How Busy are you?

Its a question people often ask. The answer is."Well we could always be a lot busier." The reality is that we are nowhere near as busy as you would think, in fact it seems like many people are too scared to come out with us given all the Outlaw Bikie crime which is being reported in the media of late.

The truth is that all of the riders we use don't know any of these so call Outlaw Bikies and

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Newspapers are there to make a profit, not to provide accurate news.

It is sometimes easy to forget that the primary aim of a newspaper is to make money. We tend to believe what we read most of the time, but a lot of caution is needed. Often, accurate reporting comes second to getting the paper produced and when the pressure is on to meet deadlines, if that means an article is not accurate, then it seems many newspapers don't really worry about that too much.

Of course, as readers, we only really discover this when we have first-hand knowledge of something and we are able to compare the true facts with what a newspaper says about it.

Take the Daily Mail reporting today that the Pope is selling his Harley-Davidson.

The headline alone is mis-leading. It links Harley-Davidson motorcycles to Hells Angels. "The father, son and the Harley ghost: Pope proves he's no Hells Angel by selling his Harley Davidson to give proceeds to the poor".

This link is somewhat unfair to most Harley-Davidson owners, as many that I know, who would not sell their own Harley-Davidson's, are most definitely not Hells Angels.

The reporter cannot even spell Harley-Davidson properly. Nor can he spell angels it seems. Further down in the piece, he spells it as "Hells Angles". Oh dear.

The caption underneath one of the pictures states "At the time the Pope laid his hands on a disabled Angel...." I happen to know the man pictured is not a Hells Angel, but a HOG member. Similarly, the article goes on to say "Four days after the gifts were given to him, Francis blessed a crowd of Hells Angle bikers in a congregation at an open air mass in St Peter's Square". Really? There were many thousands of HOG members there, but to suggest these were Hells Angles (sic) is somewhat ludicrous.

So, the reporter, Chris Pleasance, has some facts right, but has largely embellished the article with untrue references to Hells Angels to spice it up somewhat. Either that or he simply didn't check the facts. Whichever is the case, it is very shoddy reporting.

Sadly, this is not the first time I have experienced poor reporting of something I personally knew about. I would say that I have read about six or so articles about things I had good knowledge of.  In every case, I have read the newspaper reports and was amazed at how inaccurate they were.

Don't believe everything you read in the papers!

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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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