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The standard lament come end of October, why do so many drivers not feel the need to put their lights on in the dark. I was waiting to turn right, started to move then stopped hard. The empty space in front of me was a red mini with no lights on which had merged into the background. As our esteemed editor used to say ‘be careful out there’. And if you must ride a pushbike with no lights then please do not do too much damage to the lorry that runs you down.
Last Sunday I am on my way back from the Twits Rally at the Black Horse in Great Missenden; a small white car type van is ahead of me weaving from side to side on a dual carriageway so I can clearly see both sides of his van had been stoved in in previous accidents. The roof was ok so not a rollover then. When I decided it was safe I overtook and glancing left could see a white, mid twenties male leafing through his paperwork as he drove.
No point me saying it and I am definitely not getting at our resident plod (as he would totally agree) but we need more traffic police. They disappeared in ’97, which means we now have thirty three year old drivers who have never been pulled over and don’t know how stupid and dangerous they are. And bikers/riders too but they generally kill themselves, I have no problem with Darwin.
By the way, I do genuinely believe that 95% of people are decent or we wouldn’t have got this far; it’s just that if all your mates don’t know any better why should you?
The Twits 10/11 In a Basket Rally was a typically good low key camping weekend. I particularly liked the lead singer announcing at 10:30 they had played all they knew so if we wanted more it would have to be repeats. Repeats were fine. And my bike won an award for second best bike there.
Or so I thought. When I got home and looked at it properly it said Shit Heap 2013, which means someone else has got my award. Hope they don’t make too much fuss about it or they will look really stupid. Nice looking award though, a penny-farthing made out off old bearings and some stainless on a rough-hewn wooden base.
Many people complained that food and beer was expensive. For Oxfordshire it was quite reasonable but if your income is earned 75 miles further North, South or West then it will be expensive. It’s only once a year, push the boat out. And Puker and Co obviously know what they are doing.
But what really made my day was a mate had traded in his BMW GS trailie thingie for a Guzzi 750 Breva. Reckoned it was a better bike. Knowledge comes to Everyman eventually. Or perhaps it’s just a male thing and he prefers perkier cylinders. I have been told there are no more new ones so there is a waiting list at dealers for when second hand examples come up for sale.
Anyway the Clocks Back Rally at the Drum and Monkey, Worcestershire, off the B4211 more than made up for any expense the previous week. Pleasant pub and being Guzzi people a great crowd as well as extremely inexpensive. Sutty, a Lemon rider from oop North who turned up with Val on a Gladius and Guy and Kate on a pair of beautiful Lemons (I don’t have a photo but Woffy would have been jealous) even donated a tub of gravy granules to ease my lack of gravy dilemma. I like feedback as it means I am writing for people and not a faceless crowd.
I have heard people complain that one make clubs can be exclusive and inward looking; it certainly isn’t something I have ever noticed about the Guzzi crowd. But as is obvious from the above we are a bike club that appreciates Guzzis rather than a normal one make club. There were two Triumphs, a Suzuki and at least one BMW at the rally as well.
I expect it was a slip of the mouse from our esteemed editor but despite the West’s best efforts I do not believe the world is less friendly than before (I certainly don’t miss the cold war and potential nuclear Armageddon), just certain people in England are as a result of overt government policy dating back to 1979. I personally find decent people wherever I go but I am a cup half full person who can normally find someone to help me fill it up.
It is I fear a truth though that many or our Twitter/Facebook/forum using population are happier with pretend friends and personalities but I don’t expect to meet them so no problem. Mike Harding summed it up with the Brown Dirt Cowboys forty years ago. And the happier they are with their online personality the less likely they are to meet up and breed, thus we are less likely to be buggered in the end.
Ride Safe
An ancient Guzzisti
Ian Dunmore
Good one Ian xx