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| Yours truly today |
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| Yours truly twenty odd years younger |
Showing posts with label YAMAHA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YAMAHA. Show all posts
March 14, 2015
February 16, 2015
England 1993 - Part Two: Holy Grail, Freebie Sightseeing and Fair Weather? Not happening!
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| St Ives |
In quest of King Arthur and the Holy Grail we visited Tintagel Castle. Legend has it that Arthur was conceived here or something. Nearby we found a neat post office building from the 14th century. We also found that everything and anything came at an extra cost. There was even an entrance fee for a some coastal small-town. It's name was Clovelly, once known for its cannibalistic bandits, and car free roads. I assume they still use donkeys to transport stuff up and down the steep village roads.
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| Tintagel - Old Post Office |
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| Coasting Cornwall |
Finally we arrived at the greatest attraction of Southern England, and likely by far the largest tourist trap (besides Land's End that is): Stonehenge! The tourist crowds were almost unbearable but at least we got free of charge parking spots for our bikes (not sure if it was legal, though). We had to admit, that, although very touristy, Stonehenge was an impressive sight to see. And bonus: I managed to capture the mystic rocks almost sans people.
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| Stonehenge |
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| Stonehenge |
Later on we got to visit other sights such as Glastonbury Abbey, Wardour Castle, Corfe Castle, and many others... alas, mostly in the rain. Unfortunately I no longer recall the sequence of visiting. And thanks to the continued wet stuff from above at one point the camera decided to give up the ghost and refused to produce any more pictures. Here is the meagre rest of it.
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| Corfe Castle |
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| Netley Abbey |
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| Cerne Giant naked in the hill |
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| Canterbury |
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| Cruiser ownership comes with the compulsion to wash |
The weather couldn't get any worse, and eventually we ran out of patience and more importantly, out of dry clothing. So we rescheduled our ferry trip across the pond and returned to the mainland, where we were welcomed by warm weather and blue skies. We later heard that England got obviously hit by the worst weather since many decades exactly in the very time slot we came to visit. Great! But despite the rain we found it to be a fantastic first road trip, and a marvellous riding experience. We overcame a couple of challenges, learned to maintain our bikes on the roadside, and had a lot of friendly encounters with the natives, who, for what we know, seemed to like motorcycling, too.
***
England 1994 - Teil Zwei: Heiliger Gral, Freier Eintritt und Gutes Wetter? Fehlanzeige!Weiter ging unsere Reise ins nördliche Cornwall. Immer wieder fanden wir kleinste Sträßchen durch das Hinterland. Bedingt durch die nicht enden wollenden Regenschauer richteten wir uns ein paar Tage in St. Ives ein, damals ein verschlafenes Fischerdorf, heute wohl eher ein überfrachteter Touristenort. Wir verbrachten die Zeit damit, uns Fish&Chips 'reinzuziehen und den Gezeiten beim Wechsel zuzusehen. Das war zur Abwechslung auch ganz nett.
Dann machten wir uns auf die Suche nach König Arthur und dem Heiligen Gral und besuchten Schloss Tintagel. Wir fanden dort auch ein Post-Gebäude aus dem 14. Jahrhundert. Alles in dieser Gegend kostete Eintritt, wie z. Bsp. das Dorf Clovelly, bekannt für seine kanibalistisch veranlagten Räuberbanden und seine autofreie Straßen. Diese sind so steil, dass wohl immer noch Esel und nicht motorisierte Vehikel für den Transport von Gütern verwendet werden.
Danach ging es endlich zur Hauptattraktion und womöglich größten Touristenfalle Südenglands (neben Land's End): Stongehenge. Wenigstens fanden wir einen kostenfreien Parkplatz für die Bikes, allerdings waren wir nicht so sicher, ob das legal war. Die Touristenmassen waren schier unerträglich, trotzdem gelang es mir die Aufnahmen so aussehen zu lassen, als wäre kaum etwas los.
Im Anschluss ging es weiter Richtung Osten. Wir besuchten Glastonbury Abbey, Wardour Castle, Corde Castle und viele andere Sehenswürdigkeiten, aber meistens regnete es. Über die Reihenfolge bin ich mir hier nicht mehr sicher. Schließlich gab die Kamera den Dienst auf und weigerte sich, weitere Bilder zu machen. Diese Fotos zeigen daher nur marginal, was wir tatsächlich gesehen haben.
