Issue 176 March 2013

WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK Contents... 4. From the editor… 17. Paddy’s Perspective 66. Back to the Future 130. Rich Bikers Ageing, raiding the This month it’s a middle- Blez does it Our Grumpy Geezer has archives and other aged spread with batteries a bitch about the rich assorted bollocks 21. The Boy Biker 80. The Highlands 136. Dragon 2013 7. In the Saddle A bad day in Borough and Islands A long wet ride on a International rescue, John Wheeler discovers small motorcycle familial confusion and 23. Nuts & Bolts true solitude in Scotland cold weather riding Metallic melding 148. Motorcycle Girl Racer 98. Thank You Mr Honda Hanging with the hippies 11. Rider’s Lives 24. Two Wheels To The End Making Tracks A seriously fast woman Of The World 153. Book Review Paul & Maeve play Butch & 120. Spaceship Awareness A couple of new angles 12. Image of the Month Etta in Bolivia Lane-splitting – time- on a well known tragedy Bairns and burnouts! saver or too risky? 54. Wet Nightmare 14. Six & the City Dave talks tacky Bambi’s back

Editor Contributors Cartoons Contacts Dave Gurman Tinks, Paddy Tyson, George Smith, Rod Young, Simon Kewer Editorial Assistant editor Paul Browne, Dave Gurman, Paul Blezard, Dave Gurman Peter Martin John Wheeler, Katherine Armstrong, Martin Haskell, +44 (0) 20 8707 0655 Design Thomas Day, Jonathan Boorstein +44 (0) 7948 897093 Simon Gardner Photographs [email protected] Web site Paul Browne, Wildcard Photography, Dave Gurman, Advertising Stewart Pettey Paul Blezard, Jonathan Richards, Bernard Zeija, The opinions and comments of contributors Peter Martin John Wheeler, Katherine Armstrong, Colin Armstrong, within this magazine do not necessarily reflect the +44 (0) 7973 818579 Martin Haskell, John Powell, Damon l’Anson, opinions of the editor. [email protected] Rod Young, Tarka 2 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 3 my movements, doing 53 in a attention to her texting than the magazine’s readership was 40 limit is likely to be the least of she was to our proximity as comprised almost entirely of From the editor... my troubles.) she flashed past missing us by couriers, who have never been I know that I’m always inches that really bothered me. particularly renowned for their By the time you reach my my head around how it can retribution due to some sort banging on about speed limits As I mentioned last month, tender sensibilities; but when it age – 58 – most, if not all of you, have been a year since we put of… What? Fluke? but so do the ‘Speed Kills’ there’s been some discussion was presented at our editorial will be moving considerably out our first online edition, but The awful truth is there is no lobbyists and statistics clearly on Facebook recently about the meeting their were dissenting slower than you did in your it would definitely appear to be such thing as justice out there on show that it simply isn’t the rights and wrongs, dangers and voices who suggested that younger days, both on your March 2013 now and checking those mean streets, otherwise truth; excessive speed is only advantages of ‘lane-splitting’ some of the subject matter was feet and on your machines. In back there certainly are a dozen upwards of half the car drivers considered to be a factor in a and it’s pretty obvious that the frankly rather base for a wider my case, aside from the general digital issues in the archives so I in the country would be carrying tiny percentage of cases. It’s no subject splits riders into for and audience who might be put off ravages of age, the fact that guess it must have been. points on their licences for using real surprise to discover that against camps, with very few the rest of the magazine if they my right leg is now ¾” shorter Interestingly, ‘leafing’ their mobile phones while at it’s actually distractions – such left straddling the fence. I knew were confronted by that sort of than the other and the ankle through that rich repository the wheel – and so they should. as mobile phones – that cause I’d written something on the gross indecency. has been fused, means I can brings quite the opposite feeling Ultimately your chances of being most of the carnage on the subject a while ago so I dug it I understand that as an barely manage a brisk hobble because it’s difficult to imagine punished for speeding are just roads. Certainly as I was cycling out and although it appeared international publication it so it’s no contest; while on two how we could have put out the in TRD eleven years ago, it was pays to be aware of cultural wheels, although I’m perfectly best part of 2,000 pages of top obvious reading through it that differences around the world, capable of riding plenty fast notch copy in the time it has exactly the same arguments but to be perfectly honest enough – particularly in traffic taken the Earth to travel a mere are dividing us today. So I’m there are more than enough – to draw tuts of disapproval 584,020,178 miles (actually not repeating it this month in people on these shores who from sensible motorists, I could when you think of it that way…). the vain hope of convincing will be appalled by the kind of never tear down the middle of The really good news is anyone that they should do as I filth I’ve written so I fail to see the road at the kind of ridiculous that it’s now been about five do, I’m simply running it because why we should give special speeds I would have in my weeks since that camera winked reading it again it struck me as treatment to any damned misspent youth. And not just “Gotcha!” at me on the A316, so an entertaining piece that might Johnnie foreigners! Seriously because my reflexes aren’t as unless my postie’s Eric Bishop just provide confirmed non- though, when you arrive at razor sharp and hardwired for (the central character in Ken splitters with an insight into the the article with the ‘Parental the purpose as they were back Loach’s brilliant “Looking For other group’s mind set. Advisory’ sticker, if you’re the then – which obviously they Eric” [2009], who’s cracking While I was digging through kind of parent who is likely to be aren’t – but as an unavoidable up and hides his deliveries in my stack of old freebie printed offended by talk of messy body consequence of the all insights cupboards all over his house) it copies of TRD I discovered functions, I suggest that you skip I’ve been on the receiving end looks like I might just have got another article that really tickled on past to Blez’s article about of across the last 38 years – quite away with it. Having declared about as random as the limits along a narrow side street doing me, particularly as I’d been joking nice clean electrically powered a few of them painful, both that it’s good news, I’m sure you’ll be exceeding. (Of course the school run, complete with a with a retired despatch riding motorcycles and leave the trashy physically and financially – and there’ll be a few people reading if it turns out that there really is tandem trailer carrying my 6 buddy only a few days earlier talk for your kids. my increased respect for life this who will be gnashing their such a thing as divine justice and year old, I didn’t feel particularly about the problems we had and licence. dentures at the sheer inequity god really is picky about all the threatened by the speed of the keeping warm and dry back in Dave Gurman How ironic is it then that of it; here I am flaunting my little things like eating fish on woman that rushed towards us the old days and how impossible just when everything else is total disregard for the god Friday, not speeding, not eating doing a similar run in her Golf, it was to take a pee once you had beginning to slow down in your given speed limits month pork and never ever being gay, she wasn’t exceeding the limit sufficient layers in place. The after month and then when it I’m going to cop it later – but by that much as she flew over feature had originally appeared life, time starts racing past with Catch Dave every Thursday such indecent haste? I mean I finally looks like I’m about to then again if there is an all seeing the speedhumps, it was the in one of the old black & white between 6 and 8pm (GMT) on honestly find it difficult to get get my comeuppance, I escape eye out there keeping track of fact that she was paying more issues from back in the day when www.bikerfm.co.uk

4 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 5 In The Saddle... Hi Dave, is the problem with insurance Keep up the good work, My brother in Manningtree, for a rider with a US license. I am looking forward to the Essex put me on to your We had planned to buy March issue. magazine and I have been used bikes, ride them and Ken from Texas. working through the archives then sell them after. A great I replied saying, “Did you over the past few months. idea but I have failed to read Jacqui Kennedy’s “Travels The range of content in the find a company that would with Henry III” in issue 172? magazine is great, there entertain insuring someone Because she’s an Australian should be something for from the USA. who had similar problems but everyone in each issue. I like Our next avenue of attack managed to get around them. the idea of such diversity is to rent, boy is it expensive I will contact her and see what and I have read pretty much to rent bikes. It seems to she can tell us.” And, “In the everything in each issue. me, though, that if insurance meantime would you be happy There is always something to companies will insure foreigners for us to include your message entertain me and quite a few who rent bikes, don’t you think in our letters pages?” – Ed things to educate me so keep that they would insure us if up the good work. we bought a bike over there? Hi Dave, I am planning a visit to the I was hoping for some What a quick reply, thank UK with my sons to hook up help from your readers, you. I have re read Jacqui’s with my brother and his son, and maybe from your wonderful article, it was even we want to do a motorcycle contributors. Is there anyone good the second time and tour of England and Europe. that can provide any advice it was what prompted me I see TV programs and about navigating the UK to write in. She mentioned magazine articles on this all insurance minefield. Any help finally finding a broker but the time but one big problem would be appreciated, any doesn’t mention who. She that I am having, not usually recommendations for rental does mention how difficult it mentioned in these articles, agencies also. was and I can testify to that.

6 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 7 In The Saddle... In The Saddle... I would be delighted if my (just expensive) if they have a heard from him too, even I didn’t say anything but I kind. I am now going to have to at the top of Kidlington Airport. question could be included UK resident (i.e. Ken’s brother) though he lives in Texas! had seen two Harley’s out that find some just for that reason. The trip meter starts flashing at in the letters page, your who can take out the policy Cheers day so if the roads were clean They’ll still be going when I stop. me and the lil’Breva starts sliding readers and contributors, and include the travellers as NICK Lojik enough for them, sheesh. A donation to Help 4 Hero’s sideways because I am on ice appear to be among the most named riders. I can’t begin to Leeds However a week later I took paid for it. Some more will be but more importantly I am resourceful of people. tell you how happy it makes (not Steve in Texas) the bike out for the first time going into that box when I get heading for a car that is trying Thanks again for the reply, me to be a part of a worldwide I’ve heard that the powers and felt the tyres sliding about. I some more. to stop and cannot. White faces Ken carin’ sharin’ mutual aid and that be use the money from didn’t like it at all. I asked the bloke who all around. I forwarded Ken’s query info network. Please be sure to motoring fines to finance The following day all was was passing them on for the I do not want to try out the to Jacqui in Australia who let us know how you get on Ken opulent but incredibly fine again. Funny how the brain owner why he didn’t take them crashability of my new leathers responded promptly with the – Ed depraved orgies in caves works isn’t it. himself? Too much like ‘70’s yet (or ever) so soft hands and following: carved into the Chiltern Hills – I was going to buy some styling was his reply, he preferred try to gently steer around the Hi Dave and Ken, Hi Dave, but I suppose you can’t believe Halvarsson’s leathers but was ‘50’s styling. That’s the Brando car. It works; obviously the There are also some links Reading your comments everything you hear in the pub. offered some virtually new look then. I shall have to check lil’Breva didn’t want to crash on Horizon’s Unlimited about in the “From the Editor” pages One thing’s for certain, if the Albert Dann police leathers. So out his leathers next time we either. Ride gently though to insurance – what a nightmare regarding the speeding and roads are as crap in Yorkshire virtually new they still had the meet. Something I have never the end of the road and put it is! bus lane fines etc brings to as they are in the capital, they labels attached and tissue paper done before. down both feet with taut legs, www.horizonsunlimited. mind a question I’ve always certainly ain’t spending it on in the pockets. This is where I haven’t worn fitted leather as my boots will not grip. Get com/hubb/trip-paperwork/ asked but never received a Tarmac! As for your brother good manners pays off as I only bike trousers for about twenty to work and breathe a sigh can-aussie-buy-uk- definitive answer to, and that Steve, I heard from him via looked at them out of politeness years; I felt very self-conscious of relief. bike-63622 is where does all that money Texan Ken’s brother in Essex – as I had already made up my at first but soon got over it. As The Boy Biker puts it My saviour is a broker and go to? It’s clearly not spent small world huh! – Ed mind to buy the Halvarssons kit These things just mould to you this biking stuff is fun. And an a biker. on the roads, you should see despite some misgivings about better than anything I have hour later I had more or less got St.John Canfield-Payne some of the pot-holes here Hi Dave, their design. Blimey these Albert worn before. Definitely Jerry over it. Canfield-Payne Insurance in Leeds you’d need climbing I got back from my favourite Dann leathers are good. Twenty Lee Lewis as opposed to One Did I use the same route Consultants Ltd equipment to get out of German supermarket on the years ago I bought a Barbour Direction (I heard OD on the next day? Of course; growing The Cravens some, assuming you survived Saturday before Christmas to Pro Biker winter outfit made radio yesterday; crap isn’t good old is compulsory (if you are Ship Street the fall in...! Is there perhaps find a car blocking my garage. with modern materials and a hi- enough for them; melting lucky), growing up is not. East Grinstead a cellar under Buck House The normal rules are you tech belt (two bits of plastic you them down for soap isn’t good And the road was fine. RH19 4DX that’s stuffed full of cash? block my garage, I kill you. push together). It was very good enough for ‘em). The weather The following week I read jcpayne. Either way, I’d appreciate But it was Christmas so I though not breathable and is isn’t suitable for bike riding so an American cop book featuring canpaynetamcentraluk.com your views. went and found the owner. still sometimes used today. I I am lounging about my flat a black lesbian cop who gave Good luck Also it was nice to get a It was a youngster was wearing it when I met Dave settling them in. up riding when she was 30 cheers nod in the “From the Editor” about 22 years old visiting the Editor. And last night I found because she realised biking was Jacqui pages however I’d like to his brother so I asked him This set of ex Police leathers a set of the old type braces too dangerous at her age. The I spoke to St.John and he know if you possess physic to move it. Afterwards he is as low tech as you can get. Just presumably left over from my Harley is now just a cherished reiterated what both Ken and powers, because for some commented I was very brave Connolly hide fitted with zips, army days. Rock on. memory in her garage. Jacqui have said – trying to reason you cite my brother because as soon as the press-studs and old style leather So 28th January I am riding Bollocks. find motoring insurance for Steve Lojik as reading your roads got greasy his bike straps with steel lined belt holes. to work enjoying the warm Ride Safe foreign visitors is a nightmare. magnificent Mag at lunch went away till the following It even has studs to take old- weather and snow/ice free An ancient Guzzisti However, it’s not impossible time. Unless of course, you’ve summer. fashioned braces not the grip roads when I turn onto the road Ian Dunmore

8 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 9 Rider’s Lives

for the track, but it would round. A very emotional finish. have to come with a team of I couldn’t stop crying from mechanics and full factory such a mix of elation, sadness support!! For the road, I and exhaustion. already have my ideal bike. What would be the ideal What was your hairiest soundtrack to the above? moment on a bike? It was a long race, so something The most telling was my along the lines of “Can’t Slow first ever time on Eleanor. Down” by Joe Satirani and, Name: Hazel Drury I had just raced my final cheesily enough, “We Are The What was your first Steel Framed 600 race at Champions” by Queen. motorcycling experience? Oulton Park the week before, What do you think is the best As a teenager of 14 when wringing the neck out of it thing about motorcycling? my older brother bought everywhere. Doing the same By far and away the best an AR50. I thought it was so on a 1000cc bike with 20 thing about motorcycling is cool but my parents thought years of development was the people you meet and the otherwise. I was banned from not a good idea on my first friends I have made. I know of ownership, and needless to say, track outing. I was pulling no other community who will bought my first bike (Yammy wheelies everywhere doing go out of their way so much to RXS100) when I left home and this, so, in order to maximise help each other. I make friends went to medical school. the benefit, decided to haul a all the time through bikes still. What is your current bike? big one coming out of Hilltop, What do you think is My roadbike is a purple all the way down to Hizzy’s the worst thing about Ducati Monster S2R800. I have chicane. I quickly went past motorcycling? spent as much on suspension, the point of no return and was The friends I have lost to brakes and engine mapping a little surprised to find myself the sport, on the road and on as I paid for the bike but it is upside-down, without having the track. Even more worrying now sweet and bespoke to my time to dab the rear brake. Bike now that my daughter has needs. It’s all the power I need flew away from me and I slid followed in my footsteps on the roads. on my back at around 120mph. it seems. My trackbike is my Looked up and new bike was Name an improvement trusty GSXR1000 K6 (named in flames. you’d like to see for the next “Eleanor” by its former owner What was your most generation? Bob Collins who won the memorable ride? The way the price of petrol British Superstock Cup on Finishing the final round of is going, I can’t see the sport her in 2006). She later helped the Endurance Championship going on forever. However us win the Hottrax 6 hour in 2009 at Silverstone having those new-fangled electric Senior 1000cc Endurance won that particular round bikes are looking good, championship in 2009. A and the championship with particular that new one based very special bike that does my team mates Steve Griffiths on a Honda RS125. Yum. everything I need. and Mike Naylor. Particularly How would you like to be What bike would you most poignant as I’d decided this remembered? like to ride/own? would be my last ever race That racing doctor biker Any well sorted top of following the death of a friend, bird would sum it up nicely the range Ducati sportsbike Richard Slater, at the previous I suppose.

10 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 11 ©Wildcard Photography www.wildcardphotos.co.uk

12 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 13 Saturday Sensing my discomfort, Unlike Bambi, however, I You ever seen Bambi? The HB takes the lead and starts don’t have a fluffy rabbit to scene where he’s learning to head for home. However, land softly on should I fall to stand and walk for the this involves a particularly off again… and my mother Six and the City first time? A bit wobbly and tight left-hander that is wet, hasn’t just been shot. possibly a little scared? off camber and involves Monday That’s me. dodging traffic. I’m close to Commuting starts again Back on the bike, first tears with pain and frustration and despite the collywobbles time in 2 months. My wrist as I should be able to do this! (and the actual wobbles) I am and hand are still very sore It was only 4 months ago I was really happy to be back on as I’ve only been out the on a huge BMW riding around two wheels. cast a week and my knee Andalucía on some of the Jumping into the car is agony but I’m back on most challenging roads I have was just getting a bit too 2 wheels. ever ridden on and now, I’m easy, and spending most My bravado is telling me on my own light and nimble evenings crawling in traffic that there is no difference bike, in my own back yard and for over an hour was getting to getting on this bike than I’m useless. a bit too annoying. when I last rode it a couple Feeling immensely (It was warm, dry and of months ago, “You can dejected, pathetic and toasty, mind.) do it – you’ve been doing useless, we arrive back in our So off I tippy-toed, super it for years! Stop being road only to have one of my carefully, eye-balling every a muppet.” neighbours standing in her bit of road in front of me My stomach is saying driveway watching us. looking for slippery bits; something totally different, With a voice like a foghorn, trailing the back brake in whilst in my head I’ve got I hear her shouting to her every corner and annoying Family Guy’s Stewie Griffin husband, “She’s only gone everyone behind me with exclaiming “What the and bloody done it! She’s back my slow manoeuvres. deuce?!” on her bike – come and have As I’m at a set of lights, It’s a cold day and the a look!” I hear the unmistakable ground is wet – more or less And as we’re locking the bark of a Super Duke and the exact conditions when I bikes up, both of them come my fellow commuter who came off. I know that my back to see how I had got on. I sort of befriended the tyre is scrubbed in now but “We didn’t think you’d be other year pops up no matter what I am terrified back on your bike. Thought alongside me. of cornering. that would have put you off! “Not seen you for a Tell the truth, I’m terrified Good for you girl!” while.” full stop. And like Bambi, taking “No, I had an off back We ride off with Hornet those first few steps, my in October and broke a Boy in shotgun, however confidence gradually begins few bits.” we’re not long into Richmond to grow back and I start Looking closely at the Park before my arm is really to think that maybe my bike, “Oh yeah… you’ve got starting to ache and the riding wasn’t that bad, or new mirrors.” thought of some tight corners too wobbly, or obviously That’s not exactly what is beginning to scare me. uncomfortable. I meant…

14 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 15 Motorcycle Action Group

Life begins at 40! enter a new age of maturity, now 40 years old. One spin So what does that mean? comfortable in our own skin, off is that the bike industry, Happiness? Mid life crisis? with some level of justifiable as well as politicians, have Attaining Karmic global self-assurance. been noticing our lobbying enlightenment? Well, for It’s the sort of thing prowess. Big names are now many of us it simply means that’s been happening to the putting their weight behind that what hair we used to Motorcycle Action Group; our MAG and recognising that if have on top of our head simply maturity as an organisation riders aren’t protected and vanishes, only to reappear just means that our campaigning if motorcycling itself doesn’t about everywhere else, but has grown up and is have a voice, the motorcycle theoretically at least, when becoming more effective in industry simply won’t have we hit 40, we are meant to many ways. We are after all, any customers.

