Newsletter
March 2005
Newsletter
March 2005
Well the
week before the Rally I was still ticket less, I wrote an E mail to the
organisers pleading my case and they replied saying since I was a Thistle stalwart
that they would make an exception for me only! Don’t bring anybody else the E
mail said. So I’m afraid being desperate not to miss out I did just that. Next
year I will send away for tickets earlier.
I rode down
on the Saturday, it was cold and quite wintry still, as I passed Edinburgh and
headed down to-wards Biggar there was snow on either sides of the roads, the
fields were full of it. The roads thankfully though were not, they were still
slippy from all the salt that has been lashed down over the last few months
though so still needed caution. I signed in and was given a repatriated ticket
from some poor soul who hadn’t made it.
I did think
as I set off “whets this going to be like if I don’t know anyone” I needn’t
have worried as Ian and Snibs from Dundee were the first two I met in the sign
on tent, I had the obligatory whisky then put up my £14 Argos one man tent.
Excellent value for money, I headed back to the sign on tent for a heat up and
met Fraser and Tracey from Dunning, it was now obvious that as always
motorcyclists are never without friends, all around I saw familiar faces which
is what makes the Thistle a “must have” for me.
We headed
into the bar after trying to avoid it for at least 30 minutes and started with
the usual revelries, Bob & Kate appeared shortly after and the rest of the
evening was spent in the usual fashion. The band were quite good, not brilliant
but acceptable.
The morning
came along with the age old problem of a bladder like an elephant waiting to be
emptied, out of the tent half naked at about 5.30 in the morning, bare feet on
the frosty ground but the relief was immediate, back into the tent and the zip
broke on my sleeping bag…..bugger ah well so what it’ll soon be morning.
Strangely I
awoke with a bit of a headache. I suspect it was all the cigarette smoke the
previous evening! Up and tent away, tea and the obligatory sausage roll and
then hang around waiting for the eyesight to return. Fraser was waiting for the
recovery truck as his Buell had decided to be a Harley single and as such one
cylinder was reluctant to work without it’s twin brother. I left eventually and
made my way back up the road after stopping for afternoon tea at Queensferry.
Then an icy blast up the road.
Another Thistle gone and the start of another biking year…
Yipee.
Scottish Motorcycle show
I was at
the Scottish motorcycle show at Ingilston last weekend, I was very disappointed
and I feel the show is going rapidly downhill. The manufacturers stands were
poor (although Honda had some excuse as they had three bikes nicked on the
Friday night) Some of the bike dealers were doing their best with Tommy
Drysdale and Perth Motorcycles both represented. The Carol Nash Classic display
was very good but the one thing that is becoming more prevalent is the number
of stands selling Crap gear under the auspices of motorcycling gear. I was with
a friend who is quite new to motorcycling but she could see that the gear on
these stands was of very poor quality, there are a lot of people though who
aren’t so streetwise and if working to a budget may be tempted to buy this
budget gear. Problem is it will be neither waterproof or protective, more the
kind of thing you would wear to the pub to pretend you are a motorcyclist if
you get my drift. It is a sad day when these people start to take over the
floorspace at a Bike show which if you paid on the day would have cost you £13
to get in. Kinross Market is free to get in and offers the same ethnic group
selling the same crap, so save yourself the money on entry if that’s what you
want.
You are in
effect paying money to get into a big bike shop and there is nothing there
(apart from some dodgy Lycra clad tarts that have nothing remotely to do with
bikes) that you can’t see in your local bike shop.
I met up
with Niall MacKenzie at the show which was good as it had been a while since I
managed to get the crack with him, he did during the conversation though agree
with me that modern Superbikes like the GSXR 1000 were far to mental for
to-days public roads and no matter what your local knee sliding bore tells you
its far to much of a bike for most people. He did invite me down to Donnington
for a few laps round and I said as soon as I get the commando sorted I might
consider it.
There was
the usual stereotypical groups on the various stands, pseudo cool dudes on the
Ducati stand, Fat guys with fat wife’s on the Goldwing stand (and on the Harley
stand but they thought they were cool & sported cut-offs saying things like
“WEST COAST HOG WANKERS SECTION” or
even a badge saying “through the week I’m a lawyer” this always amuses me
because why would you as a bike club have people more crooked and twisted than
the crooks on your books. As bad as a badge saying “I defend murderers/
Rapists/ Scumbag thieves for Cash”
Finally I
decided to buy some heated gloves which I fitted and tried on my way home, the
initial verdict is that they are good. A full roadtest over the next year will
no doubt tell a story.
Events
Following
last months AGM we decided the next few months would consist of
The Apache
tour ( a camping weekend with rough camping and no pubs) was to be this coming
weekend but call offs mean we will re schedule for probably sometime in April
April; 17th
SVMCC autojumble at Perth Market
May 1st
Classic club gathering at Glendevon
29 Apr – 2nd
May Guzzi Rally on the Isle of Bute (Ticket only see Gino or George for
details)
13 – 15th
May Ducati Gathering at Glenelg (See Dave Templeman)
June June 3rd
– 5th NOC National Rally Essex
June 10th
– 12th Applecross ( Compulsory )
June 26th
Classic club run
August 26 – 29 International NOC Rally Belgium
9,000 miles from new. Very presentable.
Machine has recently been:
Fitted with single exhaust pipes, bronze lockrings, and reverse cone silencers
Had the barrels powder coated
Had the head vapour blasted
Had the front master cylinder sleeved down (RGM) plus Goodridge SS lines
Been fitted with the tacho drive oil seal mod
Been fitted with the one-way crankcase breather mod
Had lots of stainless nuts/bolts/bracketry fitted
Been fitted with Boyer ignition and new battery
Comes with tools and manuals.
Very reluctant sale £3,500
Eddie Holmes 01968-676762 (Penicuik)
On that
subject I’m pleased to announce that Dave Templeman has once again become a
Commando owner!!
The
Small Print
The
views and opinions contained within this publication are not necessarily those
of the NOC or of the branch but are probably mine as I wrote it.
No one
accepts any responsibility for anything, if you have a good time don't say I
didn't warn you.
Gino Rondelli