Inzwischen wurde das Wetter unerträglich schlecht und so buchten wir unsere Fähre auf einen früheren Termin um. Auf dem Festland wurden wir dann mit Sonnenschein und blauem Himmel empfangen. Prima! Später hörten wir, dass dieser Sommer der schlechteste seit vielen Jahrzehnten gewesen sein sollte. Aber trotz der Wetterwidrigkeiten hatten wir unseren Spaß und fanden, dass es eine tolle Tour war. Wir haben einige Herausforderungen gemeistert, gelernt kleinere Wartungsarbeiten am Straßenrand durchzuführen und fanden heraus, dass die Briten ein nettes Volk sind, die sich offensichtlich für Motorräder interessieren.
February 15, 2015
England 1993 - Part One: Lunch food for Breakfast, a Lecture in Lane Splitting and other Oddities.
An old friend of mine (I also call him "ex") recently got back in touch and asked for some (non digital) photos. That reminded me of a long neglected project of mine: the digitising of my analog photo archive. Little did I know about how time consuming this job would be... but it also became an excellent winter pastime, and will continue to keep me busy next winter.
Although not as well documented as nowadays I actually did a lot of motorcycle touring in the years 1993 to 1996. And with no current material to blog about I will travel back in time for a while.
Back in summer 1993, I was into my second year of motorcycling, and felt ready for a major road trip. I always wanted to visit Stonehenge and the Cornwall region, so we headed off for England. My then bike was a well broken in 1991 Yamaha SR 500, and I was quite proud of the accomplishment that I not only could get it on its center stand on my own, but also kick start it without any help.
The channel tunnel (Chunnel) would not open to the public until November 1994, so we did some slab time to catch the Calais - Dover ferry.
I can't recall any issues with riding on the left side of the road, as a southpaw it seemed come natural to me. Our first stop was a small Bed&Breakfast in Ashford, one of many along the road. These were reasonably cheap and always came with a full English breakfast consisting of sausages, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, black pudding, eggs and bread, and this usually lasted for the rest of the day.
Our first dare would be riding into the heart of London. We didn't get very far though, then we got stuck in traffic. People kept gesturing at us, but we didn't know what they wanted. Then a motorcycle copper approached from behind, and we were getting nervous. He waved at us, and told us to follow him. We still didn't know what this was about, but we followed him anyway. After a while, when traffic got flowing again, the officer smiled at us and waved goodbye. This is how we learned to filter.
London was indeed quite the challenge. We soon found ourselves copying the riding style of the bike couriers, and visited the usual tourist spots in record time. Then we moved on to the seaside, meaning Hastings and Brighton. Our next stop was the Old Tollgate Hotel, where we made the questionable acquaintance with the British cuisine in the form of mutton in mint sauce.
The following days we meandered westward along the coast, or went hunting ponies and sheep with our bikes in Dartmoor. The Dartmoor scenery became everything we could imagine from the Sherlock Holmes novels.
We got a mixed bag of weather and were in need of occasional stops in order to occupy the dryers in a variety of fast food restaurants. Most of our gear consisted of 2nd hand military garments and was not entirely waterproof. People didn't seem to bother with our "issues", and we often got a free tea or coffee to go.
It was a little Eastern Indian restaurant by the sea that changed opinion towards British food, and from now on we settled for Eastern Indian, Italian, or fish&chips (of course) for survival.
I came to notice that ladies riding their own seemed to be an unusual sight back in the 90's. I often got encouraging words from the natives, and a thumbs up or an appreciative nod whenever I kick-started my bike. Over all the Brits were very hospitable towards us motorcyclists. We often got engaged in smalltalk, were invited to tea, and once were allowed to park our grimy bikes in the lobby of a hotel, when a storm front was closing in. Most of the elderly gents admired the retro style of my little thumper, comparing them to the looks of Triumph or Norton. Thank you kindly, that made my day.
Second part is coming up soon.