16 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 17 T2T Flyer2:Layout 1 12/2/12 12:52 Page 1

Continental Tyres is a biggest struggles has always help MAG get the word out ADVENTURE TRAVEL BOOKS perfect example, as is Silkolene been to get the rest of the bike and help ensure we continue Oils, both of whom have press interested in political to ‘let the rider decide’. They COM BY SAM MANI decided to demonstrate their stories, and although some can also help us celebrate support of MAG by becoming of them now see the value, our 40th birthday, because Into Africa - Under Asian Skies - Distant Suns - and now... corporate members. I’m others don’t. If politics doesn’t 40 years ago, the Vietnam to pleased to say that we even interest bikers, why did 40,000 Peace Agreement was signed, TORTILLAS TOTEMS have the support of our first come out to protest eighteen the Tory Government led Sam Manicom’s latest travel book takes you on a gripping rollercoaster of a two-wheeled motorcycle manufacturer, months ago about planned EU Britain into Europe, the Twin journey across the dramatic landscapes of Mexico, the USA and Canada. AJP, the Portuguese builder of laws which were aiming to halt Towers were completed in There are canyons, cowboys, idyllic beaches, bears, mountains, Californian vineyards, funky 125 and 250 Supermotos bike power-train modification? New York, and in a house in gun-toting policemen with grudges, glaciers, exploding volcanoes, dodgy border crossings and dirt bikes. I grant you, reporting politics Ampthill, Bedfordshire, the and some of the most stunning open roads that a traveller could ever wish to see. But what does that can be as dull as ditchwater if Motorcycle Action Group was What do the reviewers say about Sam Manicom’s books? actually mean for riders or you want it to be, but it affects founded, as an organisation for campaigns? Well in the every single one of us as “opposed to all oppressive 'One of the best story tellers of first instance, it means that bikers. Why should someone and discriminatory legislation adventure in the world today.' bike politics can gain a much else decide what sprockets we aimed at motorcycling.” wider audience. As these big use, or what clothes we should Continental Tyres have Side Stand Up Radio - USA companies are proud to be wear? If MAG had a million supplied adventure travel World of BMW - ‘Inspirational Reading’ associated with MAG, they members, do you think the DVDs to give away as gifts to Motorcycle Monthly - ‘Sam Manicom’s books see the value of getting the bureaucrats would feel they new members throughout are highly recommended’ word out when we need could ignore us then? this anniversary year, so if you London Bikers - ‘Compelling Reading’ help publicising campaigns. MAG is the only voice haven’t got around to joining There are nearly 1.3 million working to defend riders’ MAG, now’s your chance to Moto Guzzi Club - ‘Sam has the gift to describe registered bikes in the UK and interests at local and national get a great deal; £25 worth of people and places!’ only about 65,000 of their level in the UK, and actively free viewing. Honda Trail Bike Riders - ‘Completely engaging’ owners are members of MAG, representing British riders in Come to one of our 40th BM Riders Club - ‘Superbly entertaining’ so in order for riders to remain Europe and with our maturity, parties this year, they’re The Road Magazine - ‘Masterful writing’ informed and make educated we now count among our happening all over the country TBM – Trail Bike Magazine - ‘Truly involving decisions, riders must first gain membership MPs and Lords. and the sun always shines on and enthralling’ access to information about We have regular contact the righteous, but bring a hat The Riders Digest - ‘Technicolour descriptions’ what’s going on. Knowledge, with other politicians and if your hair’s as thin as mine. as they say, is power. government departments, Happy 40th! City Bike Magazine USA - ‘Clear and unpretentious’ As a reader of TRD and affecting new legislative ideas Visit our web site for details Motorcycle Sport and Leisure - ‘One of the world’s leading thus someone with access to BEFORE they become law, of events and how to join us. motorcycle authors’ the more enlightened and because it’s a hell of a lot easier ISBN: 978-0955657337 ‘Few travel writers can conjure up sights informative end of the bike to alter or kill off a bad idea Paddy Tyson and smells so provocatively as Sam’ press, you are, I’m sure, keeping when it is still just an idea, than MAG Campaigns Manager yourself abreast of what new it is after it has been enacted. www.mag-uk.org from The Daily Record legislation may be rearing The more we are involved on 01926 844064 its head in Westminster or the inside, the more we make Brussels and how it may affect a tangible difference. TORTILLAS to TOTEMS the motorcycling we all know These big companies who and love. But one of MAG’s are now supporting us, can SIDETRACKED BY THE UNEXPECTED 18 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 19 www.sam-manicom.com pp121 TRD138 07/04/09 11:14 AM Page 1

TheTesting My Patience Boy Biker ooking my theory test But on this day, a Thursday, really relit my fuse for I had chased my own arse Bbiking development. around all day at work with I studied hard and prepared classic pre holiday jitters. Left well. When the day came, it enough loose ends to make was a casual affair riding up to going in Friday early doors the villages and over all the hills London Bridge, passing and necessary, which I hadn’t on the old route. I pulled over riding home, yet another step planned to, and parked my to flip the directions taped no further towards a full license. I bike in quite a hurry outside the the tank to the second half, wish I could start like that this test center, without thinking have a slash and a fag, and Proven month, but I can’t. for a moment that different check the vitals of the bike. Actually, I only picked up a boroughs have different During the break I realized not recommended theory book two days before parking rules…* to fret over the previous day. So and expert the test, which was for cars. I I stride out of the building what if I failed my first go and didn’t bother with the CD-rom feeling reflective and positive, got my first parking ticket. Here in rider and frankly the book got more and then I see the bastard, a I am having cracked on since claims use as a rolling surface. (It could tiny slip of hate wrapped in a 7am to earn my beer money, hardly replace our esteemed plastic jacket of doom, hanging on the way to have a great Ed’s book as my toilet reading off my mirror. My gut tells me weekend on campus. now could it…) to rip the fucker off, chuck it in The bike is singing, the I’m not proud of this piss the gutter and forget about it, sun is shining and the road is poor preparation at all. I am how can you ticket a bike? clear and bendy. I might not What our clients say: even less proud that on the As I tear it off I read closer, have the option of carrying a way, I honestly thought there the documentation of detail, passenger, and I may have the "Special thanks to Michael Wheatley at RSS for all his support, wasn’t a single thing about the promise of a digital copy added weight/air resistance of good counsel, and all the little ways he went above and beyond." the roads that I hadn’t picked being recorded, the clear two L plates, but bugger me, "It has only been 8mths and it’s all done and dusted. As well as up during the four long years instruction that if ignored it am I making myself smile! being great solicitors they are also very friendly and understand- I’ve spent bimbiling around on nearly doubles to £120. It was Stay cheery, and remember, ing. Everything has been explained to me and they kept me up to L plates. all too much. shit happens, it’s all about how date during this period." Wrong. It was as a lesser biker that you wipe it off! There were precisely four I rode home that evening. Got things short of the required over-cocky, failed, wasted 30 Party On pass mark that I didn’t know. quid on a test and a further *Motorcycle parking regulations Which is not great when you totally avoidable 65 on a vary considerably between Helping motorcyclists consider that the pass mark ticket… GRRRRR. London Boroughs and as the since 1994 is barely over 50%. The test By ten the next morning BB discovered it can be very wasn’t hard at all; I just simply the loose ends have all been expensive if you get it wrong. I If you have been involved did not know A LOT of road tied, the oil, filter, chain and have a priceless sticker inside my in an accident and would markings and legal procedures. sprockets have been changed topbox I picked up from www. like our help call us On a normal day this and I’m printing off the motoden.com that outlines wouldn’t have fazed me too directions to Brighton. Not on the rules for all 33 of them.They much. I knew deep down the motorways and not on the still have a few for anyone who I hadn’t read enough or A23. On the B2026 then the pops into one of their branches 0208 246 4900 practiced enough. Better luck A22, a great route. and although the list hasn’t been next time, learn from your Frankly, a mind altering updated for a few years it still mistakes and all that. early afternoon nip through all offers a useful guide – Ed

20 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 21 Nuts & Bolts Mating Metal uts and bolts are for inert gas is used to shield the quality welds, is excellent for wimps, real men and weld from contamination. use with thin materials and Nwomen (especially This is usually a mix of carbon can be used to weld stainless Jennifer Beals in Flashdance) dioxide and argon. MIG can steel, aluminium and other weld. be performed automatically light metals as well as steel. Welding is elemental, it by a welding robot or The process is very difficult to appeals to the caveman inside by hand. master and is slow. all of us, it connects us to the MIG welding is a rapid Resistance welding Earth with a sense of solidity process, it is relatively simple generates it’s heat by passing and permanence that merely to master and can be used on a heavy current through the screwing something together a wide variety of metals (with workpiece, most commonly can never achieve. a suitable filler material) and used in Spot Welding, it is But what actually is thicknesses. The thicker the used to join overlapping welding? Essentially, it material being welded, the sheets of thin steel together. involves the melting of one higher the current required. There are many other or more pieces of metal at I use a 235 Amp MIG welder types of welding, but the an intended joint or hole, that can weld up to 10mm above methods are the introducing a filler material thick material, or as thin as only ones that you are into that melted material to 0.5mm. likely to encounter in the produce a weld pool, then Commonly known as Arc motorcycle workshop. If you allowing that to solidify, or Stick welding, Shielded were thinking of starting creating a strong bond. At Metal Arc Welding is a out in welding, your most it’s most basic, a hot flame similar process to MIG, but useful choice would be a is used, as in gas welding. it uses consumable sticks of MIG welding set. These are Gas welding uses oxygen electrode which are coated plentiful and cheap, a good and acetylene which burns in a flux, in place of the gas 175Amp set can be bought at around 3100°C, filler wire used in MIG. Arc welding is used for under £100. This will is introduced manually. Gas more difficult to master than fulfil most of your needs. Do welding has become less MIG, the process is slower as not be tempted by gasless popular as the heat generated the sticks need to be replaced MIG sets, they are difficult is less controllable than other frequently and the slag (flux to produce good results methods; causing distortion residue) which forms over the with and limited. Gas can and stresses. weld, needs to be chipped be bought cheaply from MIG welding is a highly away. Arc welding is not many suppliers, a local pub flexible and commonly used suitable for material below may be happy to supply you method. It’s also known as 3mm thickness and is usually with a cheap CO2 bottle, Gas Metal Arc Welding, which only suitable for ferrous if you know the landlord. CLICK TO WEBSITE describes the process more metals but the equipment You’ll need to kit yourself out accurately. A continuous wire is cheap. with some proper welding just search for your model feed provides an electrode TIG, or Tungsten Inert Gas, gloves, a fire resistant overall of bike you will be surprised and filler material in one. is a manual welding process and a face mask. The auto how many parts we have Electrical current generates that uses a non consumable darkening type of face mask an arc between the electrode electrode made of tungsten, makes life much easier and and the work piece, this forms an inert gas shield and frees up your other hand. the weld pool and the filler separate filler rod. The material does the rest. An process produces very high Happy Spannering! www.wemoto.com22 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 23 Two Wheels To The End Of The World

24 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 25 On the other side of the water are the snow- capped Cordillera Real mountain range. The Surviving The peaks look like jagged teeth biting into the sky and lend an air of the magical to the atmosphere Road Of Death of the Altiplano. It’s a little cold this high up and this late in an early spring evening, but it’s a good road surface and we make it to La Paz fairly quickly.

We complete just over 100km from the border to the city before dusk, where we are treated everybody else. I take the paperwork back to to a breathtaking view. We arrive from the the gentleman and tell him in broken Spanish sparse plains with the city laid out below us in that I am tired, cold and hungry and can’t read the valley, buildings clinging to the sides of the his form. Much to my surprise he falls for my act, mountains and the distinctive snowy Mount takes all of our paperwork and completes the Illimani looming threateningly above. documents for me. Fifteen minutes later we are processing our Tourist cards before heading on to the city of La Paz.

Twenty or so kilometres after that and we are riding through the town of Tapena when we pass a long line of stationary trucks. At the top of the line large rocks have been strewn across the road and a group of men, some holding sticks, are gathered menacingly. We are waved through only to meet a line of riot police a few hundred metres down the road. Thankfully, neither he border crossing between Peru get temporary imports for the bikes and then party seem overly concerned with two tourists and Bolivia in the small town of on to the immigration office where we get our on motorbikes so we move on unmolested. TDesaguadero on the banks of Lake passports stamped. On this occasion I opt to Welcome to Bolivia! Titicaca was straightforward enough. We went look after the bikes. to the Peruvian Immigration office to get an We ride along the edge of Lake Titicaca. The exit stamp on our passports, crossed the street This time however, the customs paperwork Incas believed the lake was the birthplace of and surrendered our vehicle documents to is slightly more complicated. Among the their civilization and there are tales of them the police and then crossed over the bridge to information required is our mothers’ maiden throwing their treasures into the lake to prevent enter Bolivia. names and when Maeve goes to check a detail them falling into Spanish hands. There are also La Paz sits at a dizzying altitude of 3,660 with the Customs man, he simply draws an X rumours of a hidden city, submerged beneath meters above sea level and to add to this At this stage we are both well versed in border through her paperwork and tells her to start the icy cold waters of the lake. Although there we arrive just as rush hour starts. The streets crossings and we have a bit of a system. One again. Central and South American men have has been no conclusive evidence to support any are narrow, twisty and steep, and the traffic of us stays with the bikes; the other takes a reputation for being misogynistic, but this of these claims, archaeologists have unearthed is noisy, chaotic and congested. We thought our original documents, passports, driving guy is downright rude. One of the advantages exquisite finds around the shores of the lake, Lima was bad but this was just downright license, ownership papers along with several of being European and male in this part of the most of which are now stored in small museums frightening! There are multitudes of minivans photocopies of the lot, to the Adunas where we world is that I’m a few inches taller than nearly in La Paz. ferrying locals around the city. A young man

26 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 27 28 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 29 sights to see. First order of the day on this one we were in yesterday and many of the staff occasion is to make contact with a local bike and people in the cafes are anxious to practice shop, Nosiglia Sport, to see about getting our their English language skills. tyres changed. The hostel staff sorts that one for us with a quick phone call and we are off La Paz is a city of contrasts – the older colonial to the south side of the city. After carrying TKC architecture is higher up in the city with the tyres on the back of our bikes since Medellin, modern ‘glass and concrete’ skyscrapers and we were both glad to be getting rid of them sophisticated shopping centres lower down and replacing our worn out Metzlers. Not only in the Zona Sur. Just north of the main drag, are the tyres extra weight but they need to be El Prado, is the Mercado de Hechicería (the unpacked every night. Witches’ Market) where it’s possible to buy a

sits at the sliding door of a bus with the window open shouting out its destinations. Obviously the drivers know the city well and the traffic is only chaotic to us as outsiders, but many drivers opt not to use any lights as well as free-wheeling down the hills. The locals have no regard for red lights and the cheap and dirty fuel only adds to the bike’s difficulty breathing at such a high altitude.

Having booked our hostel in advance we knew our destination. Heading for the city centre is fairly simple with the help of some friendly pedestrians and we find Hostal República fairly easily. Located in the heart of the historic part We get to the bike shop and meet the service llama foetus. These are particularly useful when of the city, it was formerly the home of one of manager. He takes our motorcycles, our new building a new house, because you simply bury Bolivia’s first presidents. There are two large tyres and a new set of brakes pads from us and one in a corner of the foundations and good courtyards and we are allowed to park the bikes tells us to come back in two or three hours. luck and prosperity are said to be proffered by safely inside one of them for the night. Pachamama. These traditional Aymará beliefs sit We pass the afternoon wandering around the side by side with tour operators offering hiking Waking up in a new city is always exciting. There rather up-market end of town and having a and cycling expeditions to the local areas and the are new streets to explore, people to meet and coffee or two. This feels like a different city to the Road of Death. Herbal remedies and colourful

30 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 31 The Road of Death has its own rules…

32 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 33 the result of a decree by the Viceroy Francisco de Toledo. The bowler hats they proudly wear are striking, they sit unpinned but perfectly balanced atop of each head and can be dark green, black or brown. Skirts are colourful and layered, pleated if the lady is married and worn with a blouse, a woolen jumper and a shawl. To complete the outfit, each woman carries an aguayo, a multi-coloured rectangle of cloth used to carry everything from groceries to babies.

traditional items handmade by Aymará women As we found out on entering the country, are for sale alongside internet cafés and DVD machismo is definitely alive and well in Bolivia, stores, each vying for the attention of a constant but recently women’s rights and education stream of tourists. La Paz is the main jump off are improving and some modern women are point for travellers going to the Salt Flats near returning to wearing their traditional dress with Uyuni, Lake Titicaca and the Amazon Basin. great pride.

The city is thronging with young Americans A year or so ago a colleague of mine sent me and Europeans in search of adventure whilst in an email with a picture of a dirt road running contrast to their imported wealth, local women along the side of mountain range somewhere beg on the pavements in the parts of the city in Bolivia called ‘El Camino de la Muerte’ or ‘The where these visitors congregate, their babies Road of Death’. The caption on the picture simply wrapped in colourful but dirty blankets, another read, “Bet you couldn’t ride this road on your GS”. child a few months older, sitting forlornly beside When we set out to do this trip, this road quickly its mother. Old women dressed in traditional made its way to the top of my ‘to do list’. clothing silently offer up a ragged hat for a few pennies. The indigenous people of this valley The road runs from Coroíco at the edge of the fared badly after the arrival of the Spanish Amazon basin to the main highway back in to invaders. The conquerors, mostly men, arrived Lap Paz, at an altitude of 3,200m. It was originally to control the gold mines and imposed their cut by hand through the steeply graded religion and lifestyle on the people living here. mountain range. It’s 45km, has no Armco, little The unions between colonists and local women gave rise to a primarily mestizo population.

