargain Triumph ones from the Stafford Show - only £20!!) but not uncomfortably so.

Arriving at the show earlier than I ever have done before, it was clearly very busy and we had to queue for a little while to get in. The entrance fee was a reasonable £3 and there was plenty of parking space, with a field for overflow parking as well as the village hall car park. There was a huge variety of bikes of all ages and genres and it took a while just to cross the parking field. We spotted a new Norton Commando - looks better "in the flesh" than in the pictures, I think - and a new W800 which looks every bit as good as the pictures. A shame it doesn't have a kickstart, like the W650, but still a lovely looking machine.

I won't say much more about the bikes, you can see them in the slideshow, but it was good to see Tim's Royal Enfield on the road at last. He and Myles have put a lot of time and effort into it and it looks and sounds lovely.

Slideshow

There were several of the North Staffs BSAOC there (they do get about a bit!). Colin P. was having some clutch trouble but, as always, Myles could be relied upon to have suitable tools so Colin and Captain Kipper were able to fix the problem. I did spot a rather nice looking cake in Myles' trailer - a whole cake that is, not just a slice. Still, it is probably all gone by now........

After a quick drink in the local pub, we headed for Ironbridge to have Sunday lunch at the Robin Hood Inn. I rather enjoyed following the Tribsa for a while - it's nice to hear what your own bike sounds like to other people. It sounds good btw! I even managed to overtake things on the XL185, that was fun. One of the good things about small bikes is that 60mph feels exciting!

The sooner Herbert and the Morini are on the road again, the better. I'll be booking the Morini in for an MOT this week, I don't think there are any problems with it. Herbert needs a top end rebuild but that shouldn't be too difficult either.

Dismantling an Ariel 3

2011-02-25T12:28:00.000-08:00

I had a day off today so I decided it was time to attack the Snot Green Ariel 3.

First of all, I removed the bird's nest from the engine compartment:

Next, I decided to try and remove the lid to the engine compartment. The heads of the bolts were almost impossible to get a spanner on and the nuts were pretty well rusted on to them anyway so I had to attack them with a hacksaw:

I must be a bit slow on the uptake because it was only now that I realised that something rather important was missing - no fuel tank!! This is where it should be:

Next step, was to remove the carburettor and then the exhaust - I was pleasantly surprised to find that the nuts were all fairly easy to remove. What's left of the exhaust seems pretty solid but the silencer is looking a bit sorry:

With the exhaust out of the way, I could access the nuts and bolts holding the engine enclosure in place. Again, these were fairly trouble free and I soon had a naked Ariel 3.

The drive belt is missing but these are available on ebay for £28. I'll certainly need new tyres - these are also available on e-bay but cost more than the Ariel 3 is worth! Alternatively, bicycle tyres of the correct size are available for only £4.99. The Ariel 3 is barely any faster than a bicycle but there might be a issue with getting an MOT. I'm trying to spend as little money as possible, not least because I have several far more worthy projects.

I need to look into getting a log book for it. I know the registration number and it has an old tax disc still attached to it so I'm hopeful that I can keep the original number.

More piccies are here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bsanorthstaffs/sets/72157626010175587/show/

Telford Off-Road and Road Racing Show

2011-02-12T09:46:00.000-08:00

Went along to the show this morning and had a good look around at the interesting variety of bikes on display. We met a few people from last year's Twinshock Trailfinder in Spain and it seems likely that they will be there again this year too - which says a lot for how enjoyable an event it is.

There were lots of pretty things for sale so if I win the lottery tonight, I shall have to go back to the show tomorrow!

This isn't a huge show but there is a lot to see there, there's plenty of room for everyone to move around so you don't get fed up with being jostled and several well known faces to be seen from the off-road and racing worlds. I enjoy it, anyway!

Slideshow

2011-01-20T10:53:00.000-08:00

It's arrived!

I'd had reports from various colleagues:

"Dean's been on the 'phone. He's really worried that you'll be disappointed"

"Dean's been on the 'phone. He wonders what the f**k you want that for!"

Sure enough, Dean turned up looking rather worried and kept me waiting most of the day before we went to unload the van. This is what we unloaded:

The front tyre fell off when the 'ped was lifted into the van yesterday morning!

I had been warned that the seat was missing. The luggage rack is a bonus - my other Ariel 3 doesn't have one.

Ooh! Time to open it up and have a look at the engine...........

Strange, I thought those leaves would just fall off.........

The engine? It's in there somewhere.....

Are you ready to see the engine, Larry? It's here. Underneath that birds nest!

What a vision of loveliness! It did make me laugh......I think it could be quite a challenge but nothing a hoover and a bit of polish won't sort. I've got a spare seat somewhere. It might need new tyres too!

Hahahahahahahahaha!!!

How exciting!

2011-01-19T15:09:00.000-08:00

Ariel 3 was collected this morning and should be delivered tomorrow.

Apparently, it is a rotten heap of rotten stuff. Never mind, they're all like that.....

I'm looking forward to it!

Ariel 3 - brief update

2011-01-06T14:15:00.000-08:00

Nice subbie at work has agreed to collect the "spare" snot-green Ariel 3 for me and bring it to Telford.

Some Ariel 3 links for you:

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pattle/nacc/arc0510.htm

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pattle/nacc/arc0246.htm

BSA Victor 92 HOH - update

2011-01-06T14:12:00.000-08:00

I don't know if anyone remembers this blog post:

http://kittensandmotorcycles.blogspot.com/2010/02/some-of-you-may-recognise-above.html

I was pleased to read in Old Bike Mart today that the BSA Victor outfit has been traced. Nice to have a happy ending and I look forward to reading more of the story in OBM.

Ariel 3 - getting Larry in the mood for engine piccies!

2011-01-05T14:44:00.000-08:00

Before I managed to "win" the Ariel 3 engine on ebay (which turned out to be damaged but I couldn't be bothered to argue the toss with the seller) I drafted a Wanted ad to be included in the NACC magazine "Buzzing" requesting a spare engine and any other parts.

As a result, today I had a phone call from a very nice chappie called Chris who has had a complete Ariel 3 sat in his shed for a long time and who would be quite happy to accept £30 to be rid of it. It is all in one piece but it is located near Gatwick (about 3 hours away). I don't know if this is a "girlie" thing but I did ask what colour it was - I always really wanted the snot-green one - he confirmed it was largely snot-green with brown (rust?!) bits.

To me, snot-green is the correct colour. This is mainly because of a BSAOC trip to the most excellent transport museum in Coventry, back in 2006. At the time there was what can only be described as a "snot-green" corner, which I remember included a snot-green Ariel 3, a snot-green Allegro and a snot-green Marina. You'll be disappointed that I don't have a piccie of the Marina but, for your delight, I do have piccies of the Allegro and the Ariel 3.

Of course, only a complete fool would drive 3 hours each way to collect such an abomination as an Ariel 3. So. to prove I'm not such a complete fool, I'm hoping to convince one of "our" subcontractors at work to collect and deliver it to me because it is sort-of on his way-ish..........

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T13:25:00.000-08:00

Snow!

2010-12-19T14:27:00.000-08:00

Well, we've not had huge amounts of snow but we have had enough to make driving interesting. Most of the snowfall was over Friday night and Saturday. We drove as far as Tesco, the worst moments being people stopping for no apparent reason and the idiots who insist on tailgating. The road into Ironbridge was closed but we didn't need to go there so weren't too worried.

No more snow fell during the night but it was cold enough that my car was frozen on the inside and there were great clods of frozen snow hanging behind the back wheels. We'd thought it might be fun to venture out on the two XL185s so we dragged them out of the Green Shed. Well, to be honest, Gus dragged them out of the Green Shed while I struggled to open the three padlocks on the back gate, two of which refused to co-operate until I'd poured boiling water on them.

Herbert (No 1 XL) started fairly easily but Horatio (No 2 XL) took a little more persuasion but only because he needed me to hold the choke on while Gus kicked him into life. Gus took Horatio on a recce just beyond the end of the road to check out just how good an idea it was to take the bikes out. The considered opinion was "Sod that for a game of soldiers". Having seen the front and back wheel sliding around I think I would have been somewhat ruder than that and using the Bad "F" word........We put the bikes away and headed off in the car for a very delicious Sunday Lunch at the Robin Hood in Ironbridge.

Oh, I'll try to post some Ariel 3 engine piccies over the Christmas break for those who are interested!!!

Selling and Buying Stuff!!

2010-11-17T14:39:00.000-08:00

Firstly, I thought I'd share my excitement that I have at last managed to buy an Ariel 3 engine (after a year of looking!). Once I've sorted out the "proper" bikes, I'm thinking that the Ariel 3 should be "restored" as a rare Military model - just because I want to know how many people will claim to have owned one in the past.....

Next, I'm shamelessly using this blog to try and sell my Yamaha Serow. It's a reluctant sale as it is probably one of my favourite bikes ever - but I've simply got too many bikes and not enough space (or money!). Ironically, while I was inspired to buy the Serow after reading about Lois Pryce's exploits (http://www.loisontheloose.com/), I can also attribute the need to sell it to her and hubbie, Austin Vince! When I bought the two Honda XL 185s to take to Lois and Austin's Twinshock Trailfinder event this year, I had it in mind to sell them afterwards. Having taken part in the event, I can't bring myself to sell the Hondas and we want to go back again next year. The Serow, being a monoshock, just isn't eligible so it has to go - in spite of being a brilliant and versatile little bike.

I've listed it on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220698502014&ru=http://shop.ebay.co.uk:80/%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp5197.m570.l1313%26_nkw%3D220698502014%26_sacat%3DSee-All-Categories%26_fvi%3D1&_rdc=1#ht_1152wt_1139

If anyone is interested - or knows anyone who is interested - please feel free to contact me direct.

The XBR and the Morini are next on the list for selling!

Stafford Show

2010-10-18T23:29:00.001-07:00

Not got much time so here are the piccies:

Slideshow - clicky here

Twinshock Trailfinder - photos

2010-09-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

Got them loaded at last!

Twinshock Trailfinder Slideshow

Twinshock Ford - film

More piccies

And more piccies!

Or you can just check it all out on the Classic Bike Forum - here:

Classic Bike Forum

Twinshock Trailfinder

2010-09-16T13:14:00.000-07:00

We've had an absolute ball! Totally fantastic time, neither of us have fallen off and the two XL185s did splendidly. Planning to take them back next year......