England 1994 - Teil 1: Mittagessen zum Frühstück, eine Lektion im Stau-Vorbeifahren und andere Seltsamkeiten
Ein guter alter Bekannter (Ich nenne ihn "Ex") fragte mich neulich mal, ob ich noch einige alte (pre-digitale) Bilder für ihn hätte. Ich nahm das zum Anlass, mein vernachlässigtes Projekt der Digitalisierung meines Foto-Archivs wieder in Angriff zu nehmen. Es wurde eine wunderbare Winterbeschäftigung daraus und wird mich auch nächste Saison noch beschäftigen.
Auch wenn ich damals meine Motorrad-Tripps nicht so gut wie heute dokumentiert habe, so habe ich doch einige tausend Kilometer zwischen 1993 und 1996 abgespult. Und da ich kein aktuelles Blog-Material habe, werde ich also aus meinem Nähkästchen erzählen.
Damals im Sommer 1993 hatte ich nicht einmal zwei Jahre Motorraderfahrung, aber fühlte mich bereit, auf große Reise zu gehen. Ich wollte immer mal Stonehenge und Cornwall besuchen, also machten wir uns auf nach England. Mein damaliges Mopped war eine gut eingefahrene 1991 Yamaha SR 500, und ich war ziemlich stolz, dass ich das Teil nicht nur allein auf den Hauptständer stellen konnte, sondern auch, dass ich es ohne Hilfe antreten konnte.
Der Eurotunnel würde erst im November 1994 für die Öffentlichkeit befahrbar sein, also nahmen wir den schnellsten Weg über die Autobahn und schipperten mit der Fahre von Calais nach Dover hinüber. Als wir die Fähre verlassen hatte, fügte ich mich - als Linkshänder - völlig problemlos in den Linksverkehr ein. Wir übernachteten in einem B&B in Ashford, einem von vielen auf unserer Tour. Diese waren recht billig und kamen mit einem üppigen englischen Frühstück bestehend aus Würstchen, Speck, Pilzen, Tomaten, Blutwurst, Eiern und Brot daher, welches uns meist bis zum Nachmittag satt hielt.
Unsere erste Mutprobe war die Fahrt nach London. Doch wir kamen nicht weit, dann standen wir bereis im Stau. Die Autofahrer gestikulierten uns, aber wir verstanden nicht, was los war. Dann näherte sich von hinten ein Motorradpolizist. Er hielt auf unserer Höhe und bedeutete uns, ihm zu folgen. Wir waren nervös und befolgten seinen Befehl. Als sich der Stau auflöste, grinste er, winkte uns zum Abschied und fuhr davon. So lernten wir, dass in England das Am-Stau-Vorbeifahren erlaubt war. London war in der Tat eine Herausforderung. Aber wir taten es einfach den Motorrad-Kurieren nach und besuchten auf diese Weise die üblichen Sehenswürdigkeiten in einem Wahnsinnstempo.
Unser nächster Stopp war dann das Old Tollgate Hotel, wo wir die eigentümliche Bekanntschaft mit britischer Küche machten: Hammel in Mintsauce.
Danach ging es weiter zur und entlang der Küste Richtung Westen. Das Wetter war durchwachsen und unsere Kleidung nicht ganz wasserdicht, so mussten wir immer mal wieder zum Aufwärmen die Handtrockner in Fastfood-Restaurants missbrauchen. In einem kleinen Indischen Restaurant an der Küste schloss ich Frieden mit der britischen Küche. Von nun an gab es Indisch, Italienisch oder Fish&Chips, und so überlebten wir ohne Hunger schieben zu müssen.
Mir war aufgefallen, dass selbstfahrende Frauen auf Motorrädern in den 90ern noch ein seltenes Bild gewesen sein mussten. Immer wieder gab es Zuspruch von den Einheimischen und ein Daumen-Hoch, wenn ich mein Mopped ankickte. Insgesamt waren die Engländer gegenüber uns Motorradfahrern sowieso sehr freundlich eingestellt. Auch gab es immer wieder Smalltalk oder eine Einladung zum Tee. Einmal durften wir sogar unsere Dreck verschmierten Bikes in einer Hotel-Lobby parken, als eine Sturmfront aufkam. Die ältere Generation mochte besonders den Retro-Look meines Eintopfs und verglich diesen oft mit Triumph oder Norton. Das fand ich damals total nett.
Der zweite Teil folgt bald...
Although not as well documented as nowadays I actually did a lot of motorcycle touring in the years 1993 to 1996. And with no current material to blog about I will travel back in time for a while.
