Hairy Bikers and Other Petrol Heads

Neil

Western Thunderer
Ah yes splendid advice from the tax efficient Farmer Clarkson and such eloquence from the economical of thought Mr La Malfa. Oh dear what was I thinking? I will immediately strip out the batteries from my car and replace them with a huge V12 capable of burning bunker crude.
 

simond

Western Thunderer
I was going to suggest that if nothing else, Neil would benefit from an exhilarating exhaust sound from such a conversion, but given my 7mm scale King sounds like a King, there is really no reason why his “milk float” can’t sound the same. Or a Merlin, a Lightning, or a Stratos, a Star Wars speeder, a top fuel dragster, or pretty much anything else he could get a sound project for…
 

alastairq

Western Thunderer
I have no real issues with electric personal transport modules [Used to be called 'cars'....]

Providing there is an application of 'horses for courses?'
In other words, where there is excessive use of personal transport modules {PTMs for short], such as, in & out and shaking it all about around the Greater London area of Manchester, which might possibly include the suburb of Birmingham...then, fine. Most of those inhabiting such conurbations have enough surplus cash {AKA income?] to afford the latest in those mobile domestic appliances....Thus can afford to dominate the high ground of eco-friendly morality.
Those of us bottom-feeders in the socio-economic pond we live in, will either have to walk....further, since public transport is for the minions, not the hoi polloi...or simply hurry up and die off, thus leaving room for those better off.
Providing the social fabric in the outer sticks doesn't actually break down very much, then the civilian public order troops will be thinner on the ground, and I will sneak out in my gas-frugal, barely polluting cheapoh petrol driven motor with little chance of being caught, and apparently brought to book.
Apparently I am already a blight on our sylvan countryside, by invariably getting in the way of local Jagwar drivers [probably not owners....at least I actually own my motor.....] who don' t see why they should wait behind me to turn left, when I want to go straight on [neither of us using indicators...Him, because he cannot be bothered with such trivia, and me, because no indication indicates I am going straight on!]....so he decides that since there's no fast traffic from our right, he'll just pull around my right side and turn left in front of me...whilst I am waiting for the traffic from the left to clear....before going straight on.....!!

Unluckily for me I was just a tad too slow to respond by taking off in a straight line, just as he performed the miracle manoeuver.....thus losing out on a nice fat claim on his insurance...and a replacement for my current cheapo daily.
The artic [farm waggon] lorry waiting on the opposite side [for the traffic from my eft to clear]....also couldn't believe his eyes, and would have proved a valuable witness [I know him anyway]........
Next time, I'll be ready.....

JAgwar driver not long ago purchased a large hoose in my village , for just shy of a million....3 years ago.....Adding to the electric gate plague that prevails hereabouts these days.

Probably recognised my unwashed daily from the driveway of my rented 2 bed semi further up the street...
 

SimonT

Western Thunderer
Please can we stop with these Clarkson clips. I know him from school and would rather not re-hear his useless opinions. (I know, you don't have to look ....etc :p.) His school Debating Society jibe to Victoria Derbyshire was particularly rich. I watched him take part in a ballon debate in said society. Lots of noise, no facts or argument. First over the side so that the others could survive. Obviously left a mark. Good oh!
 

simond

Western Thunderer
I like quiet but for something different how about a Tesla.



when we lived in Pune, it was fashionable (it may still be..) to have a reversing alert sound.

a Tata Indica was reversing out of a parking space to the sounds of Pink Floyd “Set the controls for the heart of the sun”.

Ambitious, I thought.

But logical, going backwards, avoids dazzle…
 

alastairq

Western Thunderer
But logical, going backwards, avoids dazzle…
On the sub-topic of dazzle......I have discovered a [possible?] way of getting those inconsiderates who have super bright [Hid?] headlights [that are pure blue-white]...who insist on driving , at night, mere metres away from my rear bumper [and its towbar fitting]...trying to intimidate me into either [a] getting out of their way, or going an awful lot faster than I consider prudent to be driving at......
I have been informed that my leaving a yellow hi-vis vest draped over the left rear headrest, has the ability to return the dazzle to the driver behind...returning the compliment, I suppose?
I have one of those 'dipping' interior rear view mirrors, which I use more frequently these days...but I admit to noticing how, when an obviously 'new' vehicle stomps up behind me....[far too close for their insurance company's comfort].....it isn't long before they back right off to a more reasonable distance, at night.
I never thought about the casual positioning of one of my old hi-viz vests over a rear seat headrest [for my convenience, obviously, inside the vehicle] could have such an inadvertently beneficial effect.
For the legal eagles out there, the white reflector strips of the vest, do not constitute the offence of displaying a 'white' light to the rear.

They could even be 'worn' by one of my passengers...for example....

It is rather satisfying to give as good as one gets, in some small, innocent way...

Returning the compliment by getting in everybody's way.....that's me.

Revenge, for the past 55 years where I have been held up by everybody else's grandparents, parents, great grandparents, etc...

Seeing as the only 'jobs' I have held since age 21 have been, as a bus & waggin driver, or associated activities...never having worked in an office, or being regularly indoors...Lots of opportunities to be held up by the rest of the world...Now, in my 70's, an almost total lack of sympathy.....
 

Purple-haze

Western Thunderer
Alastair, can I add to your perfect observations on front lighting in newer cars by relating (one) of my recent night journeys when I was in a long line of slow moving traffic. I was behind a 74reg big Volvo with what was a vast array of brake lights which the driver kept their foot on, and on,and on.When we eventually parted ways the pattern of those bloody lights remained burned into my retinas for a good 5 minutes!
(rant over:rant:)

regards Rog
 

NHY 581

Western Thunderer
Well, Thursday was a pretty good day.

June this year saw No1 son start his training to obtain his A2 licence, something he finally achieved a couple of weeks ago.
Thursday saw us at our local Triumph dealer, where 23yrs after his Dad, he took owner ship of his own, brand new Triumph, a Street 400.

We arrived, two up on my Triumph Bonnie and subsequently rode away together. I simply do not have the words to express the feelings I had as we rode along, Father and Son on their own bikes for the first time.

Not only that, but as Tom now lives with his Mum in Carmarthenshire, we had 80+ miles ahead of us. We took our time and picked our route, keeping off the motorway initially as there was the obvious need to run in the new bike. We avoided the Brecon Beacons but still encountered heavy rain showers, hail, a couple of snow flurries and high winds.

He coped brilliantly with what was his longest ride by a huge margin and one which would have been a big step in the summer let alone Mid-December.

I was incredibly proud of how he handled it all.

IMG-20241219-WA0000.jpg

We paused for a warm and hot drink at the end of the M4 before pushing on, finally arriving at the farm just before sunset.

After a quick cuppa, I came home in the dark with the temperature dropping but I really couldn't have cared less.

It had been a bloody good day.

Rob
 
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