AVIATION AND MOTORCYCLES

[PA.]

TY80

There is a good little bike.

 

 

[spacesailor]

Vincent Black Prince ( became a Norvin) BSA Empire Star 250, Big marriage gap, and son-in-law gave me a "Machin" farm bike.

 

 

[PA.]

Gemini 50, Indian 80, Yamaha TY175B, TY175C x 2, TY175JC, TY350, Beta Techno 96, Beta Rev 3 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, Beta Evo 09, 10, 11, 12, Beta Factory Evo 2013.

 

I have a slight attraction to Moto Trials.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Vincent Black Prince ( became a Norvin) BSA Empire Star 250, Big marriage gap, and son-in-law gave me a "Machin" farm bike.

Hold on there Spacesailor! You actually owned a Black Prince? A pearl of innovation from the golden era of motorcycling.

 

 

[spacesailor]

Gee I thought you would have jumped at the 250cc Empire Star BSA, the first of the Mark ! No., 607: I worked for a motor bike shop and was sent to buy them at the defence auction / sales.

 

The Vincent was one of maybe six in the heap I got, and I collected the full set of Indians for myself but didn't like the Harley,s

 

5 pound a pop including a BMW 600 with a sidecar that was a boat !, the English bikes were 10 pound or 20 a heap.

 

a Canadian super sabre fully fuelled & armed sold to me for the next boss, cost 50 pound. He made 300 pound net profit making aluminium ingots.

 

 

[Bandit12]

The list is long but hardly distinguished.

 

KE175 - first bike, might buy and restore one day

 

IT125 - good fun

 

DR250 - first bike used on the road

 

GSX400R - bought after someone had written it off, restored and used for a while. Fun baby gixxer.

 

R90S - should never have sold. Still kicking myself

 

CBX750F x 2

 

VF1000FII

 

GPZ1000RX - ended up with a 900R engine after a conrod punched through the cases

 

Bandit 1200 x 2 - all round favourite. Coming up to half a million ks on them.

 

CBR1000RR - lot of fun but not licence friendly so it was sold.

 

Z50R - best amount of fun for the dollars.

 

Postie bikes x 5 for the farm (spend more time fixing after the kids break them than ever used riding!)

 

Suzuki A100 - currently restoring

 

Suzuki GT250X7 - restored and sold

 

Suzuki T20 - partially restored then sold

 

RD250LC race bike - fitted with TZ700 top end and tuned pipe (scary fun)

 

And a few more I can't really remember. Mostly dirt bikes I think.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Has anyone ever sat you down and explained how to go about riding one without wearing it out in a week or so?

 

 

[Oscar]

Owned: Honda XL250, CB400/4 (the original rather manic one), VF250, still own a VFR750 '86 model, just a sweet machine. Also ridden extensively a CB1000/6 and a GSX850, and some (too little) time on a Duc Darmah and WAY too little time on a square-case bevel-drive 900ss. Thrown a leg over a few more that I can't think of right now, though looping an original XT500 in a carpark!! stands out as embarrassing..

 

 

[Soleair]

Lifelong - and still current - biker. Started on scooters in the 60's, then onto bikes. Amongst others: Royal Enfield Bullet; BSA 500; Honda 550 -4K; Kawasaki ER5; Honda VFR 750; Suzuki DRZ 400; another Honda VFR 750. Current bike is a Kawasaki KLR 650. Best bike of those I've ridden was the VFR(s) - I rode over 100,000km on the two of them, and I had one up to an indicated 252 kph. Superb engineering.