Cholitas are Quechua or Aymará women who live in the city but continue to wear traditional dress. They are a common sight with their bowler hats and hair neatly braided into two long black plaits, sometimes tied together with a tuft of black wool known as a pocacha. This characteristic dress was imposed on Bolivian women in the 18th century by the Spanish King, and the central parting of their hair was

34 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 35 36 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 37 drainage and is completely unpaved. Until late 2006 this road was the main route to and from Coroíco and Hino trucks regularly met each other and passed with little or no room to spare. Nowadays it tends to be used by adventurers and thrill seekers, particularly the downhill mountain bike brigade.

The road has its own rules: unlike anywhere else in Bolivia you must ride/drive on the left hand side as we do at home. You must yield right of way to traffic coming up the hill. On this particular road, downhill on the left hand side is the drop off side. The reason for these rules is that back when the trucks passed each other the driver of the vehicle going downhill would be able to look out of his cab window to see how close to the edge he was. In some places it’s over a kilometre down with a gradient so steep it may as well be a cliff. On this basis we elect to follow the new road into the town of Coroíco and ride back up the pass road. What I didn’t realize was that the road to Coroíco is a broken cobbled trail through the jungle that twists and turns 10km uphill before we even get to start the Road of Death! Surely I’ve done enough and I can just take a few pictures and go home?

Not with Maeve along I can’t, she’d just tell all my friends. We stop in the town to get some petrol and ride down the hill across its cobbled streets. As we turn onto the pass road proper the first thing we are greeted with is the remains of a land cruiser, which has obviously rolled many times. The wreck strikes me as an ominous sign and in my delicate state of mind I manage to convince myself that this is not so much a bad idea as foolhardiness bordering on the idiotic! The road climbs steeply in parts and at some points the surface of the road and the gradient are reminiscent of the Haul Road when we crossed the Brooks Range in Alaska. So far so good, or something like that!

38 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 39 40 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 41 hits it, torrents across it and plunges down into the valley below. “Go ahead, I’ll take your photo,” says Maeve “Don’t go too fast now; I want to get a good shot”. A good shot! With friends like these etc.

I ride through with the waterfall cascading over my head on my left hand side and a thousand metre drop on my right, on the worst road surface I’ve ever seen in my life. At this stage I’m beginning to wonder if it will ever end. This is motorcycling hell!

A few kilometres further on and the road is again draining water from the mountainside. It runs downs the left hand side, my side… The stones are arranged loosely and you can see how this would work with a car, truck or bus; any vehicle with wide tyres would simply spread the weight. Not a motorbike though, the knobblies dig in between the stones, the bike spins, the back wheel buries itself and I stall. The road is quite

About 10km into the ride the mountain towers second gear I can feel my new knobblies rise up wouldn’t hold my gloves never mind me and above us, consisting of huge vertical slabs of onto and fall off the rocks that are strewn across my bike if I get this even slightly wrong. I don’t what looks like granite to form a sheer drop the road. I know if I put down some speed the mind admitting that I feel a little bit queasy at to the roadway, which in places is now a little bike will handle better but I’m worried about this stage. over a metre wide. Once the new road was built going over the side. We’ve climbed quite a bit maintenance of this terrifying stretch seems to now and although I definitely don’t want to, I Ahead of me I notice a beautiful waterfall and I have fallen back as a priority as the trucks all run feel compelled to look over the edge. The valley naively wonder how they route the water under on the new wide safe road on the far side of the we’ve climbed from is an awfully long way down the road. As we get closer I’m horrified to see the valley. As we round a bend gingerly hooking and the vegetation on the side of the mountain roadway is a sort of breaker, the water simply

42 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 43 some difficulty understanding the staffs’ directions to the car park; Maeve simply instructs the unfortunate bellboy to sit on her bike and promptly tears off in the wrong direction giving him an impromptu tour of his own city. The poor kid doesn’t know whether to cry in terror or shout for joy. The car park itself is fascinating – it is the basement of a multi story construction site, we have to climb out over bags of cement to get back onto the street! The following morning we wake and head out for Uyuni.

booked some accommodation in Uyuni and I How difficult could it be? A straight line to get both fully laden bikes out the door of our Colchani and a night spent in the Luna Hotel, hotel, down some steps and onto the street a hotel built entirely of salt! Alas, it wasn’t to be while Maeve stops the traffic. We may not have as simple as I thought! The black top continues been the talk of the town but we were definitely from Oruro and we happily zip along at 140kph, the talk of the neighbourhood! We say our the road pin straight, punctuated by ‘beware of goodbyes to the wonderful staff at the Hostel the llama’ signs until we come to a small town steep here and I’m loathe to put down too much lives on this stretch of road. Estimates from República and wave to our onlookers on the called Chalapata, where the road stops and power as I can’t see over the brow of the hill. I before the new road was built put the death street. Fifteen minutes later we are hopelessly simply becomes a dirt track through the town. nurse the bike on, stalling it twice more. Under toll at a staggering 300 people per year except lost. In desperation we flag a passing taxi that We ride down the ‘main street’ and out the far normal circumstances I could do this, but at for one awful year when a Bolivian bus driver lost we pay to lead us out of town. Even in La Paz the side of town, where there is quite simply nothing this stage I’m practically frozen to the bike with control and plunged to his death along with an climbs and gradients of the slopes are amazing – no road, just a sandy dirt track. We return to the terror. Maeve comes to the same patch and as additional one hundred souls. and we wind our way up from the centre of the town and find a friendly mechanic who tells us, she can see me at the top of the hill she simply city to an area called El Alto on the guns the bike, the back wheel spins up, kicks We ride on; each corner a fresh terror, the surface outskirts. We pay the taxi driver, fill out to the right and plonks her in the middle of the road is like some type of endurance our bikes with petrol and speed of the road. Once again in a normal course of test. We’re shifting from first to second and away on perfect blacktop heading events we would have both laughed, the bike occasionally glimpsing third in low revs when south for the city of Oruro. is undamaged and the fall is only at a few miles suddenly we round the corner and there before an hour. Maeve is completely unhurt although us is some Armco and the road to La Paz. I’ve Oruro is a mining town, it’s also embarrassed. I however can only focus on the never been happier to see blacktop in my whole quite boring. There’s everything roar of the engine as the back wheel spins life. I think I can speak for both of us when I say you need and nothing you want. since it now has no traction with the ground we are both immensely proud to have achieved The main drag into the small and I have to look at her several times before this as motorcyclists and just as certain that city is dusty and monotonous I convince myself that she hasn’t ridden over neither of us will ever, ever do anything like but decorated with remarkable the edge. that again! metal sculptures of figures from local folklore and Bolivian history. We stop and take a break at a monument We take a few days rest after the Road of Death We get to our hotel – once again dedicated to all the people who have lost their and then it was time to leave La Paz. We have cheap and unremarkable. We have

44 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 45 46 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 47 lost in the maze of tracks and at one point can see some trucks and a bus in the distance. We have to wonder whether the tracks they are using are easier than this process. Eventually we come to a construction site; it appears that a bridge is being built which would explain why the road is being obstructed. We ride down and around the support stanchions and there in the middle of the desert, under an incomplete bridge, is a river! I stop and look at it in disbelief for a few minutes, while he works on a car at the side of the road, unsure if it’s a river or perhaps a drain from the that we were going the right way the first time site toilets, before deciding that it is a river and and that is, in fact is the road to Uyuni. So we ride across it at its shallowest point. We both turn around and head back out again. climb back up onto the road and continue our slow journey south. The last 20km have taken High in the desert Altiplano, our bikes fully us a little over an hour and have been, despite loaded, our camel packs full of water, we travel the hard work, good fun! in the direction of what we hope is the Salar town is an ancient pickup truck. We see no while we are here it was hard to grasp just how de Uyuni, as there are no road signs. This feels Eventually we come to a small town, the railway people. We have read that Butch Cassidy and strange the place is. The walls are made of salt wrong, all wrong. The dirt track is obstructed line runs straight through it – small adobe the Sundance Kid plied their trade in this area, bricks and the floor is a carpet of salt chunks, by what looks like several tipper truckloads of houses and a water tower that looks like it was if they came riding through on horseback today imagine the interior of your house being off gravel, each perhaps a meter and a half high made centuries ago. The one other vehicle in they wouldn’t seem out of place. white and the floor a two inch deep carpet of across the full width of the sea salt! Every single thing in the hotel is made track. To the left hand side, We slog on, loose dirt, dry waddies, deep sand of salt. Benches and seats are large blocks as are there are some tire tracks and finally hours later after riding through this the tables and countertops. Just to be sure, I try leading off the road which we tough but beautiful other-worldly landscape we some experimental tasting, it’s definitely salt. follow. While it would appear come to the town of Colchani about 25km north How many times have you checked into a hotel that we simply ride down off of Uyuni. And after some initial confusion, we and licked the walls? the road and back up on the find our salt hotel, right on the edge of the Salt far side of the obstruction, Flats. After we shower and eat, we both collapse Apart from the staff, there isn’t anyone else once you get off the hard exhausted into a deep sleep. It’s been a long day! around. After breakfast, I ask about petrol as we packed dirt the sand is quite The following morning we wake up and look out are both down to reserve. The manager kindly deep, making it very difficult on the white pan, which stretches for kilometres, informs me that they do not have any and that to control the bikes. For the almost as far as the eye can see. Inside everything the nearest petrol station in Uyuni, is dry too. next hour or so we repeat is salt too – salt floor, salt wall, salt ceiling, even She tells me that a delivery is due tomorrow, this process again and again, the base of the bed was made of salt! You have early in the morning. Glad of this unscheduled initially it becomes quite to go into the bathroom, reassuringly tiled, just opportunity for another day’s rest, we postpone frustrating – we actually get to feel like you were still on planet earth. Even going any further. I return to our room to have

48 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 49 50 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 51 a shower and get cleaned up but find that behind huge pans of salt – the largest of which there isn’t any water. Going back downstairs, is the Salar de Uyuni. Locals still scrape a living crunching all the way across the gravel floor, by chipping at the salt with pick axes and carting hard going after a while, I’m informed that there it off to local salt refineries, and in the not too Visit The Somme is a problem with the water. There aren’t any distant past, llamas were used to haul caravans telephones here either, so calling ahead to Uyuni of the stuff across the desert – work that is now is going to be difficult. largely done by Kenilworth tipper trucks. After andBattlefields stay in the our day negotiating the road to Colchani and As it is going to be very difficult to navigate Uyuni the salt flats are a real treat. Best Biker’s Bed & Breakfast in Picardy the salt flats on our own we hired a guide and last night I paid him the equivalent of €100 as a The landscape is otherworldly; a completely flat deposit on a three day trip to the Chilean border expanse extends away from us with nothing for at San Pedro de Atacama. He was to drive in miles and miles. Apparently in the rainy season front of us in his Landcruiser and show us where the salt gets covered in a thin layer of water to go. There are no roads across the flats, and and reflects the sky perfectly. It’s supposed to the desert surrounding it is a maze of trails. He be like riding a bike through the sky. We amuse had agreed to meet us at our hotel between half ourselves by tearing past Jose’s land cruiser nine and ten. Now it’s half eleven and there was at speeds of up to 200kph, the fastest we’ve still no sign of him. Drilling down to my baser ridden these bikes since we got them. I can’t north side Dublin instincts, I have successfully help wondering how much fun this would be on intimidated my €100 out of the hotel proprietor a Fireblade. In the middle of the salt flats there as she had recommended this particular guide is a small island, Isle de Pescada, where we stop to us. for a cup of coffee and then we ride out to the southern edge of the salt flats back onto dry We go to Uyuni and hire a new guide. In the land, and into the desert. town everything is desert dirty, nobody smiles, hotel owners, restaurateurs and guides are all We spend most of the rest of the day negotiating on the make. We even have to bribe a deep sand at very low speeds, while Jose waits government official to get exit stamps on our patiently in his four-wheel drive truck. The going visas! Almost by accident, Maeve meets David, is tough, and we are both more than pleasantly an agent for a tour guide named Jose. I’m surprised when he pulls in to tell us that the immediately skeptical after the first one trying small squat building beside the railway line is to rip us off and after a bit of negotiation we the border post! We pay Jose in full, buy some opt to over-pay for a one day guided trip to the additional fuel and say our goodbyes. The border with Chile at Ollague. southern desert, the Road of Death and the Martin and Kate Pegler chill winds around Lake Titicaca as well as the Orchard Farm Almost immediately, Jose reassures me with his altitude in La Paz make Bolivia one our biggest 80360 COMBLES, NORTHERN FRANCE attitude – he’s very friendly, immensely proud challenges yet, nevertheless, this country is of his Landcruiser and seems a little intrigued heaven for adventure motorcycling and one TEL: 00333 22 86 56 72 by our motorcycles. First stop, the infamous we’ll both visit again. EMAIL: [email protected] Salar de Uyuni! Several trillions and billions of or visit years ago, well a while ago anyway, that area Paul Browne www.martinpegler.com was covered by vast lakes. As they dried out and the desert formed around them, they left www.pabloscafe.ie

52 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 53 he best thing about TRD not being I doubt there can be many motorcyclists who a supermarket-shelf glossy, is that it would claim that they actually enjoy riding in the Tallows myself and the other contributors wet and I’m sure that if you were to check into to write about some of the less attractive but the backgrounds of those who do, you’d almost undeniable realities of motorcycling. The stuff certainly discover that they also have bizarre that we all have to deal with once we get past religious or masochistic tendencies (but then at the illusion of the permanent honeymoon that least the ones who like zipping up in latex Gimp the lifestyle rags pass off as biking. If I feel the outfits don’t have to worry about getting soaked need to write about the real nitty gritty of life on to the marrow). When you consider that you the road – the better or worse, richer or poorer, spend the whole of your biking life entirely at the sickness and health stuff that you find out about mercy of whatever the elements decide to bung when reality kicks in – I know I can do that in at you, it’s hardly surprising that two wheelers the Digest. are generally less than enamoured with the moist stuff. Biking is just like any other relationship. Once you’ve lived The English language provides any number with someone long enough of ways to describe the negative implications to have witnessed them at of a good drenching. Expressions such as, their worst, picked up their ‘looks like a drowned rat’, or ‘soaked to the used Always Ultra (with skin’ perfectly sum up the physical effects and wings) and seen the skid there are untold idioms like a wet Monday, marks and snail trails in ‘dampened spirits’ and ‘wet blanket’ that their least attractive underline just how depressing it can be to underwear, you are feel that way. So for most motorcyclists it’s considerably less inclined generally a straightforward equation: Rain = to believe that the ‘Babes’ with the Moisture = Discomfort. flawless skin and the perfect mohican muffs you see in the glossies, have anything to do with When I bought my first bike, 38 years ago, the deal you signed up to – and more fool you motorcycling gear was generally still pretty if you bought into all that aspirational bullshit primitive. Boots, jeans and a leather jacket in the first place. were more or less the standard for general all purpose abrasion protection but weather Accidents (and their aftermath) have been well proofing was a whole different ball game. Back

covered within these covers in recent months, so then if you wanted to stay dry you either wore you can turn off your wince receptors because something made of thick rubber or a Belstaff

I’ve got no plans to revisit that particularly (and if that was going to do any good at all, it nasty reality. ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ have always needed re-waxing as often as a glamour model’s Wet Nightmare been a serious pain in the arse for a surprisingly bikini line!). large number of bikers but I hardly feel that an in depth examination of piles (complete When I started despatching in the late Autumn with pictures) is entirely the thing for a big of 1978 I was wearing the aforementioned anniversary issue. Nope, for those of you who’ve standard uniform with a not particularly efficient missed the clues (like the title) this month I’d like Belstaff over my leather jacket. And that was it. I to talk about rain. remember riding in a blizzard a couple of months

54 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 55 later, with snow sliding down the semi-waxed for scribbling jobs on). There was nothing surface of my top and forming a glaciated to touch them for keeping the elements pool in the bowl between my crotch out but internal dampness was a and the tank. Down there where only potential killer downside. If you found Messrs Levis and St Michael stood yourself in an outrageously warm between my family jewels and office, waiting ‘just another the worst that British weather few minutes’ for a collection, had to offer, the effect was you could easily negate excruciating. any weatherproofing benefits, when your Even if you’re one internal thermostat of those ‘whatever started turning on the turns you on’ types, coolant. And because who loves nothing you were hermetically more than dreaming up sealed all that sweat imaginative sexy things had nowhere to go, to do with ice cubes, so it would still be you really don’t want to there (along with go there — not unless you the remnants of a are a serious masochist. When I day’s farts) when dragged myself into the house you undressed in at the end of the day and peeled the evening. my jeans off to check for damage, all I could find was what appeared to be half a hairy walnut And it’s not like perspiration was the only shell. Warming it up initially increased the pain potential enemy within. If on a freezing cold wet and it took about 15 minutes (including an day you foolishly succumbed to the temptation explanation to my brother of why it was that to wash a fag down with a cup of rosy, you I seemed to be trying to shag the bathroom faced a serious danger that you just might radiator) before I could persuade my cojones piss yourself. You come out of the cafe rushing that I was sorry for any trauma I’d caused them because you weren’t meant to have been there and that it was safe to come back out. in the first place and then the circuit’s busy because it always is when the weather’s crap. Not an experience I ever wanted to repeat, so So you rush from one job to the next and before I got myself a set of Helly Hansens — the sort you know it the tea’s worked its way through — favoured by lifeboat crews. The trousers came and you gotta go! And ‘cos it’s cold, you gotta go way up the chest and were supported by braces, pretty damn quick. But there was no such thing while the hooded pullover top had storm cuffs as quick in Helly’s. and a drawstring at the neck. With everything done up tight, you could ride in a downpour I shudder when I think of all the times I skipped from first thing in the morning until you knocked from foot to foot as I attempted the seemingly off in the evening without a single trace of impossible task of getting through all my layers moisture penetrating the Norwegian rubber before my bladder exploded. I’d jerk the rubber (plus when all your paper had disintegrated, it jacket up to my chin and unzip the leather one provided you with acres of biro friendly surface all the way down. Then I’d reach in and undo

