since god was a boy
A very pleasant afternoon spent at the VMCC founders day rally at Stamford hall, not been here for a few years but nothing really changes, all the stalls are in exactly the same place and I’m sure they are still selling the same rusty old tat that I saw three years ago. Does anyone really buy second hand sprockets with less teeth than a geriatric hen? The bikes are the stars though, yes there are some lovely, concourse bikes wheeled out to receive a rosette and put back in the van until the next show, but for me wandering down the tree lined avenue searching out the gems is where it’s at for me. I know I’m not posting as many photos as I used to on the blog but forgive me, it got to the stage where I felt I was missing out on the ambiance and enjoyment of just stumbling around looking, talking to the characters and just enjoying the whole experience instead of chasing Instagram ‘likes’, followers and comments.
Sitting in the shade of a massive oak tree eating a cheese and tommy doorstep I found myself reflecting on the whole classic bike scene, I’m no youngster myself as I passed the ‘60’ milestone a few weeks ago but the average age of the visitors must have been at least sixty-five and that’s a conservative [hacks loudly and spits on the floor] estimate. Where are the kids? Where’s the new blood coming through to take over the reigns and keep these lovely old bikes on the road where they belong not sitting polished and burnished and unused and silent and viewed as a piece of fine art rather than a noisy, oil-smelling, loud and dangerous motorcycle?
I've seen the kids out there. But they're riding, not at bike shows. I've noticed a shift as they embrace ratty 1980s Jap bikes that they can buy cheap and keep running for just a few bucks. Bikes made in the 90s will soon be 3 decades old and officially vintage. In a couple decades these kids will be a the bike shows with their 1995 barn find they brought back to life.
ReplyDeleteI am 23 and sold my BSA b31 bitsa a few months back, I loved riding it, it had minimal mudguards, no lights or battery, it was slow and covered me in oil, but at 45-50 on a quiet lane I would not have wanted to be anywhere else. When I went to autojumbles to get bits which I actually need(as I rode it a fair bit) they where usually expensive and completly worn out . The old guys did not like to haggle much and showed little interest in helping me out at all with infomation. The cafe racer/bobber 'scene' looks far more accessible and welcoming.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments fellas, interesting to get your viewpoints, OMD, I think you are right with what you say regarding the older Jap bikes, I know stuff like the Katanas are rocketing skywards but also stuff like gsx 600’s and 750s, cbr 600’s and Kawasaki 636’s are starting to creep up in value for a good, clean unmolested model.
ReplyDeleteJacob, sorry you have had a bad experience out there in autojumble land, I’ve experienced it myself in the past, I know that a lot of the traders tend to look down their noses at people if they don’t know the original part number and bin location in the stores at Armoury Road or Bracebridge Street and I must admit to having the odd row with a few of them. Intend to use owners clubs for information or the forums but beware because there are a lot of ‘experts’ out there ready to instill their vast font of knowledge on anyone prepared to listen! I really think it’s more important to just go your own way and enjoy your bike whatever you ride, wherever you ride and who you ride with rather than trying to belong to a scene. I’ve not really built a bike for a few years from the ground up, [i dick about making bits for the little rc390 Trackday bike and I will probably start modding the guzzi over the winter] I got fed up with building bikes and all the stress that goes with it, I’m not a professional just an enthusiastic shed-dweller and so stepped back, bought a standard bike and to tell you the truth I like the anonymity of riding something that nobody looks at, I suppose it’s a stealth thing, I can turn up, park it and no one gives me a second glance, much better than standing around listening to some ‘expert’ with rim tape slagging off your build! Stick with it mate, enjoy it and experience as many different things as you can, all the best, tim
Tim,
ReplyDeleteCould not agree more with your comment about "going your own way." My favorite bike is he one I can ride at the moment. I have a few trailer queens (mainly investments to help fund the hobby), and it's time to sell em off. Also have a few 60s/70s Jap and Italian bikes, but the maintenance to riding ratio is just too much to bother with anymore. I used to do some group rides, but I'm finding that riding with one or two good friends is just about perfect. Glad you're blogging again. Keep it up.
Thanks OMD, appreciate your comments, I ride solo all the time now, i’ll get around to explaining it all when the time is right. Enjoying blogging again, lost my mojo for it for a while but I’ve got a few things in the pipeline, thanks again mate, tim
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reply Tim. I think it's great you started blogging again, I missed it.
ReplyDeleteNo Jacob, thank you, it makes it all worthwhile when I get comments back, I know I tend to go off at an oblique angle now and again but that’s what blogging is all about, I found that I’d started considering my thoughts too much rather than it being a string of consciousness and I suppose that’s why I jacked it for a while, blogging has now lost it’s fashionability as it’s just easier to use the instagram platform to post glam photos rather than actually writing stuff, it suits the majority but not me, thank you for your kind comments, tim
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