have a lot of fun on them That's all riding motorcycles is to me - if you can't have fun doing it, why the fuck bother?
Yep, LAMS to the slaughter if you have less than 100 HP these days...... To think the 1959 Bonnie had 56HP......
I've never owned a Bonnie....but my T110 had a 105hp.
Haven't read any bike books lately, but got a new toy - a Kobo Mini. Of course I'd like a real Kobo, but the Mini was on special at $59, plus free back thing. Mini price was $139, snap back $29...and a real Kobo is $170. The Mini is 1 inch smaller and has no external controls and no card, but there is enough gigahertz for 1000 books. It's not for buying books, I don't do that these days, but for library use. Instead of having to wait until saturday morning to go to the library, I can now go to the library 24/7 sitting at my computer. Not a huge collection at Hamilton, and books are either the latest, or oldest, but there will never be less ebooks, only more.
I've read a number of good motorbike books over the past couple of years since I first owned a bike (5 years ago). Because of my age combined with a lack of an OE when I was younger, I've mostly read bike trip/adventure books. I decided that I should make my fingers do some work and actually post a review here! I've just finished "Oz: Around Australia on a Triumph" by Geoff Hill and Colin O'Carroll. No prizes for where they went! Although via previous rides by Hill they rang up Triumph Australia and borrowed 2 Tigers for the trip, rang Etihad who flew them from Ireland return, rang etc etc you get the picture. Seems like they paid for very little. It's written in a very easy to read style, lots of humour. They seem like what I think most of us are like: 50 something, like a good pie and a couple of beers at the end of every day and generally having a good time on bikes. One day I would like to do the Aussie round trip, this book is well written and describes a good journey and good times. If you like a good motorcycle trip yarn then I recommend this.
The Oz trip is something you do to say you have done it. Miles and miles of nothing. It was all summed up by a sign that stated "Hamburgers 400km Ahead" and you know there is nothing in between apart from gum trees. I lived on my bike for 6 months riding around the USA and that was a fascinating trip. Forget Australia. Plus the various BMW clubs put out books of people who want you to drop by and stay and meeting the people is what its all about.
Well Unna I'd like to do USA and Aussie. And South America...
Stealing Speed- by Matt Oxley, was a good read, it's about a the MZ motorcycle manufacturing company in East germany, post war a fella by the name of Walter Kaaden started work, in a resurrected DKW factory, on making two strokes what they are today, on the way to world championship glory, MZ's main rider defected with a suitcase full of engine parts and sold them and his knowledge(stolen from Kaaden) to Suzuki and the rest is history.along with Degners defection Kaadens dreams were shattered. It is really well written and gives an insight to the early days of motorcycle racing, communism and life in post war Germany. It's not a big book(250 pages) so is an easy read.
Just finished the Hugh Anderson book. It's OK but a ilttle bit dry, not a book you are unable to put down, follows his racing career in pretty much chronological order but gives a away little about himself or some of the riders of his era. He was certainly a dedicated & analytical , thinking rider not just a big right wrist. Found a copy of the Guggenheim Museum book about their exhibition , ' The art of the motorcycle ' Cost $120 in a second hand book shop in Devonport, one of the best coffee table type books on motorcycles I have seen, very nicely done.
I bought the Guggenheim book new in Los Angeles years ago for $15 in a book shop. I burnt rubber to the checkout.
Being There, Hugh Andersons recently published book, is proving a good read. Am only 1/3 of the way through so far but looking forward to the rest of it.
I was taking to a couple yesterday from the Classic Register and it sounded like she typed it ( the draft copy I assume) up while he read out his notes over the phone.
I hope it wasn't a toll call .....