Back in summer 1993, I was into my second year of motorcycling, and felt ready for a major road trip. I always wanted to visit Stonehenge and the Cornwall region, so we headed off for England. My then bike was a well broken in 1991 Yamaha SR 500, and I was quite proud of the accomplishment that I not only could get it on its center stand on my own, but also kick start it without any help.
The channel tunnel (Chunnel) would not open to the public until November 1994, so we did some slab time to catch the Calais - Dover ferry.
I can't recall any issues with riding on the left side of the road, as a southpaw it seemed come natural to me. Our first stop was a small Bed&Breakfast in Ashford, one of many along the road. These were reasonably cheap and always came with a full English breakfast consisting of sausages, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, black pudding, eggs and bread, and this usually lasted for the rest of the day.
Our first dare would be riding into the heart of London. We didn't get very far though, then we got stuck in traffic. People kept gesturing at us, but we didn't know what they wanted. Then a motorcycle copper approached from behind, and we were getting nervous. He waved at us, and told us to follow him. We still didn't know what this was about, but we followed him anyway. After a while, when traffic got flowing again, the officer smiled at us and waved goodbye. This is how we learned to filter.
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| Dover Castle in the far. |
London was indeed quite the challenge. We soon found ourselves copying the riding style of the bike couriers, and visited the usual tourist spots in record time. Then we moved on to the seaside, meaning Hastings and Brighton. Our next stop was the Old Tollgate Hotel, where we made the questionable acquaintance with the British cuisine in the form of mutton in mint sauce.
The following days we meandered westward along the coast, or went hunting ponies and sheep with our bikes in Dartmoor. The Dartmoor scenery became everything we could imagine from the Sherlock Holmes novels.
 |
| Brighton Sea Bridge |
We got a mixed bag of weather and were in need of occasional stops in order to occupy the dryers in a variety of fast food restaurants. Most of our gear consisted of 2nd hand military garments and was not entirely waterproof. People didn't seem to bother with our "issues", and we often got a free tea or coffee to go.
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| Dartmoor |
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| Who's hunting who? |
It was a little Eastern Indian restaurant by the sea that changed opinion towards British food, and from now on we settled for Eastern Indian, Italian, or fish&chips (of course) for survival.
I came to notice that ladies riding their own seemed to be an unusual sight back in the 90's. I often got encouraging words from the natives, and a thumbs up or an appreciative nod whenever I kick-started my bike. Over all the Brits were very hospitable towards us motorcyclists. We often got engaged in smalltalk, were invited to tea, and once were allowed to park our grimy bikes in the lobby of a hotel, when a storm front was closing in. Most of the elderly gents admired the retro style of my little thumper, comparing them to the looks of Triumph or Norton. Thank you kindly, that made my day.
Second part is coming up soon.
***
England 1994 - Teil 1: Mittagessen zum Frühstück, eine Lektion im Stau-Vorbeifahren und andere Seltsamkeiten
Ein guter alter Bekannter (Ich nenne ihn "Ex") fragte mich neulich mal, ob ich noch einige alte (pre-digitale) Bilder für ihn hätte. Ich nahm das zum Anlass, mein vernachlässigtes Projekt der Digitalisierung meines Foto-Archivs wieder in Angriff zu nehmen. Es wurde eine wunderbare Winterbeschäftigung daraus und wird mich auch nächste Saison noch beschäftigen.
Auch wenn ich damals meine Motorrad-Tripps nicht so gut wie heute dokumentiert habe, so habe ich doch einige tausend Kilometer zwischen 1993 und 1996 abgespult. Und da ich kein aktuelles Blog-Material habe, werde ich also aus meinem Nähkästchen erzählen.
Damals im Sommer 1993 hatte ich nicht einmal zwei Jahre Motorraderfahrung, aber fühlte mich bereit, auf große Reise zu gehen. Ich wollte immer mal Stonehenge und Cornwall besuchen, also machten wir uns auf nach England. Mein damaliges Mopped war eine gut eingefahrene 1991 Yamaha SR 500, und ich war ziemlich stolz, dass ich das Teil nicht nur allein auf den Hauptständer stellen konnte, sondern auch, dass ich es ohne Hilfe antreten konnte.