I've been trying to upload photos but without success - may have to wait until we get home. I can't recommend this event highly enough - when you see photos and read about it you may get an inkling of why it is so great. Certainly beyond my expectations - I ache all over but I am Happy, Happy, Happy!!!!

More detail to follow.................................................

Fettling

2010-09-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I bought an XL185 (Herbert) on ebay for the grand sum of £461 - twelve months MOT & tax and running ok. I've done a few bits and pieces to him in readiness for the forthcoming trip to Spain - fitted a tool box, new rear mudguard and new rear light. The plan was to take the Tribsa but it decided to spit out all it's oil via the engine breather. I was told it would need a top end rebuild and to check the oil pump. I checked the oil pump, following some advice on the Real Classic message board and the results suggested that the oil pump was at fault so I ordered a new one from the nice chaps at Supreme Motorcycles. It has been sat on the work bench since then, simply due to lack of time and energy.

A few weeks ago, I spotted another XL185 for sale in Old Bike Mart - same year as Herbert and at a reasonable price. As I was worried whether or not the Tribsa would be ready for the trip to Spain, it occurred to me that another XL would be a good investment. After a couple of telephone calls, I was on my way to a village near Bath in Somerset to collect a new brother for Herbert. The trip was great - the seller mentioned having a couple of other motorcycles and asked if I might like to have a look. Silly question! In the huge triple garage were lots of interesting motorcycle shapes covered in blankets and a tour of the garage began. It turned out he was a Norton enthusiast and I lost count of how many there were, including a couple of TT models. I've been in smaller, less well-stocked museums. Shame I didn't have my camera! Eventually, money and motorcycle changed hands and I was on my way home with Horatio.

Soon after, I drained all the oil and started to take Horatio apart, looking for the centrifugal oil filter so I could give it a clean - this is due every 5,000 miles and Horatio has done over 8,000 miles. The filter turned out not to be too bad but there was some crud so I gave it a good clean. Unfortunately, the small thimble-like filter behind the drain plug met with an unfortunate end (it got crushed) so I had to order a new one before I could re-fill Horatio with oil. Finally got around to doing that this week. He started and ran nicely, much to my relief. The exhaust and silencer had been bodged together and it was blowing around the join so I took the silencer off and after some hammering, cleaning with a wire wheel and painting, I bodged the assembly back together - it still blows a bit but it has improved and certainly doesn't sound obnoxious. He's all ready to go.

Gus has been a-visiting this week and spent many hours in the back garden fettling the two XLs and the Tribsa. Herbert needed rather more work than Horatio - some very strange wiring had gone on and the rear light and brake light had stopped working. This problem was eventually solved although it wasn't particularly straight-forward. There was then a nasty problem with the head bearing - again this has been resolved. Herbert has also had his centrifugal oil filter cleaned (he has done something over 11,000 miles) and the drain plug filter replaced. I'm not going into too much detail - you can read more about it here (with piccies): http://www.classicbikeforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2971

The shakedown run on the two XLs proved satisfactory - Herbert makes a strange noise sometimes when slowing down but we suspect the brake might sometimes be rubbing - it doesn't seem to be anything more serious than that. It is strange that, although the two bikes are both 1981 models (although one is X-reg and one is W-reg), Horatio feels more substantial to ride and there are lots of cosmetic differences between the two. I enjoy them both though - I would be hard pushed to choose a favorite.

Now the two XLs were sorted, Gus turned his hand to the Tribsa, fitting the oil pump, repairing a side panel (tapping a metric hole to mount it with - now, that should upset the purists!) - again, you can read about that in more detail here http://www.classicbikeforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3508

With all three bikes fettled, last night was time for the Tribsa's shakedown run so we took him and Herbert out for a quick ride, taking in a flat but bumpy track. There were some nice deep muddy puddles so I ended up rather wet and grubby. This was all rather easy on Herbert and I wondered how easy the Tribsa would be "off-road" as he still has road tyres on. I rode the Tribsa for the second part of the track and the puddles were probably deeper and muddier, but less avoidable, so I got wetter and muddier. Although the Tribsa felt heavier, it was manageable and coped well and I felt as happy on the Tribsa as I did on the more suitable Hondas. My main gripe was the throttle grip which seemed excessively heavy and unresponsive - this is a new problem so I have order a replacement from Supreme Motorcycles and should be able to fit that tomorrow.

With all three bikes fettled and assurances that most of the tracks we will be riding are do-able on road tyres, we are taking both the XLs and the Tribsa to Spain. I've packed lots of tools ready for the trip!

Ideas are afoot for having two sets of wheels for the Tribsa - an off-road set with knobblies for Red Marley and a road set. I'll be working on that after the trip to Spain.

Watch this space!

Tribsa Update (in brief)

2010-09-02T09:32:00.000-07:00

I'll fill in more detail later but it appears that the Tribsa incontinence problem has been solved by fitting a new oil pump. We're taking it for a shakedown run later but are feeling hopeful that we'll be able to take him to Spain, along with the two XL185s. (Yes, getting close to Spanish trail-riding time - ferry is next Saturday. HOORAY!!!)

Italian Porn

2010-08-28T05:16:00.000-07:00

While I'm still struggling to find the time to update the blog with reports and piccies from Uttoxeter and the BSAOC Summer Camp, I thought you might enjoy this rather lovely (and very professional looking) website/magazine/blog:

Teambenzina

Head out on the Highway!!!!!

2010-07-22T15:58:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, the little Tribsa is still poorly so tonight has seen me packing and loading up the XBR for the trip to the BSAOC Summer Camp in Aylesford, Kent.

I'm not sure at what point it seemed like a Good Idea to drink wine and wait for it to get dark before actually loading the bike but that is what happened. After a bit of a struggle to get the fully laden Honda off the centre stand, I managed to reverse it into the Conservatoire ready for an early (in my book) start tomorrow morning. All the checks have been done - tyre pressures, chain adjustment, oil level, hurried repair to the missing headlight bolt.........make-up, manicure set etc etc (that's just what some of the BSA lot reckon I keep in my tool bag!).

Just need a good nights sleep now. But I'm just a little bit too excited!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMbATaj7Il8

Haha!!!

Tribsa Tribulations

2010-07-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

Having recently got the new electronic ignition properly wired in and the timing set up properly, I got my arse into gear and fitted the lovely alloy tank and booked the little Tribsa in for its MOT. Now, to fit the right hand side panel, you have to remove the oil cap. Which I did, then fitted the side panel and rested the oil cap in position while I screwed the fasteners in. All ready to go, so we headed off for the MOT station. This is about eight miles away and we were nearly there when I noticed that my bum was feeling rather warm - I started to worry that some of the new electrickery was getting too hot but decided to carry on regardless. On arrival at the MOT station, I noticed oil all down the side panel, all over the back tyre and all down the back of my leg. That is when I remembered that I hadn't tightened the oil cap! Nice people provided paper towels for me to clean the bike up a bit before the MOT and I was very relieved when it passed. I was then allowed to use the jet wash to clean up the rather scary looking back tyre before heading home. The new electronic ignition seems to have had good effect - I was seeing 70-75 on the speedo rather than the maximum 60 it was managing in Holland last year. Realistically, the actual speed was nearer 65-70 but still an improvement.

I was away camping in Derbyshire for the weekend after that so the next Tribsa ride was to work on the Monday. On arriving at work, I was somewhat perturbed to find that there was oil all over the back tyre again (and almost everywhere else - but the chain looked well-lubed!). I checked and was glad to find that I hadn't been stupid enough to leave the oil cap undone again but I did find that there was almost no oil left in the tank. I spent some time trying to clean up with paper towels and then my friend Myles, who works on the same industrial estate, rode up on his B40 and told me to bring the Tribsa over to him at lunch time so we could investimagate. The further investimagation showed that oil was returning to the tank but it was also gushing out of the engine breather. It wasn't possible to sort out at the time so I called on good old Carole Nash recovery to take me and the Tribsa home. Further enquiry suggested that there might be some problem with the oil pump and there was some helpful information on the Real Classic message board that suggested running the engine until warm then draining the sump and checking the amount of oil that drained out. I attempted to try this out today but discovered that the drain plug is so bodged about that none of my spanners or sockets will actually fit it. At this point I gave up. I think I will have to file some flat edges on the drain plug so that I can get a grip on it in order to remove it. I'll be ordering a new one from Supreme Motorcycles on Monday.

The plan was to ride the Tribsa to Kent for the BSAOC summer camp next Friday - I haven't given up hope yet.......

Norton Bagging

2010-06-30T14:42:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in my last post that I had a trip to Coventry planned and that I was hoping to bag a few Norton's for the Real Classic Norton Challenge Find out more about it here!. With the XBR all loaded off I set off on a glorious sunny day and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of riding alone. My first Norton was directly en route on the A5 - Norton Canes.

The next Norton was in Leicestershire and required a slight detour - Norton Juxta-Twycross. The detour was along a very nice stretch of road and it was nice to be riding somewhere just for the fun of riding.

The next Norton was near to Daventry so I ended up riding beyond my final destination in Coventry. The ground next to the signpost was rather soft so the bike is actually leaning on the signpost as I didn't trust the sidestand not to sink into the ground. At this point the weather was still gloriously sunny, with a few clouds beginning to appear.

After this, I headed back in the direction of Coventry, looking for somewhere to fill up with fuel as I don't yet have any idea of how many miles an XBR tank of fuel will cover. It soon started to rain but as I didn't have far to go and the rain didn't seem heavy I decided to wait for the fuel stop before stopping to pull on waterproofs. I hadn't ridden in rain for a long time and was feeling a little paranoid so just plodded on. I found a fuel stop and it seemed as if the rain was easing off so I decided not to bother with the waterproofs. This proved to be a mistake as a few miles up the road the rain became persistantly heavier and I was torn between carrying on, as I knew I was nearly there, and stopping to don waterproofs. Once again, I made the wrong decision. It turned out that Multimap had lied about which roundabout the hotel was next to. After riding around aimlessly and confused for a while, I pulled into a petrol station to ask for directions. The cashier claimed not to know where the hotel was but kindly sold me a local street map. I belatedly pulled on the waterproofs and looked at the map. It didn't help much other than to confirm that the hotel couldn't be far away. After some more riding up and down and round and round a selection of roundabouts, I spotted the hotel and realised I had actually ridden past it about four times already. By this time there was thunder and lightning and spectacular amounts of wet stuff falling from the sky and bouncing and splashing off the road. I had also gone way past the feeling slightly paranoid stage! It also crossed my mind that if I hadn't gone Norton-bagging I would have arrived while it was still sunny. I figured that it had been worth getting wet for but was glad to get into a warm, dry hotel room, have a shower, get into some dry clothes and head for the bar. More drinks followed later with some lovely peeps from the excellent Classic Bike Forum and I eventually fell asleep in the pub as a result of no food and too much drink. Not my finest moment and the less said about that the better..............I have lots of not finest moments, btw, but most of them don't involve falling asleep in pubs thankfully!

