Hairy Bikers and Other Petrol Heads

simond

simond

Western Thunderer
I remember a cartoon from BSH.

Two bikers, leathers, denim waistcoats, backpatches, jeans, boots with socks rolled over the top, wallets in their pockets with chains to their belts, pints in hand…

“ere, if we’re all individuals, ‘ow come we all look like the same individual?”
 
Yorkshire Dave

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
There's also some of the Rank Organisation's Look at Life films of the bygone motobike era of an England which no longer exists.....


This one about scrambling has interior shots at Greeves Motorcycles in Essex and shots of Southend Airport!


And this one is general about motocycles.

 
Max M

Max M

Western Thunderer
eastsidepilot said:
When the bikers of the future, sitting on their traction motors attached to two wheels, look back at what we had do you think they'll be envious ?
Click to expand...

Somehow I doubt it.
More likely wonder how bikes without any 'technology' could be safe to ride and question the sanity of those who would risk ther safely with such rudimentary safety equipment.
 
Boyblunder

Boyblunder

Western Thunderer
Excellent scrambling film Dave, many well known names from days gone by. The Greaves factory shots were interesting although I never really got on with my "Scottish" and found the Bultaco much easier to ride.
 
simond

simond

Western Thunderer
Max Midnight said:
Somehow I doubt it.
More likely wonder how bikes without any 'technology' could be safe to ride and question the sanity of those who would risk ther safely with such rudimentary safety equipment.
Click to expand...

I was at the regional launch of British Sub Aqua Club (19)88 Decompression Tables, which was something of a major change. My pal remarked that by the time our kids were diving, they’d ask how we could possibly have done it without computers.

Tempus fugit.

(the spellchecker changed that to “Tempura fugitive” the concept of which amused me)
 
Eastsidepilot

Eastsidepilot

Western Thunderer
Max Midnight said:
Somehow I doubt it.
More likely wonder how bikes without any 'technology' could be safe to ride and question the sanity of those who would risk ther safely with such rudimentary safety equipment.
Click to expand...

Yes, I also wonder if they will be able to comprehend the use of a big can of flammable liquid stuck between your knees ! dangerously close to the wedding tackle :eek::D

Col.
 
Focalplane

Focalplane

Western Thunderer
The grandkids often wear a bemused expression when near my Riley(s), wondering what it is all about. One thing that did amuse me was their delight that there are no seat belts. Part of their growing up was in Sri Lanka, riding in tuk tuks etc. which explains a lot. But I don’t think they will grow up into shade tree mechanics.
 
3 LINK

3 LINK

Western Thunderer
simond said:
I remember a cartoon from BSH.

Two bikers, leathers, denim waistcoats, backpatches, jeans, boots with socks rolled over the top, wallets in their pockets with chains to their belts, pints in hand…

“ere, if we’re all individuals, ‘ow come we all look like the same individual?”
Click to expand...

This post reminds me of another bike magazine from the 70’s, and there use to be a cartoon character in it called “ Ogri “ and he was drawn with the same style of outfit as the individuals above.. Happy Days…

Martyn.
 
A

Allen M

Western Thunderer
A lot of the safety thing on the roads is, I think, dependent to what we are used to and exposed to. As I said in an earlier post my father had one of the first Bantams. This was his first foot gear change bike. The first few days riding nothing was where it should be, gear lever, foot rear brake and whatever else. Once mastered it was the best thing ever.
I learnt to drive in his old Ford van conversion (also mentioned on here) rod & cable drum brakes, no power steering and about 5 turns lock to lock, 3 speed crash box so double de-clutching and must have been about 28BHP from the side valve engine an 65 MPH if lucky. But that performance was in keeping with most of other cars, and the few lorries where limited to 20MPH .
I now look at the roads radiating out from Kidderminster and most have changed very little since I got my full licence in January 1959 that is except for the sheer volume of traffic. The 'strange' thing is the current general speed limits are about what could be just about reached back then!
I think of some of my early Bikes and cars and no way would I want use them with today's traffic. I'l stay with my Astra 1.6 Auto for now.
Regards
Allen
 
Focalplane

Focalplane

Western Thunderer
Allen, one of my regular cross country routes in the late 1950s was from home in Earlswood, Warwickshire to Shrewsbury. This required driving around Redditch but then through Bromsgrove, Kidderminster, Bridgenorth and much Wenlock. I remember there was only one straight stretch for passing after driving down Wenlock Edge and even then mother’s Morris Minor needed at least a mile of clear road to pass.

I have since revisited this route and it hasn’t changed much at all. Redditch is still avoided unless one gets hopelessly disoriented in which case the town centre becomes a magnet. Bromsgrove is very recognizable, while Kidderminster appears to have an inner ring road where the carpet factories used to be. The route through Bridgenorth is much the same, while the straight stretch north of Wenlock Edge is still there.

In many ways this is a fine cross country route, but today’s traffic density almost makes the M5 through Smethwick more desirable!
 
Yorkshire Dave

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
The last two posts alluding to traffic density reminds me of this quote from Douglas Adams' Hitchikers Guide to The Galaxy....

"Bypasses are devices that allow some people to dash from point A to point B very fast while other people dash from point B to point A very fast.

People living at point C, being a point directly in between, are often given to wonder what's so great about point A that so many people from point B are so keen to get there, and what's so great about point B that so many people from point A are so keen to get there. They often wish that people would just once and for all work out where the hell they wanted to be."

"Point D wasn't anywhere in particular. This was where Mr Prosser was said to want to be, at "any convenient point a very long way from points A, B, and C."

 
A

Allen M

Western Thunderer
Focalplane said:
while the straight stretch north of Wenlock Edge is still there.
Click to expand...
The 'Mad Mile' virtually the only overtaking place, except for the very short straight near Arveley, between Kidderminster and Shrewsbury. Did (do) you ever notice that you could (can) drive for miles when the clear view is too short to overtake and meet nothing. But get on that bit of straight and there is an endless stream the other way. The Bridgnorth bypass does help a bit providing there is no distraction on the over bridge.
Regards
Allen
 
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