Live to Ride, Ride to Live

[Heurismus]

Now this is a strange event. I had considered starting a new thread on motorcycles but then thought; bandwidth; kind hosts; likelihood of interested parties etc etc. So it was a no no from my perspective as I didn't want to bore anyone with what can only be described as a dedicated pastime in my eyes.
But, as there surely always is a but, via a strange route I have been pleasantly surprised and encouraged to actually start the thread after all so here it is.
Oh yes, I nearly forgot to reveal that pathway to this thread.
1) Humanist Vegetarian thread.
2) What animal bi-product would you wear?
3) Biker leathers.
4) Lifelinking
5) Motorcycles.
6) Etiquette.
7) A new thread.

Voila!

My latest baby in Windsor Great Park, when the Queen wasn't looking... (Balls somethings wrong, back in a mo)

15 minutes later...

We apologise for the technical difficulties you are presently experiencing. This is due to an unknown ghost in this pc, it's more than likely me but then again how will I know until I've observed the fault and then corrected it...so life interrupting...I shall have to try an alternative as my MC folder seems to be inaccessible at the mo. Service will be resumed at a later date.

[Lifelinking]

A sub-title for this thread could be 'Humanism and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance!'



My current bikes are above. The BMW (flying brick) is for winter commuting. The Triumph (Thunderbird Sport) for fun!


In the poem below the reference to 'flying round the bends' is of course, a motorcycling one:



My Land
 
Don't want
to kill for her
- 
Don't want
to die for her
-
We don't have
That kind of thing going on
-
Then I get 'that' feeling
When I hear a buzzard call
-
Flying round the bends
Tween Lubnaig and Tay
-
Or see a Red Kite in flight
Beside Loch Venachar
-
She is so ancient
and proud
-
Much older than God
And we who created him
-
And if she could speak
This old girl, my native place
-
Would tell of sorrows deeper
Joys more profound
-
Than my auld pen
Can e'er capture
-
No, the rocks, and earth and water
Cannot grieve or sing
-
But nurture hopes and aspirations
Of the people from whence they spring?
-
Yes, and more they will nestle
Our dead flesh our blood and  bones
-
I love her, in spite of her
And my life on her, in her
-
And will die here, happy
To join with her
 


Any other bikers out there on TH?



L

[Alan C.]

Life
A sub-title for this thread could be 'Humanism and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance!'

Hasn't somebody already beaten you to it with a book?

[Lifelinking]

That was my (clearly rather lame) attempt at humour Alan ...

[Alan C.]

That was my (clearly rather lame) attempt at humour Alan ...

I was being sarcarstic Life, it's not always easy on a forum.
How's the ankle by the way? are you fully mobile again yet?

[Lifelinking]

Got the stitches out today, which was good. And I can now limp around the place without a stick. Soon I will be able to ride my bike (although the down side of that is I will have to ride it to work )

Did you ever read 'Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance'? I have to admit I started the book but just could not get into it.

[Alan H]

I'm a lapsed biker [---][/---] now with more sense than to start again at my age!

[Lifelinking]

Never tempted?

[Nick]

I have had a ride once as a pinion passenger through central London, and it frightened the life out of me! I can understand the attraction, certainly, but I know too many people with missing limbs to ever get on two (motorised) wheels.

Mind you, I might be tempted by a trike. I'd get a helmet with buffalo horns

[Heurismus]

Maybe...

Yes, this is my bike but it isn't.
This is a US promotional picture of the same model and customised paint job, mine with a stage II conversion instead of the two-litre stage-III conversion, which was a grand dearer if it had been fitted.

My baby is exactly the same in all detail as you will eventually get to see but with a few changes. Ah yes, the wheels are different in that they are slab sided but conform to the same style layout. (Plenty of Ally for my eventual de-laquering and polishing kink)

I'm proud to say she is the only one in country unless another has been imported since I checked last.
Anyway that's far too much about me.

[Lifelinking]

pinion passenger

Nick, that has really made my day I have a mental picture of two blokes in leotards wrestling on the back of a bike (come to think of it - there are probably folk out there who would pay to see that )

There are indeed some real smart Trikes out there, and I would make a point of being there to see the buffalo horns!

[Lifelinking]

Re "Maybe"

Very nice paint Job Heurismus - and I hear good things about the build quality on the Victorys. But they are damn expensive.

[Heurismus]

Thanks Lifelinking.
Indeed they are a bit bloody expensive. Mine has, as I said above, only a stage two which is a grand cheaper than a stage three.

The story of her purchase is a bit painful really because I had to go into big debt at the time of buying which led to some unforseen financial problems. But everything is tickety-boo now and I'm falling in love with her all over again as her season approaches. I might even take a touring holiday on her alone up north or maybe Devon but haven't decided yet as I might go see some friends in NY and NJ where I'll be pricing parts and mods for her, poor old dollar.

As to the build quality, yes it is very good and the materials are all top notch. The finish is modern and quite unlike the warm finishes you could get when you kept the metalwork pristine on British bikes. This has a hint of a Japanese finish which I'm going to be changing over time to more metal componants such as finishing off the indicator conversion, but hopefully when I've got my act together and sorted out the problem with the file - due mostly to ignorance on my part of some of the finer points of image processing- you'll see what I'm talking about.

I'll tell you why I bought her some other time as I've got to go now.
Will talk soon and it's nice to know there's some other kindred spirits here.

[Heurismus]

pinion passenger

Nick, that has really made my day I have a mental picture of two blokes in leotards wrestling on the back of a bike (come to think of it - there are probably folk out there who would pay to see that )

There are indeed some real smart Trikes out there, and I would make a point of being there to see the buffalo horns!

I've just quickly read this.
Ciao

[Nick]

Doh! That should of course be pillion. Never mind. Glad to amuse.





And those buffalo horns are just the thing!

[Lifelinking]

Nick,

you are a good egg.


L

[lewist]

I feel totally upstaged and hesitate to mention the bikes of my youth. I had an Ariel Leader (or Bleeder as the motorcycling lads called it) then an AJS 18s 500cc with sidecar. I had a car after that but then I had a Honda 50cc scooterette for a while and when our first child was born I had the 70cc version to go to work on.

Now in middle age and with a little money I romance with the idea of a brand new Royal Enfield, imported from India. They still build the 1956 350cc Bullet and Watsonian import it and you can buy a brand new one for about £2½ grand.

I was totally wowed to find Watsonian still exist and marry the Royal Enfields to their sidecars to sell complete brand new combinations.

I have a full motor cycle licence but I think I would do the training.

Maybe I will have more sense and stick with the car. Any thoughts anyone?

[lewist]

By the way, Heurismus, what a great idea for a thread!

[Alan C.]

Maybe I will have more sense and stick with the car. Any thoughts anyone?

Lewist, as somebody who tried to go back to playing rugby league aged 30, and suffering the consequences, I would say STICK WITH THE CAR! But if you feel you must, then go ahead, only you know what's best for you If you want to, then go for it!

[Lifelinking]

You could do a lot worse than a Royal Enfield Lewist. I reckon they look and sound just fine and the claimed fuel economy on some models is first class. Whatever bike you may think about, I would go for it and get your knees in the breeze again. I am of course, completely biased.