Hairy Bikers and Other Petrol Heads
- Thread starter Eastsidepilot
- Start date
Focalplane
Western Thunderer
And we complain about potholes!
A long time ago five people (me one of them) jumped into a Datsun 1200 and toured Sabah (North Borneo). When we got stuck in a mud pool, the road construction team pushed us out with their bulldozer. I've looked at the same location on Google Earth, near Kinabalu Park Headquarters, and 47 years on there is a tarmac highway. Sadly that may never happen in Tanzania.
A long time ago five people (me one of them) jumped into a Datsun 1200 and toured Sabah (North Borneo). When we got stuck in a mud pool, the road construction team pushed us out with their bulldozer. I've looked at the same location on Google Earth, near Kinabalu Park Headquarters, and 47 years on there is a tarmac highway. Sadly that may never happen in Tanzania.
Focalplane
Western Thunderer
On the off chance I looked for a photo from Sabah and found one. Must be an Ektochrome scan:
Yes, we drove a Datsun 1200 across that! The far end is fast deteriorating tarmac which was expected to reach Sandakan before it fell apart. We had to turn around after about 40 kilometers.
Yes, we drove a Datsun 1200 across that! The far end is fast deteriorating tarmac which was expected to reach Sandakan before it fell apart. We had to turn around after about 40 kilometers.
simond
Western Thunderer
yes, but then we pay for the roads!
Heritagebob
Member
Throughly enjoying this thread bringing back thoughts of my experiences on two wheels over the years before I ended up hanging up my Leathers and Ashman boots.(Remember them?) 
Lost count of how many bikes I’ve had over the years but some memories stick in the mind.
Worst bike:
1976 Kawasaki Z750 twin bought new. Full of balancing chains to combat vibration but wasn’t successful. Sounded like a combined harvester when adjustment needed. Seen it at the 1976 Earls Court show and looked good. Couldn’t afford its bigger brother the Z1 and Boyers of Bromley gave me a good PX on existing bike so went with it. Should have hung on for the Z1
Best Ride:
Riding down through France and southern Spain to attend a rally on my 1999 Harley ElectraGlide.
Have done many rallies over the years and attended the Moto Guzzi Twin rally most years on either a Harley or
my Moto Guzzi 1100 Sport when it was held at Shaftesbury before it moved.
Lost count of how many bikes I’ve had over the years but some memories stick in the mind.
Worst bike:
1976 Kawasaki Z750 twin bought new. Full of balancing chains to combat vibration but wasn’t successful. Sounded like a combined harvester when adjustment needed. Seen it at the 1976 Earls Court show and looked good. Couldn’t afford its bigger brother the Z1 and Boyers of Bromley gave me a good PX on existing bike so went with it. Should have hung on for the Z1
Best Ride:
Riding down through France and southern Spain to attend a rally on my 1999 Harley ElectraGlide.
Have done many rallies over the years and attended the Moto Guzzi Twin rally most years on either a Harley or
my Moto Guzzi 1100 Sport when it was held at Shaftesbury before it moved.
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Eastsidepilot
Western Thunderer
Can't stop the old boys mate 
...
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Col.
...Col.
Hello All
My next door neighbor is a motor mechanic but off work with a shoulder injury. I had to send him this to show that things weren't too good without him.
Turns out it was a marble in the ashtray...
It made him laugh then he complained it made him hurt. (But he has forgiven me)
Regards
Allen
My next door neighbor is a motor mechanic but off work with a shoulder injury. I had to send him this to show that things weren't too good without him.
Turns out it was a marble in the ashtray...
It made him laugh then he complained it made him hurt. (But he has forgiven me)
Regards
Allen
Eastsidepilot
Western Thunderer
Reminds me of when we were young brats about 10 years old prising the hubcaps off of cars and putting stones inside then bashing them back on the wheel. We thought it sounded like a failing wheel bearing when they drove off down the road 
...made us laugh anyway.
Col.
...made us laugh anyway.Col.
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Eastsidepilot
Western Thunderer
Any Beeza fans ?.......
Col.
Col.
Boyblunder
Western Thunderer
Nice looking bike but I've been there and got the T shirt so can I have one of these please
Max M
Western Thunderer
Please send £10.00 to the usual address and I will personally ask Santa for you...but only if you promise to be a good boy.
simond
Western Thunderer
I'm still lusting after one of these;
that said, the horn looks wimpish, so something more suitable to wake up the dozing motorist may be required, and the vestigial front mudguard will require an extension to prevent the radiator, engine, exhausts and me being covered in road muck. Apparently they are not likely to be available before September, which is a shame, it would have been nice to get one for the summer.
The 14-month old BMW is in the dealer's having the engine removed so they can replace the alternator (it requires an engine split, apparently), due to repeated failure to start after one or two days of non-use, though I think they should simply put a new battery in as it delivers 14.4V at 30mph in 3rd with the heated grips on, but the mothership knows best. It won't cost me anything, it came with a 3 year warranty, and it'll be gone long before that runs out. It's already had new exhaust headers and flappy valve which would have been £1385! I can't imagine anyone wanting one without a warranty.
Indeed if the Guzzi were available now...
that said, the horn looks wimpish, so something more suitable to wake up the dozing motorist may be required, and the vestigial front mudguard will require an extension to prevent the radiator, engine, exhausts and me being covered in road muck. Apparently they are not likely to be available before September, which is a shame, it would have been nice to get one for the summer.
The 14-month old BMW is in the dealer's having the engine removed so they can replace the alternator (it requires an engine split, apparently), due to repeated failure to start after one or two days of non-use, though I think they should simply put a new battery in as it delivers 14.4V at 30mph in 3rd with the heated grips on, but the mothership knows best. It won't cost me anything, it came with a 3 year warranty, and it'll be gone long before that runs out. It's already had new exhaust headers and flappy valve which would have been £1385! I can't imagine anyone wanting one without a warranty.
Indeed if the Guzzi were available now...
Max M
Western Thunderer
I wonder how the headers would fair in the event of an off?
simond
Western Thunderer
Don’t know, I’ve got bars on the BM, and just as well, because I dropped it at parking speed when I’d not had it long, it’s “very” heavy, and quite tall. I suspect I’d fit bars to the V100 too if I were to get one.
And the LeMans got knocked over many years back when parked; cracked a fin, and smashed the spark plug, and caused a head gasket failure about two weeks later.
And the LeMans got knocked over many years back when parked; cracked a fin, and smashed the spark plug, and caused a head gasket failure about two weeks later.
Eastsidepilot
Western Thunderer
Ah ! ....the joys of off -road motorcycling
...
...... I'm still bloody suffering to this day
...
Boyblunder
Western Thunderer
I can feel the guy in the red helmet's pain, bet his eyes were watering.
Eastsidepilot
Western Thunderer
Actually it reminded me of the race we used to partake in from Rayleigh Weir burger bar to Burnham on Crouch at about mid-night, I think about once a month, we even had a girlie with a flag to start it in the middle of the A 127, couldn't happen nowadays. It was a route that contains endless 90 degree s-bends and long straights in between, there could be on a good night upwards of 40 riders, we had back up in the guise of a couple of lads with yankee pick-up trucks who would cruise the route after we had all left and collect the carnage
.....I was about 19-20 years old then and wouldn't dream of doing it now 
Col.
Susie
Western Thunderer
Rule #1 of driving - look where you want to go and not what you are going to hit.
Or to put it another way, don't focus on the vehicle in front!
As the Joe Bar Team can demonstrate, the bike always goes where the rider looks...
