This Flaming British Summer!

[Harleyman]

BMWs are the best bikes in the world., quiet and quick. I hate to have to say it Harley, but hogs are the noisiest bikes anywhere, and they rattle till bits fall off them. They're not really that fast, and the rice burners run rings round them. But they're American.

 

Mechanical works of art they're not. A delight to ride...... well a BMW is leagues ahead but it's the Harley looks I like and there's no mistaking that ragged rough roar that no other bike has.

The low powerful sychronized snarl of a BMW to me seems impersonal. It could be a Yamaha or a Kawasaki just as the streamlined, space aged fairings that are part of their styling. Where's the character? The individuality?

Speed isn't a factor worth considering at my age. I did my share of "ton ups" on Triumphs and Nortons in my reckless youth.

[janie48]

The sun is shining brightly just now,don't know what its like at Wimbledon,but if Andy Murray wins the sun will be shining brightly all over Britain especially in Scotland.

 

Fingers crossed for the Scotsman,and congratulations to the Sheffielder Jonathan Morray for winning the mens doubles.

[buck]

Mechanical works of art they're not. A delight to ride...... well a BMW is leagues ahead but it's the Harley looks I like and there's no mistaking that ragged rough roar that no other bike has.

The low powerful sychronized snarl of a BMW to me seems impersonal. It could be a Yamaha or a Kawasaki just as the streamlined, space aged fairings that are part of their styling. Where's the character? The individuality?

Speed isn't a factor worth considering at my age. I did my share of "ton ups" on Triumphs and Nortons in my reckless youth.

All those great British bikes of our youth, the twins AJS and Matchless, the Velocette, the gorgeous Vincent black shadow, if you were man enough to handle the torque with those narrow bars, the Norton big singles that won the IOM every year, the BSAs. Even the Ariels and Royal Enfields, and of course the Triumphs who had the audacity to have the gear shift one down and three up, unlike the rest with one up and three down. I would love to visit Jay Leno's museum just see an actual Brough Superior, the finest British bike ever made. Finally the Douglas flat twin, a very rare breed:)

[namtaB]

All those great British bikes of our youth, the twins AJS and Matchless, the Velocette, the gorgeous Vincent black shadow, if you were man enough to handle the torque with those narrow bars, the Norton big singles that won the IOM every year, the BSAs. Even the Ariels and Royal Enfields, and of course the Triumphs who had the audacity to have the gear shift one down and three up, unlike the rest with one up and three down. I would love to visit Jay Leno's museum just see an actual Brough Superior, the finest British bike ever made. Finally the Douglas flat twin, a very rare breed:)

 

My dear old Dad had a Vincent Black Prince

 

linky http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ao3uUOVmQo8/TPFRzNHgYEI/AAAAAAAAew0/Q2ewCIQFsIY/s1600/Vincent-1955-Black-Prince-1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://zelastchancegaragedu78.blogspot.com/2010/11/black-prince.html&h=768&w=1024&sz=85&tbnid=_MBcU4qx1DT_FM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=120&zoom=1&usg=__2wdJiPpecui4oaeyBNX_lOVocNg=&docid=BlP2tF6qV5z40M&hl=en&sa=X&ei=wLj5T9HSBfS00QWEksmzBw&sqi=2&ved=0CFoQ9QEwAw&dur=2856

[Harleyman]

All those great British bikes of our youth, the twins AJS and Matchless, the Velocette, the gorgeous Vincent black shadow, if you were man enough to handle the torque with those narrow bars, the Norton big singles that won the IOM every year, the BSAs. Even the Ariels and Royal Enfields, and of course the Triumphs who had the audacity to have the gear shift one down and three up, unlike the rest with one up and three down. I would love to visit Jay Leno's museum just see an actual Brough Superior, the finest British bike ever made. Finally the Douglas flat twin, a very rare breed:)

 

Wonderful bikes indeed. Started off with a Fanny-Barnett (Francis-Barnett) Villiers 225 C.C Two Stroke and then had the privilege to own a Norton Dominator 88 and later a 59 Triumph 6T Thunderbird. The T-Bird could tear anything up. I loved that bike and sold it when I was called up for Army service. I guess I needed the money but oh boy did I ever regret doing that later on.

 

The police used to ride among others those little water cooled Velocettes. They were as quiet as a whisper. I was snuck up by a copper riding one when doing about 10 MPH over the speed limit. Got off with a warning though

 

I remember the Douglas Dragonfly. It had horizontal cylinders with a bar to protect them in case the bike fell over.

 

A neighbour around the corner had a Vincent Black Shadow. I used to take a walk by the house once or twice a day just to drool over it

[janie48]

I was dissapointed Andy Murray didn't win the match,and staying on topic i blame that on the weather.If it hadn't have been for that heavy downpour they wouldn't have had to stop playing for such a long time waiting for the roof cover.After that although he played an excellent game,the commentators said that being under cover made the game easier for Federer.

[buck]

My dear old Dad had a Vincent Black Prince

 

linky http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ao3uUOVmQo8/TPFRzNHgYEI/AAAAAAAAew0/Q2ewCIQFsIY/s1600/Vincent-1955-Black-Prince-1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://zelastchancegaragedu78.blogspot.com/2010/11/black-prince.html&h=768&w=1024&sz=85&tbnid=_MBcU4qx1DT_FM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=120&zoom=1&usg=__2wdJiPpecui4oaeyBNX_lOVocNg=&docid=BlP2tF6qV5z40M&hl=en&sa=X&ei=wLj5T9HSBfS00QWEksmzBw&sqi=2&ved=0CFoQ9QEwAw&dur=2856

He was a very lucky man.

