Where has the last 6 years gone...

 Still here, enjoying the bikes, going to a few events and thinking I might give the Blog a go again

Was out and about today with a mate, me on the Kawasaki ZX1200S and him on the Kawasaki KZ1000 LTD

Kawasaki G4 TR

latest Kawasaki to join the collection, 1970 G4TR, 98cc and 10 speed

Festive trips on the Ducati

Managed to get out on the wee Ducati over the Christmas /New Year period, didn't go too far, but enough to clear the head

Kawasaki KZ1000 MK2

A very nicely modified MK2 from Japan, don't have any other info on it.

Ducati 350

Back in March I was given a wee black Ducati 350 by the my mate Colin. It had been his brothers bike for many years till he passed away in 2001. He was a close friend of mine, we even had the same name, and had done many miles together and put the world to rights a few times over the odd beer or two. It was good to get the wee bike, even better to get it running and on the road once again. So here are a few pics of the bike

Hello

15 months since last post, I'll see if we can get this moving again.....

Sunbeam S7

Spotted this really nice S7 parked at the Falkirk Wheel today. It turns out to be owned by a guy I know, Joe. He's had the bike for years and it has changed a lot over the years, but think its latest look is the best by far

New Royal Enfield Continental GT

Its a far cry from when I first read about the Enfield coming back to these shores in Bike magazine back in the 70s. Slowly but surely they have been improving and sympathetically up dating the range. Another important thing, I think, was the factory being allowed to add the "Royal" part to the Enfield name. I think I was surprised as much as anybody when they announced they were going to launch the "GT", and also the fact it looked like the prototype with out much if anything changed. Now I just have to get a ride on one.....

 

 

Ace Cafe to Madras Video http://vimeo.com/77834318

Honda CB450 D

1966 Honda CB450D. These bikes came about when Honda were having problems shifting the CB450 K0. The factory sent over styling kits to fit to some of the K0s to try and make them more appealing to the buying public.

Where the road started (legally) for me

My AP50, looking a wee bit rough after running through a Winter. December 1978 was when I legally hit the road, there might have been a few earlier excursions, on my 1977 Suzuki AP50 in blue. I was up at 6 am and headed out for a very cold ride round the town for about an hour before having to get ready to walk to school, they (school) wouldn't allow me to ride it there! At the time I thought it was a rocket, well for a few months anyway. It soon got to the stage of being ridden flat out every where, and surprisingly stood up to this treatment. I used it for 18 months, mainly due to the low wages I was getting as an apprentice mechanic I couldn't afford to put my Honda CB200 on the road (a bike my Dad gave me when I was 14). After passing my bike test not long after my 17th birthday I used to take Jacquie (then g/friend now wife)out on the back of it. I think just about every time we we're out the Police used to stop us, or so it seemed. It was a good wee bike and one of the few that I didn't keep, but I don't feel the need to go out and by another as some people seem to do with their first bike. Jacquie also had a red one at the same time, which was faster!!!

Jac on her red AP50

Merry Christmas

More Board Track Racers

A while back I did a post on Board Track Racers, Interesting bikes ridden by mad men on slippy wooden tracks in the early part of the last century sort of sums up what it was about. I came across this blog, which shows the interest in the board track bikes, and the velodrome pacer bikes, is alive and well.

Also noticed this on their site, a Harley Davidson fore and aft boxer twin, a bike I never knew they built.....

Wullies Indian Motorcycle (s)

The other day I bumped into a friend I hadn't seen in a while. We soon got on to the subject of his Indian motorcycle, which one he said. It turns out a few others have joined the family over the last couple of years, with him getting two projects and his son buying another (thats his Indian/ Well bike in the pics). So that makes five in one family...

Benelli Six Racer

W 650

Just spotted this W650 with a W2 tank, just one little change and its so much better looking, I think anyway.

Honda CL350

This wee Honda CL 350 arrived a few months ago, bought by my mate who owns the Honda 400/4 I've been slowly restoring in between my own bikes. Its a 1972 model, bought from DK Motorcycles about ten years ago by the previous owner to restore but he never got round to it. Its fairly original with only a few minor parts missing, most of which we have managed to pick up. Work on it will probably start next Spring once the other bikes are totally finished. Hope to have a couple of up dates on the BMW R75/6 and the Honda 400/4

Tea Room

Not too bad looking for a place built in the 1920s. Last Thursday I went out on the bike for a run up towards Callander,and then headed to Aberfoyle via the Dukes Pass. On that route you pass through a place called Brig O Turk, which has an old Tea Room (Cafe). It had been closed for a while, but I had heard it had re opened earlier this year and was looking forward to see how the placed looked now. Well on the outside it still had its original look, wooden hut with a few windows and painted green. The inside had more or less kept its original look, but fresher looking (and smelling)with new tables etc. So I was glad to see it hadn't changed too much, well other than the food, its 100% better. I think I'll be stopping off a few more times before the years out. Stuck for somewhere to stop for a bite when out and about look here

Triumph Trophy TR5

1947 Triumph TR5, spotted this on here

Tim "Twister" Hastings

Tim rides in the Metzeler National Superstock 600 championship, and as a bit of a fund raiser Ashley Enright has put up one of her prints on canvas as a raffle prize. I hope a lot of you will join in with the raffle, best of luck! Your chance to win this great canvas print of Tim "Twister" Hastings, and help out the team, see details

The print, the prize!

Tim just after some track testing on Friday, pic by John Mclean By Ashley Enright When Tim Hastings announced that there was a chance he wouldn’t be able to finish the 2012 Metzeler National Superstock season I was surprised and wanted to do something to help get him back where he belongs - on track within the BSB series. I had one of my photographs of Tim printed onto a 30"x20" canvas for Team Twister to raffle to raise funds in the hope that they can compete in the final three rounds of the season. The photograph was taken at Brands Hatch in April 2011 and shows the “Fan Zone” containing names of supporters through the “Twister...Powered by Fans” campaign. I am offering the canvas as a raffle at £5 a ticket, so please show your support and message me with a name, phone number and how many tickets you’d like. Payment can be direct to the team at Donington or Silverstone, via the TeamTwister website at http://www.timhastingsracing.co.uk by clicking the paypal donate button or cheque. We are going to ask Fred Clarke to draw the winning name at the Silverstone BSB round.

Chang Jiang CJ750

The bike on the right, Chang Jiang 750, is a bike I've had since about 1999. I used it quite a lot the first six years and was fairly reliable, not like when the first owner had it with a breakdown nearly every trip. Might have something to do with having a bit of mechanical sympathy that I didn't have any major problems. Its been sitting with a cover over it for too long now so this Winter it'll be getting the once over and back on the road for Spring....... well thats the plan.