The "Good Old Days"...

[jim.cox]

Twin and four leading shoe front brakes, spending hours, days setting the buggers up then having to detune them for the wet

Or Harley's stainless steel disks that did not work at all in the wet...

Or resetting the Notrun's points at the side of the road at night in the rain (again)...

[martybabe]

I bought an XT500 with my father in law when they first came out, great bike, unusually for the time, it had kick start only. It did however have a little sight glass for top dead centre or something ? but following Yamahas instructions, it started sweet as every time.

Enter the Father in law, a man raised on square fours and Panther 650s and stuff, Kick kickedy kick kick, nothing. I told him if you get the mark in the sight glass and give it a boot it'll go first time. Kick kickedy kick kick "don't tell me how to kick start a bike, I was starting these bastards when you were in nappies", Kick kickedy kick kick kick..

"FFS, let me show you" Kick, rumble rumble, "there ya go, take it for a spin". Half an hour latter I get a call "the fugging things stalled and it won't start, my fuggin bantam was more reliable than this piece of shite!"

I drove out to him, kicked it once as per instructions and...rumble rumble, sweet!

Anyway, after several such journeys and rescues, he eventually surrendered his half ownership to me for nothing, claiming it to be the single most unreliable bike ever made.


"Thanks Dad I said", Kick, rumble rumble . It would seem that not only do some bikes belong in the past, some people well and truly belong there too.


Viva the modern Bike I say.

[the mouse]

Leaking bikes were easy, put a tin underneath the bike at night, and each morning simply pour it back into the oil tank.

Early disc brakes when you pulled them on in the wet and nothing happened but forward motion.

Bikes that when you opened the throttle, they didn't make an honest effort. Beesa singles come to mind

Bikes that when braking (drum) took a minute or two to think about actually slowing you down.

N.Z West coast roads

British electrical faults and poor headlights

Riding gear (WWII trench coat, mutton cloth scarf, and open face helmet with period attractive looking but totally useless stadiums) in rain, hail, snow. Brrrr.

flagons, not the easiest to carry

green rubberneck pillions

[martybabe]

Bikes that when you opened the throttle, they didn't make an honest effort.

Lovely turn of phrase.

Yep I've had many a bike that simply wasn't trying hard enough

[cheshirecat]

The waxed cotton Barbour Jacket.

[tri boy]

Early Motoplat ignition systems on two stroke Husky's, and soft woodruff keys on big Maico's. Oh, the pain

[xwhatsit]

German Jack-Boots
Drum brakes
Shorrock Superchargers
Goggles
Pith helmets
White scarves
Waxed cotton wet weather gear
Black plastic bags
Open crancase breathers
No oil filters

Goggles... check!
Open helmet... check!
Waxed cotton jacket... check! (don't wear it though, it's third hand and looks worse than my bike)
Open crankcase breather... check! (what's the big deal?)
No oil filter... check!


The reason I dredged up this lot... I was wondering if any of you old bastards knew (or had spare?) a nose-bridge adjuster screw for the old Stadium goggles (I think the Mk4 had it... Mk9 definitely had it). My scrounged Mk.9 set is missing the screw. I see there's a UK company called `Halcyon' around the net which seems to be making copies (or they bought the IP? Still has the `Patent' stamped on the frames, like the Stadiums). They sell the screw for the nosepiece. $US10

Also I'd like a silk scarf. I've got a number of woollen items but they're a bit bulky and I'm told silk is warmer and doesn't get in your way when you turn your head. On Tardme they have hundreds of silk scarves; wonderful, if I wanted to pay $50 for a flower-patterned purple and pink item with tassles. Might just buy a metre of plain silk and hem my own.

Want to stay warm this winter.

[Motu]

I still have the wool scarf I used for about 20 years solid riding.It was a thin weave,almost like cotton,not bulky like a knitted wool scarf.Best thing about wool,it's still warm when wet.My silk balaclava is almost 20 years old too (I was wearing it on the Nikau Cave ride) and only has one small moth hole.(do moths eat silk? Is that canalibism?).The silk balaclava took over from the wool scarf and does the up to the chin thing.

[peasea]

Best thing about wool,it's still warm when wet.

So is my missus.

[Motu]

So is the insides of a wooly mammoth - but I haven't done that for ages....and ages.

[pete376403]

Indian with hand change and foot clutch. I was told a very funny story about being parked on a slope with the clutch on the uphill side.

[xwhatsit]

I've seen those silk balaclavas but often when I'm riding, I'm riding to get some place... nicer to have a scarf to keep you warm off the bike rather than a balaclava where you look like a bank robber or Russian soldier on foot.

Here's a pic of the Mk.9's:


I'm after the little screw for the nose bridge. Did everybody have Mk.8's instead?