It took the next couple of days for my riding clothes to dry out and I set off in torrential rain which persisted all the way home. That was fun! I took the M6 toll road just so there were less lorries and spray to contend with. As I pulled up at my house and turned the bike around, the rain stopped and it didn't rain again for the rest of the day. Deep Joy!

Catching up

2010-05-31T12:52:00.000-07:00

Lots of changes since last time!

The XBR finally got sorted and through the MOT although strictly speaking it should have failed because there was no damping in the front forks. Mr sfb had to promise to sort them out straight away. We managed to improve the damping by adding a few washers but it was clear that still wasn't very good so they now have progressive springs. Even now, however, they still don't seem as good as they should be.

Following on from that, it became apparent that Mr sfb is no longer to be Mr sfb because he has decided to move on to better things (has been seeing someone else!) Of course, there have been ups and downs since then and Jon (the person formerly known as Mr sfb) has now moved out, although I am still privileged to be custodian of heaps and heaps of junk that he hasn't got room for. Unfortunately for anyone who reads this blog, this means you will probably never get to enjoy the delights of Jon playing banjo on You-tube.

To take my mind off all this, I decided that a small trip was needed and made arrangements so that I could set off for the the last night of the BSAOC rally at Wicksteed Park in Kettering.

Yesterday morning saw me loading up the bike with newly purchased tent and sleeping bag etc, checking oil level and tyre pressures and trying to make the always difficult decision as to what to wear for the ride. Jon called round to do safety checks on my luggage loading and seemed to approve of my effforts so off I went, leaving him to lock up behind me. The ride to Kettering on the XBR was brilliant, warm and sunny and I found myself loving the bike more with each mile. I've suffered a real crisis of confidence over the last couple of years, following a car crash and a very minor fall off the XT225 and I've been really frustrated at how I seemed incapable of getting over it. I knew I could potentially do so much better but couldn't actually make myself do it. I started to feel a bit more confident when Jon and I went for a ride last weekend but my trip yesterday gave me even more of a boost and I also enjoyed doing something totally on my own. I also have to say that Avon RoadRiders are brilliant tyres.

I got slightly lost trying to find Wicksteed Park once I got to Kettering but fortunately there was also a classic show at Stanford Hall so I accosted a man on a very nice Matchless to ask for directions and he was kind enough to offer to escort me to the site. I got a very warm welcome from lots of the BSA owners, help with putting my tent up and lots of offers of beer (which I had to turn down as I don't drink beer). There was food laid on at the "disco" - roast pork, jacket potatoes so I was able to be sensible and eat my first meal since breakfast. I'm glad I did this as lots of alcohol was consumed later on, pear cider while in the bar and then wine later when we did our usual sitting around in the dark talking long after everyone else was asleep. I didn't get to try out my lovely new tent as Myles and Roger decided I needed looking after and put me in my sleeping bag in their tent. I didn't even take my boots off and I still couldn't get warm. They both reported this morning that they had been lovely and warm so I think they just stole all my body heat and kept it for themselves.

It rained a bit in the night but was just a bit grey and miserable this morning so managed not to get rained on - just as well because even without rain I have only now managed to warm up. I rode home with Myles on his B40, mostly at B40 speeds but I did have a couple of moments of tearing off to overtake things. Jon had stayed at my house while I was away - he's not very good at this moving out thing - so he made us a hot drink and unloaded my luggage. Myles went home then Jon and I went for a ride to the cafe at Quat. The throttle cable on the XBR has been catching and not closing properly and for some reason this had now got much worse so I just had to nail it everywhere - Jon commented on how much my riding had improved since last weekend! I got made to ride the Speed Triple - having brakes that work so well scared me to death, I thought I had just touched the brake to slow down a little and it almost stopped dead. Nice bike though - too sophisticated for me.

Will investigate the sticky throttle tomorrow, I need the bike sorted for next weekends planned trip - if the weather is favourable I plan to include bagging a couple of Norton's for the Real Classic magazine's Norton Challenge - I have a route in mind that will take in three Nortons.

Busy busy...

2010-05-17T13:44:00.000-07:00

I feel as if I spent the whole weekend tatting with bikes. I think the only time I got away from the house was for a trip to Halfrauds for some fork oil!

On Saturday, a friend turned up to continue assisting me with getting the new electronic ignition sorted on the Tribsa - that means that he does all the wiring while I keep busy making the plate on which to mount the powerbox and coil. I don't understand electrickery so I'll spare you any details but the new ignition, from Kirby Rowbotham, is a lovely looking bit of kit that fits where the distributor used to be. I took the skew drive from the dizzy to Kirby and he built the ignition unit around that. When I looked at the instructions for wiring it my brain turned to a sort of spaghetti-like mush so I had to call for help. The mounting plate, which fits under the seat with the coil and powerbox attached underneath, is something I'm quite proud of with lots of bending and shaping required to make the steel fit in as neatly as possible. I'm so pleased with it that pictures may follow! Anyway, we spent most of Saturday soldiering away on the Tribsa and at last we were ready to see if it all worked. I then remembered that I had emptied the fuel tank to use the fuel in one of the other bikes so we went to a lot of trouble to siphon some petrol out of the tank of Herbert the XL. This involved my friend getting a mouthful of petrol and spitting it out over my hand but we eventually liberated some petrol. Once we had done this, I realised that it would have been a lot, lot quicker to pop to the garage with a fuel can...........Still, we had siphoned enough fuel to start the Tribsa and confirm that it works both with and without the battery and sounds rather lovely. There's still some tidying up to do and we want to replace the crimped connections with soldered ones, I need to work out some neat cable tying, replace the spark plug caps as the ones I had were knackered and we had to pinch old ones off other bikes in order to start the Tribsa. We also found the brake light switch had died a death. I've therefore had to order various bits and pieces from these people http://www.vehicleproducts.co.uk/ . This is only the second time I've bought from them but they seem very good and sell lots of interesting things, mainly vehicle wiring products but some other parts as well, such as brake and fuel lines and some stainless fittings etc. Once all the final tweaking is done, we'll set the timing up properly with a strobe and then I'll be ready to fit the alloy tank and he'll be all ready to go (although still rather incontinent).

On Sunday, I needed to carry on with the XBR because it was booked in for an MOT on Wednesday. We (I mean, Jon!) got the other fork seal sorted, while I drove up to Halfrauds for the fork oil. We were then able to put the front end back together, then wheel the bike out of the shed, turn it around and wheel it back into the shed to take the back wheel out in order to replace the nasty square tyre with the lovely new Avon RoadRider. This proved more tricky than expected, thanks to a rounded off nut on the torque arm and the spindle being extremely reluctant to be removed from the wheel. Once the wheel was out we found that the bearings were seized and it took a lot of effort and swearing to get them removed. When the bearings were finally out we set about changing the tyre. Although I can't say it was particularly easy we did manage to get this done without using my fingers as rim protectors or causing me injury in any other way so as far as I'm concerned it was a good result!

Today, I took the bearings into the local bearing man. They would have cost over £25 from the on-line supplier but I knew he would supply them at a far better price. As I walked into his shop, I was greeted with the words "Hello Beautiful!" This is always a good start, I feel. He quickly found the bearings and then I waited for his favourite joke.

"Ah, you'll want to know how much they are" he said, looking thoughtful. After some consideration he said "That one is £32 and that one is £28".

"Ok" I replied.

He looked disappointed "You've been here before, haven't you?" he asked.

I confirmed that to be the case "Yes, last time you told me £300" I smiled.

"Oh, OK, we'll call it a tenner then" he said. I paid up happily then trundled off to the sports shop in Wellington to buy some new running shoes.

A couple of weeks ago I started going to a Women in Motion Beginners Running session, nothing very ambitious but I've enjoyed it apart from the pain in the arches of my feet, particluarly on my right foot. The instructor suggested I go to Seatons in Wellington as they would properly assess what type of shoe I need. When I got to Seatons, I was asked to balance first on one foot and then the other while the salesman examined what my feet were doing. The verdict was that I needed more support so he fetched a small selection of shoes to try and then I had to do a short walk and jog on the treadmill. I was quite impressed when, just from watching my feet, he asked if I had more trouble with the right foot than the left. The first pair of shoes were better than my old ones but still a bit sore so I had to try another (more expensive) pair and these felt much better. I consequently left the shop £85 quid poorer but with some decent shoes and an instruction NOT to run for a few days and just to wear them around the house to get used to them. Running session is tomorrow so I think I'll have to go along and just walk the route. I'm worried that if I miss one session it will be all too easy to let it slip and miss the next one as well etc etc I was very unfit before going to the running sessions and, truth be known, I still am. BUT I have noticed an improvement and it has even made a difference to my riding confidence when off-road, which was one of my incentives for getting fitter in the first place. I do wonder if my right foot isn't more sore because it is my kick-start foot.

After getting home from work, I found that one of the wheel bearings is the wrong size so I'll have to go back to the bearing man tomorrow and change it. Never mind, there are far less pleasant places to go.

MOT has been postponed until Saturday :-(

Hurrah for Dremel!

2010-05-12T09:18:00.000-07:00

Well, after more tapping away on Saturday without success I decided more drastic action was called for. I suspected that what I was planning was probably an act of Bodgery but someone on the RealClassic facebook page suggested the same course of action - which made me feel a bit better. So Sunday afternoon was spent using the Dremel to cut two grooves in the lower steering head bearing race so it would be easier to tap out. This was fairly time-consuming but eventually proved successful. The top bearing race tapped out without much resistance. With the old races removed, fitting the new taper roller bearings was very straightforward and they make a noticeable improvement.