 

Bruce

 

 

[Captain]

Captain, the mere fact that you can use supercilious correctly convinced me that you are an educated and literate member of the RAA community - as are almost all of us I have ever met. I don't believe that we have to come across as rednecks to be 'one of the boys' in this group and I certainly don't think it is in the interests of the RAA community to suggest that we have a limited capacity to comprehend sophisticated reasoning in responding to the challenges we face in trying to gain credibility for having a responsible and considered approach to the numerous issues that we face: trying to get a decent response to regulatory problems, combating the ever-diminishing availability of airfields in regional and rural areas, trying to engender the acceptance of 'Recreational'-class aviation as a socially desirable activity and suchlike.Having (successfully) represented the interests of motorcyclists ( a group then generally considered to be somewhat below-par in the intelligence stakes) to the Federal Minister of Transport a considerable way back in time and having achieved quite a significant improvement in our acceptability (as a result, we were specifically included in the authority that set Vehicle Performance and Safety Standards, for a start) I can attest to the efficacy of presentation of cogent, intelligible reasons for a position. The Minister involved was Peter Nixon, who gleefully embraced the description of him as 'the bastard from the bush' as his nick-name and my being a pompous ass did our cause no harm at all, you may be slightly surprised to learn.

 

If you care to read the report of the HORSCOTS enquiry - http://www.recreationalflying.com/tutorials/students/horscots_1987_PP3A.pdf - (paras. 106 -108) you will see the difficulties that a combative, ''good 'ol boy" attitude on the part of the then President of the AUF, George Markey - had done to the progress of ultralight activity in Australia. George was a mate of mine - as far as one could be with George, who took first place in the World's Championship for difficult people to get along with (there was no second-place awarded, as the competition was just not in the same league). He stayed at my place on numerous occasions when traveling south; I've stayed with him on his boat when I traveled to Bundaberg. George did an immeasurable service to Australian sports aviation by being one of two who re-cast Part 103 of the CASR's . Sharing a hangar with George while we worked on our respective aircraft was a re-make of the 'Rumble in the Jungle', but George would bounce his submissions to CASA off me for comment - and even sometimes take notice of my comments! Given what George did manage to achieve, I'm not inclined to take the criticism of certain loudmouth members of the Rec. Av. community at all seriously (and FWIW, you aren't yet included in that category, though you can, if you wish, continue to strive for that honour).

 

You evidently thought you were the target of my comments - you weren't. No cigar there, Captain.

Oscar,

 

 

 

A few points:

 

 

 

1 What you speak of in the above is mostly very ancient history. You aren't falling for the trap, are you, that the older you get, the smarter and more relevant you used to be, because the manner in which you write certainly makes it appear that you think yourself smarter, more edumacated and more successful that I bet you are or were.

 

 

 

2 I note your para 2 about how you and your towering intellect single handedly saved those dumb motorcyclists. Now I are one of them and I have to say that the motorcycle community has been sprinkled with the likes of you and the Damian Codognotto types who think that their towering intellect gives them some God-given right to "represent" the interests of motorcyclists.

 

 

 

Having road-raced bikes through the '70's, ridden on the road ever since, and presently owning a number of machines, what haughty blokes like you don't realise is that the reason most true motorcyclists ride is to get away from dills who have the god given right to "represent" us.

 

 

 

You obviously haven't read Boris Mihailovic's articles in AMCN where he calls out all the "representatives" of motorcycling for the pretentious supercilious drongos that they are.

 

 

 

3 I note your reference to the Horscots Report from 1987. Now, that is all well and good and I'm sure that you felt yourself to be very relevant at the time, but that is a long way back into last century when you may have thought yourself to be at your prime, but all of your threads on this Forum make you appear now to be a pompous, stuck up, bitter & somewhat irrelevant old bloke who uses obscure language for effect or to vainly try to impress, when it actually makes it look like you are just trying too hard.

 

 

 

And by extension, having saved those dopy unedumacated Motorcyclists back last century, here you are in a flash of bright light and wonderment to apply your talents to now save something to do with RA-Aus members.

 

 

 

Geeeez Louise, Occy, please save us from those that are self anointed to save us.

 

 

 

I also always marvel at those that blow into this Forum and are unwilling to nominate where they hail from our use their real names.

 

 

 

Regards Geoff

 

 

[fly_tornado]

muslim scholars would describe oscar as "eneld cadjeer", there is no english translation.

 

 

[Bandit12]

the Damian Codognotto types

....**shudders**

 

 

[facthunter]

Damien got things done when nobody else stood up for motorcycles. He dug up those ridiculous yellow raised blocks out of the road. Motorcyclists have ALWAYS been treated as second class citizens. Nev

 

 

[Captain]

Nev,

 

 

 

I'm not against blokes or blokettes that crack on and get things done, and as you know, there are a few on here that did just that when RA-Oz went off the rails in 2012.

