Off-road Riding for Virgins

A handful of us were off-road virgins.

This video is a group of me and my friends having a go for the first time - it was terrific fun!

Although muddy and slippery, the trails were relatively easy and just what us novices needed.

Many thanks to Fred and Peter Woolcott of Off the Kerb Trail Riding, in Dorking, Surrey. We will certainly be going back! There are very few places to ride off-road in the UK, so finding this one was a real bonus.

I did end up with a few sore muscles for a few days, but that was a small price to pay.

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The Best Way to See Melbourne

We frequently meet people who are visiting Melbourne, who choose to come out for a Harley Ride with us who after their ride realise that they made the right decision to come out for an hour or more with us. They come to the realisation that "its not about the motorcycle" - its about how much more they see, how much better it is compared to sitting in a tour bus, the freedom and un-restricted

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Full Throttle: The Glory Days of British Motorbikes

This is a fantastic television programme about the early days of motorcycling in the UK. One of the opening lines of this BBC television programme sets the scene…

“By the 1950’s British motorbikes were the fastest, most desirable and coolest thing on two wheels anywhere in the world.”

I recently spent time at Bonneville in Utah with Mike Jackson, who is interviewed on the programme and described as a motorcycle historian. A real gent, Mike knows more about motorcycles than anyone else I have ever known.

What I like about this programme is the old film of British motorcycles and the people interviewed. Between them, they give real character and authority to the documentary.

The story of Brough Superior motorcycles is described and the love affair T.E.Lawrence had with the bikes is described. His words are very poetic when he writes about his riding “The burble of my exhaust unwound like a long cord behind me. Soon my speed snapped it, and I heard only the cry of the wind which my battering head split and fended aside. The cry rose with my speed to a shriek: while the air’s coldness streamed like two jets of iced water into my dissolving eyes. I screwed them to slits, and focused my sight two hundred yards ahead of me on the empty mosaic of the tar’s gravelled undulations.”

Of course, Lawrence was killed riding one of his Brough Supoeriors when swerving to avoid two boys on the road.

The sporting side of riding motorcycles and the communities it spawned are also featured in the programme. The short pieces of film at the Brooklands circuit are wonderful, as are those showing the early days of racing at the Isle of Man TT. The growth of Norton is discussed in the racing scene and how the rivalry between them and BMW was formed.

Just about all of the classic British manufacturers are mentioned in the programme, including the rise of Triumph and the café racers. Life at the famous Ace café is also featured.

Is it any wonder these old bikes are still lusted after?

It is a programme that must be watched!

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Water Transfer Printing

This looks like an interesting and cheap way of covering motorcycle tanks, fenders, helmets to give your bike a new look. I am not sure about the durability though.

I am sure some enterprising person will soon be providing this as a service in the motorcycle industry soon, if it isn't already being done. Many would not want to use it on their expensive bikes, but as a cheap way of updating an older bike, I can see the potential.



Take a look at the website of the company selling the materials. I was surprised how cheap the films are...... http://hgarts.com/

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Harley Davidson 1941 WLD Sport Solo

Harley Davidson had originally followed Indian when the latter had produced its first 45 cu. in. side-valve machine in 1927. Initially, the Indian 45s were the most highly regarded, but by the time Harley introduced its W-series in 1937, it was the Milwaukee-built bikes that enjoyed the better specification and reputation. Replacing the R-series—with which they had much in common—the three

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What is on Your Bucket List?

Here are a couple of ideas that we here at HD Chauffeur Ride Pty Ltd can help you achieve, if a ride on a Harley Davidson motorcycle is on your Bucket List.

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Lots of bikes, friends to see, pretty girls and a shiny car at the Motorcycle Live show

This year’s motorcycle show at the Birmingham NEC (UK) was excellent. I spent the whole day there on Saturday and wore myself out, looking at bikes and chatting to the many people I bumped into.

It was busy and there was a buzz about the place which seemed to have been lacking in recent years. Perhaps it was the feeling that the economy is finally on the move again that engendered a better feeling about the show.

This year I tried to concentrate on things that I don’t normally spend too much time looking at. One of those might just prove to be a little too tempting for me.  Who goes to a motorcycle show and falls in love with a car?  More on that later.  Back to the bikes....

