Road Rash! It kinda struck me about five minutes ago when I
started to write these very word‘s.
Road, Rash? That’s actually a description of
something rather painful and messy. A condition I sincerely hope, that not one
of you will ever come down with. To those of you who already have, or will
encounter it in time’s to come. Commiserations.
I have been lucky enough I am happy to say. To having never suffered much more than a minor graze, or several ok I won’t deny, yet the very worst of these in my memory was inflicted during a school Rugby session back in 1972, and nothing to do with motorcycling in anyway whatsoever.
N0! All the rest of the pain experienced, and into which I will add bruises/sprains and several broken bone’s, was in the main, largely down to me. Just about every other moment of pain happened while involved in that good old fashioned, yet ever-new experience! The search for the edge. Mastering the art required to ride along it. And if at all possible, a way over and beyond without it, the edge, actually noticing you weren’t there anymore. That’s what some people do with things and themselves. Evolution is the name of the game, and some people do it very well.
Some of course, do not get along at all well with the concept of making things better than they are. And that’s all fine and dandy too. There are plenty places for them to fit into, from modern classic machinery to ancient marvels where the use of any form of braking is considered a tad new fangled. Ok, I exaggerate I know, but hurrah to them all! Without just one of them we are all a little more diminished.
I personally just can’t not make improvements or cosmetic changes that please me. The world of interesting things is out there. Specials to which the word ‘custom’ truly belong. I do not apologise for saying catalogs bigger than Freeman’s and Littlewoods put together that sell stuff made by the thousands is not a very custom thing to do. But it’s a huge market. That cannot be denied. The perceived image, the propagandised, the mainstream media image is the one in those catalogs. Here’s where you can buy the bad boy’s boots. Fair enough. But really, someone please explain. “Chap’s“! Its some broke back easy ass sort of deal no? Lets make protective pants for riding bikes. Here’s a great idea. Lets wear leather leg shields with no arse in them for that unexpected kiss with the tarmac… Rash!
Road, Rash? That’s actually a description of
something rather painful and messy. A condition I sincerely hope, that not one
of you will ever come down with. To those of you who already have, or will
encounter it in time’s to come. Commiserations. I have been lucky enough I am happy to say. To having never suffered much more than a minor graze, or several ok I won’t deny, yet the very worst of these in my memory was inflicted during a school Rugby session back in 1972, and nothing to do with motorcycling in anyway whatsoever.
N0! All the rest of the pain experienced, and into which I will add bruises/sprains and several broken bone’s, was in the main, largely down to me. Just about every other moment of pain happened while involved in that good old fashioned, yet ever-new experience! The search for the edge. Mastering the art required to ride along it. And if at all possible, a way over and beyond without it, the edge, actually noticing you weren’t there anymore. That’s what some people do with things and themselves. Evolution is the name of the game, and some people do it very well.
Some of course, do not get along at all well with the concept of making things better than they are. And that’s all fine and dandy too. There are plenty places for them to fit into, from modern classic machinery to ancient marvels where the use of any form of braking is considered a tad new fangled. Ok, I exaggerate I know, but hurrah to them all! Without just one of them we are all a little more diminished.
I personally just can’t not make improvements or cosmetic changes that please me. The world of interesting things is out there. Specials to which the word ‘custom’ truly belong. I do not apologise for saying catalogs bigger than Freeman’s and Littlewoods put together that sell stuff made by the thousands is not a very custom thing to do. But it’s a huge market. That cannot be denied. The perceived image, the propagandised, the mainstream media image is the one in those catalogs. Here’s where you can buy the bad boy’s boots. Fair enough. But really, someone please explain. “Chap’s“! Its some broke back easy ass sort of deal no? Lets make protective pants for riding bikes. Here’s a great idea. Lets wear leather leg shields with no arse in them for that unexpected kiss with the tarmac… Rash!
Sticker Modification
Sorry, am I? Well, No not really. The reason being, more & more people are riding Standard bike’s & what with a load of insurance companies now claiming that a sticker, Yes you heard me, a sticker is a modification that must be declared! Wtf are these licensed highwaymen thinking! With Brussels & the European state busy pursuing its normal ignorance fueled hate programme. Our own politicians neither use nor ornament; 49%round the Top Table are some of the banks, best customer’s! I mean, after all..
I didn’t mean to get onto runty wee rant but when you look at them you know they’re we’re made for control!
Sorry, am I? Well, No not really. The reason being, more & more people are riding Standard bike’s & what with a load of insurance companies now claiming that a sticker, Yes you heard me, a sticker is a modification that must be declared! Wtf are these licensed highwaymen thinking! With Brussels & the European state busy pursuing its normal ignorance fueled hate programme. Our own politicians neither use nor ornament; 49%round the Top Table are some of the banks, best customer’s! I mean, after all..
