I’ll start with a bold and maybe provocative statement here; The Day Van (not camper van) plays a bigger part in motorcycling life than we give it credit for, and motorcycling magazines rarely feature a van as being part of the story unless it’s showing off a new bike rack
A weekend with a Tiger. A Triumph Tiger 660 Sport.
Let’s start with the scenario and scene setter to this post. A Swiss friend of mine, Arnaud, decided to do a big road trip as a 40th Birthday celebration. This would involve a round trip of over 6000 kms/4000 miles on his Triumph Tiger 1200. The route would include Switzerland,
Motorcycle fashion/style: What is it in today’s moto-world?
I’ve been meaning to write about this Moto-Fashion subject for sometime, but for some reason, I’ve struggled to find my entry point, but then suddenly, I read this quote by Coco Chanel, and I suddenly had my start point. She said (in a great Franglais accent) “Fashion is not something
Life expectancy and the Jawa long track bike
About 3 years ago, I was listening to a presentation being given by a nutritional specialist, and she quietly delivered a fact that made me reach for the calculator immediately. Apparently, nutritional science and data is showing that if a person looks after themselves from a diet and exercise perspective,
Bultaco on the beach, AGAIN!
I did the 2022 edition of the Race the Waves beach race for the first time on my ’78 Bultaco Sherpa, and you can read about it in the link at the bottom of this post. Such was the fun, I also signed up for the 2023 event as soon
My Cannondale MX400: Big Progress and Fun!
I’m going to cover a number of things in this post regarding my ongoing life with an MX400, so here goes with the list: THE ON/OFF SWITCH – Having to remove and replace the main fuse that keeps the bike ‘electrically live’ scored really highly on the ‘hassle-ometer’, so I’ve
Carnaby: Industrial Estate, Racetrack, Special Airfield.
Here’s an exciting journey back in time, and about a very special place that has evolved massively in the last 79 years. Just to the the south of the Yorkshire coastal town and holiday resort of Bridlington in the U.K., there is a little village called Carnaby. The traffic on
‘Video killed the Radio Star’ and ‘Digital killed the Paper Magazine Star’
In late 1979, a band called The Buggles released a track called Video killed the Radio Star. It was inspired and written as 20th Century inventions and technology were speed-changing the face of all media norms. It hasn’t stopped ever since. In fact, I would argue that the paradigm shift
Shout, shout, let it all out!
I fasten my helmet I am the only one inside Nobody else is in here Ignition on, the fuel pump whines Stab the red starter button Electrical current wakes the moving parts. Liquids circulate The cacophony and vibration commences together There is a violence and a softness to the audio
Planning ahead and making choices
I’m a bit of a planner and a bit of a do-it-now hybrid type of person, and the former planner in me has nailed a few milestone events to the calendar already. Incidentally, my calendar requires a mention here because it has been produced locally and in aid of charity.
How to knit something a bit ‘Yamaha Special’
In around 1972, a man named Rollin ‘Molly’ Sanders in the USA came up with the famous Yamaha black and yellow strobe stripe design that we all now know as the Yamaha speed block design. Whilst the American Yamaha Factory riders and bikes of the 1970s were bedecked in bright
F@@k Me Pumps
The title to this post maybe familiar because it’s the title of a great Amy Winehouse track. It’s a song that walks through the possibilities of what happens when our shoes lead us down dark alleys and into shady dives. I’m taking a different approach to the title, one that
Scooters
I walk into the pub through the side door and am faced by a busy, but not packed bar room. This pub doesn’t have side rooms called things like ‘The Snug bar’ or ‘The Pool Room’, it is just one big room with a horseshoe shaped bar giving easy access
Heaven & Hell. My local bike shop.
This story starts and ends with the dirt on the ground. This dirt is special. It captures everything that goes on in this soulful place. Get on your knees and smell this dirt, because it smells of a blend of oil, aluminium, steel, iron, welding, fibreglass and maybe a hint
Introducing Bessie
Bessie was born in 1948, in Coventry, UK. She has a 2 litre petrol engine that can also run on TVO (Tractor Vapourising Oil), which is a mix of petrol and paraffin, and she is just one of the many innovations that her Father-designer, Harry Ferguson, came up with during
Oliver’s Mount – A cure for insomnia. Really?
If you read my previous post about my connection with the Oliver’s Mount race circuit, you’ll know what a special place it is for me. If you haven’t read it, then I suggest you should. In the meantime, let me explain how the place helps me sleep. I do not
Moto relationships
We have different types of relationships with different motorcycles, just like we do with people and animals, and cars, and gardens, and vintage French cast iron cooking pots. OK, so maybe I went too far with the last one, but hey, we’re all into different stuff. Once upon a time,
My Olivers Mount Racing circuit story.
There are places in the world that remain iconic in our minds and souls. It could be the first shop that you bought your first motorcycle from, or record (vinyl to be clear), or fish and chips, or Dr Martins boots. It could be the place on a wild
For HeadBangers only
When you put your helmet on and go out for a ride or your daily commute, do you ever think about the history of the thing that you’ve just wrapped around your head? Probably not. I bought something sometime ago that does regularly make me think about the history and
A Summer Romance in Barcelona
In case my wife is reading this, it isn’t a one-night-stand type of romance with somebody. Honest. This romance reference is different. I walk down the steps of my personal jet and onto the hot tarmac of the Barcelona International airport. When I say ‘my personal jet’, what I actually