I wanted to see the new Indian motorcycles and they certainly did look very good. This is the Indian Chief Vintage….

I was drawn to the Moto Guzzi Street V7 Scrambler, which looks cool and classic at the same time. I really like its rugged looks and this is one of the best looking of the new recent Moto Guzzi bikes. I do question though the combination of knobbly tyres with the cylinders sticking out sideways so much. Yes, I know this is the classic Guzzi engine layout, but the knobblies suggest this could be taken off-road, but can you imagine what would happen to the cylinder heads if you dropped the bike a few times in deep mud or on rocks? It does look great though…..

Compare those good looks to the diabolical Guzzi Griso SE. That engine block has to be the ugliest thing recently designed for a motorcycle. It is so fugly, it just makes you wonder “what were they thinking”…..

One of the bikes that really surprised me was a BMW GS with a sidecar fitted. I sort of get it, and sort of don’t. The guy on the stand told me he was selling about one a month, which means they wont be around for much longer…..

One bike was creating a lot of interest and that was the Ducati 1199 Superleggera. Launched this month, Ducati have said that just 500 of these bikes will be made. It certainly is an impressive looking bike….

Red bikes are obviously popular and this striking Aprilia caught my eye. The bike is much better than its model name which is a baffling RSV4 R APRC ABS, which doesn’t exactly roll of the tongue. The bike is stuffed full of technology with 8-stage traction control, wheelie control, launch control and a quickshifter, plus ABS and fully adjustable suspension. Oh and a little matter of 180bhp to go with it all….

This looks like it could be fun. An Aprilia Dorsoduro 750 ABS….

Back in the seventies I loved this MV Augusta. My feelings for the bike haven’t changed….

Love this old Beemer Airhead as well….

I cannot recall having seen a Royal Enfield café racer before. Maybe some of my readers have?....

Talking of unusual, how about a Moto Guzzi café racer with, wait for it, a slipstreamed sidecar attached….

You gotta love a Vespa….

A very nice Victory. You don’t often see them with eight additional cylinders though….

My favourite lady from the show. Who knows who she is?....

Here she is again with some of her friends….

Coventry Transport Museum had a very nice display of old motorcycles. Here are a couple of my favourites….

My friend Henry Cole has launched a new motorcycle, called a Gladstone. Their first model, appropriately called No.1, was on display at the show. A hardtail with a Triumph engine, some of the details on this bike are very nice indeed….

I need to ask Henry where these lever / grip combinations come from, as I really like them and I have a current project build they would suit….

A very nice custom Harley-Davidson, built by Warrs in London….

The Harley-Davidson stand included a replica of the shed in which William S. Harley and brothers Arthur and Walter Davidson first built motorcycles. This shed at the show contained an old model H-D, lent to the show by Warrs….

This is one of the Metisse Desert Racer motorcycles, currently being made as a replica of one of the bikes Steve McQueen once owned….

Back Street Heroes magazine had a big stand with many custom motorcycles on display. I like this shovelhead…..

I imagine not many people go to a motorcycle show and end up really liking a car, indeed some may say that is sacrilege. However, how could anyone not like this Morgan three-wheeler. It is the Brooklands Special edition and I feel a test drive coming soon. 1976cc V-Twin S&S engine, 82bhp, 0-60 in 6 seconds, top speed 115mph….

Finally, what did surprise me was how many people I bumped into at the show. Andy Hornsby of American-V magazine was on good form in a bright orange Hawaiian shirt. I didn’t know he was going, but I was happy to see Jon Hickman who I rode with to St Tropez earlier this year. Marjorie Rae, the Customer Experience Manager for the UK and Ireland spared me some time to talk about my new touring business. I met one guy, Gary Fleshman, who I last met in 2010 while on my tour of the USA. TV personality friend Henry Cole was there chatting to lots of his fans and he presented his new Gladstone bike. Ian Thorburn (AKA Bosunsbikes) was there as well, taking loads of pictures....

All-in-all, it was a terrific day, looking at motorcycles and seeing lots of friends. I slept well that night!

The show continues for another week with its last day being 1st December.

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