Motorbikes

[Christopher Doyle]

I never did get my R6... other priorities came up. 

 

I do now own a YZF 750 though

[mercuryg]

"Cafe  Racer"

 

I never knew where that phrase came from! Thanks for enlightening me, it makes much more sense now!!

[Malcolm Robinson]

Yes please Santa!

[Maggie/915]

HPW the question I asked about the bike was from my old 'Rocker' of a husband.

Bikes were an important part of his teenage and early twenties life in Lancashire.

He thought the bike was a 500 Clubman Goldstar,

later he thought not. Tank and seat not quite right!

The 'cafe' part I am informed was something that maybe started on the North Circular Road London at the 'Ace' cafe.

[pilgrim]

exactly right -- re the ace café

[John Fox (foxy)]

The ultimate cafe racer and the man they cannot catch 

 

 

 

[mercuryg]

Who be that, Foxy? My recognition of bike racers stops at Phil Read and Mick Grant!

[mercuryg]

This topic got me reminiscing about my late Dad (George Turnbull), and a few Google searches brought up an interview with the great Jim Redman, a name I'm sure Foxy will be familiar with. There's a typical quote in an interview with him about trying to dissuade Mike Hailwood from riding on The Mountain; those who know me will recognise a similar trait in me:

 

"....Then we walked into the Douglas Head pub and George Turnbull, who was always in the pub, never anywhere else, and wrote the best race reports, said; 'Here they come; the living legends.'"

 

Remarkable.

[John Fox (foxy)]

This topic got me reminiscing about my late Dad (George Turnbull), and a few Google searches brought up an interview with the great Jim Redman, a name I'm sure Foxy will be familiar with. T

 

Remarkable.

I was fortunate enough to meet him at the TT in 2003 merc...great guy !! 

 

 

[mercuryg]

He is,I remember meeting him when I was a kid, most likely at Oulton Park I think. Those were the days when Journo's worked from the pub, and bike racers were real men!

[pilgrim]

mick grants mechanic used to live in cramlington and often stored the race bikes there - first time i ever saw titanium bolts!

met Mick grant a few times and he was the speaker at the NE road Race Association at the annual dinner etc.

[John Fox (foxy)]

He's helping out at Norton now pilgrim, this was at last years IOM TT. 

 

 

                                        

[mercuryg]

Mick likes bananas!

[mercuryg]

A number of years ago one of Mick's helmets, that he'd worn - I think - on a then record lap of the IoM course, was sold for charity on the island. My father bought it, and my brother used to wear it while riding his bikes. He still has it, along with one of Hailwood's, and a couple of others.

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

HPW the question I asked about the bike was from my old 'Rocker' of a husband.

Bikes were an important part of his teenage and early twenties life in Lancashire.

He thought the bike was a 500 Clubman Goldstar,

later he thought not. Tank and seat not quite right!

The 'cafe' part I am informed was something that maybe started on the North Circular Road London at the 'Ace' cafe.

Aye Maggie,anybody could be forgiven for that one,it's the swept pipe lookalike that takes ya eye!

[Maggie/915]

Aye HPW it all brings back memories of a life well lived.

[Maggie/915]

A motorbike circa 1902 it seems

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Aye Maggie,a great old pic,a real rarity!

[Christopher Doyle]

Upgraded again, The YZF was just a little too loud for me! (It attracted too much 'Plod attention!)

Now riding a red Kawasaki ZX9R Ninja.

I really need to start thinking about more appropriate bikes, and get out of this mid-life crisis!

[John Fox (foxy)]

On ‎21‎/‎02‎/‎2015 at 08:40, mercuryg said:

Who be that, Foxy? My recognition of bike racers stops at Phil Read and Mick Grant!

Sorry, must have missed that one Merc, It's Michael Dunlop here he is on his way to victory at this years TT.