Sunday, June 26, 2011

Motorcycle Sport

For the most part whenever people....OK....me......think of motorcycle sport, it tends to be of the road race variety such as the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) Race, Mallory Park, Brands Hatch in the US; Assen on the Continent or Daytona in the US.

I love to watch road racing, did so many a time at Silverstone and Mallory as well as my one and only visit to the TT in 1976. Got to see some of the greats there such as Tom Herron, Percy Tait, Mick Grant and John Williams (I Think as I can never remember if it was him or Charlie) who was in the lead in either the Senior or Production race when he ran out of fuel approaching the finish and the win.

Instead of saying a few choice words that anyone could actually hear, he got off the bike and started pushing towards the finish while others went past. Due to this he got a 7th place finish instead of a DNF (Did Not Finish) in the record books.

Anyway, back to the point of this drivel....besides road racing, there are other MC sports out there such as Moto Cross or Scrambles, dirt tracking, drag or sprinting, hill climbing grass and ice racing and of course the one associated with old men....trials.

A few postings on some of the other blogs I read got me to thinking about what I would take part in if I had the time, cash etc and naturally as a kinda getting oldish type of  geezer, observed trials has an appeal to me.

First, if you have an older, say before 65, bike, then you can enter Pre-65 trials and can compete with other slightly older geezers;  other than the bike, riding gear , some practice and some skill, you don't need to rob a bank to finance it; and as you're going dead slow just about, if you fall over, you shouldn't get injured too badly.

From what I gather, there are various classes to take part in such as novice, amateur, skilled, professional and the like. The better you get, the higher you go in the classes I guess.

Anyway, several years back, even though I'm not a two-stroke fan, I got this desire for a trials machine. Ahhhhhh......but which make???

British was the first and only answer, but then it came up again to....which one? Good question....due to their reputation and following....a Greeves...followed by either a wee Cub or a Bantam. But a Cotton, DOT, James etc wouldn't be ignored either.

There is something about a Greeves



that just cries out  "Ride me and get me filthy....then do it again."

I personally would love to have one of these and any other British trials bike just to mess around doing the feet up game. Though I love to see classic bikes tearing around on the track, it's not a sport for coffin dodgers or the faint of heart. But trials is something that even a novice can try and even enjoy. 

Plus, there's no real age limit that I know off except one's own limitations. Now to find a patch of ground, a nice wee machine and have some fun....and this one the missus can't object to too much now can she?
  

Monday, June 20, 2011

It's getting there

The "it" in question is the tip....I mean the new shed.....is getting sorted out.

Little by little tings are finding a new place to rest, things are being moved about for optimal storage and ease of accessibility as well as location. In other words....it's getting tidied up.

There is one thing that slows the effort up and that is the outside temperature. As of late it's been over 100F in the afternoons daily. Even with the garage door open, it's hot as Beelzebub's patch.

Yesterday Bodger was sweating like a inmate in a illegal clothing sweatshop. And I wasn't really working that hard, just moving a few things hither and yon, Yes I could plug the fans in and get a breeze that way, but then I'd be dodging electrical cables which slows things down a bit.

But as said in a Clint Eastwood movie, "I should endeavor to persevere"....meaning the job ain't done til it's done. So it's time to pull the finger out and get cracking unless I get to talking with my significant other and then that's a different kettle of fish.

Until the next time Blog watchers.........and yes.....once I find the battery charger and get the batteries charged, there will be pictures of this newish Bodging wonderland.



Sunday, June 12, 2011

Hectic days

As you all know by now....Bodger is relocating to another place. So far the vast majority of it has been done so far. A few things have to make the move such as the main contents of the shed...to wit...the parts, tools, miscellaneous equipment items and the three nails....errr......bikes that live within.

One item that may be left behind is the workbench. As there is one already at the new place and space may be a mite limited, it might just be more sensible to leave it and buy a sturdy one from the local DIY when the time comes.

There was the idea of taking some pics of the new shed, but it seems that the digi camera may've gone walkabout.

Botheration and all that!!!!

Well, if it turns up after the move is completed and everything is put in it's place.....then some after-the-fact type pics will be in order. Along with the VIP reception area....OK, OK...the covered patio most excellent for BBQs and lounging about on a nice day/night with Bodger and his lady love.

The work continues....

Extra, extra...read all about.....News Flash!!!!!

The digi camera has returned from walkabout.......Hazza, Hazza!!!!!!!......but is now exhausted. But the batteries have to be recharged...figgers!!!!

With the exceptions of the bikes and the tool chests, the vast majority of stuff has been moved now. Just leaves those items as well as the weight bench and weights ( have to stay healthy ya know!) and a few sticks of furniture, Bodger is now pretty much set up  at his new (for a year anyway) digs.

Pics will be forthcoming sometime in the near future.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

New digs

In the next couple of days Thrash 'em Motorcycles will be relocating to a new location.

This is good for Bodger for a few reasons: First, travel to the Postal salt mines has been halved from 30 miles to 15 miles one way (saves on gas usage), Second, has a nice attached garage with.....wait for it.... a built-in workbench and some storage cabinets, Third, a nice little covered patio for relaxing with some palm trees for shade and finally, due to personal circumstances changing.
 
 
There are trade offs to this relocation....namely....the fact that ne'er-do-wells will know aboot the contents of new workshop/shed along with any other toys Bodger may have. Plus little sprogs asking the usual questions..."Hey Mister, woddle it do", "How fast you been on it" or "Wot kinda motorcycle is BSA?"
 
 
But this will be a good thing all in all. More at a later date.