 

 

 

What I am against, however, is those who appoint themselves to "represent" us either in motorcycling, in aviation or in any other walk of life.

 

 

 

Damian C got an AO for his efforts, but geez he worked his way through a lot of supporters and organisations on the way.

 

 

 

And while I am at it, my other pet hate is those that are on their quest for an AO. I am also involved in the Clay Target Sports and many who are administering that sport are putting in the years in the quest for an Aussie Day Honour. I didn't realise it until a few years ago that there is a whole group/strata in Aussie Society who work the Aussie Day Honours system, in one way through a you guys nominate me and we'll all nominate you type of approach. Motorcycling is no different as I was a member of the Competitions Committee of the ACU of NSW for some years last century and saw this at work there too.

 

 

 

Regards Geoff

 

 

[facthunter]

Geoff, the best way to get a good bloke into politics is to FORCE some talented decent type to do it. Most bowling clubs etc are a power group making an empire for themselves.. I had so much distain for CAMS when I was involved with car racing I got out of it. Most competitors have contempt for their organisation, because often it doesn't run for them. It usually runs for money.. I haven't come across the AO thing but I wouldn't be surprised. I prefer the quiet life and just get on with it but how often can you let things just fall apart as the RAAus has nearly done, when you can't operate without it? Nev

 

 

[Oscar]

Captain - I see you still want to take a crack at me, but let's put that aside for the moment.

 

You would remember, I am sure, the campaign against the proposed 'headlights-on' legislation? It was a serious issue for us as motorcyclists, because it effectively put the onus of being seen and treated with safety by the rest of the road-using community onto us to BE seen - not the others to look out for us. Motorcyclists were 'represented' on the MVPSS committee by the frigging NRMA - who wouldn't even insure us in those days. We were getting nowhere in trying to get attention to our side of the story in the ORS, and as for being taken seriously by the Minister for Transport - that wasn't happening.

 

I used to write some articles for REVS about the political stuff that was happening to us; Damian contacted me and asked for assistance in trying to cut through to the people who were forcing their proposed regulations down our throats. The MRA was the only organised group trying to get us a hearing. I dragged in a couple of mates who knew how to put submissions together.

 

Since you have such a rooted objection to what you consider to be 'self-appointed' representatives, I guess there's no point in me going through chapter and verse of how the fight was conducted. However, not every motorcyclist saw us in the same light - those three 'blokes' managed to organise a ride of 10,000 motorcyclists (official ACT Police estimate of the numbers) to Canberra to protest the legislation. They came from every State and Territory to show the level of support. Yes, Damian was heavily involved in that; we three dropped back from the fight once we'd managed to do our bit, so don't include us in your 'hate people who chase AO's' box. We were asked to help, I believe we delivered, especially in getting some decent representation on the MVPSS to help bring some sanity to the formulation of regulations we had to ride under (and no, none of us had any interest in being on that Committee, we left that to Damian et. al to organise. None of us has taken any active part in 'motorcycle politics' since then; fortunately for motorcyclists, there are always new people willing to put in the yards and take up the slack.

 

As Nev says, the fight goes on for motorcyclists to be treated as any sort of equal in road use. Following not entirely successful carpal-tunnel surgery to both wrists, I don't ride much these days, the Viffer has a heavy clutch and the brakes aren't modern-day light and effective, so the issues of today don't affect me very much and I have zero interest in having any sort of personal 'platform' for any reason.