Der Eurotunnel würde erst im November 1994 für die Öffentlichkeit befahrbar sein, also nahmen wir den schnellsten Weg über die Autobahn und schipperten mit der Fahre von Calais nach Dover hinüber. Als wir die Fähre verlassen hatte, fügte ich mich - als Linkshänder - völlig problemlos in den Linksverkehr ein. Wir übernachteten in einem B&B in Ashford, einem von vielen auf unserer Tour. Diese waren recht billig und kamen mit einem üppigen englischen Frühstück bestehend aus Würstchen, Speck, Pilzen, Tomaten, Blutwurst, Eiern und Brot daher, welches uns meist bis zum Nachmittag satt hielt.
Unsere erste Mutprobe war die Fahrt nach London. Doch wir kamen nicht weit, dann standen wir bereis im Stau. Die Autofahrer gestikulierten uns, aber wir verstanden nicht, was los war. Dann näherte sich von hinten ein Motorradpolizist. Er hielt auf unserer Höhe und bedeutete uns, ihm zu folgen. Wir waren nervös und befolgten seinen Befehl. Als sich der Stau auflöste, grinste er, winkte uns zum Abschied und fuhr davon. So lernten wir, dass in England das Am-Stau-Vorbeifahren erlaubt war. London war in der Tat eine Herausforderung. Aber wir taten es einfach den Motorrad-Kurieren nach und besuchten auf diese Weise die üblichen Sehenswürdigkeiten in einem Wahnsinnstempo.
Unser nächster Stopp war dann das Old Tollgate Hotel, wo wir die eigentümliche Bekanntschaft mit britischer Küche machten: Hammel in Mintsauce.
Danach ging es weiter zur und entlang der Küste Richtung Westen. Das Wetter war durchwachsen und unsere Kleidung nicht ganz wasserdicht, so mussten wir immer mal wieder zum Aufwärmen die Handtrockner in Fastfood-Restaurants missbrauchen. In einem kleinen Indischen Restaurant an der Küste schloss ich Frieden mit der britischen Küche. Von nun an gab es Indisch, Italienisch oder Fish&Chips, und so überlebten wir ohne Hunger schieben zu müssen.
Mir war aufgefallen, dass selbstfahrende Frauen auf Motorrädern in den 90ern noch ein seltenes Bild gewesen sein mussten. Immer wieder gab es Zuspruch von den Einheimischen und ein Daumen-Hoch, wenn ich mein Mopped ankickte. Insgesamt waren die Engländer gegenüber uns Motorradfahrern sowieso sehr freundlich eingestellt. Auch gab es immer wieder Smalltalk oder eine Einladung zum Tee. Einmal durften wir sogar unsere Dreck verschmierten Bikes in einer Hotel-Lobby parken, als eine Sturmfront aufkam. Die ältere Generation mochte besonders den Retro-Look meines Eintopfs und verglich diesen oft mit Triumph oder Norton. Das fand ich damals total nett.
Der zweite Teil folgt bald...
January 24, 2015
Whenever I visit motorcycle dealerships...
... the following tune starts playing in my mind:
The verdict is still out on the last one. The obvious disadvantage seems to be a very limited selection of after-market parts in order to prepare the scooter for long distance riding. Also, Roland still wants to test-ride a 400cc Silverwing before his final decision, that is if he can get a hand on one, because they seem to be gone right away when they pop up for sale.
I found myself in biker's heaven today when I made first contact with that one here:
What a great little bike, and pretty, too (of course it is, it's Italian after all). It had arrived and was unpacked only the day before, and I was one of the privileged clients to get a close look and feel of the Scrambler. And to quote cookie monster: Me want it!
And then there was this... American iron. An iconic brand and model in contemporary dress-up: The all new Indian Scout. This bike fits me like a glove. I already picture myself taking this model down North American highways. My verdict: Me want this even more!
All in all a morning well spent... surrounded by motorcycles... while the world outside was getting covered by a white blanket once again. We were just looking, not buying and it kept us smiling.
there's things I want
there's things I think I want
there's things I've had
there's things I wanna have
...
I'm just looking I'm not buying
I'm just looking keeps me smiling
...
