60s transfers from UK

Scored these "water slide" transfers on ebay.

SPLING!

The trouble with charging motorcycles to park in the UK is that you need to have a valid sign - one that is legible and hasn't been defaced. Seems like someone has been going around daubing them with a mysterious word - SPLING.
I checked out the meaning at Urban Dictionary.com and found it means to laugh out loud.
It's currently the 5th most popular definition of the word, if you agree that money-grabbing councils should NOT charge bikes to park maybe you could follow the link and click on the 'thumbs up' symbol next to the definition..let's make it official !

V Day: An allied action by the NoTo Mob & London cabbies

V day

Following on from my previous post, here's how the evening went.

Bit nice this...

Currently on Ebay

Monday Quiz Night

Click here to listen to the mystery theme tune!

V is for Vengeance

Life imitates Art ? Pissed off bikers in London who refuse to surrender and are still fighting the introduction of parking charges in the borough of Westminster are mustering forces for a show of strength against the council that introduced them.

Watch the video here

Vintage Bausch and Lomb safety glasses (bifocal)

Scored these on ebay a week or so ago, they've just arrived today from California USA (where the raisins come from!)

The Old Man & The Frog

An old man was fishing at the riverbank. Along came a frog who said, "If you kiss me I will turn into a beautiful woman and grant you any sexual favour you desire!" The old man thought about it and put the frog in his coat pocket. "Aren't you going to kiss me?" said the frog. "I'm 75, I'd rather have a talking frog!"

All aboard the Skylark!

Bought this on ebay earlier in the week, described as 'not working - missing parts'.  Turned out the driveshaft in the electric motor that turned the clockwork was sheared in half. Also there were a couple of 'handles' missing from the outside of the case. I removed the original workings and replaced them with a simple, battery powered quartz movement out of a modern kitchen clock. Luckily the original hands fitted with a little persuasion. Just finished turning new handles on my mini-lathe; they're the ones at 5 & 7.

Who makes stickers ?

Quick! Before he changes it!!

I realise MZs aren't the most well-known of motorcycles but I just had
to message the seller of this petrol tank and tell him that it wasn't a
'ZWE' tank; it was an MZ one with the badges on upside down. 

The coolest grasshopper in the world.

Riding to work this morning I looked in the mirror and saw a grasshopper hanging on to the glass. I thought, "Aaw bless..let's see how long he can hold on for." Got onto the A40; 40mph, 50mph, 60mph..he hung on, peering over the edge of the mirror into the airstream but hanging on. Got to work, 15 miles later and he was still there. Went out at lunchtime and the little fellow had gone. Got home at 5pm, opened the gate and looked round at the front of the 'bike - there he was under the speedo!
Officially the coolest grasshopper in the world.

Kramer knives

 A guy called Bob Kramer was working in kitchens, one day he realised he knew nothing about the knives
he was using and switched professions. First he toured the country sharpening knives for chefs, then as he learned more he started making his own. Then he studied for 6 years to become a Master Bladesmith - one of only 22 people in the world to carry that title.
Now, he's got a 12 month waiting list and one of his 8" chef's knives will set you back $2400. When he's ready to make more he randomly picks names from the long list of eager buyers.

                                                            

                                                               http://kramerknives.com

1949 Advertisements

Ferodo Brakes

As found in E.M.Franks' 'Norton' repair & maintenance book.

'Energol'

North Weald Bikefest 2010

Old fast men & bikes

Admit it...you love it.

Door Knocker Friday

This rather impressive door knocker can be found at the North entrance of Durham cathedral in the North of England. If I remember rightly it's about 2ft across. It's on the 'Sanctuary Gate' where criminals could escape the clutches of the law by entering the cathedral. However, after 37 days they had to leave for the docks and be expatriated to the New World, where, within a month they'd either starve to death, die of dysentery or be eaten by the natives.

Some swaggering dandy in the 18th century decided to use it for target practice and left his mark for all eternity. I'm betting he was a complete wanker and his descenants are now driving Porsches.
Still, not a bad shot.

It has nothing to do with motorcycles. It was made in the 12th century. It is very old. I like it very much.

Just thought I'd post this for people who hadn't seen it before, if nothing else it proves that there's a lot of cool old shit out there.

If you wish for peace..

Not quite sure what's going on here. Either that dude has freakishly large hands or that is one tiny pistol.

Latest ebay purchase

 This post is dedicated to Chris in Belgium who entertains me by writing the***卐peed卐eekers*** blog.