56 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 57 the braces and the poppers, which quality hide, Cordura and Kevlar. released the fold-in and allowed I accept that such things exist in the waist to expand to about 48 exactly the same world and on inches. With shivering hands and exactly the same roads that I ride, shuffling feet, I’d carefully pull the slide, move and groove on; but front down as far as it would go insofar as it relates to my personal without making the clips slide experience, they might as well over my shoulders and disappear be wearing shiny metal suits and down my back (which would whooshing round with jet packs. mean I’d have to struggle out of As I’m sure you’re all aware, when both jackets before I could get there’s moisture about it’s not redressed). Then dancing like St just creeping dampness that can Vitus on tiptoes, I’d stumble over cause you discomfort. Bouncing buttons, before finally fumbling down the road while you watch into my fly fronted long Johns. your pride and joy wrap itself By this time Scotty in the valve ‘round a bollard can be a pretty department would have been uncomfortable experience too. screaming: “I cannae hold it any If it only rained on me, but left longer cap’n!!” for about five the roads dry, I could live with minutes, so the instant he felt my that. Instead it lays down a ice cold shaking fingers on me shiny coat which is designed to bits, he’d let it rip and my ‘ampton test tyres, suspension, brakes would suddenly leap into life and nerve. leaving me about half a second to try to whip it out and attempt to Aside from the nutters I mentioned point it somewhere away from me at the top, the only other bikers and my clothing. Occasionally I’d that I know of who actually like get lucky too; but as often as not riding in the rain are the sort of I’d end up dumping the first half despatch riders who are only cupful of reconstituted tea inside interested in the money; good the lip of my waterproofs. Riding off cursing the racers on otherwise uncompetitive bikes; and soggy (and rapidly cooling) consequences, I’d loony motocrossers (and they don’t care if always swear blind that was the last time I’d ever they bounce off trees so you can’t really count stop for a cuppa in full kit. them). So if you discount the pervs, the money grabbers, the losers and the lunatics, I doubt But, I hear you say, with modern super duper that many other bikers presented with a choice Goretex riding gear, an up to date well-ventilated between sloshing in the wet and riding in the lid and modern high performance tyres, there’s dry, would actually go for the watersport option. no reason to allow a little precipitation to rain on your parade. And apparently it’s all true. There Assuming that you’ve ridden a bike recently in really is a motorcycling nirvana out there where these fair Isles,you’ll probably have noticed that wealthy people ride the latest registration bikes this has been a pretty wild summer. The way the entirely wrapped in brand new, breathable, skies have done that bitch switch from blazing moisture repellent layers, all topped off with sunlight to Armageddon style midday darkness,

58 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 59 Thanks to Chain Gang for permission to use this advert, which appeared on our back cover in the spring of 2000 0207 627 7230

60 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 61 in less time than it the rain got heavier, takes to ride from until every pull-in the centre of town seemed to include to the suburbs. I can untold cigarettes, imagine that even a coffees and trips to few confirmed dry the toilets. weather bikers have had the right sort of That was without a gear may be really doubt the wettest important, but the non-despatching right kind of attitude day’s riding I’ve ever will serve you even done and it was still better. Don’t forget, it lashing down when never rains forever – we packed the tents even the opportunity away the following to discover the efficacy morning. Riding off or otherwise of their equipment. pretty hard before I even think about stopping in the squelching and putting my waterproofs on. Of course by gear I’d peeled off The idea for this piece came about when I was that time I’m invariably soaked through, so I we pitched our tents in the rain and collapsed the night before, carrying a tank bag full talking to a friend about an evening ride out to tend to just plough on hoping the sun will come into an exhausted soggy sleep. of equally wringing wet ‘clean clothes’, it rural Essex back at the beginning of July. We’ve back out and combine with the airflow to dry was difficult to imagine squeezing much only got to know each other relatively recently, me out. It wasn’t the road conditions that had ruined our joy out of the remaining 9 days of the trip. and have never been out on bikes together progress; it was the pit stops that had killed us. However a few hours later I was sitting trackside so he felt that he should ‘fess up before the When I was a youthful despatch rider, summertime Every time we made one (which was as often in shorts, in the International village, basking planning went any further and let me know that was the time for a little sartorial elegance and I as every 120 or so miles) instead of tearing up under a scorching Mediterranean sun with he preferred not to do rain wherever possible. I saw no good reason to cover my light tan leather to the pumps and dashing the juice in, then the rest of my stuff rapidly drying on a had to laugh at his impression that I was some jacket and neat fitting Levis in sweat inducing roaring back out again, our breaks got longer as bungee clothesline. sort of macho biker, who’d simply belt up and rubber all for the sake of a little torrential rain (besides set out for deepest Ford country in the kind of my Cuban heeled cowboy boots looked stupid monsoon that was rattling the windows as we sticking out the bottom of orange Helly Hansons). spoke. And sure enough when it came to the For similar reasons (plus the acute lack of space in day we didn’t go because it was pissing down. my tank bag) I decided not to bother taking any weather protection when I went to the Bol D’Or After too many years of despatching and back in 1981. commuting, nowadays if my journey isn’t attached to some sort of obligation or an urgent necessity, The plan was simple enough: Peckham to Paul I certainly ain’t going to set off in the rain. Why Ricard in one day! And as a bunch of us left should I? It’s never been my idea of fun and as SE15 with the first rays of sunlight bouncing far as I’m concerned that’s exactly what bikes off our shades we were confident we could are supposed to be. If it rains when I’m already crack it. However, it was pissing down when we out, that’s a different story. I’m not the kind to disembarked in Calais and continued to pluie duck under a bridge and hope it doesn’t do a for mile after mile after mile. By the time we Carol King (rain until September!) and in the reached Lyon it was dark and we’d accepted that warmer months it needs to be coming down we weren’t going to be in the South that day so

62 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 63 So when the heavens really open, good tyres and the right sort of gear may be really important, but the right kind of attitude will serve you even better. Don’t forget, it never rains forever – even if sometimes it feels like it – and once the sun comes chinking back through, you never know what new magic and adventure it might deliver.

Be careful out there.

Dave Gurman

64 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 65 Testing Zeros on BACK < roads and stairs TO THE FUTURE

66 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 67 hour-long ‘webinar’ about the filming of Racing bikes mean that you’re actually allowed ‘peak Or how to ride a motorcycle into a building Green Endurance by Sony and he thought it power’ of double the 11kw/15bhp permissible without upsetting anyone and refuel for free… would enhance his explanations if he had a bike for ‘continuous power’, which is of course the on which he could demonstrate how he did the maximum for a petrol bike. So with nearly 30bhp Blez recounts a stealthy experience on an filming. An electric bike would be better than a on tap from the Cedric Lynch-designed Agni electric motorcycle petrol one in a TV studio and a Zero would be motor and great gobs of torque from the very ideal, since it was a pair of Zeroes that actually bottom of the rev range, the Zero accelerated ongong time time readers readers of of The The Rider’sRider’s Digest Motorcycles played a key role in the making featured in the film… (A ‘webinar’ is a seminar more like a 250 than a 125. I sliced my way willwill know know that that I’m I’m a a keen keen enthusiastenthusiast for of the film because Claudio shot most of the ‘narrowcast’, rather than broadcast, over the through the traffic like a hot knife through Lelectrically powered two wheelers. footage from the pillion seat of a BMW in North internet; you could just call it a web-based butter, and with little more noise! America and from a Suzuki in South America. TV programme). This little adventure all came about due to a The address in Brick Lane turned out to be the request from Claudio Von Planta who is best old Truman Brewery and the TV studio was known as the bike-riding Swiss cameraman actually in the converted loading bay, which who went The Long Way Round the world on a could only be accessed from the pedestrianised BMW R1150GSA alongside Charley Boorman courtyard. I’m sure I would have had a lot more and Ewan McGregor in 2004. But Claudio is trouble riding a petrol-powered bike past the an award-winning film maker in his own right security men guarding the yard entrance, but who’s made documentaries about everything when I got to the studio I was confronted by from Rwandan footballers in the Under 17 World two stout steps up to the door, and a further Cup, to human organ trafficking in Kosovo, step into the building. It looked ride-able, so AIDS in Zambia and much else besides. I first with someone holding the doors open, I just met him back in 2005 when he attended a talk rode straight into the foyer, feet up. by Charley Boorman at Vines of Guildford, but I only discovered that we both had an interest The next obstacle was more daunting: a full in electric vehicles when we met again in April flight of seven steep steps up to a mezzanine 2011 through a mutual friend. level where the actual filming was going to take place, with the bottom step a good foot high. It It turned out that Claudio had just shot a might have been possible to ride straight up the documentary about a group of engineering flight, but it would have been tricky, especially graduates from Imperial College who had driven with the oversized bottom step and bearing in an all-electric Radical SR-8 sports car the entire mind this was the ‘supermoto’ version of the 26,000 kilometre length of the Pan American big Zero, with smooth tyres, rather than the Highway from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego… The Dual Sport model that I’d previously ridden in electrified SRZero (as it was re-named) was Belgium, which had much more knobbly ‘boots’. actually on display in the Science Museum that Still sitting astride the bike, I looked around very week and I went to have a look at it. Claudio He also spent a day in and around San Francisco And so it was that on the afternoon of the 8th and saw a trestle table that was being used as a was good enough to give me a DVD of the on the back of a Zero electric motorcycle, when June 2011 I set off across Sarf Lunnun for an ‘check-in’ desk. “Hmmm, that’s handy” I thought, documentary, Racing Green Endurance, which the Zero guys came up from their Headquarters obscure TV studio in the heart of the East End, “those legs should just fold out of the way to originally went out on the BBC World channel in nearby Santa Cruz to give the SRZero car in Brick Lane itself, no less. The fifteen-mile ride make it into a nice wide ramp.” And so it proved. as an eight-part series. It’s a fantastic film, and an electric bike escort as it headed across the up the A3 and on through Wandsworth, Vauxhall I quickly commandeered the trestle table and frankly it’s a scandal that it hasn’t been shown Golden Gate bridge and through ‘the City by the and Southwark was relaxing and slightly a couple of helpers, and within seconds my on one of the domestic BBC channels. I cannot Bay’. Claudio (who’s based in London) called me surreal. Although the Zero was learner legal, impromptu ramp was ready. With the bike being recommend it too highly. up because he’d been asked to take part in an the bizarre EU specifications for electric learner so quiet, no-one up in the studio even knew I

68 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 69 Alex Schey and Toby Schulz

was coming until I rode the Zero up the table She then introduced Claudio and a few minutes top and sprung silently into their midst, drawing later he started talking about how motorcycles gasps of surprise. I distinctly heard two different had been the ideal ‘platform’ from which to people say “Wow!” shoot the electric car, since it was so easy to jump back and forth, overtaking, then dropping Claudio and his second cameraman and back and so on. This was my cue to unplug the business partner, Jonathan Richards, were bike from its charger and to glide silently into already there, along with two of the main men the middle of the ‘stage’. Claudio hopped on from the Racing Green Endurance Team, Alex the back, complete with his sizable camera and Schey and Toby Schulz. I plugged the bike tripod, and proceeded to demonstrate how into the mains right where it was parked, just he’d shot from either side of the bike, high and off camera, awaiting its cue. In no time the low and so on. About five minutes later, the presenter, Beth, was introducing the event to bike and I had done our stuff and I ‘reversed’ the select studio audience and the watching back out of camera-shot and put the bike back Photo by Jonathan Richards world on line, and the webinar was under way. on charge.

70 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 71 72 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 73 Shortly after a two-minute clip from the Racing the Westway, high above the houses of Notting taken on enough juice to complete the last three Green Endurance DVD was shown with the Hill I thought, “This is like riding a two wheeled miles to her place. SRZero driving over the Golden Gate Bridge magic carpet!” and the sixteen miles back home into San Francisco with the two Zeros acting as to Ham certainly flew by. I sent everyone a few The following afternoon, with the bike fully re- outriders, one of them with Claudio on the back. of the photos and Alex replied attaching the charged overnight, I re-enacted the recharge at Claudio also had a go at the controls himself, in video he’d shot on his iPhone, along with the the pub in daylight, both to get some photos the film, and was very positive about the bike. comment. “I’m glad to see that somebody like you, and to make sure that I had enough juice to The two team members, Alex and Toby, also who has reported and been so heavily involved in make it back to my place. (This time I bought a both contributed to the webinar, and afterwards petrol-powered bikes for so long, can appreciate drink and a meal while I waited for the Zero to be they both had a sit on the bike, as did several what this electric technology can bring. It doesn’t topped back up to ‘full’!). I took exactly the same members of the production team and all were have to be about saving the world or even using route, with a little more restraint, and this time fascinated by it. less money at the pump… it can simply be that there was a small amount of juice remaining it’s a new, different and very enjoyable driving less aerodynamic, thanks to its ‘sit up and beg’ when I got the 24.5 miles home. I rode around When the webinar was over and most of the experience!” Indeed it can. riding position and 33 inch seat height. (Looking the block to run it flat and this time it conked audience had left I said to Claudio, “Get your at other road tests of the Zero S, it amused me out with exactly 26.0 miles showing on the GPS. camera out, I want to show everyone how I I had borrowed the bike from Electric to discover that about half of them quoted the Still a mile short of the 27 needed to get to my got the bike into the studio!” He did as I asked Motorcycles in High Wycombe and owner David 102kg (225lbs) ‘dry’ (sic.) weight, without the girlfriend’s place, and she lives at the top of a hill! and I then had two decisions to make: with or Barry was good enough to let me keep the Zero battery, rather than 135kgs (297lbs) ‘curb’ (sic.) without helmet? and with or without ramp? I till the weekend, which gave me a chance to weight, because of course, batteries don’t get It was clear that I had found the limits of the weighed up the risks and the challenge and test the range of the machine a little more any lighter as they use their ‘juice’…) 2009 Mk1 Zero’s range. No problem at all if you decided to go ‘au naturel’ on both counts. I’m thoroughly. It had covered thirty-three miles no Dougie Lampkin but when you’ve ridden a up to Brick Lane and back, but it had also had If anything I rode the Zero with more restraint quarter tonne of BMW R1150GS up and down a top-up in the studio half way through. When than I’d used with the Vectrix three years earlier, a set of rock steps on a Surrey trail, a short the Zero S was launched, the company claimed so it was disappointing when the red light came flight of stairs on a comparatively light bike a range of 45-60 miles but previous experience on with only 24 miles showing on the GPS, half is a relative doddle. And so it proved. I rode with electric scooters had taught me to be way between Guildford and Godalming. It was the bike down the stairs and straight out into sceptical of manufacturers’ range claims. When a nasty shock when it conked out completely the courtyard, to the surprise of the people I tested the Vectrix maxiscooter back in 2008 I’d barely a quarter of a mile further up the road. milling about in the summer evening sunshine. been assured that it would do 35-45 miles and so When the Vectrix was close to ‘empty’ with 27 I then turned around and re-enacted my entry, the twenty-seven miles to my girlfriend’s place miles covered, it had gone into ‘emergency riding straight up the first three steps into the would be a doddle. mode’ with a maximum speed of about 20mph foyer, then up the trestle-table ramp to the before it finally came to a halt a couple of miles mezzanine. Claudio filmed it all and eventually In the event, I made it, but only just, with the further on. No such sweat-saving sophistication edited it down to a really neat little 50 second gauge reading ‘empty’ for the last two miles. on the Zero. I just had to get off and push in the video, but it took him nearly a year to get round The true range of the early Vectrix turned out gathering gloom. to it! (He’s a busy guy!) to be under thirty miles, even riding it with considerably more right wrist restraint than I Fortunately there was a pub only five minutes’ You can see Claudio’s video here and Alex habitually use with my Burger King and Tmax leg-work up the road and even more fortunately Schey shot my first ride down the stairs on his and despite making maximum use of the brilliant the good people at The Manor Inn had a long mobile phone, to view click here. regenerative braking, which uses the scoot’s extension reel which they were happy to let hub-mounted electric motor to turn unwanted me use to connect the Zero to their electricity I rode home by a completely different route speed back into electrical energy when you turn supply. My long-suffering girlfriend Elspeth from the way I’d come in, via the Marylebone the twistgrip away from you. The Zero had no kindly came and picked me up in her car and Road and the A40(M). As I wafted silently along regen, and although it was lighter, it was also by the time we’d finished dinner the Zero had

74 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 75 Those pillion footrests were a quick fix made from a length of B&Q plastic drainpipe! 76 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 77 2008 Vectrix Photo: Bernard Zeija

2012 DS Zero in the Electric Zone at the 2013 Trade Expo. wanted to do twenty miles across town, with no I’ve recently had the great pleasure of having restraint required. Thirty miles there and back, if a short ride on a 2012 Zero, along with lots you could give it a little top-up half way. It could of other industry people, in the Electric Zone also do a twenty-mile commute if you could put which I ran at the Motorcycle Trade Expo. Almost the bike on charge for most of the working day. everyone who rode the Zero was amazed by But twenty five miles was pushing it, or rather, it. Naturally, I’m looking forward very much to was likely to result in you pushing it, especially riding the 2013 machines as soon as demos if your route included any de-restricted roads become available. or dual carriageways where you would want to keep up with the traffic (it topped out at 63mph Believe me, this is a very important part of the on the A3). future of motorcycling. I dare you to try one!