(Lyrics taken from "Just Looking" from STEREOPHONICS)
Since weather is still winter, and traveling on two wheels still a no-go, we ventured out to visit a handful dealerships in order browse for a newer maxi-scooter for Roland.
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| Yamaha T-Max 500: Not enough bang for the buck. |
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| Honda Silverwing FJS600: Been there, done that. |
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| BMW C600 Sport: Love on second sight? |
The verdict is still out on the last one. The obvious disadvantage seems to be a very limited selection of after-market parts in order to prepare the scooter for long distance riding. Also, Roland still wants to test-ride a 400cc Silverwing before his final decision, that is if he can get a hand on one, because they seem to be gone right away when they pop up for sale.
I found myself in biker's heaven today when I made first contact with that one here:
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| The all new Ducati Scrambler |
What a great little bike, and pretty, too (of course it is, it's Italian after all). It had arrived and was unpacked only the day before, and I was one of the privileged clients to get a close look and feel of the Scrambler. And to quote cookie monster: Me want it!
And then there was this... American iron. An iconic brand and model in contemporary dress-up: The all new Indian Scout. This bike fits me like a glove. I already picture myself taking this model down North American highways. My verdict: Me want this even more!
All in all a morning well spent... surrounded by motorcycles... while the world outside was getting covered by a white blanket once again. We were just looking, not buying and it kept us smiling.
***
Immer, wenn ich in Motorrad-Läden bin...
... geht mir das Lied "Just Looking" von STEREOPHONICS nicht mehr aus dem Kopf. "Es gibt Sachen, die ich will, und Sachen, von denen ich denke, dass ich sie will. Ich habe Dinge besessen und es gibt Dinge, die ich besitzen will. Ich schaue nur und kaufe nicht, das Schauen zaubert bereits ein Lächeln auf meine Lippen."
Wir haben immer noch Winter und die Zweiräder müssen leider im Stall bleiben. Daher gingen wir mal wieder auf Schaufenster-Tour bei ein paar Motorradhändlern, um nach einem Maxi-Roller für Roland zu schauen. Die Yamaha T-Max 500 war ihm zu teuer, die Honda FJS600 zu mächtig, damit wurde er schon in der Vergangenheit nicht glücklich, aber bei der BMW C600S schien es Liebe auf den zweiten Blick zu sein. Allerdings hat dieser Roller das Handicap, dass nur wenig Nachrüstmöglichkeiten zur Verbesserung der Reisetauglichkeit angeboten werden. Naja, Roland möchte sowieso erst noch eine Honda Silverwing 400 testen, bevor er sich zum Kauf entscheidet... wenn er denn mal an eine dran kommt. Denn diese Modelle scheinen weg zu gehen "wie warme Semmeln".
Ich selbst befand mich heute im Motorradhimmel, da ich endlich mal physischen Kontakt mit einer Ducati Scrambler machen durfte. Frisch geliefert und ausgepackt, war ich eine der ersten Kundinnen, die auf diesem Mopped Platz nehmen durften. Ein tolles, kleines Bike. Und um es mit Krümelmonster zu sagen: Haben will!
Und dann war da noch dieser amerikanische Eisenhaufen. Eine Ikone im neuen Gewand: Die neue Indian Scout. Das Motorrad passt mir wie angegossen. Ich kann mir bereis bildlich vorstellen, wie ich dieses Teil die nordamerikanischen Highways herunter fahre. Mein Urteil: Auch haben will.
Im Großen und Ganzen hatten wir einen perfekten Morgen, umringt von Motorrädern, während sich draußen erneut ein weißes Tuch über die Landschaft legte. Wir haben nur geschaut und nicht gekauft, und es hat uns zum Lächeln gebracht.
Ich selbst befand mich heute im Motorradhimmel, da ich endlich mal physischen Kontakt mit einer Ducati Scrambler machen durfte. Frisch geliefert und ausgepackt, war ich eine der ersten Kundinnen, die auf diesem Mopped Platz nehmen durften. Ein tolles, kleines Bike. Und um es mit Krümelmonster zu sagen: Haben will!
Und dann war da noch dieser amerikanische Eisenhaufen. Eine Ikone im neuen Gewand: Die neue Indian Scout. Das Motorrad passt mir wie angegossen. Ich kann mir bereis bildlich vorstellen, wie ich dieses Teil die nordamerikanischen Highways herunter fahre. Mein Urteil: Auch haben will.