Next it was time to attack the fork seals and I took the easy option and let Jon do this. One fork seal done and one to go! Tyre fitting this weekend and MOT booked for next Wednesday.

More fun was had on Sunday morning. It was bright and sunny so it seemed like a good idea to go for a ride on the XL and the Serow. Firstly, we dropped in to see friend Ian from whom I bought the XBR. He was suitably impressed with the bargain XL but wouldn't try it out as he had been indulging in a glass of whisky! Ian had already spent the proceeds from selling the XBR and claimed to have "unexpectedly" won a bike on ebay. I think it was more "unplanned" than "unexpected", the placing of the bid having taken place after an evening in the pub with a mate! He showed us the ebay pictures of it - a rather nice BSA C11 in "original" finish, rather than a restored example - so I look forward to seeing the real thing in action.

After this, we headed for an easy off road track. Even though it has been dry for a few days now, there were lovely deep muddy puddles just to make life interesting. My confidence had grown (and my fitness has improved!) since last time so we nailed the bikes through the puddles and ended up soaked to above the knee, with attractive mud spatters all up our backs. This proved to be so much fun that we turned around and did it all again. We swapped bikes this time, so Jon rode the XL and I was on the Serow. The Serow is only 11 years newer but so much more sophisticated and more powerful - a more noticeable difference than you might expect from the 40cc difference in engine size (the XL top comfortable speed is about 60mph while the Serow is happy at 80+ mph on the road). The suspension is also much better. After riding back down the track, Jon proclaimed the XL to be "horrible and stone-age" which I think poor Herbert found rather hurtful. I enjoyed both bikes and wasn't really bothered by the less comfortable ride. The Serow is undoubtedly the better bike but it doesn't mean Herbert Honda is any less fun to ride.

I think Jon has been spoiled by the modern delights of the Speed Triple.............he didn't used to be so critical of old nails!

Botheration!

2010-05-08T05:49:00.000-07:00

Jon came home from work yesterday and rushed out to the shed/bike conservatory to start stripping the front end off my XBR so we could get on with working on it today. We got as far as removing the front wheel and forks and decided that was enough work for a Friday evening. When Jon went to put the Speed Triple away he noticed it had a gurt nasty nail stuck in the lovely brand new rear tyre. Having just spent all his pennies on the bike he wasn't too happy about having to shell out on a new tyre already so this morning we've been out to buy one of those tubeless tyre repair kits but the instructions say not to exceeed 80kmph afterwards - sort of defeats the object of having a Speed Triple, but it is more of a get you home kit I suppose. Just out of interest, I checked the price of a replacement on M&P - expecting a rear tyre to be getting on for £180. They had the exact same tyres on offer at £150 a pair so it seemed silly not to get them (my XBR tyres were £123 a pair and not such a high rating or anything like as BIG). Jon's gone to get the existing tyre plugged and will keep it as a spare once the new one has been fitted.

While he was out, I've been having a go at drifting out the steering head bearings on the XBR so I can fit the shiny new taper roller ones. I haven't had much success, the lower bearing has moved a little but doesn't want to go any further. I've applied heat and kept tapping away at it thinking it must eventually move. I have now come to a standstill because the head of the hammer flew off, narrowly missing my head and the XBR tank, flying across the room, past the B31 tank and landing neatly on the floor. No damage done fortunately. Except to the hammer, of course. I think I'll have to nip to the farm shop and buy a new one.

Seems like a good time for a cup of tea :-)

Parcels!

2010-05-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

I had rather an exciting day today - I had three parcels delivered to work! First was a Haynes Book of Lies for the XL185, brand new from ebay. Then came a parcel of bits from Wemoto - steering head bearings, fork seals, handlebar grips and a new brake lever for the XBR (plus a free keyring!). Finally was a pair of Avon Roadrider tyres from M&P for the XBR - they look rather sexy and I'm looking forward to trying them out. I think they'll be a lot more confidence inspiring than the horrible Continental and Metzeler combination it has on now. I should now be able to get the XBR to an MOTable state over the weekend and book it in for MOT next week. Then it will probably rain constantly for the next six months...............

The Daily Puppy

2010-05-04T03:01:00.001-07:00

I like today's puppy so much I want to keep him!

Reducing the collection

2010-05-02T06:38:00.000-07:00

We've often discussed the need to reduce our collection of two-wheeled vehicles as we have run out of space in which to work on any of them. As a result it often seems that the shed contents are more of a scrapheap or motorcycle graveyard than a cherished collection.

I can now happily report than Jon has had some success in this regard, having sold the New Hudson autocycle and the BSA B2 (sob....I wanted that!) at the Stafford Show last weekend. The New Hudson has gone to Southern Ireland and the BSA has gone to sunny Spain. He has also agreed the sale of the trusty Enfield Bullet to a friend. The proceeds have been used to buy a 1999 Triumph Speed Triple, citrussy-green bug-eyed beastie that manages to look both slightly deranged and rather gorgeous all at once. Well done, Jon - three out and one in!

What success have I had? Well, I've decided to sell the Morini Kanguro. I've decided to sell it a couple of times and then changed my mind because it really is a fun bike and, having been wired so it doesn't need a battery, it always starts easily even if it has been left for months. Anyway, this time I really have decided to sell it.........although I don't plan to advertise it at all. I've decided that if/when I hear that someone wants a Kanguro then I will let them buy it. If I like them. If I feel like it. In the meantime, it is spending some time in my new storage unit - leaving a bit of shed space here. So, well done me for being so decisive. On the strength of that, I bought myself a little 1981 Honda XL185 which I'll be taking to Spain in September for some trail riding - I had to buy it as the trail riding is for twin-shock only so I couldn't have taken either the Morini or the Serow. And it was a bargain.

Earlier this week, I heard that a friend is interested in buying the Yamaha Radian and I'm more than happy for that to go. On the strength of that and because I have nothing that will go quick enough to not really annoy Jon if he is on the Speed Triple, I've now bought a Honda XBR500. Again, a bargain. It's got the nice spoked wheels (not the earlier com-stars) and a Predator exhaust system - sounds fantastic! I just need to do some tweaking before I can MOT it (fork seals, steering head bearings) and move the footpegs back to the standard position. The friend I've bought the XBR from will eventually have the NSU Quickly on long term loan so that will leave more room in the sheds - in the meantime, it will be moved to the storage unit.

So, to summarise, Jon has sold three and bought one and I have moved two, nearly sold one and bought two. I don't think I'm doing very well really. It's just as well I have the storage unit so I can just move things out of the way and pretend I've reduced the collection :-)

Pictures of the new toys below - I think you'll know which is which! I'm off to clean the XBR and move the foot-pegs.

Fords are Fun!

2010-04-04T17:06:00.000-07:00

Wistanstow Show 28 March 2010

2010-03-28T15:03:00.001-07:00

Hurrah for French bikers!!

2010-03-18T14:37:00.000-07:00

They really know how to make their point:

http://ukfrancebikers.com/2010/03/14/french-motorcyclists-more-angry-than-ever/

http://ukfrancebikers.com/2010/03/15/french-bikers-take-over-the-public-transport-to-express-their-anger-at-the-government/

Love it, love it, love it!!!!

Titch Allen RIP

2010-03-18T12:50:00.001-07:00

Sad news to hear that Titch Allen passed away in hospital yesterday.

http://www.realclassic.co.uk/books/books07091300.html

NACC Fruitcake Frolic

2010-03-07T13:06:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday Jon!

2010-03-04T14:01:00.001-08:00

Jon's birthday today.

Bought him a rather lovely Banjo.

This isn't him:

Must-have sidecar outfit

2010-02-28T10:53:00.001-08:00

Click picture to start:

CLEVER AND QUAINT

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Classic Dirt Bike/Off Road Show Telford

2010-02-14T11:05:00.000-08:00

Very enjoyable show, not too crowded so none of that nasty jostling and struggling to get pictures of interesting bikes.

Slideshow

Knitted Motorcycle

2010-02-12T03:01:00.000-08:00

More work by the artist can be seen here. I love the lace tattoos.

BSA Victor - 92 HOH

2010-02-09T12:08:00.000-08:00

Some of you may recognise the above registration number?

I received an email request a couple of days ago asking if anyone can help with locating the BSA Victor 441 with the registration number 92 HOH.

"Im hoping you can help me, or perhaps point me in the right direction.!

My father and his brother used to be BSA works riders and became British Trials Experts in the late 60's, in sidecar. (Derek and Ray Round also known as the Round brothers)

We sadly lost my uncle Ray 18months ago , and my dad (Derek) has expressed a wish that to try and get their BSA VICTOR 441 CC (WORKS BIKE) which they won the title british trials experts on many times back or at least trace it, I have the registration number which is 92 HOH, and wondered if you could possibly point me in the right direction where to start in trying to trace it, we are in the process of putting an advert in the old bike mart, but if there is any other suggesions you could point towards I would be most grateful.

thank you for your time

natalie"

I've looked on DVLA and it appears not to have been taxed since 1978. Derek believes it may be in Yorkshire but can't remember why. Natalie is placing an advert in Old Bike Mart and has contacted Tim Britton (editor of OBM and Classic Dirt Bike) and I made a couple of enquiries on various forums. I also (of course) suggested Natalie contact Kay to see if she can put something in the Star. If anyone can help or knows any possible sources of information please let me know and I will forward all details to Natalie.

I've scanned in a couple of piccies of the bike and riders from Norman Vanhouse's excellent BSA Competition history (you can click the pictures to make them bigger).

The Bugatti Queen

2010-02-06T12:15:00.000-08:00

"The thing I like best in the world is adventure" - Helle Nice

I bought this book on Amazon following a recommendation on the Real Classic message board and I am very glad I did.

The Bugatti Queen is the true and utterly engrossing story of Helle Nice (born Helene Delangle) who rose from a poor background to become a successful racing driver in the 1930s, via a colourful career as a dancer, stripper and even a circus performer.

Born in 1900 in a small, shabby home in a tiny village forty miles from Paris, Helene Delangle was beautiful, adventurous, talented and promiscuous. She became very successful modelling, dancing and stripping in 1920s Paris. In 1929 she suffered a knee injury in a skiing accident and this put paid to her dancing career. By then, she already knew that she had skill as a competitive driver. The car-makers wanted glamour to sell their machines, all she had to do was prove herself as a driver and this she did by winning the 1929 Grand Prix Feminin at Montelhery driving an Omega Six.