I’m pleased to report that the boffins at the Paul Blezard Zero factory have addressed almost all the limitations of the 2009 machine described Huge thanks to David Barry of Electric Motorcycles here. First they revamped all the models in 2011 for the loan of the Zero: (of which more anon), then last year, by some www.electricmotorcycles.co.uk sorcery, they doubled the maximum range for For the 2013 Zero range see: the road models to over a hundred miles in the www.zeromotorcycles.com city and 63 miles on the highway (measured Claudio Von Planta: according to an internationally recognised www.vonplantaproductions.com schedule). And for 2013, they’ve revamped all 26,000kms in an electric sports car: the models again! www.racinggreenendurance.com

78 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 79 The Highlands and Islands

80 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 81 The band was doing a loop of a tour around the Scottish Highlands and Islands for a couple of weeks and I can tell you with unqualified sincerity that on a sunny day in the summer, there is no road in the world more beautiful than the A838 around the North Coast between roughly Tongue and Ullapool. There are sandy beaches that wouldn’t look out of place on a Caribbean Island, right across from a rocky and windswept landscape that appears positively Lunar – and there’s almost nobody else around. The entire trip around the coast from Thurso to Ullapool will take you around four hours if eated grips are the single most dictate that your hands will get so cold and you don’t stop for anything except gas, despite valuable purchase a person can make numb after a couple of hours that you honestly the fact that it’s only about 140 miles; it’s Hfor their bike. Nobody is paying me can’t feel the grips anymore. And that’s technically an ‘A road’ but much of it isn’t even to say this and I’m not endorsing any specific annoying and dangerous. two proper lanes. At any rate, you won’t want brand thereof. But trust me – when the guy to get in any hurry. There are too many places in the shop asks, “Would you like the optional And it means you have to stop for a decent to stop and just take in the scenery, the cold, heated grips package for an additional amount of time to thaw out your hands, salty air and the stunning solitude. charge of (insert money amount which seems standing in the toilet of a Welcome Break, John Wheeler live at too expensive here)?” the correct answer is inhaling the delightful aroma of industrial The Borderline, London And I do mean the Stunning Solitude. On the always an emphatic “Hell, yes!” I know there disinfectant blended with diarrhea and soaking my hands in a bucket of hot water just stretch of road between Tongue and Durness, are ‘purists’ out there who will say something hogging the electric hand dryer while sobbing trying to restore enough sensation in them to which is about 70 miles, I think I passed three along the lines of… well, nobody had heated children and their tutting fathers queue up form a G-chord on the guitar for soundcheck. cars in total – and this was on a sunny day in grips in 1960, blah, blah and whatnot. Uh huh. behind you – during which you will have plenty My band, Hayseed Dixie, had a show that night summertime. And maybe I passed six or seven And nobody had disc brakes back then either, of time to ask yourself why in the ever-loving and the rest of my bandmates were already but I don’t especially want to go back to front name of all that’s unholy and righteously rock incredibly disdainful about my decision to ride and rear drums just to preserve some sort of and roll you didn’t just buy the sodding heated a bike between all of our gigs for… well… for historical authenticity. Historical authenticity is grips when they were offered to you? Do take the foreseeable future. often highly romanticized and vastly overrated. my advice and avoid this experience unless you are truly a gleeful masochist and extreme As they stood there in the dressing room The above strong advice is coming from inconvenience on every level just honestly glaring at my shivering, dripping form like I was someone (that someone being me) who turns you on. some sort of science experiment gone awry, I indeed did not purchase the optional heated just told them, grips package before his first big outing Last month I described how I had gotten (which I described in the last installment) and back into riding a motorbike after not having “Well, I’m here, ain’t I? Then shut the hell up. I’ll came to sorely regret that choice. Maybe it touched one for a good 26 years, and how I had be on stage in a minute.” wouldn’t have been as bad if such a thing as set off from London to Aberdeen in a bit of a truly waterproof gloves actually existed (they crash course which – thankfully – didn’t end And then I ran more hot water into the bucket don’t) and if it didn’t rain so bloody much in with my carcass being hurled through the front containing my frigid hands. First thing in North Western Europe (it does). But when the bay window of a lovely period Victorian home the morning I went to the nearest dealer in gloves get wet (they do) and air is blowing over in a Sunderland village. But it did end with Aberdeen and had heated grips installed. It them at 60+ mph, the laws of thermodynamics me sitting backstage at my gig in Aberdeen was the best money I’ve ever spent in my life.

82 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 83 84 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 85 50-51booksdvds_Layout 1 22/05/2012 11:41 Page 1

books&DVDsbooks&DVDsbooks&DVDsbooks&DVDsbooks

Ken Sprayson the frame man

Ken Sprayson – hero of cares to remember! He made the takes you back to when British the IoM TT with the TT first Norton featherbed industry led the world and British production frame, helped design bikes were setting the pace. Welding service! and produce the Dragonfly Ken’s book will be launched at Every year for 50 years, from frame, developed the Earles fork the International Classic Bike 1958 to 2008, Ken, welding torch into the legendary Reynolds Show at Stafford, April 28-29 in hand, repaired the damage Racing fork, made innovative where Ken will be a guest of wrought by these infamous roads and successful racing frames for honour surrounded by some of on racing frames. Geoff Duke, Jeff Smith, Mike the many racing specials for He ran a completely free Hailwood, and John Surtees and which he designed and built the welding service for novices and many others. frames. world champions alike, giving At Reynolds he became the his time and expertise for no master of making light but strong Publication: April 2012. reward and always a perfect job welded frames from Reynolds Recommended price £14.95 done with a smile! To racers with 531 tubing. He was so good he (includes UK p&p when ISBN 978-0-9564975-6-7 broken bikes Ken was little short even made the frame for Thrust 2 ordered from Panther Panther Publishing Ltd. of a saint. the British World Land Speed Publishing) [email protected] Ken has been a legend among record breaking car propelled by 229 pages, 234 x 176mm, panther-publishing.com motorcycle racers and enthusiasts a jet engine. softback, 170 photos and Foreword by Malc Wheeler of for more years than he probably This is a fantastic book which illustrations. Classic Racer houses that were inhabited. There are no towns And once you do finally get to Ullapool, which or villages in between either, so be sure to fill is a tiny whitewashed town of no more than up the gas tank in Durness. five streets total, after you’ve had a decent By Ian Mutch All 5 for dinner in one of the three available restaurants www.mutchmotorcyclebooks.com £36 inc P&P! It’s hard to explain just how entirely void of and a decent night’s sleep in one of the three people the upper Scottish Highlands actually available inns, you might as well get the ferry It’s a steal   are. There’s literally almost nobody there. Sure, over to the Isle of Lewis. there’s lots of evidence that there used to be people living up there – every few miles you The landscape on Lewis is like being on another pass the dilapidated remains of some old planet and the majority of the residents can castle or fortress, and there are lots of former (and often do) still speak an archaic variant of           stone walls and the ruins of old stone cottages the nearly-extinct Scottish Gaelic language, Harley to Mali Low Rider Looking For Riding with the Picture book A4 scattered here and there across the moss- which just heaps further spoonfuls of surreality £7.99 £7.99 America Beast Motorcycles plus £1.50 P&P plus £1.50 P&P £7.99 £7.99 Forever covered moors. But the only living things you onto the overall extreme other-worldliness plus £1.50 P&P plus £1.50 P&P £12.99 plus £1.50 P&P will encounter with any degree of regularity of the place. There is only one little road that are utterly indifferent sheep, of which there makes a complete oval loop around the central If these books donʼt make you are more than plenty. Often when you do meet part of the island and a single road which a sheep or six, it’s because they’re standing travels up to the Northernmost point and it’s smile, seek medical help stoically in the middle of the road chewing worth spending a day going around it just to their cud as you come around a blind corner. see the collection of pre-historic stone circles Twitter For payment details emaikl me: [email protected] Like I said, you don’t want to get in any hurry that span the horizon nearly everywhere. One @IanMutch cheques or paypal at present no cards, sorry on this trip. But it is a trip every biker should gets the feeling that not much has changed on make at some point during their lives. this island, other than maybe the introduction 50 The ROAD 86 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 87 of electricity, in several thousand years. Following our tour in Scotland, however, the Once again, do fill up the tank in Stornoway band went for a 2-week tour across Germany. before you head out, as the only other gas I And believe me when I say that on the German encountered anywhere was at the top of the Autobahn, not having much top-end is a weak island, in the village of Port Ness – which isn’t point that couldn’t be more glaring. Hell, it’s a really a proper village, rather just a collection of disadvantage that’s downright damning. three or four cottages and a gas station. Compared to the winding A Roads of rural We played a show in the Town Hall in Stornoway Scotland, the Autobahns of Germany couldn’t on a Saturday night, and I was quite surprised provide a starker contrast. They’re wide and the following day to find absolutely everything straight, with impeccable road surfaces, and closed and even the swings on the children’s outside of city limits there is no speed limit. playground chained together. When they say Seriously. None. If you want to find out how they don’t do any work activity on the Sabbath, fast your particular machine will go without they bloody well mean it! Had it not been for worrying about getting a fine, and while being the bowls of cold cereal (serve yourself please) passed (like you’re sitting still) by 60-year- at the hotel, I would have starved. Unless old bankers in Porsches and Audis, then you’re particularly fascinated by Bronze Age the German Autobahn is your collection of archeology, I reckon a couple of days is all you highways. really need on the Isle of Lewis. But it is worth the trip. The entire experience is unattainable The Autobahn is maybe not the best collection anywhere else. of highways for riding a Triumph Bonneville though. It is possible to achieve a speed of The only way worth riding back down to 100mph on a Bonneville T-100. But just barely. Glasgow from Inverness and the North is the And it’s definitely not a speed anyone will be A82, which travels down along Loch Ness able to comfortably maintain for any length and Loch Lochy to Fort William. It’s a beautiful of time. It feels like the bike’s engine is simply piece of scenic road as well, although quite a screaming. And it doesn’t have to be this way! bit more congested, probably in part thanks to All the bike really needs is a 6th gear (rather the busloads of tourists heading up to see Loch than the 5 provided). There’s plenty of power in Ness’s more famous ancient residents. There’s the engine to pull it and the frame of the bike is an overlook above the falling down remains of stable enough to deal with it. But as it is, once Castle Urquhart, which is about halfway down you get past about 75mph, given the way the the length of Loch Ness, from which I’ve had gearbox is laid out, you’re running out of RPMs. the best view of the ancient beast’s activities. And that’s just that. Frustration ensues.

To sum up my first couple of weeks on a road We did shows across the entirety of Germany, bike, the Bonneville T-100 was in many ways so my typical rides were the likes of Frankfurt the perfect bike on which to do a Scottish to Stuttgart, Stuttgart to Munich, Munich Highlands and Islands trip. It’s light, relatively to Nürnberg, Nürnberg to Berlin, Berlin to nimble, and it has a great amount of low-end Hamburg. Compared with typical distances torque for a bike of its size. It doesn’t have much between places in the UK, these are quite top-end, but you don’t need it on these sorts of vast stretches of road. And while I was getting roads so you don’t notice that drawback. up early and trying to allow myself plenty of

88 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 89 time to venture off the Autobahns and ride I was beginning to see both the maintenance through smaller towns and such, not being and performance downsides to riding a bike, able to really take advantage of the Autobahns which was intended to respect bits of ‘historical for speed had worn me out by the end of the authenticity.’ German tour. Put more bluntly, I’d only been on the Another issue was the chain. I was religiously Bonneville for about a month – albeit for following the instructions from the dealer several hours a day, every day for the entire about keeping the chain lubricated and month – but I was already feeling that I was adjusted. Every day I was out in the parking beginning to outgrow it. lot of some hotel hoisting the bike up on the centre stand and spraying it with lubricant. John Wheeler And every few days (or about every 1,000 www.hayseed-dixie.com miles) I tightened it up a bit. But there are a www.johnwheelermusic.com couple of problems with riding a chain-driven bike every day in Northwestern Europe. First and foremost, it rains a lot. And it’s nigh on impossible to properly lubricate an already wet chain – though I definitely tried – there is also only so far that you can stretch a chain until you run out of adjustment. And when you’re doing an average of 200 to 300 miles a day, every day, under these sorts of conditions you can wear out a chain and sprocket in a month.

90 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 91 Low Riders

92 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 93 e all ride motorbikes for different cruiser, something that a lot of smaller riders do a place that will lower it for you, perhaps they commute from Swindon to Bath. The same goes reasons, the most important without actually wanting to. Even if you do opt will even lower it past factory standard. Great. for jackets, the sleeves always seem to be too Wone being that it’s fun. There are for a cruiser style bike there is still the issue of Now you have to buy kit. For a lot of women long and you can’t roll them up for riding! So hundreds of bikes on the market so whether weight to consider. I’ve dropped my SV once, that’s not too much of a struggle, because although you can buy ladies kit in smaller sizes you want to go off-road riding or just cruise and picking it up again was nearly impossible. manufacturers of motorcycle clothing and there seems to be some idea that we’re all six foot around town saving petrol there’s something There is nothing more humiliating than having accessories across the country are starting to tall. I found one pair of reinforced jeans that came for everyone. to ask someone for help because you’ve dropped produce some great ladies products. However, in a short size and I snapped them up. They’re your bike, except perhaps them helping then they all seem to come in long sizes. I have no a rare find! Then you have boots and gloves to Unless that is, you’re short. As a short biker it think about. The only people who seemed to can be almost impossible to find the bike you make small enough gloves were Frank Thomas, want, in the cc you want, especially if you are going down XXXS. I bought a pair before they drawn towards ‘sports’ style machines. It gets closed and they fit, but it would be nice to have harder again should you happen to be a female more than one set of gloves for my tiny hands, biker without the necessary strength to haul the especially for winter riding. Boots are perhaps the bigger bikes around at low speeds. But there easiest to find (as long as you don’t mind looking are more and more women on the road now, at children’s equipment to find them) and are most of whom are under 5ft 6in and therefore usually inexpensive for a good sturdy pair. struggle to find a comfortable bike that’s not a cruiser. I am a woman who stands just under 5ft Once you’ve got your kit sorted you need to tall, weighs a little over 8st and likes riding sports insure your bike. This is the next hurdle for bikes. It’s hard work. short riders. It turns out that some insurers won’t go anywhere near you if you have I currently ride an SV650 Sport, which has been lowered your bike because it’s a ‘suspension custom lowered by 50mm (that’s 2 inches!) at modification’ and the ones that will both the ends, and even then it’s a little tall. insure you will add a substantial sum I’m not even close to flat-footed, which causes to the cost of your insurance. Of course complications in parking and manoeuvring, as I some people who have modified bikes have to get off the bike and push it around when don’t notify the insurer, but if you don’t parking. It sounds simple but it’s very easy to tell them and you then have an accident you slip while you’re pushing a bike, especially when might end up not covered at all, which is not most of your weight is below it. worth the hassle. So we have to grit our teeth and pay out for expensive insurance just Coming from a family of bikers and mechanics because we’re shorter than average. Technically I’ve found ways to get around the problem, it’s discrimination on the part of the insurance but without that help the SV would have been companies; they wouldn’t charge us more if an impossible dream because the factory we were disabled but we’re just short, and that lowering kits only go to 40mm; and while a means we have to pay more. 10mm difference may not sound like much it’s telling you that, “It’s probably too big for you.” issue chopping the bottom off of my leathers the difference between being on your tip toes Cruisers might be lower but they’re no lighter, because I’ve bought ones that allow it – ones I’m not saying that there are no bikes out there and being comfortably on the balls of your feet. nor are they any easier to pick up should you with no armour that don’t fit snug to the body designed for smaller people, because there are. I can only imagine how someone my height drop them. – but armoured leathers cannot be modified We just don’t have access to them. Moto GP bikes would struggle with this bike without the help so easily. Unfitted leathers do the job but they are some of the smallest and lightest machines that I have had. Most would probably have to So you get your bike, and you’re happy with certainly don’t offer the kind of protection that that have ever been made, and they’re fast. GP give up on riding a sporty bike and move to a it and it’s the right height because you found is important for longer rides – like my daily riders are very small and the bikes are perfectly

94 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 95 sized to suite them, there’s even a woman Despite all the troubles that come along with competing in the larger classes now. So why can’t being a small biker I still love it. I ride as often as I we have bikes like that on the road? I admit that can, whatever the weather, and it’s amazing how there would be a lot of expense in making a GP you learn to adapt to things that are outside of bike road legal, but the very existence of them your control. Yes I would prefer it if my insurance proves that the technology exists. Manufacturers wasn’t more expensive than that of someone just don’t seem brave enough to make use half a foot taller, and yes I would rather not of it, as if shorter riders aren’t a large enough have to custom make parts for my bike just so demographic to be worth the financial risk. If I can get my feet on the floor, but I love riding they took the time to look around they would enough that I will keep doing it regardless of see how many of us there are – not just women the difficulties. There are ways of getting around either, shorter men can struggle just as much. In almost any problem and though they are often the opinion of this tiny biker manufacturers aren’t complicated, time consuming and expensive doing nearly enough to make sure that there is it’s, all worth it for that feeling of freedom that something on the market for everyone. Suzuki you can only get riding down a country road in brought out the Gladius with the thought that the heat of summer. it would be great for women, but after sitting on it I can tell you that it’s no good for anyone the Suzuki Gladius shorter end of 5ft tall. But at least Suzuki tried. Katherine Armstrong

96 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 97 Making Tracks...

98 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 99 nyone who has passed through the section of the M25 near the junction Awith the A20 may have noticed a motocross track in the distance. Located about a mile from Swanley Village on Button Street, the hillside known as Canada Heights has been used for off road riding for more than 60 years.