Im Großen und Ganzen hatten wir einen perfekten Morgen, umringt von Motorrädern, während sich draußen erneut ein weißes Tuch über die Landschaft legte. Wir haben nur geschaut und nicht gekauft, und es hat uns zum Lächeln gebracht.
September 25, 2012
Uncharted Territory, almost
Imagine seven weeks of paid(!) vacation.
Imagine an employer that actually lets you go and takes you back after.
Imagine an old but trusty thumper that has a reputation for endurance and longevity.
Imagine rocks, mud, river crossings, old railroad tracks and dirt trails, everything but pavement.
Imagine a 5,000 mile off road journey on the Trans-America-Trail.
Stephan, your not so average German with serious traveler blood in his veins and a knack for mechanics didn’t stop at imagining. He took his 1988 Yamaha XT500 and just did it.
Last Sunday I came across Stephan's adventure blog by accident. Out of curiosity I SPOTted his location. He had just crossed the Canadian border, so I sent him a virtual wave by email to wish him safe continued travels.
But as it turned out he was on the very last leg of his journey (for this year), and adding to randomness he planned to put his motorcycle in a storage facility not even a mile away from my house. What are the odds? It was inevitable. We had to meet!
Hence, we picked him up and went for Eastern Indian food. As it turned out Stephan is a connoisseur of the cuisine as well as of the country as he had traveled India many times.
It would take too long to repeat all his stories, so just go check out his other blogs.
We had a great time, and who knows, maybe I’ll met him again next year when he picks up the bike to continue his trip to wherever his dreams might take him. Alaska? New Zealand? Time will tell.
Imagine an employer that actually lets you go and takes you back after.
Imagine an old but trusty thumper that has a reputation for endurance and longevity.
Imagine rocks, mud, river crossings, old railroad tracks and dirt trails, everything but pavement.
Imagine a 5,000 mile off road journey on the Trans-America-Trail.
Last Sunday I came across Stephan's adventure blog by accident. Out of curiosity I SPOTted his location. He had just crossed the Canadian border, so I sent him a virtual wave by email to wish him safe continued travels.
But as it turned out he was on the very last leg of his journey (for this year), and adding to randomness he planned to put his motorcycle in a storage facility not even a mile away from my house. What are the odds? It was inevitable. We had to meet!
Hence, we picked him up and went for Eastern Indian food. As it turned out Stephan is a connoisseur of the cuisine as well as of the country as he had traveled India many times.
It would take too long to repeat all his stories, so just go check out his other blogs.
We had a great time, and who knows, maybe I’ll met him again next year when he picks up the bike to continue his trip to wherever his dreams might take him. Alaska? New Zealand? Time will tell.
A rugged looking Stephan and Yours truly.
July 01, 2012
The Spirit of the Seventies
The bikes of the Seventies had always intrigued me the most. I will never forget my Yammy SR500, built in the early Nineties, yet with the style of the Seventies in mind.
No surprise that I am constantly drawn back to bikes like the classic line of Triumph such as the Bonneville or the Scrambler.
There are custom motorcycle builders out there who can help bringing back the good ole times by (re-)contructing those dream bikes. One of them (unfortunately located in London, England) is a shop called Spirit of the Seventies.
It is no surprise either that I was attracted to the timeless design of the Harley Davidson Sportster. What is possible with an 883 at hand, and a desire for Scrambler/Tracker motorcycles? Budget aside, there is an answer to everything.
There are custom motorcycle builders out there who can help bringing back the good ole times by (re-)contructing those dream bikes. One of them (unfortunately located in London, England) is a shop called Spirit of the Seventies.
Beautiful: Kawa Street Tracker by Spirit of the Seventies
Breathtaking: Triumph Street Scrambler by Spirit of the Seventies
It is no surprise either that I was attracted to the timeless design of the Harley Davidson Sportster. What is possible with an 883 at hand, and a desire for Scrambler/Tracker motorcycles? Budget aside, there is an answer to everything.
Roland Sands' Hurley Scrambler
JDM Bull Dirt Style
I wonder what the price tag would be on customizing my Sportster scrambler-style...
December 02, 2011
Into each Generation a Rider is born...