The book chronicles her successful driving career collecting glittering prizes and enjoying a glamorous lifestyle driving Bugattis and other exotica. It is clear that the author has fallen a little in love with her heroine whose spirit and charm made her irresistible to so many people.

After all her achievements, her downward turn of her life seems tragically unfair. She was disinherited by her family, her elder sister seeming bitterly resentful of her successful sibling (to the extent she omits her name from the family gravestone), her long term lover abandons and robs her and the famous driver Louis Chiron publically accuses her of collaboration with the Gestapo during the occupation (a charge which was never proved). In 1984 she dies in obscurity and poverty, having been dependent upon the care of a French charity whose purpose was to provide help and support for anyone in the theatrical world whose career had suffered a downturn in fortune.

The author, Miranda Seymour, does not confine the biography to a factual narration but includes emotive reconstruction in her story telling, filling out characters and events in a way that reaches to the emotions of the reader. By the time the book reaches the time of Helle’s fall from grace the events that unfold seem heartbreakingly sad.

The author mentions early in the book that she was disappointed with the lack of convincing descriptions of how it actually felt to be part of the racing scene in the 1920s & ‘30s. The descriptions in this book are beautifully evocative, whether told from the point of view of a spectator or a driver. The descriptions of the inevitable crashes and deaths are shocking and make the achievements and determination of the drivers even more remarkable.

A fascinating book about an extraordinary woman who deserves to be remembered.

You can't believe everything you read

2010-01-31T11:04:00.000-08:00

There was a small amount of snowfall during the night so I fancied going for a walk in the snow. This afternoon we headed for Lilleshall monument. There was no snow there but we briefly saw the snow on the distant Welsh hills before they were hidden by clouds heading our way.

Lilleshall monument was erected in memory of the first Duke of Sutherland in 1839, a few years after his death in 1833. On it is the inscription "To the memory of George Granville Leveson Gower, K.G. 1st Duke of Sutherland. The most just and generous of landlords. This monument is erected by the occupiers of his Grace's Shropshire farms as a public testimony that he went down to his grave with the blessings of his tenants on his head and left behind him upon his estates the best inheritance which a gentleman of England can bequeath to his son; men ready to stand by his house, heart and hand"

Well, call me cynical but I couldn't help but wonder if the monument had been erected by his grateful tenants or by his son so when we got home I had to do a little browsing on the good old internet. I didn't find the answer to my question but on the excellent Geograph website I found a few pictures of the monument and noticed a comment someone had added later. This read "The Scottish tenants of the Duke of Sutherland would not have shared the sentiments given on this monument. As a major landowner he is seen as responsible for widespread Highland Clearances replacing tenants with sheep farming. His statue at Golspie causes continuing controversy".

This statue at Golspie was also ostensibly erected by "his mourning and grateful tenantry" to a "judicious, kind and liberal landlord" and stands near the summit of Beinn a' Bhragaidh. Many people would like to see this monument removed.

At the start of the 1800s the Sutherland Estates amounted to some 1.5 million acres and formed the biggest private estate in Europe. Because more money could be made from the land if it was grazed by sheep than from the rents of the crofters, up to 15,000 people were forcibly, sometimes brutally, removed. Some were resettled in coastal communities but more were shipped to North America.

More about the Highland Clearances here.

This still leaves the question "Were the Shropshire farmers really grateful?" I shall continue to look.

Now, I mentioned above the Geograph website. To quote from the website "The Geograph British Isles project aims to collect geographically representative photographs and information for every square kilometre of Great Britain and Ireland and you can be part of it"

I've not seen this website before today but it looks very interesting - even if you do not want to add your own photgraphs it provides a useful reference as there are photographs from almost everywhere. Go on, have a look! (Edited 21.44 31 Jan 2010 - have spent some time browsing the Geograph site and have noticed that some of the contributers seem to use it to post opinions about off-road motorcyclists, 4wd vehicles and even horse-riders ruining routes for cyclists and walkers. Personally, I think that is abusing what the site is about. I'd rather just see the photos with a factual statement of where and when the picture was taken. There are plenty of other places to go and argue the toss about who should be allowed where.)

Mmmm, time to attempt to cook Kidney Curry (Kidney e Kash).

2010-01-28T13:04:00.000-08:00

Now that's why I should get the Raleigh Runabout sorted. And why Jon should keep the NVT Easyrider.

Happy Birthday to me!

2010-01-27T08:54:00.000-08:00

Last year I had a crappy birthday on my own because poor Jon was in hospital having his appendix removed so this year I decided I deserved to start celebrating early. Last night we went out for Birthday Curry (I had kidney e kash, a dish made with lambs kidney, spring onion, green peppers and coriander) and very nice it was too. Followed that with some wine and some sparkling wine so I needed a bit of a lie in this morning. Then went out, wearing lovely new Birthday Boots (thank you Jon!), for Birthday Lunch (liver, bacon, onions and chips) which was also very nice. After that, we spent some time looking around the antique centre in Bridgnorth and for some reason I bought a bugle. I now need to work out how to get a reasonable sound out of it, rather than just a noise like a wet fart..........I also came home with an 1881 world atlas (in German) and a tiny brass Victorian multi-tool with a penknife, a pencil, a toothpick and a button hook. See, I spent my Birthday Money wisely!!! What I really wanted was an antique brass horn for the B31 but couldn't find one of those so I'm now "watching" some on ebay.

Here's the card my Dad sent me:

What to do first......

2010-01-26T05:14:00.000-08:00

I started this blog with the idea of just putting bike stuff on but now, instead of just feeling bad because I've done nothing to the bikes, I need to start doing "other stuff". My acquiring heaps of junk to try and make them into something attractive and useable isn't restricted to bikes, I have lots of other junk as well!

First to be attacked will probably be a couple of empty clock cases I found in a junk shop in Bridgnorth. Time to get creative with those, I think.

A recent email from an old school friend reminded me that my lovely Mum used to let me paint all over the wall in my bedroom, not to mention an 8 foot tall "Eddie" (the Iron Maiden mascot) climbing the stairs. My last house also ended up with murals on all the doors but I've done nothing like that in the current house (and been here over 6 years). It was always one of my favourite ways of unwinding so I need to make time for creative tatting around! Putting that in writing gives me something to live up to..............

It won't happen today though. I might go out this evening, since it is my birthday tomorrow and I've taken the day off. Hooray!!

I've done sod all........

2010-01-25T13:20:00.000-08:00

...to any of the bikes since about September.

I bought a very pretty 21" front wheel for the B40/B25SS project (from a Triumph Adventurer, I believe).

I've had a wonderful looking electronic ignition made for the Tribsa by Kirby Robotham but I need to convert the bike to 12v before I fit it and I am lacking the space and confidence to attempt it at the moment. I'd wanted to have this done for a while so when I got my insurance payout from a car accident last year, it seemed like a good way to spend the money. DAM on the Classic Bike Forum spoke highly of Kirby's ignition in his father's 3ta engined Greeves so this finally swung my decision to splash out almost £300. I think it will be worth it.

Last week, I thought I had managed to find a new owner for the NSU Quickly but, after lots of shifting bikes in the shed so that the NSU was accessible and ready to deliver, this all fell through. It has to go so the hunt for a new home is back on. I need SPACE!! One friend would like it but it would be dependent upon being able to sneak it into his shed without his wife noticing the appearance of an extra bike.

The space problem may be eased soon as I am hoping too be able to rent a storage unit near work, which should take all the junk from the spare room plus the trailer. This means two things - one, I can try and sort out the garden so I can start growing vegetables, herbs etc and two (prior to decorating) I am planning to move the BSA B25SS chassis into the spare room so I can clean it up and paint it etc. I think the Ariel 3 will probably find its way up there for painting as well. I ran this idea past Jon while we were at the NACC meeting last week and he didn't seem at all surprised. The practicalities of testing out the B25 brakes by riding down the stairs were discussed but, should the brakes prove to be crap, I would end up riding through the back door and into the bike-conservatory and probably impaling myself on some handlebars or something equally painful. The plan was therefore revised to a more cautious one, which involves disassembling the rolling chassis to transport it down the stairs. And then there is the engine to attend to, which is still in bits in the kitchen.

While the B40/B25SS and the Ariel are residing in comparative luxury upstairs, there should be room in the shed to take apart the B31 forks which I reassembled way back in August using lots of nice new parts, then, after re-fitting them to the B31 realised I had missed out the circlips. There is also the rather tricky problem of chain alignment to be solved. And lots of other bits too. I need to write a list.

The alloy tank for the Tribsa has made progress. I bought it for £15 on ebay but it had a huge dent in it. It looked the business on the bike though. A friend in the BSAOC has had it for....er...probably about a year now.....he's doing a cracking job on it though. Before Christmas, he had taken the bottom off it in order to straighten out the dents and you couldn't tell there had ever been any dents. He is currently making a new bottom for it with a narrower tunnel to fit more closely around the top tube which will make the fuel capacity greater too. He's also repositioning the fuel taps. He reckons I can have it back in another year. I think it will be worth waiting for.

Then there's the Raleigh Runabout to be sorted because it makes me laugh.

Not much to do then.............................

New link

2010-01-12T10:50:00.000-08:00

I've added a new link for an interesting blog about restoring a BSA Starfire, well worth a read.

http://thrashemmotorcycles.blogspot.com/

Essential motorcycle accessory

2010-01-05T11:45:00.000-08:00

One of those things you never knew you needed:

Click here

I'm pretty sure I need at least one!

Set off for tonight's BSAOC meeting but there was enough snow to make it seem like a bad idea. Yes, I know there are worse things than being snowed in at the pub with the North Staffs BSA Owners but I do have to work tomorrow. Ride/drive carefully everyone!

Isle of Man reciprocal health agreement petition

2010-01-01T06:56:00.000-08:00

I have received the following by email today and though it may be of some interest/concern to some of you:
"A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM ROY MADDOX

Support Visitors to the Isle of Man

The UK Government has unilaterally decided to end the reciprocal health
agreement with the Isle of Man

(see http://www.gov.im/lib/news/dhss/ministerwarnsoff.xml ) - this means that, from April 2010, UK residents visiting the island will no longer be covered for
medical care and Manx residents will no longer be covered for medical care
should they be taken ill in the UK. Anyone taking a ferry to the Isle of Man will need to have health insurance.