 A genuine 1970s enamel biker badge that I managed to score on ebay; 27mm X 17mm.

Please rest assured that I have no affection for the SS, Nazis, fascists, racists or dickheads of any other kind.

Fabuloso!!

Seen at Amberly Classic bike show.

Shinya Kimura

I have seen the future..

Our day in court

I've spent the last two days at the High Court in London whither, finally, the protest group No To Bike Parking Tax has brought Westminster council to defend its motorcycle parking charging scheme.
Being a High court it's more of a presentation to the judge of our case rather than the legal boxing match one normally associates with courtrooms.
It seems to have gone very well, our barrister played a good game making his 'learned friend' (Westminster council's barrister) look ill-informed and under-prepared. Indeed, there were times our barrister's points caused  their barrister to spin around, face the legal head of Westminster council with a look of "..why the Hell didn't you tell me that earlier?!" The judge thinks a verdict will be available in two weeks' time.
Many thaks to the lovely but unattainable Liz for the use of her camera and her cookies, made with love.

Fingers crossed, that the idea of local authorities charging motorcycles to park will be dealt a final fatal blow.

Mercury Guisval 'Wild Cat' chopper

A French manufacturer of model cars and bikes produced this beauty back in the early 70s. Gotta love those exhausts.

These pic are from ebay, where it sold for a paltry £10. Still, the seller was a complete dick who snottily refused my off-line offer of £10, so I'm kinda happy somebody got it for the same price and the seller lost out to ebay and paypal fees.

                                            

Bates Master

 A very skilled guy in England is producing some amazingly accurate copies of period Bates seats. Meticulously made by a master craftsman at the top of his game, and at a price that means you won't have to hide the receipt from your significant other.

Click here for more info

Helmet Porn

Pure history this, from a time when riding a fast motorcycle actually meant something.

Click here to see more 

UPDATE :  Sold!  For £285  -   $420 

Lathes are heavy...and top-heavy

           

  

Not me, thank God. Still, very nasty.

Beats Sweeping Afterwards ?

 No home is complete without one.


clicky clicky

Ebay helmet result!

My latest addition to the 'cool helmet shelf'. A Chas Owen 'Haltstone', fibreglass full-face helmet with leather interior. The stickers on it appear to be the original 'safety stickers'. 
The seller described it as a 'small' and seeing as how I wear a 'large' I'd accepted that it wouldn't fit me in a million years and would take up residence on the afore-mentioned shelf. It arrived today and after I'd taken up a good lungful of its heady, vintage stock-room aroma I pulled it on; fully expecting it to get stuck halfway. To my absolute JOY it fits like a glove! Check out the strange twin straps, anyone know what that's about ?

New design - on ebay now!!

Here's the link 

This is a new design of T-shirt I'm selling via ebay. The design is taken from an Indian Motorcycle delaership rubber ink stamp that was issued by the factory waaaay back in the day.

Superb

Super clean Bell Star on ebay

UPDATE:   It sold for £177 ($270)  -  Yikes!!

Pig Monkey anyone ?

http://xenophilius.wordpress.com/2008/07/26/piglet-with-monkeys-face/

Poor little fellah...still..I've woken up next to worse.

RainyMood.com

RainyMood.com

No to Bike Parking Tax

Since August 2008 a growing band of motorcyclists, scooterists and residents have been battling Westminster council's introduction of parking charges for 'bikes in central london.
Despite 6,000 objections, common sense and the fact that the scheme is, according to the council, losing £430,000 a year, they refuse to scrap this abortion of an idea.
The protest group No To Bike Parking Tax has fought them every step of the way and has gathered enough evidence of blatantly illegal procedures to have served the council with papers that will see them in the High Court to defend this odious tax on commuters who solve congestion rather than add to it.
Every Wednesday morning the group holds a Breakfast Club meeting in Trafalgar Square. We circle the roundabout there riding in the manner that cars drive - adequate spacing and no filtering. As the script on my jacket says "Charge us to park like cars & we'll congest like cars". We'll be back every Wednesday until the scheme is scrapped and riders can park freely again like in every other civilised country.

Westminster City Council - All they wanna do is take your money

Sidecars are GO!!

1962 Hummer currently on ebay USA. Handlebars to die for. Bid Now!

Buy Marmite, Eat Marmite.

We love the Marmite.

Nice lid mate...

One day, all helmets will look like this.

New design !  I first saw this on the back of a vintage bowling jacket. I thought it belonged on the front of a T-shirt. T-shirt is off-white.  Click here to see it on ebay