As a student my brother was an avid rider living on a tight budget, and keen on saving in vehicle cost, gas, maintenance and insurance. So he got himself a Yamaha XT, which he rode all year round for many years, fixed himself, and didn't spend a dime extra on upgrades.
Then the 'family thing' happened. He got married, breeding ensued, a bigger vehicle and more living space was needed, and so the motorcycle, a Yamaha XT600 was left forgotten in a dark corner of the shed for many years.
The next thing I hear: The kid is finally tall enough. What does he mean by that, for heavens sake, she is six years old? Actually in Germany a little person that is able to reach the passenger pegs can legally ride pillion, and my niece has reached that very threshold.
As a man of action he recruited family members help funding his daughter's first motorcycle gear (I ended up sponsoring the helmet.). He undusted the bike, did some basic maintenance, such as fluid exchange, spark plug, fresh gas, and that awesome XT came to life like it had never been parked.
The little one liked the adventure, but she says she cannot see enough on the back of the bike. I guess somebody is already planning to get into the front row... soon.
Then the 'family thing' happened. He got married, breeding ensued, a bigger vehicle and more living space was needed, and so the motorcycle, a Yamaha XT600 was left forgotten in a dark corner of the shed for many years.
The next thing I hear: The kid is finally tall enough. What does he mean by that, for heavens sake, she is six years old? Actually in Germany a little person that is able to reach the passenger pegs can legally ride pillion, and my niece has reached that very threshold.
As a man of action he recruited family members help funding his daughter's first motorcycle gear (I ended up sponsoring the helmet.). He undusted the bike, did some basic maintenance, such as fluid exchange, spark plug, fresh gas, and that awesome XT came to life like it had never been parked.
Here's my niece is in front of a big pile of gear.
My brother is particularly careful when he rides with her. The first trip was 40km one way to visit Oma (grandma, my mother). Naturally my mom was not amused. (Actually she was plain shocked!)
December 13, 2010
Bonnie's new rival
And while I am at it, I am going to check out one of those... the 2011 Moto Guzzi V7 Racer. Oh, you sexy thing.
November 13, 2010
A Short History of Motorcycles (mine, that is...)
Taking up Geoff's challenge to find embarrassing motorcycle pictures I dug into my piles of old photos and memorabilia of my past... and came up with... nothing. Since childhood days there are not too many pictures of me. In fact I fiercely hated having my picture taken. Hence I can only contribute a picture of little me.
For photos with motorcycle related content it is pretty much the same. There is almost no visible evidence that I or my two-wheelers ever existed. I hold a motorcycle driver's license for almost twenty years, but alas, I didn't do a good job documenting this during the pre-digital era.
Other than Geoff, I had the good fortune of being born too late, and therefore the fashion of the 70's left me unscathed. My school uniform consisted of jeans, parka and sneakers. The attire hasn't changed much since, so instead of pictures taken in different decades, just imagine several younger me's dressed in exactly these.
I apologize to Geoff that I won't be able to return a few good chuckles on my account.
However, here is a complete list of my two-wheeled companions. You might notice, that at no time I have settled on a specific brand, model or style. See for yourself:
The first bunch: 1992 - 1998
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| 1992-1993 '92 YAMAHA Virago 250 The beginning of my riding career |
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| 1993-1993 '89 SUZUKI DR600 No pic available, only briefly owned |
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| 1993-1994 '91 YAMAHA SR500 My beloved thumper |
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| 1994-1996 '88 HONDA XBR500 Where the heck is my ATGATT? |
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| 1995-1998 '95 VESPA ET4 125 My commuter vehicle, alas no picture of it |
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| 1996-1998 '85 BMW R80 My "Rubbercow" |
***
Two-wheelers revisited: 2009 to current
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| 2009-2010 '89 HONDA NT650 Hawk GT My Ladyhawk |
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| 2009-2010 '05 HONDA FJS 600 Silver winging |
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| 2010-2011 '04 BMW F650GS My (Citro)Nella, photo courtesy bobskoot |
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| 2011-2012 '06 VESPA GT200 Paolo, the little one |
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| 2011-current '08 HARLEY DAVIDSON Sportster 883 Roving on Rover |
2013-2017 '13 VESPA GTS300 Supersport
Allons-y Alonzo
|
 Bella, Roland's beauty. |
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