I didn’t mean to get onto runty wee rant but when you look at them you know they’re we’re made for control!
Which; rather neatly leads me back to this
question: Why must our bikes conform to a manufacturer’s spec sheet in the
first place. Being as they come, directly from The far East in The majority of
cases. China In ever increasing numbers. But that line of thought is an
irrelevance to this matter I’m wondering about.
It’s How often do these Expensive & evermore complicated piece’s of precision machinery bring un rectified faults with them. Their manufacture is a exercise in logistics and line shop practices To keep the production/assembly process efficiently polished!
It’s How often do these Expensive & evermore complicated piece’s of precision machinery bring un rectified faults with them. Their manufacture is a exercise in logistics and line shop practices To keep the production/assembly process efficiently polished!
No what slips out of the factory door may be a
generic fault in the design. Or a Human mistake that allows the wrong thing to
happen. Bikes change design rapidly today. Some stay the same but the
Electronics change so rapidly that the ignition systems don’t match from year
to year or even From model A to model A/b. There’s no point in naming name’s
here because every single volume manufacturer with a stable of different models
dose it. The choice of two or three different colour schemes. No real choice in
what you end up buying because they are all about to be governed by the same
rules. Here at the edge of Western Europe we face the European Economic
Community.
I think we could for argument sake just call them Rome. And frankly, we will be the last European biker’s to have anything approaching the freedom to do what we do best! Make things up as we go along! And I might add create myriad specials. We just do it better than anyone else.
I think we could for argument sake just call them Rome. And frankly, we will be the last European biker’s to have anything approaching the freedom to do what we do best! Make things up as we go along! And I might add create myriad specials. We just do it better than anyone else.
I have to be careful here so as not to turn into
the semblance of one certain bike hating car tester.
I like the French in the main. See, German’s Too. Italian’s, Great! I have not met a Spaniard yet whom I did not like. But I will venture this opinion that the Spanish are under the least threat from this legislation. The reason being Spain is still reasonably empty. There’s a line of mountains full of Basques with guns to keep trouble out. {Or am I just talking Toss} France And Germany are all on the one joined up landmass with a huge & efficient police force. Like here, the roads are monitored so all the machinery rolling out of the future factory is in synch with the system. The French, for all their protest have a 100bhp thing going on. To build a special in Deutschland You need plenty of money And a special compartment on the bike or, a purpose designed document-filing pocket upon one’s person. The first Deutsch Chopper rider I encountered was carrying Three Hundred plus slips of paper which were TUV approval documents for every single modified piece of metal That went into creating a the Chopper he rode. So people in Europe are already used to that sort of System. Everyone carries id card’s and attitude’s are fundamentally different. This recent time has somewhat brought edsafwxs’,potty..
I like the French in the main. See, German’s Too. Italian’s, Great! I have not met a Spaniard yet whom I did not like. But I will venture this opinion that the Spanish are under the least threat from this legislation. The reason being Spain is still reasonably empty. There’s a line of mountains full of Basques with guns to keep trouble out. {Or am I just talking Toss} France And Germany are all on the one joined up landmass with a huge & efficient police force. Like here, the roads are monitored so all the machinery rolling out of the future factory is in synch with the system. The French, for all their protest have a 100bhp thing going on. To build a special in Deutschland You need plenty of money And a special compartment on the bike or, a purpose designed document-filing pocket upon one’s person. The first Deutsch Chopper rider I encountered was carrying Three Hundred plus slips of paper which were TUV approval documents for every single modified piece of metal That went into creating a the Chopper he rode. So people in Europe are already used to that sort of System. Everyone carries id card’s and attitude’s are fundamentally different. This recent time has somewhat brought edsafwxs’,potty..
No matter where one goes in Britain you will
find someone who has modified their Bike Or car. There are still shed’s all
over the country from which emerge Weird And wondrous things. There are still
wild men in Norfolk building outrageous stuff. Its one of those national
pastime’s that goes largely unnoticed by the media and pretty much everyone
really for we are much quieter about it, group Ye know. What needs doing..I think its time to go in search of it again. Design out European efficiency, remove the little black box A world made up from stuff that does most things acceptably well is a bit like surrendering to the man who runs the car parks at graveyards. The first thing they always do is make a one way system to which they can add byelaws & offence’s involving stepping off the path or whistling the wrong way round.. So before ‘upside-down standing in windows. I’m having a stand downside-up.
Confusing Fey’ria`es…Keep’s the bugger’s wary & interested at the same time. Not to difficult with the fey’ if they’re own was about the. Edge? Its miles still over there...
Article from www.syb-magazine.com SYB Magazine©2012
A
ndrew FilsonEditor SYB Magazine
