Motorcycle Memories

Its funny how things change as you grow older. Alex and I used to go every where on a motorcycle. We could go off for a fortnight with a tent sleeping bag stove and clothes on the back of our old Triumph Daytona. We used to go to motorcycle rallies with my brother and his girlfriend (he is pictured above with his Triumph Saint combination). We toured Europe and the UK. Now if we go anywhere for a weekend Alex packs three suitcases including both my shirts and one jumper. (Two of the suitcases are for her shoes!).

Anyway we used to love the motorcycles although we spent a great deal of time taking them apart and putting them back together.

We had all sorts, Ariels, Royal Enfield, Triumphs, BSA, even a few Japanese ones. Wehad an old DMW at one time. (A DMW was a Dudley Motor Works motorcycle) which we used as a field bike.
We had a few problems with it such as the spark plug blowing out of the cylinder head and the clutch packing up. We made new clutch plates with cork mat and put a helicoil in the cylinder head. In the end we blew it up and scrapped it.

We also had two trials Honda's. It was quite easy to pull this over your head with a fistful of throttle and a steep gradient which was quite entertaining for those watching but something not to be recommended as good practice. Seeing the world go by with the front wheel coming up over your head and wondering whether the bike will land on you is a little disturbing.

I remember watching Alex accidentally do a similar trick at the Beguildy T Junction. She pulled up at the give way, checked it was clear grabbed a fistfull of throttle, lifted the front wheel and shot across the road straight throught he hedge opposite. My brother and I were in fits! There were plenty of incidents and we were lucky to get away relatively unscathed. (Alex still has a couple of scars).  Now the roads are too busy and my reactions are too slow so I won't be having a Mid(?) Life Crisis and buy another bike, although I do often think about those times we had and the way the Triumph glided around corners like it was on rails. 

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