behind the bikeshed [for consumers by consumers]

i think the new ducati scrambler is brilliant. i'm not just saying that because dangerous has decided that life is incomplete without having one in the shed, no, seriously i think ducati have hit the proverbial nail-on-the-head with this bike. had to laugh when i nipped into the local triumph dealership to pick up an oil filter for the 'false' triumph, i usually just go in, order what i require and fuck off. as i'm standing at the counter waiting my turn i tuned into a conversation one of the salesmen was having with a potential triumph scrambler customer, he was trying his hardest to get the punter to buy a triumph and decided to bring me into the sales pitch. bad move. i just told the geezer the truth, the ducati is 100 kg lighter straight out of the box, it has 75 bhp against the triumphs claimed 50 and the duc is two grand cheaper! i'm sorry, but whats not to like about those figures? no-brainer really........ anyhoo, surfing the net and i see our old friends over a the bikeshed motorcycle club [bikeshed m.c. really? m.c.?] have six ducati scramblers that have been 'customised' by, er, some motorcycle customisers. i follow a link to the london evening standard newspaper. apparently, the bikeshed show started as 'an underground movement hosting custom events for a select handful of dedicated 'shed builders' so undergound that they attract 300,000 followers on social media and a weekly audience of over a million? [these figures from the same article. underground? bollock's, courting little 'shed builders' like ducati, triumph, yamaha and harley davidson! the best statement comes from the head honcho 'dutch' 'the world's best independent, [independent? for fuck's sake!] motorcycle show, run by consumers for consumers' consumers? is this really what it's all come down too? i really don't give a fuck that someone has spotted a business oppurtunity and decided to make a few bob out of it, but, please don't take us for mug's, you really don't give a fuck about people building stuff in shed's. how do you think we went on before motorcycling was invented by you three years ago? the manufacturers must be loving it, you get people to send you a photo, blow some smoke up their arse and invite them down to your show, the factory boy's steal the ideas and bingo! why employ an r and d department when you can get some sucker's to do it for a photo on a blog and a cup of barista coffee! pump some of the money from the bikeshed show into sponsoring a racer, or perhaps the motorcycle action group fighting fund against prohibitive legislation if you are really concerned about the future of the 'underground' scene. enough ranting. got the wiring sorted. hate wiring. backlight / brakelight works, as does the speedo, numberplate mounting sorted. mot time is coming......