Anyone living in the Isle of Man (many of whom have served in the British
Armed Forces or are British Nationals) even if they have paid years of
national insurance in the UK, will need to have health insurance if they
visit the UK.

If you don't agree with this and would like to let the British Government
know your feelings, sign the official petition on the No.10 website here -
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/HealthcareIOMUK/ and forward this email on
to as many of your friends as you can.

If you feel really strongly about this, let your MP know as it's been kept
very quiet in the UK and most members of Parliament are not aware of the
change.

Regards

Roy Maddox
265 IMAGES http://265images.fpic.co.uk/
155 Rugby Road, Hinckley, Leicestershire. LE10 0QB"

And check out the 265 images link above as there are lots of interesting photos including lots of Bantams!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-12-31T08:48:00.000-08:00

Well, I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas and that you are all ready for the new year. Hope the weather is favourable for the new years day rideout!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Cycles Gladiator

2009-12-07T12:41:00.000-08:00

Not a motorcyclist but nevertheless a notable lady on two wheels who has been causing some controversy in Alabama - click on the link below for more:

Cycles Gladiator

An (American) History of Women and Motorcycles -

2009-11-26T11:39:00.000-08:00

HISTORY OF WOMEN AND MOTORCYCLES

Author: Ron Lieback

By Elizabeth West

The motorcycle didn't spring full-blown into this world. Rather, it evolved from the earlier bicycle. Women loved bicycles for the mobility and freedom they allowed. In fact, Susan B. Anthony said, "The bicycle has done more for the emancipation of women than anything else in the world."

In the 1880s, bicycles were a huge fad. Then, in 1885, Gottlieb Daimler made one that had an engine. Strictly speaking, it wasn't a bicycle, because it had four wheels instead of two. Two were safety wheels. This bike went a magnificent and stately 12 miles per hour.

An idea was born, and soon other motorized bicycles were invented. Perhaps the first true motorcycle was a charcoal fired two -wheeler made in 1869 by Sylvester Roper of Massachusetts.

Within two decades, motorcycles were being mass-produced. The first such bike was the Orient-Aster, which was made by the Metz Company of Waltham, Massachusetts. This state clearly loved its bikes. Another early cycle was the beloved Indian, made by the Hendee Manufacturing Company in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Later, the company changed its name to Indian Motorcycles.)

In 1902, Harley Davidson sold its first three motorcycles, and soon there were dozens of manufacturers. They had names like Marvel, Exelsior, and Henderson. The Depression killed off all but Indian and Harley, and soon only Harley remained.

Women enjoyed the motorcycles as much as they had enjoyed bikes. After all, they were economical and fun. They also didn't have the stigma that they acquired later. Early riders were seen as adventuresome, not as outlaws.

In 1915, Indian motorcycles offered front and rear shocks. Since these cushioned the ride, people began to consider long-distance travel as a real option. That year, a mother-daughter team, Avis and Effie Hotchkiss, rode from New York to San Franciso. They didn't take the direct route. Instead, they meandered about, covering 5,000 miles.

The next year, two society women in their 20s, sisters Adeline and Augusta Van Buren bought a pair of Indian Powerplus Bikes. They were the first people ever to climb up and down Pike's Peak. They, too, completed a transcontinental ride. Their 3,300-mile trip took almost two months, and they had to contend not only with many unpaved roads, but also with social mores. Once they were arrested for publicly wearing trousers.

In the 1920s, Harley published a magazine called The Enthusiast. It sponsored Vivian Wales on a 5000 mile trip to a Harley factory. Another early motorcycle heroine was Bessie Stringfield, a.k.a. the Motorcycle Queen of Miami . She made 8 solo-cross country trips and was a motorcycle dispatch rider.

Bessie had started out with two strikes against her: she was a woman and she was African-American. At first, she couldn't even get a motorcycle license in Miami, Florida. However, a police officer interceded in her behalf.

Motorcycles were also used in wartime, which gave them a lot of public exposure. About 20,000 Harleys were used during the WWI. They were ridden by couriers, soldiers, and others.

As motorcycle popularity grew, it was only natural that some people became highly skilled in its use. They showed off these skills in motordromes, which had been around since the turn of the century but grew in popularity during the 1930s. A motordrome often advertised itself as "A Wall of Death."

Essentially, it was a giant barrel with a platform on top for viewers. They could look down on motorcyclists, who sped around the inside of the walls, held in place by centrifugal force. One of these early daredevils was Margaret Gast, who billed herself as "The Mile a Minute Gal." She was not the only woman daredevil. May Williams and Jean Perry also performed on the walls.

By 1940, the United States had its first women's motorcyle club, The Motormaids. Today, there are scores of such clubs. Anyone who wants more information about the history of women and motorcycles may want to check out the book Hear Me Roar: Women, Motorcycles, and the Rapture of the Road. I haven't read it, but I've read several descriptions of it and seen the table of contents. It looks like fun.

For more Motorcycle news for please visit http://www.allaboutbikes.com

About the Author:

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - HISTORY OF WOMEN AND MOTORCYCLES

New front wheel!

2009-11-08T09:24:00.000-08:00

More attractive than the Ariel 3, here's a piccie of the rather lovely 21" Triumph Adventurer front wheel I have bought for the B40/B25SS project:

Ariel 3 project

2009-11-08T09:22:00.000-08:00

Well, last weekend I finally collected the Ariel 3 project and today I had fun washing it to find out what was underneath all the dust. The answer is.........lots of rust! You'll be overjoyed to hear that it is all solid and should just need a bit more cleaning and a touch of paint. I'm also hopeful of obtaining a new piston soon so the Ariel 3 should live again!

I've also added a slideshow, should you wish to see more piccies of Ariel's bathtime!

Stafford Show - 16-18 October 2009

2009-10-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

Jon and Myles had taken their bikes (Jon's B31 and Myles' B40) to the show so Rhys and I set off to pick them up, after I had finished work. When we arrived, we found that the stand was already almost fully assembled. As well as the expected impressive display of bikes, there was a cutaway B31 engine on display which kept Rhys entertained (ok, it made me quite happy too and I'd like one at home!). Most of the stands in the show were fully set up so it was a good opportunity for a wander around. The VJMC stand had a Captain Pugwash theme and lots and lots of excessively shiny motorcycles - I think Myles would have found it deeply disturbing. Such shininess does seem a touch unnatural! Jon had already managed to spend money on some books relevant to his BSA B2 and had his eye on a complete 1930s BSA tool kit. By this time most people were leaving so we set off for home, ready for an early-ish start the next day.

On Saturday, we managed to be back at the show by about 9.00 so missed most of the crowds. As well as all the club stands and trade stalls, there were trials demos and the Wall of Death to keep people entertained and the weather was favourable for walking around searching the autojumble. I had it in mind to find a suitable 21 inch front wheel for the B40 project but after an unsuccessful day hunting decided that perhaps I didn't want one after all. Near the trials demo, there was an interesting but bird-poo-encrusted trials James for sale - it would have been very tempting if the sheds hadn't been at bursting capacity already! I had promised myself not to purchase any more bikes or projects and I was going to be strong and stick to that promise. Back at the BSAOC stand, Cliff and Daphne reported a very successful day in selling tickets for the raffle bike. After a long and tiring day, we called in at the Railway Inn for a nice meal and to spend some time with the more hardy members of the club who were camping in the pub garden and car park. Much as we would have enjoyed their company, I was still glad to be going home to a nice warm bed.

On Sunday, the early morning was very chilly and I was again grateful that we had decided not to camp. We reached the showground before 9.00, had breakfast in the showground cafe and then headed for the stand. I decided to stand in for the cleverer people (who hadn't yet arrived) and try to look up bike details on the computer for people who wanted to find out more about their machines. I find the factory despatch records fascinating and it was very satisfying to trace one chap's recently acquired one-previous-owner B33 to the shop in Selby from which it was originally purchased. Somehow, during the course of the morning, I became swayed from my course of "no more bike purchases" by the lure of something I have always fancied - I couldn't miss the opportunity to become the proud owner of an Ariel 3, could I?

Another trawl around the autojumbles found me investing in several necessary items I hadn't known I needed but I didn't feel I wasted any money and I can't understand why my fellow club members weren't more enthusiastic about the bright pink fuel pipe I purchased. Spent some time eyeing up a mini-lathe (that I don't know how to use) but managed to resist (I was talked out of it, something less expensive will come up one day....).

Another busy day but it was soon all over. Jon had to set off home a little bit early as the B31 charging system had left him without lights but Rhys and I stayed a little longer and helped to shift a few carpet tiles in the direction of Colin's van before heading back to our van. On the way to the van, I stopped for a last look at the interesting James. Dave appeared and we had a chat about the value of the bike, then the owner/seller turned up and Dave haggled it down to a decent price for me. I felt quite bad about having to explain that I couldn't really buy the thing because Jon would probably kill me if I got home with another bike in the back of the van. I think the bloke just assumed I was a nutter.........

I always enjoy the Stafford Show. Ok, there are the usual examples of ridiculously overpriced "projects" for sale but I rather think they are part of the entertainment and there are always bargains to be had too. The October show is more Japanese-bike orientated but, even if you loathe Jap bikes, there are still plenty of interesting exhibits and trade stalls to keep you satisfied - and it all else fails to entertain you, there's always the BSAOC stand for some good company and a nice cuppa!

Piccies can be seen in the slideshow section.

Ariel 3!!!!!

2009-10-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

I will soon be on the lookout for Ariel 3 spares - a piston and a manual in particular. Give me a shout if you know where I can get them. Thanks.

Check out the link to the Ariel 3 museum and try not too be too envious of my soon-to-be new toy!

Jon's new baby

2009-10-10T10:25:00.000-07:00

Jon bought this lovely BSA on Thursday, it's a 1935 B2 with a B18 engine. More piccies under the "Slideshow" heading on the right hand side of the blog.

Levis Cup Road Trial 04 10 2009

2009-10-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

This event is organised by the North Birmingham VMCC and Jon and I were asked to help out, marshalling at the ford at Clee St Margaret. Myles and Roger came along to help and Rhys was dragged along too (although he didn't complain too much).