The site was given its distinctive name by locals after higher sections of the land were used by the troops of the Canadian Expeditionary Force as a camp during the 1914 – 1918 war. Made up of a large proportion of volunteers, the CEF were stationed at various locations throughout the country, with the Swanley contingent based at Button Street, close to both the Kettlewell Military Hospital and the railway, which was convenient for ease of deployment to the railheads of the channel ports. consisted of British born men, who like many following the end of World War II, fungal disease use of their previous track a few miles away in a Canada was the senior Dominion in the before them were bound for the straits of had spread through the trees, eventually valley near West Kingsdown, were looking for a British Empire so the country found itself Dover to join their allies on the Western Front providing the landowner with a useful supply new base for their off road events. automatically at war with Germany upon the at Neuve Chappelle, Ypres and The Somme. of firewood but little in the way of fruit. British declaration, and although the first Legend has it that a relative of one of the club contingent of the CEF was formed at Valcartier Later, in the years between the wars, the Around this time the members of The Sidcup members, Wally Lock, was working as a delivery in Quebec, popular support for the war effort land, which had previously been known as & District Motorcycle Club, which had been boy in the area and told the club committee mainly came from English-Canada. By the Farningham Woods, was returned to arable founded in 1928 primarily as a trials and grass that he’d found a piece of land that might be end of the Great War at least half of the CEF use, mainly as apple orchards. Unfortunately track racing organisation and having lost the suitable for grass track racing. This turned out

100 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 101 102 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 103 SUPPORTED BY www.mxgb.co.uk

UND

RO C S

A

T N H A to be the case and with the permission of the orchard. Their inaugural grass track meeting I G D A E owners, Brands Farm continued to be a grass was held in the 1950s on the flatter land H track circuit until the late 40s. at the top of the hill, ironically known as SWANLEY ‘the orchard’. KENT Early grass track differed from what we BR8 8DX know today, which has many similarities to Following that meeting it was decided that speedway, with the bikes back wheels sliding the site wasn’t particularly suited to grass track out on the left hand bends. In those far off days racing and the club focussed on scrambling, the tracks featured left as well as right handers, a term derived from the early origins of trials with the average speed on the kidney shaped riding, where after timed sections balancing EUROPE’S PREMIER grass track exceeding 60 mph. over logs and boulders the riders were relieved to have a ‘mad scramble’ to the close of DOMESTIC CHAMPIONSHIP Local and national meetings were held, the stage. establishing Brands Hatch – as it became known – as a well-known circuit among the Scrambles events grew in stature over the years, DON’T MISS IT grass track fraternity; but then a cinder track they began at club level, but eventually became 24TH MARCH was laid, forcing the grass trackers to find a national events and then internationals. Riders new site. The land was later sold off, the cinder such as Vic Eastwood, Roger De Coster and MX1/MX2/MXY2 track was replaced with Tarmac and Brands Jeff Smith were regular entrants, and both the PRACTICE 9AM, FIRST RACE 12:15PM Hatch Stadium was created. BBC and ITV televised meetings in the 1960s. ADULTS £20 / CHILDREN £5 / FAMILY TICKET £45 The commentator was a chap called Graeme CONCESSIONS APPLY So the club moved their events to Canada Murray Walker. Heights in 1948. Initially they held scrambles meetings, while members formed working Once the meetings had finished and the vans parties to grub up the remains of the apple and tannoy poles had disappeared, Canada

104 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 105

MAXXIS ROUND 1-2-3_ADS.indd 2 16/01/2013 10:07 106 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 107 Heights returned to being a piece of rough Eventually the club had to come to terms with With the ownership and responsibilities of Committee have clear divisions in their roles; land where people rode dirt bikes. the reality that they were land owners, so as managing a 48 acre site it would be all to easy Club Secretary Marge Clarke deals with day well as running events and club business, they for the club’s focus to be diverted from their to day issues at Canada Heights, John Powell A covenant in the will of the landowner now also had to deal with the local council core motorsport activities by the day to day is the Press Officer, while Club President Peter dictated that the Sidcup & District Motorcycle demanding to know what they were going to issues presented by correspondence from Burrell looks after long distance trials and cross Club must be allowed to use the land, free do about issues such as water and silt running environmental groups, water companies and country events. of charge. Some time later the ownership down the hill and out onto the road, dangerous The Ramblers Association; but having become of the land changed and the covenant was trees adjacent to public rights of way and the a non profit making limited company, the When I initially contacted John Powell with withdrawn, which resulted in the club being ongoing maintenance of public footpaths? club seem to take this all in their stride. The regard to writing this article, I was invited to asked if they wanted to buy the land in 1985. take a look behind the scenes at the preparation Initial enthusiasm waned somewhat when the for the forthcoming heat of the Maxxis British asking price for the land was revealed as being Motocross Championships and was told that £25,000, which would be a considerable sum there would be a ‘working party’ at the site. for a bike club to find in 2013, but in the mid- Being involved in countryside management eighties it was an absolute fortune. in my ‘day job’, I expected a couple of people maybe with a pair of loppers and a lawnmower; They approached the Sports Council and after the reality however was somewhat different. filling in many application forms and various investigations by the Sports Council, the club After speaking with President Peter Burrell were awarded a £5,000 grant towards the about the history of the club and the site, he purchase of the land. explained that the circuit needs an immense amount of reinstatement after every round, Appeals were made through various sponsors “The track is a funny sort of ground, it’s sandy, and motorcycle magazines and a ‘100 Club’ was so it drains very well. During the summer we created – a type of lottery where members put have to irrigate it because it gets so dusty, and in £100 for which they received a certificate, a unless you have a summer like we did last year tie, and entry into an annual draw where five I’ve been down there when it’s been raining on lucky members would win significant cash the Saturday and dusty on the Sunday.” prizes. The club needed to make £2,500 a year in order to finance the purchase of the track, In the middle of the 2 kilometre (1.2 mile) so many members handed back their prize track was a huge 360-degree tracked digger, money, treating it as a donation. building up a mound, while elsewhere a

108 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 109 110 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 111 tracked bulldozer was levelling off the landing there too. Following overnight rain my boots area of a jump. had developed six inch platforms that The Rubettes would have been proud of, making “After every meeting we have to flatten the every step an effort to kick some of the weight track off, there are great big ruts in it, ripples off without losing my boot. all over the place, the washboard effect. After each jump you get great waves, we start the A small army of volunteers were fixing fences, meeting with all the fence and marker posts loading posts onto tractor trailers, moving piles painted white and vertical, but we’ve had it of topsoil and generally tidying the place up. where all the ground has been pushed out and A separate working party were preparing for it’s right up to the top of the posts.” the following day’s ‘Sidcup Sixty’ trial, pinning coloured markers onto trees, putting bamboo The displacement of soil is tremendous. stakes in and replacing dislodged logs. I wandered around the site on a bright February weekend and as well as the heavy One club member I spoke to told me that it plant rebuilding the berms, jumps, bends and costs around £20,000 to prepare for a heat of straights, almost all of the trackside fencing the Maxxis British Motorcross Championships. has been pushed over, and the soil has spilled With the cost of hiring a digger and operator outside the confines at every opportunity, and then transporting it to and from the site I as though it’s been attacked by an army would guess that is a conservative estimate. of rotovators. With the event drawing more than 10,000 While much of the site is undoubtedly sand, spectators I asked Peter if this caused any there is also a considerable amount of clay problems with the council, or with the locals.

112 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 113 114 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 115 116 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 117 Canada Heights is on the ward we don’t want it too sunny either, boundaries of both Sevenoaks otherwise everyone goes off down District Council and Dartford Borough the coast!” Council, with the potential to have to deal with two different sources of Plenty of people want to take part, red tape. but we also have twenty five marshal posts, each one of which needs two “I suggested to the club some years ago that marshals who know what they’re doing,” we invite the Mayor of Dartford, The Mayor of said Peter. Sevenoaks and the local Mayor of Swanley to a meeting to see what it’s all about, you never I know that the next time I go to a race meeting know, one of them might come.” I will be giving a lot more thought to what goes on behind the scenes. I couldn’t be considered In the event all three turned up, something that a huge fan of motocross, but I’ve been to WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK has been repeated each year since, which ‘may’ Canada Heights a few times over the years and have assisted with getting planning permission it is a fantastic spectacle – and with tickets at for some of the continuing improvements that £20 for adults, £5 for children and family tickets YOUR AD COULD BE HERE the club have carried out over the years. for £45 it represents a great day out. But what of the locals, I asked. I noticed horses I think as motorcyclists we should applaud being ridden through the site when I arrived, Peter Burrell and his committee members; they REACH THOUSANDS OF POTENTIAL surely there must be some complaints? “There make it all look so effortless but it is clear to me are a couple of public footpaths going through now that a considerable amount of expertise the site, we encourage the horse riders, we like and professional organisation goes into each CUSTOMERS EACH MONTH that sort of thing.” and every event, from low key trials meetings to major events such as their round of the “The locals from Swanley Village know that in British Motocross Championships. GREAT RATES between events nobody is allowed on it on a motorcycle, if they see a van parked outside See you there? and someone riding around on a motorbike, FULLY INTERACTIVE LINKS TO they phone us up and give us the registration Martin Haskell number, we can trace it through the DVLA and send them a stiff letter, which was written by Action photographs by John Powell. YOUR COMPANY WEBSITE & EMAIL one of our solicitors.” Thanks to Sidcup & District Motorcycle Club for With all profits being ploughed back into the their assistance. club, and the ongoing improvement of the CONTACT facilities at Canada Heights, the support of The second round of the Maxxis British the general public as well as club members Motocross Championship is at Canada Heights, is crucial. “All the committee are looking at Button Lane, Swanley, Kent, BR8 8DX on PETER MARTIN the weather forecast in the week before the Sunday 24th March 2013. ‘Maxxis’, we’re all hoping we won’t get too much rain, the motocross people would still Visit www.sidcupmotorcycleclub.co.uk [email protected] come, but the public won’t. At the same time for further details.

118 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 119 Spaceship Awareness t’s all too easy to dismiss that thing you do with a steady to heavy flow of weekend traffic. on your bike as nothing more than a traffic- The issue wasn’t one of sheer velocity; it Ichoked, soul-destroying grind; particularly was my attitude to the threat posed by all when you consider that for what seems like the steel boxes that was being challenged forever there have been major road works on because it would seem that it came across as at least one stretch of every main artery into somewhat cavalier. or across the Metropolis. If you’re one of the thousands who currently spend five days a week It was summed up as a problem of proximity but picking your way through a veritable car park like I said at the time, after over a quarter of a of square-wheeled vehicles, in weather where century dicing with London traffic on an almost the only variation is when the rain switches daily basis, it’s not something I give a great from a steady drizzle to a serious downpour, it deal of thought to. Perhaps I should rephrase can be difficult to take anything positive from that though because it’s pretty obvious that I your journeys beyond the fact that they get you wouldn’t have survived for all those years and to work and back faster and cheaper than you all those thousands of miles, if I hadn’t spent would in a car. the overwhelming majority of that time acutely aware of exactly what was going on all around However, if like me you are of a mind whereby me. It’s just that after a prolonged period of you search for silver linings, it’s very reassuring serious riding in a big city, you can’t help but to consider the kind of skills you develop every develop an acute level of insight and an ability time you ride the capital’s streets and survive. to anticipate the ‘unpredictable behaviour’ of Last time I was speaking to you from these other road users. pages, I was going on about a queer trip I’d had back in September with a few Digest associates. A couple of weeks ago, I had a few days off and I’d said that I was disappointed because, while my very good buddy Dave Newman was good I hadn’t been planning to allow myself to be enough to loan me his Tiger 955i so I could make dragged into any serious brains-out lunacy, I the most of them. On the Sunday, I was happily had been rather looking forward to enjoying a riding along Brighton seafront, carrying a pillion little ‘spirited’ riding. But as you’ll remember that who’d only been on a bike a few times – and never wasn’t quite how it panned out – in fact the boys in proper traffic. There were two slow moving on the big bikes asked me to slow down before lanes in each direction and as we briskly picked I’d even warmed up. our way through the quagmire, I got a tap on my left shoulder. I turned my head slightly, expecting It wasn’t a question of outright speed; I’m sure a request to slow down but to my surprise she that if we’d been on a nice clear stretch of lifted her visor and said: “You’ve got very good twisting Welsh tarmac, I’d have had to hustle my spatial awareness!” I tilted my left thumb at her low tech SRX6 to even keep up. But we weren’t and said, “Well we’d be a bit cream-crackered in out cruising in the Black Mountains, we were this lot if I didn’t” – then gave it a little extra squirt ©Damon l’Anson in Essex, and we were sharing our experience to show her just how good it was.

120 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 121 T2T Flyer2:Layout 1 12/2/12 12:52 Page 2

OTHER ADVENTURE TRAVEL BOOKS COM BY SAM MANI

'A captivating book for all, 'Sam has the skills of the This is a great story which this is the story of an story teller and this book reads with the ease of a enlightening, yet daunting easily transports you into novel. Distant Suns has it all: journey across fourteen three years of journey across love, good guys, bad guys, African countries by Asia. He manages to bring beauty, danger, history, ©Damon l’Anson motorcycle.’ Aerostich the sounds, scents and heat geography and last but not Of course I got it completely wrong. I thought are – they’re sitting right at the end of my arms, of Asia to life without wordy least-bikes! A fast, easy and 'This is a great adventure she was talking about my peripheral vision and exactly where they were the last time I looked overkill.’ Horizons Unlimited thoroughly enjoyable read.' and a really enjoyable read.' the anticipation of the movements of the cars for them. I can’t say precisely how many inches webbikeworld Johnnie Walker - BBC 'This is one helluvan all round us I referred to above; but good spatial (or centimetres for anyone who thinks in new Radio Two ‘Drive Time’ adventure!' ‘Distant Suns doesn't just awareness it transpires, simply describes the money) it is from my shoulder to my wrist – any Canyonchasers.com document the journey 'In the range of Motorcycle ability to judge gaps well. Apparently there are more than I know the exact distance across the through Southern Africa and Travel Books out there, this ‘The thing I most enjoyed people who aren’t blessed with this most basic bars of whatever bike I happen to be riding; but South America, Sam also one pulls no punches. In the about this book was the of talents (which would account for the comic whatever it may be, I know that the widest part describes cultural gritty bits, you can feel the feeling that I was there with differences, traditions and antics you witness from some car drivers when of any sensible machine will invariably be no grit. I liked it a lot.' him as he went through lifestyles of the various they’re driving down narrow streets or through more than an inch either side of my tiny pinkies. Motorcycle.co.uk everything.’ London countries they cross, whilst width restrictions) but if anyone’s going to ride Bikers.com 'The word-pictures that bring painting a vivid picture of the a bike in London – or any other busy urban There’s nothing like outstretched arms to gauge a good travel book to life are terrain they cross. A truly ‘A unique and wonderful expanse in the country – and they don’t want how big a space is, so it’s possible to get down to all here.’ The Road involving and enthralling adventure.’ Ted Simon to spend as long chugging into town as the some pretty fine tolerances on a bike. Way back read.' TBM - Trail Bike author of Jupiter’s Travels herds in their cars, it strikes me as absolutely when I started out in the despatch business, Magazine bleeding essential. when ‘good spatial awareness’ and pin sharp reflexes were the only things that compensated get your copies from: Like anyone for whom it comes naturally, it’s for my complete lack of any meaningful skill or www.sam-manicom.com difficult to imagine where the problem can roadcraft, I was working on a standard Mercury possibly lie. Providing it isn’t one of those blue GT250 complete with its big handlebar fairing. ‘where every day is an adventure’ moon occasions when I’ve drunk so much that Taking a leaf from the old pros, I kept a pad or I wouldn’t be capable of throwing my leg over a clipped on the sill inside the screen to scribble www.traveldriplus.com bike, I always know precisely where my fingers down job details in shorthand. I remember on ‘quality kit for serious fun’ 122 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 123 business, you tend to pick up some interesting tricks that might not necessarily find their way onto the curriculum at Hendon Police College. For instance after one particularly balls-out dash from Hyde Park corner, where our rapid progress through the solid eastbound traffic on Piccadilly had relied almost entirely on cigarette paper gaps, I remember pulling alongside Milky at the lights outside the Ritz and measuring the mirror height on my orange Mercury GT alongside his identical yellow Express Despatch mount. They were exactly the same; so how comes I kept clattering Transit mirrors that he’d sailed fluidly past just moments ahead of me? Never being one to allow the fear of appearing dumb to get in the way of the acquisition of a little knowledge, I deferred to his wisdom and sought enlightenment on the true path through London traffic. one occasion, pulling up on the Brompton Road after playing an outrageous game of tag with “Easy peasy,” he said with a knowing smirk. another orange clad messenger of the gods all “Just when you’re about to smack the Ford’s the way from Hammersmith. Smelly was in my fly swatters, you simply brush the front brake ear and I needed to get down a Red Star account and hey presto, the front end ducks under the reference, so I reached for the pencil which I kept mirrors and up again with no noticeable effect stuffed in the end of the right-side handlebar, on your overall speed.” only to discover a ragged quarter inch stump where five minutes earlier a good inch of HB Beautiful – almost Zen like in its simplicity. had been sticking out! Of course for anyone who’s already unhappy with the whole idea of proximity, I can see Traveling quickly through heavy traffic is a very that the idea of exploring the extra inch or specialist skill, but when you study under the so of clearance provided by your fork travel, tutelage of the Grand Masters of the courier might seem ridiculous; but for a rider who feels

124 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 125 down the middle on the M4 elevated, but at the same time would think nothing of exploring the upper speed capabilities of their R1, Hayabusa or ‘Blade on a motorway near them. All I can say is with the exception of a few very short, licence- threatening blasts on clear roads and borrowed bikes, the fastest I’ve ever travelled consistently would be the low one-thirties on my Ducati 900SS. That was way back in the infinitely less congested early eighties, but when I described the experience later in the Digest I said: “130mph on an M road is (pedestrians aside) the equivalent of racing through Asda’s car park at sixty. You have to be absolutely tuned in to everything: your comfortable and on top of the situation, a miss immediate surroundings (including your periphery of a millimetre is as good as a mile and once the and your mirrors,) the middle distance, and a hazard’s behind you – disappearing rapidly in horizon that’s constantly rushing to meet you.” your mirrors – it’s no longer a threat.

Nonetheless I can understand why there are many seasoned motorcyclists who simply cannot get their head around the idea of ‘filtering’. They’re on the M25 staring at miles of slowly shuffling traffic, but when they look between the lanes, the only thing they see is a randomly shifting, lethal metal canyon. Whereas your average full-on London courier in a hurry would perceive the same gap as a useful way to maintain a reasonable average speed.

So which one is right? The simple answer is both of them are – on an each to their own basis. One man’s meat can be another man’s murder and what’s good for the goose, might just amount to buggery for the gander. If someone believes that filtering at a high relative speed is suicidally dangerous, I can respect that, I’d only ask that they extend the same courtesy to me and not presume to judge my sanity nor my sense of responsibility, if I have a different take on the risk presented by lane-splitting at high relative speeds.

I’d be interested to know how many of the ‘non- ©Damon l’Anson splitters’ would condemn me for bopping quickly

126 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 127 Any unapologetic speed freak reading that is down that channel and saying, “sod that for a IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT BIKES... likely to respond along the lines of: “Damn right barrel of monkeys”, but if you’re not going to use – and ain’t it just the greatest buzz!” I’m not even it, please move aside and leave it for someone going to get into the morality of it, because, who might appreciate it. My friend Carlito has aside from my entire argument coming from a a “MOVE OVER YOU WANKER” sticker (printed position of judge not lest you be judged, I really back to front) on the screen of his Daytona wouldn’t want to leave myself open to the sort and he swears that it embarrasses quite a few of back-lash that might invite. Instead I’ll confine blockers out of the way when they spot it in myself to an examination of the reality as I see it. their mirrors.

