Scale models are a great way to see how things fit together. I loved my Airfix and Matchbox 1:72 tanks, aircraft and their respective dioramas. Here’s a bolt together motorcycle kit; not quite your Tamiya, which would need several hours or days, but what looks like a fun few minutes nonetheless.
You could even use it to see how much restoration you want to carry out on your ’68. Here’s a real one: assembly required…. Much more FUN!
A snatched ride along a sunlit glowing Sheridan Road bounded by the reds, oranges, browns and yellows of the fall canopied trees. Blue-blue skies complemented the golden hues and a cool air kept the lung vigorous. Not bad for an early November spin!
“At no other time (than autumn) does the earth let itself be inhaled in one smell,
The ripe earth; in a smell that is in no way inferior to the smell of the sea, bitter where it borders on taste,
And more honeysweet where you feel it touching the first sounds.
Containing depth within itself, darkness, something of the grave almost.”
Rainer Maria Rilke
In honor of Lou Reed here’s an image evoking one of his monologue songs from the Velvet Undergrounds pre-punk White Light\White Heat album. It is read in a stirring welsh lilt by John Cale and tells the story of one Waldo Jeffers whose long distance infatuation with a college girl from Wisconsin, Marsha Bronson, drives him to box himself up and get mailed from Locust PA to her doorstep as a surprise… Needless to say it doesn’t end well when Marsha’s friend Sheila attempts to pry the nailed box open with some sharp metal shears… The rhythmic bass heavy backing track is called Booker T.
The crates contents here is a BSA Spitfire. The 2 gallon two-tone tank denotes a US destined model of this GP carbureted 650 a ton and a quarter capable speed demon.
…. grasped the cutter by both handles, took a deep breath, and plunged the long blade through the middle of the package, through the masking tape, through the cardboard, through the cushioning and (thud) right through the center of Waldo Jeffers head, which split slightly and caused little rhythmic arcs of red to pulsate gently in the morning sun….
The Day of the Dead: as celebrated in Mexico, is the time that people give remembrance to deceased friends and family with ofrenda (offerings) of calavera, or sugar skulls; and enjoy the food and beverages of the dead. The dead come to life! Here’s a clay tile decorated with a skeleton riding a vintage moto. It brings fun and jollity to the all to morbid fears of mortality. Ride Pedro Ride!
Dr Who? Here’s Matt Smith, the 11th incarnation of the Gallifreyan traveler of the space-time continuum aboard a Bonneville with his latest companion Clara Oswald, played by Jenna Louise Coleman. Typical mode of transport is of course the policebox disguised TARDIS but this’ll do in a pinch.
Daleks, Cybermen or Sontarans be damned!
After pie I do like a slice of cake: so when I spotted this baked and iced special my attention was grabbed and hunger piqued.
Blown them candles out and slice it up!
Lou Reed 1942-2013. A true music legend passed yesterday; his music grabbed you by the throat and hammered its beat into you with piercing lyrics that had heft to them. Early work from Andy Warhols Factory with The Velvet Underground was seminal to any budding HiFi owners collection.
Backed by the indomitable John Cale, Sterling Morrison, & Mo Tucker, as well as the sultry backing vocals of Nico; their music puts the Vee in Live. Reed as a solo artist: the poet-musician with knife-edge lyrics went on to create timeless numbers which saw rerelease success two decades on. I was fortunate to see TVU in their original line-up at an unmuddy Glastonbury in ’93.
“New Sensations”, Lou Reed 1984
I took my GPZ out for a ride
The engine felt good between my thighs
The air felt cool, its was 40 degrees outside
I rode to Pennsylvania near the Delaware gap
Sometimes I got lost and had to check the map
I stopped at a roadside diner for a burger and a coke
There were some country folk and some hunters inside
Somebody got themselves married and somebody died
I went to the juke box and played a hillbilly song
They was arguing about football as I waved and went outside
And I headed for the mountains feeling warm inside
I love that GPZ so much, you know that I could kiss her.
——————
Must be the original Ninja GPZ900. Here’s mine that I owned in the mid-twothousands…
I took an opportunity with decent weather and a visit to friends a short ride down Lake Shore Drive to encourage my better half to ride pillion. A couple of sweet spots headin’ down “from Hollywood with water on the drivin’ side…”
Acknowledgments to Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah
Sixties duo of the moment Sonny & Cher were the darlings of love; a clean cut reaction and sober reaction to the acid dazed counterculture. TV acting a politics ensued but that’s another story not to be covered here…. However Mr Bono likes to look cool, especially when not wearing his sheepskin vest… .. Go on kick ‘er over lad!
Watch out for any trees Sonny!
End o’ another week and the weekend is upoan us. So hae a braw time whurever ye are!
A pair o’ lassies on a wee Triumph Cubbie motorbike. Dinnae get yer kilt snagged an thae sprockets!
A combination chairs occupant needs a captain to travel and explore the highway ahead: and I have The Best! It’s our fifteenth anniversary today and we’re enjoying our ‘motorcycle and sidecar’ trip of life.. miles and miles behind and so many more ahead.
We’ve covered The White Helmets display team before: those finely balanced or overladen Triumph riders of the Royal Corps of Signals. Here a few more vintage images of early thrillery . . .
Remember these are motos from the thirties so are lacking in oomph by modern standards (or even 70’s Triumph power) as well as being heavier machines… So some of these exploits need a certain level of daredevil slant.
Flying over the cars to show off gravity defying deeds too.
The wheel swap is a classic though- here caught mid heave. Keep ‘er steady capt’n!
All good stuff but the lads and lasses of The ‘ Signals still keep up their duty at the sharp end of military worldwide action setting up and maintaining critical telecommunications. Usually first in.
Here a pair hare across a Mideast desert…
How to haul a pair of dirt bikes seventies style…Mk III Ford Cortina.
The Kawasaki’s are ready for rural green lane shenanigans. Might need some heavier rear shocks there Harry!
Growing up my pa had a yellow Mk 3. Banana yellow at that! I remember the center console eight-track playing a Simon & Garfunkel cartridge.
geordiebiker.com 