We were ready to set off far earlier than we needed to be so we headed for the cafe at Quat for a cuppa before riding to Clee St Margaret via a very scenic route, following Jon on the B31, Myles with the B40 and trailer, Roger on his Triumph Tiger and sidecar (with Rhys happily sat in the sidecar)and me bringing up the rear on the Serow (which happens to be the best of my bikes for carrying luggage - namely chairs and wellington boots etc)

We arrived at the ford and rode through it to find our allotted positions - Jon and Myles were stationed at a junction a little way ahead of the ford so that the participants could be given the choice of taking a detour avoiding the ford. As it happens, they were all hardy souls who chose to brave the ford so no-one suffered any penalties at this point. Roger, Rhys and I manned the ford, suitably clad in our welly boots in case Rescue Services were required. Happily for all the riders, there were no mishaps this year. We were very impressed with the speed at which some of the participants rode through the ford! The variety of bikes taking part made for a very interesting hour or so - BSA, Triumph, Matchless, Sunbeam, Ariel, AJS, Cotton, Scott, New Imperial, Moto Guzzi, Greeves were all represented, not to mention two Brough Superiors! BSA Slopers seemed to be a popular option.

Once all the riders were through we packed up and headed for the finishing point at the Lenchford Arms, Shrawley, where I rushed around taking photos before the weary participants headed for home. Some were riding the bikes home but others had travelled quite a distance and were loading the bikes on to trailers ready for the drive home. All seemed to have enjoyed the day, including the enthusiastic Welshman who had suffered an altercation with a tractor while riding his rather splendid Triumph - you can see the damage in the photos. Most were planning on returning next year and we certainly hope to see them again, whether as participants ourselves or helping out again. There are two classes - pre-46 and under 200cc pre-65 - if you have something eligible, this is an event well worth taking part in.

Check out the slideshow on the right hand side of the Blog.

Myles on film! At the BSAOC International Rally 2009

2009-09-19T12:27:00.000-07:00

I can't claim credit for this film - it is by 650Triton on YouTube, where there are a couple more films of his from the International Rally. If you right-click on the film, then select Watch on YouTube it will take you directly to YouTube where you can find more films by 650Triton. Enjoy! The other two films have now been added below. I think these are all by Kevin Dean - see the photo link above. Kevin, if you see this blog, I hope you are happy for these links to be here. If not, let me know and I will edit them out.

Update!

2009-09-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I have shamefully neglected this blog for a long time. Having now started a blog especially for the North Staffs BSAOC, I think I should resurrect this one for any non-BSA club biking stuff.

Since the last post on here, I have acquired a 1946 BSA B31 and also Jon's B40 (in a B25SS chassis) both of which are in project form at the moment.

The B31 needs registering, the rear chain alignment is amiss (after various problems with sprockets and wheel spacing)and the front forks and wheel need some attention. It has been painted purple and matt black at some time and it will be staying that way for now, although I have been swayed by a lovely satin-black Empire Star in Holland and may eventually go for a similar finish. It ran when I got it so, fingers crossed, that side of things should be ok. It will have a daytime only MOT (no lights).

The B40 is in the process of having the engine stripped, so will need rebuilding. I'm thinking of having the front wheel re-laced to a 21" rim and I'll be painting the frame black. I'm quite tempted by an all-alloy clutch, trying to make the bike as light as possible. I recently put a black plastic mudguard on the Tribsa, which I'm very pleased with so will probably get a pair of them for the B40.

BH now has a very nice 1954 B31 which gets ridden every day and, now it has a Triumph clutch, is proving very reliable.

And here's the Tribsa with its new single seat and short rear mudguard:

Stephen Martin's bikes

2009-09-19T07:01:00.000-07:00

Stephen has emailed me these piccies of his gorgeous BSAs, together with a short write up:

Hi Hazel.
Thought you might like to see my 1950 D1 factory Competition model. It was one of the first of the plungers and retains quite a lot of the original finish where it hasn't been blown over with some lighter green at some point in its life. The tank has a slightly adapted cream panel, which was again done by a previous owner, nicely this time with the correct mist green, but the bike is physically bog standard. It sports (ha) roller bearing front hub, decompressor head, skeleton guards, 2ins seat riser frame, skeleton chainguard, gear indicator, adjustable footrests and an upswept exhaust. The gearing is standard. The rear light is the hens tooth spun alloy Wipac which I sourced from Canada and the incorrect front half coconut headlamp the bike is wearing in the pic is soon to be replaced with my recent aquisition, an early spun alloy shell and rim headlamp with correct Wipac bowden cable operated dip system. I do have his original log book as the last owner sold his number. I am usually against this, but as I know his history (Thetford) and like his recent number so I'm a happy chap. Thats Taz (Tas) that is.

Sarge is my 1939-45 war horse WM20. He looks disgusting/splendid, but having been through the mill of war and only allowed demob in 1968 what can one expect. The front frame is actually 1944 but the rear frame is early 39 and the engine has no real number except for 499 stamped on it. Standard practice to mix and match/upgrade parts off the shelf with little or no consideration for originality. Some parts like the carb and rear stand are early too. He wears battle scars and shows drab green beneath the sand paint (date unknown possibly 60's even). I rebuilt the gearbox which had sand plugging every screwhole and the bushes were so badly worn, that the bike would change from 1st to 4th (think it was) with one prod plus some crunching. The box had sand inside too and under load the whole shaft was lifting. Sarge runs like a top now on +60 though he balked a bit when I offered him an Italian piston and even though he is filthy due to the oil covered paint, it is how he will stay with me until its time to pass it on to the next Custodian. I think he is a real character and he takes great pleasure in kicking me in the leg when possible, as nothing is rounded or soft about him. I remind him, whilst rubbing the bruise, that I too wore 3 stripes once, but he mutters somthing about desert and flies and younger people today as he turns over in his charpoy. Hope the pictures are of interest. My apology for any spelling errors but the brain fog you possibly remember with ME/CFS doesn't help with creativity. The bikes don't get out these days so it would be nice for them to be noted as existing. I have other machines too you see. They keep me going.
Regards. Steve

That WM20 IS splendid, heaps of character! And Taz is lovely too. Thanks for sharing those pictures with us, Steve.

Norwegian Motorcycle Safety Video

2009-09-16T14:11:00.000-07:00

Check this out!

Click here for bizarre viewing

Mishap!

2009-09-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

Derek has had a blow-out on the way back from the International Rally. He has been at Stafford hospital but is at home now and Jon and Myles are on their way to rescue his bike. Hope you heal quickly, Derek, and I hope everyone else made it home safely.

Fame!!!!!

2009-09-13T09:15:00.000-07:00

On the Nederlands BSAOC website there is a television clip of the line up in Maastricht - the first bike in the clip is Myles's B40 but Jon's B31 and Derek's A7 can also be seen briefly. Hooray!!!

http://www.bsa-oc.com/

BSAOC Int Rally - Friday 12 Sep 09

2009-09-13T07:05:00.000-07:00

The weather was back to being bright and sunny so it would have been nice to ride the bikes but because we had to get up early on Saturday morning to go home, we decided to get them loaded on to the trailer. We also wanted to go on the toboggan slide in Valkenburg and thought that if we went in the car we could put everyone elses bike gear in there while we all went to play. Jon and I, Myles, Jess, Derek and Josh went into Valkenburg then all went up in the cable lift. We then had a few rides on the toboggan run - this was great fun. You weren't supposed to race but Josh did! After the toboggan run, we went for a drink, then walked to the top of the tower - Jon stayed for another drink and a chat with Ray and Norma. I didn't count the steps but there were lots and lots and lots.............the view at the top was worth it though and we were able to look down at Jon and try to spit in his coffee. Not that we did, we are not that badly behaved! Then back down the tower and back on the cable ride down to the town. It was time for some lunch so we headed back to the same cafe as yesterday as the food had been lovely. This time I ordered a lasagne which was not only delicious but, as can be seen in the photo, had been decorated with a face! We hadn't realised what the time was and wondered why some fellow BSA owners were laughing at us and saying what huge appetites we must have (especially Myles, who was shovelling away everyones leftovers). When we checked the time, we realised there was less than two hours to go before the rally BBQ and we were already full up. We set off back to the campsite, did some packing and then headed for the marquee for the BBQ. The queue was long, which was probably a good thing, but there was an impressive range of food on offer and the BBQ tickets entitled each person to a more than generous amount of food. I couldn't manage to eat all three portions of meat so I only took two and then struggled to eat them - what bad planning! I went back to the caravan to finish off as much packing as possible then we returned to the marquee for the entertainment of the final evening. There was a very good band called The Puchs, who had re-named themselves for the evening as the Bantams. They lined up their Puch mopeds (with outrageously high handlebars) accross the front of the stage for a while but removed them soon after, probably due to fire regulations. There were presentations (longest distance, oldest rider, youngest rider etc) and then a raffle. Most of our group hadn't realised there was a raffle but still cheered enthusiastically whenever anyone went up for a prize. There was a generous amount of prizes, including some very nice paintings of BSAs for four lucky winners. After this, the band resumed and there was more dancing, chatting and general hilarity. The Dutch organisers had decorated the marquee with lots of BSA posters for the dinner and dance on Thursday and at the end of Friday evening, these were available to buy so I selected a couple of favourite ones to take home. The balloons now seemed to be fair game so we got to play with them at last! Then it was time to say goodbye to new friends and old and get a (comparatively) early night so we could get up early in the morning ready for the drive home. What a sad moment, after what was probably one of the most enjoyable holidays we have had, thanks to the hard work and hospitality of the Dutch organisers and the sponsors, the beautiful surrounding countryside and places to visit, not to mention the excellent company of fellow BSA owners from all over the world. Still, all good things must come to an end. Sadly, we can't all make it the next International Rally in New Zealand but I'm sure we are all looking forward to the next event.

BSAOC International Rally - Thursday 10 Sep 09

2009-09-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

In the morning was Silly Games (sorry no piccies) and a decent autojumble. This was the only day that the weather wasn't warm and sunny but was damp, grey and drizzly so Myles, Jess, Derek, Bernie, Jon and I decided to go for a short ride to Valkenburg. We enjoyed a very nice lunch (Goulash soup with pork balls for most of us) then a stroll around the shops, where we spotted a very nice German Triumph and a beautiful Moto Morini Corsarino (that I would have liked to take home). For a bit of culture, we decided to take a look at the castle ruins and were all surprised by the amount of grafitti carved into the castle walls, the dates ranging from 1855 to the current year. Derek remarked that the only person who hadn't vandalised the castle seemed to be Kilroy. Later on, we found the words "Kilroy was here".............We speculated as to how people had managed to carve some of the grafitti in such inaccessible places and concluded that it was done by a highly trained monkey on a stick. This opened up all sorts of ideas for possible uses for a Monkey on a Stick - any more suggestions will be gratefully received.