Any motorcyclist who has ever travelled seriously I can see how it might but generally I prefer to faster than the ambient speed on a public road, fall back on the reasoned approach. You know knows that the greater the difference between that you wouldn’t be overly impressed if as soon their speed and that of the surrounding traffic, as you got a clear opportunity to let rip on your the less room for manoeuvre they have. 150mph megabike, I started weaving all over the outside in a clear outside lane may feel like wide open lane simply because I was travelling at a speed spaces at warp speed, but as anyone who’s even that felt safe for me and I was determined to The Carin’ Sharin’ Chronicles approached that sort of velocity knows, your slow down anyone who was ‘mad’ enough to anticipation of the metal blurs that are flashing want to go faster. By Dave Gurman (ISBN978-0-9560863-0-3) past in the next lane needs to be absolutely spot SeeWhat!? what Nobody these took the Amazon hint and bought reviewers you a copy for on, because your margin of error disappears So if you are one of those riders who has a Christmas? Have you considered splashing out six quid of your hadown hard to earned?say Perhaps these reviews from Amazon will very quickly when you’ve got the throttle on tendency to block the space between lanes of help to make up your mind: the stop. slower moving traffic, please don’t. I’d never ★★★★★ consciously impede your progress so I would Gurman is very good, and in a slightly alternative way with a It’s no different when you’re doing as it tells you appreciate it if you’d offer me the same courtesy beautiful slant, an excellent writer." ★★★★★ on all those forms – tearing along the dotted and either piss or get off of the pot. "His very coherent arguments… will often have you grinning from ear- line. You are constantly scanning for exactly to-ear; or nodding your head in agreement – at what is plainly quite the same warning signs that you look for when Be careful out there (and keep an eye on obvious only you'd never thought about things that way before." ★★★★ you’re riding with your chin on the tank, ready your mirrors). "I regard his book as a gem to be enjoyed by all and sundry, bikers and non bikers alike." to take defensive action at the slightest threat ★★★★★ of a menacing twitch anywhere around you. Dave Gurman "This book gets you to consider aspects of life in a way that you may not have done before." Splitting lanes 30 to 40mph faster than the ★★★★ "Speaking as a female rider of a certain age, it's great that his writing has a broad appeal." drones, with lethal danger just a few inches ★★★★★ either side of your mirrors may seem more "Dave's "Carin'" view on life is very enlightening in these miserable times." claustrophobic, but when you consider what ★★★★★ The would be required to avoid a sudden impact "It's honest, unpretentious, not ostentatious and a damn good read." perfect ★★★★★ when a car going 70 to 80mph miles slower than "The illustrations are also very well done." Bikers Read you suddenly swerves into your lane, it’s difficult ★★★★★ to argue that it’s any more inherently dangerous. "Buy it, read it and, like me, you'll be desperate for volume 2 to come out." ONLY

Available from the Digest web site or send a cheque (for £5.99 + £1.50 p&p) to: £5.99! But like I say it’s each to his or her own, so I’d just Digest Publishing, PO Box 240, Huddersfield, HD9 9DQ like to finish by echoing a sentiment I’ve heard and read all over the place recently. Like I say there’s absolutely nothing wrong with looking

128 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 129 Rich Bikers...

130 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 131 ...Are You One? ast fall, as I was running out the noise and nuisance, there is little for me to subscription of my least favorite moto- enjoy between that particular rag’s 100 pages. Lmagazine, I tripped over a realization But once every two or three years, I con myself about myself and motorcyclists’ public image. into hoping it will have grown up and I bite on Between the editor’s obvious dislike of his the $7 ‘professional’ subscription rate. By the adult and more intelligent readers and the end of the term, I’m feeding its pages to my magazine’s promotion of public motorcycling fireplace before I get halfway through an issue.

Just before tossing that last month’s silliness about Donnie Trump? The guy was born rich into the woodstove, I made it all the way to and is the poster boy for rich boys and the the letters column. A group of readers were only part of him that gets any sympathy is the commenting on anti-Harley comments from a hamster he had grafted to his forehead. Worse, few months past. Quoting one of those readers, he’s a proud Harley-Davidson and Orange “(I) presently have three Harleys, two Ducatis, a County Choppers endorsee. Fortunately, he Suzuki B-King and a Kawasaki ZRX1200…” After doesn’t wear a helmet so no motorcyclist seeing several similar letters over the last year, will be mistaken for the Trump-man and, as a I realized this is one more reason the general result, no worthwhile people will be harmed as public hates us: we’re filthy rich. We are the 1%! a consequence.

Face it, nobody likes rich people. Even From a stereotype perspective, the easiest rich people don’t like ‘em. They are one of tactic for movie-scripting bad guys is to make Hollywood’s favorite stereotypes; make a bad them incredibly wealthy. Conversely, one of guy rich and the audience automatically hates the hardest jobs you can give a writer is to the bastard. ask him to create a loveable rich guy. Unless you make him the owner of a magical candy Take Jay Leno, for example. He has more or toy factory, it’s almost an impossible job. than 200 motorcycles and vintage cages and And here we are, announcing our excess cash even Rosie O’Donnell, Howard Stern, David by riding around on chrome garage candy Letterman, Oprah, and Conan O’Brien hate and flaunting our wealth with as much noise Leno. Those folks love everybody. And how as possible. Not only are motorcyclists rich,

132 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 133 we’re not even moderately humble or subtle A traffic-clogging parade of pirates on the about it. highway – flaunting their overpriced biking bling and hilarious outfits – has a similar effect I recently received a book for review, The on the general public. The combination of Harley in the Barn: More Great Tales of demonstrating absolute disrespect for the Motorcycle Archaeology by Tom Cotter. wider population’s time and peace of mind, Oddly, this was a book I’d warned the while loudly letting everyone within audible publisher I probably wouldn’t like. It is all range know that, “We’re loud, arrogant, rich, about all kinds of stuff that I don’t get: and idle!” is the aforementioned screenwriter’s old guys and old motorcycles, compulsive wet dream. If you can think of a better way to hoarding and collecting, and vanity categorize a large group of people as all around investments. The barn finds where the buyer bad guys, I want to know about it. I write, I’m coughs up $5,000 for some piece of crap lazy, and you can never have too many villains 1909 Weirdmobile are hard enough to take, in modern fiction. but there are characters in this book who pay $50,000 for some ratty old Hardly or Indian Thomas Day that looks about as rideable as a witch’s All Rights Reserved © 2012 Thomas W. Day broom. These guys are wallowing in cash and www.mnmotorcycle.com go out of their way to tell me (and any other http://geezerwithagrudge.blogspot.co.uk poor fool stupid enough to read their stories) howthey put the equivalent of my life savings into a machine so worthless that it went from a barn to a restorer’s garage to walnut-floored private showroom, without even burning a quart of oil or fuel. Nothing about those stories is likely to evoke sympthy or interest from a working-class stiff.

134 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 135 DRAGON 2013

136 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 137 ometimes I amaze myself with my So, in October last year, I actually posted off my A quick email to the Editor and suddenly, the I looked, the less likely that seemed. Fortunately organisational abilities. Tickets for the cheque (remember them?) in time and in due world (or Wales) was my oyster. A nice man the bike arrived just in the nick of time but it SDragon Rally, held annually in North course, my ticket arrived in January, followed by called Craig from AJP Motorcycles (who?) was quickly earned the name of “The bike with no Wales by the Conwy Motorcycle Club, go on sale directions to the Control point, later that same quick to offer me a trail bike, which sounded key” – it seems that it’s not just me that has in October, the year before the Rally, which is month. Truly amazing. No meeting people in interesting, so I said yes and we had a plan. outstanding organisational skills. held in early February. Whilst I have successfully laybys miles from the site, no begging people attended four previous Dragon Rallies, until for a spare ticket, no hoping my mate Tarka has It turns out that AJP are a range of small capacity Bike and key reunited, I filled the useful metal this year’s event, I have never yet managed to a spare one kicking around. I had my very own trail and supermoto style bikes, which are made panniers and strapped a bag with a tent on to actually acquire a ticket in the normal prescribed ticket. Imagine my pride. in Portugal. They are starting to gain quite a the rack. The bike had a small fuel tank at only manner, or indeed, appropriate timescale. Given favourable reputation amongst the green laning 7.5 litres, but I imagined it would do around 100 that numbers are strictly limited to a maximum All I needed now was a bike. Yeah. This is kind and off road crowd. miles on that, due to its small 200cc capacity. I of around 1500, the event is sold out every of where the outstanding organisational skills filled the four accessory litre sized fuel bottles year and tickets have been known to exchange started to falter slightly. I’d just sold my Yamaha The date for the Dragon was rapidly approaching that were strapped to the metal panniers just in hands for over three times their face value, I sidecar outfit to fund a new outfit build, but it and for various good reasons, the bike hadn’t case, which turned out to be a wise decision as should really know better. But I’m not especially wasn’t anywhere near ready yet and I found arrived and I was beginning to cast my eye the bike had no fuel reserve or fuel light. good with tickets. (There was this one time at myself in the slightly embarrassing situation of around the workshop wondering if any of the the O2 which was particularly memorable, but having no bike. Well, not one that was in any machines I did have, could be made ready over I’m ready for the off. The snow has started and let’s not go there.) way road ready. the next few days for the trip to Wales. The closer I’ve got a 250 mile route planned, trying to

138 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 139 steer clear of motorways and major roads as and started asking me almost as many questions I’m limited to around 55mph. as I get when I show up on a sidecar. I politely but firmly reminded them that I’d just ridden 250 I’ve arranged to meet my mate Tarka on site, miles in appalling weather and informed them near the spot where we camped last year (the that I’d be really happy to tell them all about the Dragon has unusually returned to the same site bike later, preferably over a beer, when I was safe as the previous year) so I’m hoping to get there in the knowledge that I had somewhere dry to mid afternoon, in time to get camped and enjoy sleep. Grumpy old man. the rally a little before darkness. I set up camp in an area of marshy bog, which I got there slightly later than anticipated as had Dragon Rally written all over it in liquid suddenly and without warning, having covered brown mud letters, a thousand feet high. The about 80 miles, the bike cut out and died. No bike with no key and I had made it. fuel. I congratulated myself on the filling of the fuel bottles and poured the contents of two of I grabbed a celebratory cider from my tent and them into the empty tank, enough to get me to wandered off to claim my goodies, the badge, the next fuel station. the bit of slate, the chocolate, the whisky and the lovely hot soup. I met a German chap who The snow abated once I was into Wales and was I’d met at the Dragon a few years back and replaced by a constant, steady rain, which was we had a good chat for a while before I found destined to become my constant companion for myself wandering around the site checking out the rest of the weekend. Despite the rain, and the bikes. partially due to the low powered nature of the bike, I enjoyed the visual delights of the Bala Bikes of all kinds can be found at the Dragon, Pass, which took me down into Betsw-y-Coed, from vintage classics, through scooters, to although they were a tad blurred by the mist sportsbikes, outfits, trikes and everything in- and rain. The conditions outside of my visor between. Notable this year was a brand new weren’t a great deal better either to be fair. The they were all over me. Groups of six or so bikes I know I’m moaning, but seriously, the twisty Ducati Multistrada and a very fine Vincent laid Control point for the rally was a bit of a shock, would rip up behind me, on the narrow country descent down to the site is not that awkward, against a wall. instead of the usual desolate layby with the lanes which approached the site, desperate how anyone on a modern bike can feel it ancient caravan occupied by the Conwy club, to overtake my little bike, which was buzzing necessary to ride down there at less than 20mph, Some of these many bikes move around the site I was directed off the road to a café where the along at a respectable 55mph on the straights I have no idea. And finally, upon entering the almost constantly, I don’t know if the owners Conwy club were to be found, in the warm and and through the corners. Like lemmings they site, knowing that there are loads of bikes are restless types or if they all have trouble dry. Apparently, the caravan, which is as old as would play follow my leader, attached by elastic behind them, what do they do? They just stop, walking, but they do spend a lot of the time the rally itself, was no longer road worthy. to the rider in front, overtaking no matter what blocking the main path through the site, en over the Saturday riding around the site, out the circumstances dictated, giving me very masse, in their group and start to attempt some of the site and back into it. I’ve no idea where I put my Dragon sticker on the bike and little room on the overtake and then of course, discussion about where to camp. Clueless and they are going or why, but one or two of them headed the few miles off into Snowdonia, to slamming on the brakes and riding for the rest thoughtless. (I’d just ridden 250 miles through did provide Tarka and I with some amusement. the rally site and found myself mobbed by of the way at 50mph or less in front of me. There the most appalling weather, so perhaps you can We all know about the current fashion for impolite, annoying and quite frankly dangerous was no way that the bike with no key could excuse my ire at fellow motorcyclists.) giant, litre capacity trail style bikes, fitted out bike riders. expect to pass a group of six bikes on that road, with all manner of globe trotting kit, road so I had to sit behind them. Until the next group I rode around the site but could see no sign of tyres and discarded Pret a Manger sandwich I’d spent much of the ride up alone, not another came along and did the same thing, squeezing Tarka, during which time I was accosted by a wrappers in the vast, oversized metal boxes. A bike in sight, due to my chosen route, but now into the non-gap in front of me. couple who were most interested in the little AJP disproportionate number of these beasts are

140 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 141 ridden by off road Gods, or so it seems. Someone spotlamps plus all manner of other ‘Adventure’ has told them that the done thing is to stand up accessories. But there lies the point. If I’m on the pegs. Sadly, they seem to have forgotten going to be riding through some of the most to tell them why and where. Consequently, the inhospitable places on the planet in search of off road Gods spent much of the rally riding a missing tribe of tyre manufacturers, up to around the tarmac roads of the site, whilst my neck in crocodiles and volcanoes, I don’t standing on the pegs. want to be riding a bike that is roughly the size and weight of a volcano with all the agility of a Let me set the scene. Having explored the site, crocodile with a bad case of arthritis. Nor do I we’ve set ourselves up at the camp office, on the want that bike to be bristling in modern techno veranda as it were, as it was the only agreeable wizardry, requiring the computing power of place to hang around without getting soaked a small bank just to run the engine. I want a by the rain. The site is a well-organised public lightweight bike that doesn’t break all the bones campsite, laid out with a series of tarmac roads, in my back every time I lift it off the sidestand the camping being on the grass (mud), which is ‘fully loaded’. A bike that skips over ruts rather the bit in-between the roads. Where you can’t than ploughs through them. A bike that can be ride, as it’s covered in tents and drunk people. repaired by that nice chap over there with the We’re people watching, chatting, meeting welder and the scrap iron. I want a 200cc air people, cooking our food and generally being cooled AJP. But I want one with a fuel tap next at the rally. Meanwhile off road God number 8 time please. or so, goes by, standing on the pegs. Tarka says “Off road God,” and I surprise myself by yelling Having discussed the merits of various camping out “Tarmac,” at him. Just as a gentle reminder cookers, the band playing in the small stone of what he was riding on. That set the game building filled with damp, steaming bikers, and each time one of them would ride by, at and various other subjects, we met Adge, who 15mph on the tarmac, ignoring the perfectly spent most of the evening trying to send the comfortable seat which BMW or KTM had so entire site into orbit with a deafening array of kindly provided for their use; we’d both shout ballistics which he informed us had mostly come “Tarmac,” at them. Endless fun. from the period when we were last at war with the Germans. The Germans being the second (By the way, I was told recently that KTM was an most populous people at the Dragon after the acronym, which means ‘entirely made of cheese’ home crowd. The campsite warden spent many in English. I’m guessing that this explains why a happy hour rushing around on his quad bike, they are invariably orange, but I cannot be sure trying to discover who was responsible for this of this. Don’t get me wrong, if you’re Simon late night mini Armageddon. Pavey, and actually an off road God, and you are riding through a desert in South America After a reasonably poor night’s sleep, mostly at 70mph, you are perfectly entitled to stand caused by dampness, it was time to pack up on the pegs without fear of a single heckle. Fill and head off home. The panniers were stuffed your boots Si.) with dripping wet fabric items, some shaped like a tent, some shaped like clothes, all of Conversely, or perhaps perversely, the bike them brown. I smiled inwardly as the majority without a key is a mini overlander, complete of people struggled to get their large, heavy with metal boxes, GPS and super bright LED bikes off the mud and onto the path, the bike

142 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 143 144 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 145 with no key was a delight to handle in these his final rally lie in, late on the Sunday morning, squidgy conditions. It had rained all night of after everyone else had left. RIP Ken, we will course, and looked like it intended to do so remember you. until the end of days. I said a brief cheerio to Tarka who told me that the old chap who had The ride home was, in all honesty, not a barrel turned up in the dead of night on the old Brit of laughs. My kit leaked, so I got wet and bike next to him, was on his second Dragon. miserably cold. The bike ran out of fuel, cruelly, He’d ridden up from Southampton, put his 2 miles from a fuel station. I’d used the last of tent up, slept and was now preparing to leave. the fuel containers. I’ve had better half hours. His only other comment was that it had been I guess you could say it was my fault, but the wet the last time he had been – which was 32 fuel consumption seemed to vary wildly, and years previously. despite the quoted 7.5 litres, I failed to get more than 6.5 litres in from empty. Some of the bikes move around quite a lot then. Whilst others do not. I tend to park up at On the Sunday morning, Tarka and I made a pact a rally and having ridden 250 miles in appalling not to go ever again. By the following morning conditions (did I mention that yet?), give the we’d both changed our minds. The Dragon Rally. bike a wide berth until it’s time to go home. It’s not right, but it is addictive. One of the bikes at the Dragon this year, or more accurately, a trike, didn’t even do that Rod Young much. Ken rode his well known rat trike, Lardy Dieselson, to the Dragon like the rest of us, he Thanks to Craig Whitney and AJP Motos for the then parked it up and some time later on, retired loan of the bike. to his tent where he was discovered, enjoying www.ajpmotos.co.uk

146 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 147 148 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 149 150 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 151 with the industry back in the BOOK REVIEW day. The relevant sections of his series, British motor cycles since What Did Happen To The 1950, could easily be cut and Sick of the BEARBACKThen with pasted to make another book. British Motorcycle Industry? The same could be said for the by Jonathan Boorstein rat race? Escape marque history volumes of the ritish motorcycles – subject to much speculation amazingly prolific Mick Walker. THE WORLD OVERLAND British iron, or Britiron over the years. My bookshelf In terms of marque histories, Bas it is known by many groans under the weight of Triumph alone has inspired – possesses a legendary, near too many volumes, covering Tales of Triumph Motorcycles by sacred, status in my country. the subject in some form Hughie Hancox (1996), Turner’s The craving for Britiron was or another. Triumphs by Jeff Clew (2000), ‘An inspired travelogue, once so strong here in the US Save the Triumph Bonneville that it was the third largest There is, of course, Bert by John Rosamond (2009), dispelling the myth that import from the UK, after Hopwood’s it’s-everyone’s- and Travelling with Mr Turner remarkable journeys are automobiles and whisky. Up fault-but-mine tell-all Whatever by Nigel C. Winter (2011), out of your grasp.’ to 90% of the motorbikes Happened to the British among a handful of others. National Geographic produced by factories in the Motorcycle Industry (1981). Even such obscure books as Midlands wound up in North Steve Wilson’s Down the Road Damien Kimberley’s Coventry’s America (Canada was a strong, (2000) devotes an entire section Motorcycle Heritage (2009) have Sir Ranulph Fiennes ‘Searching, honest, uplifting’ if often unmentioned, market). to profiles of people involved a say. Tens of thousands of mostly BUY YOUR SIGNED COPY NOW at www.theworldoverland.com American males worshiped on Waterstones, Stanfords, amazon the shrines of Norton, Triumph and BSA, among many other Also available from and all good bookshops TWO DOCTORS, ONE MOTORCYCLE AND A marques. Bob Dylan and Steve A REMARKABLE FOUR YEAR JOURNEY McQueen seemed to be as AROUND THE WORLD well-known for their Triumphs as they were as entertainers. For a certain generation, my Bonnie laid not over the ocean, ‘Belts along at a cracking pace. Stylish and good RIDE but in my own backyard. quality’

The industry went boom in Re‘I al didn’t Travel, want Book this of enthralling the Month book to end. If you the 50s; bust in the 60s; and only read one travelogue this year, make it this one’ bankrupt in the 70s. That’s quite a dramatic arc in quite a short period. How and why Steve Koerner ‘We’ve all dreamed about it – quitting the job, that happened has been packing up the house, and hitting the road for adventure of a lifetime. Few do it, and even fewer do Travel Africa it as well as Pat Garrod’ BUY NOW

20% off Quote DIGEST

152 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 153 A bibliography of the number “Funny But Thoughtful” of articles published in vintage and antique motorcycle “Dave Gurman is the thinking motorcyclist’s Jezza. magazines that touch directly He’s deeper, balder, funnier and infinitely less irritating - and he’s had or indirectly on the subject a lifelong passion for bikes!” would be a book in itself. And then there are the passing “Dave Gurman makes you glad that you’re riding and glad that you’re reading” – Austin Vince comments in columns and editorials…. TV and DVD have “Dave’s ability to capture segments of life and express them in a personal and uplifting manner made contributions as well. creates many a snigger through to full on laugh out loud moments.” – Neil ‘Nelly’ Hudd “I have three words for Dave Gurman’s Book - If all that effort had been I LOVE IT!” – Harriet Ridley directed into saving the British motorcycle industry, there might be one today. Only Whether Triumph constitutes a continuation or a resurrection is £5.99 beyond the scope of this article; regardless, more than half of its manufacturing facilities are overseas.