 

 

[Oscar]

Geoff, the best way to get a good bloke into politics is to FORCE some talented decent type to do it. Most bowling clubs etc are a power group making an empire for themselves.. I had so much distain for CAMS when I was involved with car racing I got out of it. Most competitors have contempt for their organisation, because often it doesn't run for them. It usually runs for money.. I haven't come across the AO thing but I wouldn't be surprised. I prefer the quiet life and just get on with it but how often can you let things just fall apart as the RAAus has nearly done, when you can't operate without it? Nev

Nev - so true about CAMS, I felt the same way when I was racing Clubman class and it grated that we had to accept that all the tracks were under their control so we all had to kowtow; but CAMS did manage to keep (mostly) the 'racing cars should be banned' stuff off our backs. It's always a bit of a swings and roundabouts situation, and absolutely, the situation of the RAA in the last couple of years culminating in the multiple debacles of '12-'13 ought to be taken with the utmost seriousness by anybody who wants to fly RAA-class aviation.

 

 

[Captain]

Congratulations Oscar. Your posts #266 & #267 are the most sensible and non-obtuse that I have seen from you. I could actually understand what you are getting at without resorting to a Thesaurus and some Panadol. Small praise, I know, from a member of the great unwashed like me, but keep that up and you'll just become one of the boys (& girls ..... NTTIAWWT) on here. Next thing you'll be contributing to the NES and even smiling a bit. Regards Geoff

 

 

[Captain]

I had so much distain for CAMS when I was involved with car racing I got out of it. Most competitors have contempt for their organisation, because often it doesn't run for them. It usually runs for money.. Nev

I agree Nev. I was interfacing with CAMS when involved in club-level racing at about the time that they became V8 Supercar-centric and then didn't give a rats any more about other classes. The members should have sorted them out, but didn't. Regards Geoff

 

 

[Oscar]

Captain, I can't begin to tell you how warm and fuzzy your endorsement makes me!

 

btw, and appropos of nothing really here, but on the Saturday night of the Canberra ride, I passed up an invitation from the Head of the ACT motorcycle police squad - with whom we had become good friends during the organising for the ride to have dinner at his place with him and a 'mate over from N.Z. who was interested in the ride thing'. The three of us stayed out on the camp-site to help with organisation and security (being provided by some heavies from the Albury chapter of a bikie club whose name I can't remember).

 

Turned out the 'mate from N.Z.' was Croz - one of my all-time motor-cycle racing gods. Missed the bloody chance to have a beer and a talk with Croz, FFS. Apparently he enjoyed watching the ride, though.

 

Oh, and btw - as far as 'chasing an AO' goes, for my money there isn't any gong that would match up to riding across Commonwealth Avenue bridge in Canberra with 5,000 motorcycling mates in line astern behind you. With your wife as pillion, facing the wrong way and taking pictures, and the top ACT motorcycle cop beside you grinning like a loon the whole way (he was mates with Croz because they used to street race together quite illegally in Pukekohe, I think it was, as youngsters).

 

 

[Captain]

Captain, I can't begin to tell you how warm and fuzzy your endorsement makes me!

No wuckers Oscar. Caring, sharing & bonding is what this Forum is all about, and it's great to see you back from the dark-side, even if only perhaps for a short time.

 

 

[motzartmerv]

............

[facthunter]

SAYS write your reply but I'm stuck for words. Nev

 

 

[Captain]

........ riding across Commonwealth Avenue bridge in Canberra with 5,000 motorcycling mates in line astern behind you ........ .

Occy,

 

 

 

I see that you added a bit to your post # 270 and respond as follows:

 

 

 

I was one of the 5000 in that ride, although down the back with the unedumacated ones. My mates and I were supporting the principle of the issues, not our self appointed representatives and we buggered off as soon as the speeches and self promotion kicked off.

 

 

 

Having seen him ride quite often, Graham C was, and still is, at the right hand of God when it comes to road racing. He was at the Island Classic last year, I think to promote his book, and I was able to say g'day. Thought that he might come back and ride with the NZ team this year, but no such luck.

 

 

 

I have been over to most of the NZ Street Races. Well worth it.

 

 

 

Now, all of this agreement and conviviality is making me dry reach. So let's get back to bluing.

 

 

 

Regards Geoff

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Crosby the Great. My enduring memory of his daring is of two of us peering thru the gap between armco panels at Bathurst. Croz hurtled down thru the esses and we saw quite a bit of daylight under his front tyre as he powered out of the dipper, tossing the big bike over like a toy.

 

The next year all the young blades were doing it.