Myles had taken quite a shine to a statue of a naked young lady gazing at the river from a bridge so we had to take a look. She was protected by a gate and barbed wire so I assume she had previously been subjected to improper attention. There are several interesting sculptures in public areas of Valkenburg and most of the private gardens and yards are tended with such attention to detail that there seems to be a general acceptance that tourists will be nosing at them. Some of them almost seemed like a stage-set. You couldn't imagine the householder appearing on their balcony in slippers, they would have to spend at least half an hour dressing and primping before venturing out into the open air. Still, it is a very picturesque and fascinating town and well worth at least one visit.

Three Countries - the official ride!

2009-09-09T11:01:00.000-07:00

Today was the organised route to take us into Holland, Belgium and Germany. Jon was leader of the gang today so it was up to him to follow the directions and deliver the North Staffs contingent safely to the lunch stop at Waimes-Malmedy. Some bits of the route were familiar from our unofficial ride yesterday but others were new. Jon navigated well and led our group to the Campsite Familial for a very tasty and welcome baguette lunch and a refreshing drink. He threatened to run away and leave everyone to find their own way back but John had cleverly blocked Jon in by parking his Starfire behind the B31. Soon it was time to head back through some more lovely countryside, taking in a 10 mile stretch of what was the old Francorchamps racetrack. Jon and Arthur, in particular, enjoyed being racers for a while and I, tailing along at the back, happily chugged slowly but surely up and down the hills. We had planned to stop for a drink at the same bar near Barrage La Gileppe but it was shut so we kept going until we returned to the campsite where the bar was a welcome site and our backsides were glad to have a break from sitting on BSAs! A lot of effort had obviously gone into organising the route and making sure the instructions were clear and easy to follow so a big thanks to the organisers for ensuring a very enjoyable day out for all.

The evening entertainment was provided by a drag act called Gisele who appeared in a wide selection of outrageous outfits and kept everyone laughing, sometimes until they cried. Gisele's impression of Samantha Fox's "Touch Me" involved rubbing various (rather large) bits against Polly Palmer who, later on, further contributed to the evenings entertainment by singing lots of Rugby songs - and we were shocked to find that Lynne Schuker knew all the words! In keeping with tradition, Franz made a dramatic entrance riding his BSA into the marquee and was Told Off.

Three Countries Ride!

2009-09-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

Today Derek, Bernie, Jon and I went on a ride that took us through three countries - Holland, Belgian and Germany. The scenery was lovely and the sun was shining (temperature was up to 34 degrees this afternoon) and I was feeling very pleased to have the Tribsa running at last.( BIG THANKS TO MYLES FOR ~~HELPING TO SORT IT OUT~~ SORTING IT OUT FOR ME AND TO DEREK FOR PROVIDING THE SPARK PLUGS!!!!) Top speed seems to be about 60-65 but it was nice to have it back to first-kick starting and ticking over properly too. We took a scenic route and ended up in Monschau in Germany. We've seen Monschau before, from a higher road that looks down over the town, and said we must go back and have a proper look. It looks like a town from a Grimms fairytale, cobbled streets and ancient buildings. I imagine that September is a better time to be there than in July or August when it is peak holiday season - it wasn't too crowded and we enjoyed a pleasant walk through the town. American BSAOC member Keith seemed very taken with Monschau and the timber framed buildings. There was a sculpture park which, although we didn't go in, looked very interesting - we could see a bear and some goats and some HUGE spiders on the wall (I hope they were sculptures anyway). We had a very tasty and reasonably priced lunch served by a very eager to please, friendly young man then looked around some of the shops before heading back to the bikes. I had piled some dead leaves under the Tribsa in an attempt to avoid soiling the streets of Monschau but the oil had overcome the leaves and managed to make a bit of a mess anyway. Sorry Monschau! A small child was pointing down at the bikes and saying "moped...moped". I thought this probably warranted a Good Telling Off for the misguided child but couldn't be bothered, it was too hot. We took a slightly different route back, equally scenic, but which took us through what must be the roughest bit of road in Belgium. Although it was mostly straight and should have lent itself to opening up the throttle for a good blast, it was so bumpy that if you tried to go fast you were bounced around so much you couldn't see straight. I think the Tribsa was running low on fuel at this point too because it felt a bit rough-running anyway (when we stopped soon after to fill up, I got about £12 worth in the tank - I've never put anything like that amount in before). When we got back to the site there were lots of North Staffs members sat outside the bar (Surprise surprise!) so we stopped for a refreshing cold drink before heading back to the caravan. Arthur had apparently insisted on stopping at every bar on the way back from the train station. As it was more than a few minutes walk from the campsite bar to his caravan it seemed rude not to invite him to call in for a beer! After a pleasant time sat in the sun drinking and chatting, we went to collect our directions for tomorrows organised three countries run and to watch the participants setting off on the Lucas Night Run.

Just added a couple of piccies of the Lucas Night Run

BSAOC International Rally Sunday 6 - Monday 7 September 2009

2009-09-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

Following the activities of Saturday night (drinking and dancing - even I was dancing!) Jon and I failed to get out of bed in time for the Official Opening Ceremony but I am told it was very good. We didn't make the Rally Puzzle Tour Run which was following directions given in photo form although we do have the directions so might try it out later in the week. Instead, I went to buy a battery from Polly Palmer. I also bought a battery charger and borrowed Polly's crimpers. The battery was filled and left charging and later on fitted to the Tribsa - which now started and seemed to run ok. We set off for a ride and it turned out not to be running ok after all so we only went about a mile down the road then came back. We decided not to do anything with it and went for a meal at the camp site cafe, while discussing what to do with the sodding bike. The meal was very pleasant and by now, "Gordon and Erik" were playing in the bar so we headed there for the evening and plans were hatched for sorting out the Tribsa after the Line-up on Monday.

Today, Monday, was the Line Up in Maastricht. We all set off from the site at 11.30am and were directed on a very nice route through Valkenburg and surrounding countryside. I was riding pillion on the B31 and used the opportunity to film bits of the run and enjoy the sound of all the different BSA engines, singles, twins and triples and a couple of ring-a-ding-dinging little Bantams. There was a huge variety of BSAs and it was an impressive sight to see them all at once. We arrived at the cobbled streets to the Markt in Maastricht and were handed incontinence mats for the leaky Beezas as we parked them around the town hall. Later on, I swapped Jon's mat with the one from Derek's A7. Jon had overfilled the B31 gearbox so it was making a small puddle whereas Derek's barely leaks at all. He was quite distraught to find a messy pool underneath his shiny clean pride and joy but it was a fitting revenge for some of his derogatory remarks about the Tribsa. Jon told on me so Derek didn't have to worry for long but I am sure that payback time will come! I have to report that there were several BSAs that appeared to be completely oil tight. I think the remark that they must actually be empty was probably made by someone a little envious. Maastricht is a very pretty town and we had a wander around the shops and bought some souvenirs before heading back to the bikes and setting off back to the campsite. It looks as if it would be worth spending more time there but it was a hot day and walking around carrying bike helmets and jackets wasn't the most appealing prospect.

Once back at the caravan, Derek and Myles came to visit and Sort Out the Tribsa. In short, it seems I may have the wrong carb but the needle jet has been re-set and the bike now has possession of Derek's spark plugs and all seems to be improved - a proper test ride will take place tomorrow so things are looking up! Soon after all this, some very nice Dutch men came and admired the Tribsa and we had a good chat about specials. One of them has an ABSAF engined Goldie so I shall have to take a look at that tomorrow, too dark to take decent piccies right now.

BSAOC International Rally - 5 Sep 09

2009-09-06T04:07:00.000-07:00

I'm SO tired, only had about an hours sleep since 8.00 yesterday morning. We managed to get on an earlier ferry, 2.20 instead of 8.30. There are Very Strange People catching ferries at that time of night (ourselves not included, obviously) including several scuzzy white transit van loads of men who we suspect of being Extreme Paintballers heading for some sort of Convention dressed in various camoflague gear. Of course, we could have been delirious through lack of sleep and merely suspecting innocent people of obscure activities, but by the time we were driving on the ferry we half expected to find ourselves on the film set of Dusk 'til Dawn with all the other passengers (and crew) wanting to eat us.
We survived, probably due to looking somewhat unappetising after travelling for hours............and arrived at the BSAOC rally at about midday. Very nice site, we had booked a caravan. It's not "retro" it has really been like this since the 70s or possibly 80s but it is comfortable and, now the nice Dutch caretaker has provided gas and fixed the gas boiler, we can do things like cooking and showering. Jon seems to have fallen asleep on the way to the shower though!
There are lots of interesting runs planned for the week so the Tribsa has died. Jon has sworn at it a lot but it still thinks it should play dead. The battery is completely flat for some reason so I'm going to buy a new one from Polly Palmer tomorrow and see what happens. Luckily, I also brought along a folding BSA bicycle that Jon's mum found in a junk shop for £8 so I have been cycling around the campsite. The brakes are superior to the Tribsa ones. Just as well, as it is also faster at the moment!
The sun is shining and there is a bar in the marquee called "The Falcon Bantam's Nest" with live music most evenings this week, including a group called "The Bantams" on Friday . Should be a good week, just hope I can get the sodding Tribsa sorted.

After a wander around the site, looking at lots of interesting BSAs (and a few others) and having polishing lessons from Derek, we headed for the bar. There was a ticket system for the bar, which always works well and saves queuing time. Still suffering from lack of sleep, the alcohol kicked in quickly and this, combined with a BRILLIANT blues band, the Blues Doctors, meant lots of people up and dancing and having a stonking good time. The band were just what was needed to get weary travellers feeling lively again, a cracking choice by the organisers, the Dutch BSAOC. This looks set to be a very good week.

BSAOC International Rally

2009-09-03T04:44:00.000-07:00

For anyone else who, like me, is stuck at work counting down to setting off for the International Rally, here's the weather forecast for Schin op Geul:

http://www.zoover.co.uk/netherlands/limburg/schin-op-geul/weather