[buck]

Wonderful bikes indeed. Started off with a Fanny-Barnett (Francis-Barnett) Villiers 225 C.C Two Stroke and then had the privilege to own a Norton Dominator 88 and later a 59 Triumph 6T Thunderbird. The T-Bird could tear anything up. I loved that bike and sold it when I was called up for Army service. I guess I needed the money but oh boy did I ever regret doing that later on.

 

The police used to ride among others those little water cooled Velocettes. They were as quiet as a whisper. I was snuck up by a copper riding one when doing about 10 MPH over the speed limit. Got off with a warning though

 

I remember the Douglas Dragonfly. It had horizontal cylinders with a bar to protect them in case the bike fell over.

 

A neighbour around the corner had a Vincent Black Shadow. I used to take a walk by the house once or twice a day just to drool over it

I got into a ding dong battle on my 1956 BSA Gold Star with a 500c Velocette in the Peak District near Sheffield, no quarter given nor taken. As we came intoward the City, common sense took over. We slowed down, stopped, shook hands, and went for a pint. Those were the days. I believe it was a dry day. It must have been or we'd both be dead. I like discussing the weather, don't you?

[Rupert_Baehr]

This isn't supposed to be an old bikers 'care home day' so I'm a bit reluctant to twist the thread towards the more important things in life, but given that the thread title is 'the flaming British Summer'and we haven't had one of those since 1976 (recent for some of us ) I have no shame.

 

I'm not as old as you, Buck - but I was around (and riding bikes) in the early to mid 50's. Where I lived, we didn't go in for laws much ... they're restrictive.

 

Between 1952 qnd 1955 I rode on the petrol tank (too small to ride on the pillion)

 

55-56 I rode on the front and worked the throttle.

56-58 I was stuck on the back

 

Then I got my own bike. It was only a Bantam, but it worked.

 

Then came the Tiger cub, the Thunderbird and the Goldstar. (Occasionally, I

was allowed to ride the DKW and my Pop's other exotica.)

 

My memories of those bikes are probably flawed ... just as, for most of us, we tend to remember only the good things.

 

Let's face it, splitting the case vertically was a daft move!

 

I rode until I was about 18, then (something to do with hormones) I stopped riding. I rode in the Isle of Man in 1972, but after that I had 'other attractions'.

 

Looking back on it, the bikes I had (mainly Beezers and Nortons and an Ariel Square 4) were pretty good, but the tyres were absolute shwyte!

 

Nowadays, I plod around on Michelin Pilot 3's. - If I'd had those tyres in the early 1970s, nobody could've come near me! If John Featherstone (a good friend of mine and a far bolder rider than I was) had had those tyres he might still be alive.

 

I've got 2 bikes. A BMW K1200LT (and the LT stands for 'Light truck') in Florida and an ancient (12 yrs old) BMW R1100RT in Bayern.

 

I enjoyed the meeting this weekend (as did many other thousands of bikers) but my bike stayed at home. I don''t ride at weekends - too many bloody tourists in tin cans driving at 20 mph and gawking at mountains!

 

But on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays I'm out to play.

 

I ride in a 'sparkling' manner - I know the roads and I know the rules: "Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly."

[buck]

The everlastting theme

This isn't supposed to be an old bikers 'care home day' so I'm a bit reluctant to twist the thread towards the more important things in life, but given that the thread title is 'the flaming British Summer'and we haven't had one of those since 1976 (recent for some of us ) I have no shame.

 

I'm not as old as you, Buck - but I was around (and riding bikes) in the early to mid 50's. Where I lived, we didn't go in for laws much ... they're restrictive.

 

Between 1952 qnd 1955 I rode on the petrol tank (too small to ride on the pillion)

 

55-56 I rode on the front and worked the throttle.

56-58 I was stuck on the back

 

Then I got my own bike. It was only a Bantam, but it worked.

 

Then came the Tiger cub, the Thunderbird and the Goldstar. (Occasionally, I

was allowed to ride the DKW and my Pop's other exotica.)

 

My memories of those bikes are probably flawed ... just as, for most of us, we tend to remember only the good things.

 

Let's face it, splitting the case vertically was a daft move!

 

I rode until I was about 18, then (something to do with hormones) I stopped riding. I rode in the Isle of Man in 1972, but after that I had 'other attractions'.

 

Looking back on it, the bikes I had (mainly Beezers and Nortons and an Ariel Square 4) were pretty good, but the tyres were absolute shwyte!

 

Nowadays, I plod around on Michelin Pilot 3's. - If I'd had those tyres in the early 1970s, nobody could've come near me! If John Featherstone (a good friend of mine and a far bolder rider than I was) had had those tyres he might still be alive.

 

I've got 2 bikes. A BMW K1200LT (and the LT stands for 'Light truck') in Florida and an ancient (12 yrs old) BMW R1100RT in Bayern.

 

I enjoyed the meeting this weekend (as did many other thousands of bikers) but my bike stayed at home. I don''t ride at weekends - too many bloody tourists in tin cans driving at 20 mph and gawking at mountains!

 

But on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays I'm out to play.

 

I ride in a 'sparkling' manner - I know the roads and I know the rules: "Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly."

The everlasting theme of weather threads is nobody is happy ever. Bikers like us understand weather better than most. Many of my hog friends rush home with their Harleys if rain is threatened, not scared so much about traction but about it getting dirty, then back to the bar in the F150. Right now we're sweltering at over 100F and everyone is complaining. This is New England, there'll be a short pleasant fall, then the winter from hell, and back to complaining.