The basic story is well-known and rounding up the usual suspects easy. There are those Can be ordered from any who blame management for good bookshop - not doing enough to remain available ex-stock from: competitive: Lionel Jofeh,

Dennis Poore, or Lord Hartley motorcycles were virtually first Italian manufacturers The Ace Cafe, London Shawcross, among others. Even handmade. Investment in and then the Japanese were The Shop in the Clouds Edward Turner and Hopwood modern technology was happy to tap. This ‘market (Ponderosa) Horseshoe Pass, have their detractors. lacking. retreat’ meant the companies Llangollen weren’t making bikes a lot of In the 50s and 60s the Furthermore, the marques did people wanted to buy and www.amazon.co.uk manufacturers were still little to expand their markets, ultimately meant they couldn’t producing motorcycles focusing on what Turner called manufacture enough bikes to www.mapsman.com designed in the 30s and 40s, the “fashionable young man”, remain competitive. with few, if any, upgrades. ignoring the potential of cheap www.traveldriplus.com The actual assembly lines reliable two-wheeled personal There are those who blame

were equally antique. British transportation: a market that government for indifference www.wemoto.com

Or by post from: Dave Gurman, 48 Argyle Avenue, Hounslow, TW3 2LF – cheque for £7.99 (£2 p&p)

154 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 155 Strange Death Strange Death Rockers – the very ‘fashionable young men’ that Turner liked to target. It made it easy to ignore the industry when more pressing matters – an Arab oil embargo, say – were drawing the attention of the government.

Given the degree of interest in the topic and the richness of the material, it’s odd that other than Hopwood’s polemic, there have been no and interference. Not only did making cars affordable on the major studies published until government policy require one hand, and factory jobs recently: Steve Koerner’s The that the cash-strapped country unappealing on the other. (It Strange Death of the British export most of its motorcycles, was while reading that last one Motorcycle Industry (2012) but also levied a new purchase that I realized I need some of and Abe Aamidor’s Shooting tax raising the price of such that imported whisky. That’s Star (2009). vehicles domestically. right, boys and girls, keep everyone too poor to ride Both writers have strong The government declined anything but motorcycles, Canadian roots, though to impose import quotas on never mind imagining better Koerner has one foot in bikes from abroad (unlike say lives for themselves or their Britain, while Aamidor has Italy, some of whose marques – children.) one in the US. Both writers Ducati, Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta are photographed astride a – still survive), though the And then there are those motorcycle and the respective evidence that Japan flooded who blame the negative bios identify what they ride: the market is scant (the new image of motorcyclists and Koerner favors a 1974 Norton purchase price still applied). motorcycling created by the Commando, while Aamidor’s There are those who blame Strange Death favorite is a Velocette Venom the unions for resisting firings Thruxton. (For the record, I ride and wage cuts, despite the the Lexington Avenue Local.) fact it was the workers who managed to keep Triumph All three rides are irrelevant. going as a co-op. Japan’s Motorcycle Wars (2009), one of the better books about There are those who blame the the history of the motorcycle post-war return to affluence, industry, was written by non-

156 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 157 Strange Death well. He writes, “This book will and blaming the public focus on sporting machines for argue that the collapse of the for not buying what the fashionable young men with British motor cycle industry manufacturers wanted to sell racing pretensions, he feels, had far more to do with and the government for not was wrong. internal weaknesses and, more giving them the tax breaks and specifically, the consequences protectionist legislation they Long before Japan came into of the production strategy felt they deserved. the picture, Italy was satisfying adopted during the inter-war this growing market with such years than it did with later, This self-limiting approach, to scooters as the iconic Vespa. foreign competition” (p.5). use Koerner’s term (or to be Germany, despite post war Koerner, incidentally, prefers more accurate self-defeating restrictions, also developed the spelling “motor cycle” approach), make British low displacement, easy to because that was the most motorcycles non-competitive maintain bikes. Indeed, the common during the bulk of in the marketplace against closest Britain came to the the period under scrutiny. German machines before utility bike was the Bantam, World War II and against which BSA picked up through To explore his thesis, he goes first Italian, then Japanese Reparations (it had been a back a decade more than machines after the War. 125 cc DWK) and more or less Barbara Smith did in her frozen in aspic. Nevertheless it masterful The British Motorcycle While discussing in depth was the single most successful Industry, 1945 to 1975 (1983). such issues as the resistance British motorcycle of all time, He examines the increasing to standardization and enjoying more than twenty focus on high performance modernization that would years of popularity. The rider Jeffrey W. Alexander. (IJMS), to which he is a regular literature makes it to Koerner’s vehicles for enthusiasts over make British motorcycles and Bantam is still desirable some What is key here is research contributor. The IJMS is a web- nine-page bibliography, but a more utilitarian commuter their production more reliable, forty years after it ceased and analysis. The first book based publication dedicated then again it is titled “Select production. takes a serious, academic to examining motorcycles and Bibliography”. Strange Death approach; the second, a popular culture. His articles Or as Peter Henshaw writes breezy, journalistic one. Each there include the intriguing Strange Death of the British in The Essential Collector’s in its own way outlines a Whatever happened to the Motorcycle Industry is an Guide: BSA Bantam all Models tale of missed opportunities girl on the motorbike: British academic work and as such 1948 to 1971 (2008): “It was a by an industry that was women and motorcycling, 1919 presents an argument as well tough little bird, suffering the fundamentally flawed. to 1939 (March 2007), a spot- as history. It’s his analysis of first wobbly learning curves on book review of Travelling what went wrong for the British of those thousands of riders, Koerner’s book is based on with Mr Turner (Fall 2011), and motorcycle industry. Koerner not to mention the attention his PhD dissertation. Parts a scathing review of Aamidor’s argues that the elements that of 16-year-old GPO telegram of it have appeared in such history of the demise of the lead to the post World War II or consumer motorcycle; the the key for Koerner is the failure boys, for whom the Bantam places as The Classic Motor British motorcycle industry collapse of the industry were research, development, and of the industry to develop the was standard issue. Older Cycle and The International (Spring 2010). Not that in place and were already investment in new designs ‘everyman’ motorcycle, a safe, riders used the Bantam to Journal of Motorcycle Studies Aamidor’s contribution to the destructive before the war as or manufacturing facilities; easy to use utility bike. The get to work on, and for them

158 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 159 motorcycles harder and longer than Japanese bikers and the motorcycles were breaking down, the manufacturers went back and retooled the motorcycles to withstand the different use.

The Japanese motorcycle industry was built on utility bikes, growing from 7,500 in 1950 to 1.5 million in 1960, when the Japanese motorcycle exploded into the international scene. Unlike the British (and to a lesser extent the Italians) Honda and the rest of the Big Four went after untapped markets that weren’t interested in fast bikes.

The book itself is handsomely produced and lavishly illustrated. The photographs – personal as well as archival – are well selected and not common. I don’t know what possessed Koerner to include a picture of a New Guinea it was a tool, not something they generated, from Rockers tribal chief astride a BSA on which to lavish care and to high accident rates. Nor did Bantam, but I’m glad he did. attention. So it says much for it improve the basic designs of He keeps the language direct the basic soundness of the the motorcycles it produced, and appropriate for general design that so many Bantams despite feedback. Complaints audiences, only rarely hitting have survived.” about reliability of the bikes, of such academic-speak clunkers delivery, of paperwork, went as “Triumph commenced Despite the popularity of unheeded. In contrast, when motor car manufacture” (p.16). Vespas and Bantams, the the Japanese manufacturers Sidebars highlighting specific industry opted for fast bikes discovered that because bikers people – not just Turner or and the negative publicity in the United States rode John Sangster, but also such

160 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 161 lesser known figures as Henry Shooting Star Watling or Valentine Page – or important marques or models – the gamut runs from the Bantam to the Vincent Black Shadow – or special topics – the history of Meriden or the Velocette LE – provide background without disrupting the narrative.

The more than 60 pages of footnotes hide some gems of trivia among the citations and amplifications. Koerner points out that there were a large number of Masons involved in the early days of the British motorcycle industry. He also cannot resist mentioning that BSA declined to manufacture the Volkswagen Beetle, one of the big automotive successes of the period. Instead it stuck to Daimler, which helped bankrupt the company. BSA’s post World War II rise and are all but the same. Both are Koerner’s depth and breadth fall. Slim is putting it mildly. At company shots of Turner and of research and analysis 150 pages with wide margins Bill Johnson. Neither is needed make Strange Death worth and a larger type point, it feels to illustrate Aamidor’s take on reading, even if his depiction and reads more like 100 pages. the industry. One “because it of an industry in denial, The photographs are not ought to be there” would be willfully destroying itself is interesting and the captions enough. That the second has a bit depressing. It’s highly redundant, not only telling the no new information should recommended for those who reader little more than can be have been a clue that it was are seriously interested in the seen in the picture, but also to unnecessary. subject. each other. His style is breezy and Shooting Star itself is a slim Two captions on the bottom of journalistic, which makes it a volume ostensibly focused on the third page of photographs quick read, much in the same

162 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 163 flight-inclusive adventures Shooting Star from blazing trails tours

south african Tours If you’re looking for a bike tourer’s paradise, then look no further. The riding in South Africa is blissfully diverse and always interesting. Choose your wheels from the BMW GS-range

Johannesburg to Cape Town A classic route, taking in the Drakensberg Mountains, the rolling hills of KwaZulu Natal, the Garden Route, Little Karoo desert and the Cape Penninsula. northern south africa The Highveld, Lowveld, Swaziland, the Indian Ocean, Rorke’s Drift and the Drakensberg Mountains, plus a safari in the world-famous Kruger National Park, all on super roads.

indian adventures Ride a Royal Enfield up the world’s highest roads, tour Little Tibet, enjoy the culture and splendour of the Himalayan Foothills, or chill on a Keralan beach

spiti valley Amazing riding meets amazing scenery and culture in Himalayan ‘Little Tibet’. sense a feature article in a A shallow book can be a useful British motorcycle racers who Ladakh & Zanskar Sunday supplement is a quick introduction to a subject. raced on British motorcycles; The highest Himalayan roads, remotest valleys read. Indeed, one of Aamidor’s Let’s be blunt: not everyone and a parade of his shiny new, and Buddhist monasteries. other books is Real Feature wants to plough through never seen before, sources. Himalayan foothills Lower passes, but stunning all the same. Writing (2006), a college text Koerner’s sometimes numbing The first two might have been book for journalism students. series of charts and tables. combined to good effect; the kerala Beaches and mountains of South India. It is also typical of Sunday Unfortunately, Aamidor goes third undoes him. supplement features, not that off in three directions at once, well researched by academic making it useless as such an In terms of the actual history, ride in nepal standards. There is a tabloid- introduction. Aamidor takes a pro-British, From exotic jungle destinations, to views of the world’s highest peaks, Nepal offers the two-wheeled adventurer one of life’s great experiences like focus on trying to bring pro-management, anti- personalities to life (in some Essentially, the three directions union, anti-Japanese point Kathmandu to bardia cases quite successfully) over are: a history of the fall of the of view, but within that, Some of the best riding, views and food you’ll any sort of deep analysis. British motorcycle industry in is more than accurate find anywhere, all amid the fascinating culture of Nepal – motorcycle touring does not get much A handful of new sources general and BSA in particular as enough. His heart and soul better than this! gives the book the illusion reflected in the people who he may lie with Britiron, but We will guide you along sinuous mountain trails, across plains and through jungles to the shadow of in-depth research and feels are the most responsible that doesn’t stop him from of mighty Annapurna, on to Kathmandu, to the saves it from being virtually a or significant; an attempt at noting “Honda succeeded… border with Tibet and back via Everest views. This trip is characterised by rides in places of write-around. an elegiac essay about the last because it made a superior incredible natural beauty.

tours start at £2295, including all flights, transfers and more all holidays fully insured and bonded in the UK for your financial protection!

164 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 165 Mail: [email protected] • Web: www.blazingtrailstours.com • call: 01902 894009 Shooting Star Shooting Star

product that people found The book comes to life with Aamidor provides an unusual fall and Tony Benn’s notes and larger story of how that helped a popular book title of the irresistible” (p.91). He’s the sections about the end perspective on the downfall documents released by the ‘30- segment retreat and industrial day” (p.129). Zen and the Art skeptical about both Turner of British racing, which for of the British motorcycle year rule that allegedly prove inertia or even the irony that of Motorcycle Maintenance and Hopwood, though him means born racers borne industry. Little wonder then a secret plan to nationalize management was right about has sold between five and six through Aamidor’s lens on British racers. Beginning that Aamidor’s other textbook British industries. Heaton’s tax laws working against them, million copies, which would Turner comes off as a sort of with a wonderful and well is Real Sports Reporting (2003). paper is more significant than they just were focused on the seem to suggest it is still a proto-Steve Jobs, better at told tale of Jeff Smith’s first While it could be argued Benn’s papers. wrong tax laws. popular book title, whatever concept and marketing than race – Smith was too young that the first is needed to one may think of the contents. design and engineering. to enter legally – through put the second into context, Heaton’s contribution, writes As for Benn, the plan wasn’t What we have with the Benn Aamidor even points out Geoff Duke’s confrontation the threads could have been Aamidor, is analyzing the exactly secret at the time, nor papers is what might be best that such secondary market with the racing establishment, tied together better. The new implications of “tax laws was using the motorcycle described as the Wikileaks developments at the “Triton” to Turner letting John sources, however, are more [that] rewarded companies industry as a test case for syndrome. Something that or the Rickman Metisse were Surtees go because laid on top than tied in. for holding on to old capital a hidden agenda. Aamidor sounds like it’s going to have not seen as progress by BSA “racing was not needed” investments and punished himself quotes Private Eye’s great revelations based on and the other manufacturers, despite the reputation of Aamidor’s two new sources them for making new capital sally about “Benn and the Art the level of secrecy, but upon but as threats to the way British motorcycles being are Joe Heaton’s unpublished investments”. Aamidor doesn’t of Motorcycle Maintenance”, simple scrutiny add detail, things were always done. established on the track, PhD dissertation about BSA’s go beyond that, either to the editorializing with, “after perhaps nuance, and little

166 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 167 else. There were no surprises At least he’s consistent there. is a saying that there are to anyone who had been A lively selection of excesses three types of historians: the reading The Guardian or The of Sir Bernard and Lady Norah anecdotist; the chronologist; New York Times on a regular Docker is marred by Aamidor’s and the true historian. The basis. The level of the noise pedantic aside about Sir anecdotist can relate all sorts Touratech’s Compañero is one Bernard often being called of fun moments and incidents of the newest textile suits on the exceeds the quality of the market. Compañero fans content. bender, which is translated as from history, but has no COME TO US include the British actor FOR BIG BRAND a homosexual in British slang. sense of sequence or political Charley Boorman (“Long Way NAMES LIKE: Round”, “Race to Dakar”), and More disturbing is Aamidor’s Aamidor provides no such context. The chronologist has seasoned motorbike attitude to various social, aside about T.E. Lawrence, who a sense of sequence, what adventurers Simon/Lisa Thomas and Nick Sanders. racial and religious minorities. was not only gay, but also a came first, what followed, Describing the people who sexual masochist. what happened next, and built the motorcycles as can sometimes tell a good “felt caps on heads and What we have in the end is a anecdote, but also lacks a sense tin lunchpails under their book that favors caricatures of context. The true historian Tank Bags arms” might pass muster in over chronology, anecdotes has a sense of context, how some quarters as not being over analysis. The book I history works or came about, condescending, but referring would have liked to have read and presents an argument to DESIERTO 3 - Top fairing for your BMW to Japan as “the Orient” (p.88; would have been entirely present that theory. p.110) will not. It’s not even about racing and the British accurate. Aamidor doesn’t motorcycle industry. Aamidor is an anecdotist; mean Asia, he means Japan. Koerner, a true historian. The rest of Asia, or ‘the Orient’, Among those of us who is irrelevant. study popular culture there Jonathan Boorstein

The Touratech Adventure Shock by Tractive is now available for the top-selling BMW R 1200 GS / Adventure Simon Gardner and F 800 GS, in three different versions: Level 1, High End and Extreme. Graphic Design

Xenon and fog lights IMAGINATION

Zega Pro Panniers

Visit our new branch now open in Chester... enquiries: TOO... Touratech Chester, Stanney Mill Lane, Little Stanney, Chester, Cheshire, CH2 4HY COME AND VISIT US [email protected] Visit our webshop www.touratech.co.uk Touratech UK, Unit 14 Woodlands Business Park, Ystradgynlais, Swansea, SA9 1JW Tel: (01639) 841765 | Email: [email protected]

168 WWW.THERIDERSDIGEST.CO.UK ISSUE 176 March 2013 169 Join the adventure

Free Catalogue

visit our website

Touratech travel equipment:  Luggage Systems Maximise your travel experience.  Seats  Lighting We have all the right equipment  Screens/Rallye Fairings for you and your machine, whether  GPS and Navigation you’re travelling through Tibet or  Crash bars touring through Treorchy.  Long range fuel tanks  Handguards  Bash Plates  Camping/outdoor kit

Touratech are now approved dealers for www.touratech.co.uk Husqvarna off-road Unit 14 Woodlands Business Park, motorcycles, drop in for a Ystradgynlais,Tel: Swansea. (01639) SA9 841765 1JW test-ride! Email: [email protected]