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Picture Postcard

 

Winter Is Coming

Soviet IZH Planeta 4

Puzzle

Sidecar Dog

(From Twitter)

Over The Sea

Crossing the border is simplicity itself. No barriers, no guards, no passporst etc.

A week or so ago I made my annual trip to the Republic of Ireland for the MZ Riders Club rally there.

MZ TS250s

ex-Belgian police ETZ250 with an estimated 350,000 km on the clock

As in previous years there were a goodly number of Royal Enfields present, as it seems that many of those who like MZs and Jawas also like the simplicity of Royal Enfields.

Continental GT & 500 Bullet

350 & 500 Bullets

military 500 Bullet

In addition there was a lovely little Jawa 350 and, my personal favourite, a Ural 650 sidecar outfit.

It wouldn’t be an MZ rally if someone wasn’t dismantling their bike on site. In this instance the rear shock on this TS250 decided to dismantle itself en-route. So, out with the spanners, and wasn’t there a huge selection?

The evenings sorted them selves out, as these things usually do, with music and the odd beer or two.

Mick & Sean providing some tunes

this doesn't sound quite so bad in Ireland

So, until next year then. Actually, this is one of my favourite things about motorcycle events. You can make plans for twelve months hence and no one thinks it odd.

beautiful Norton which looked like it had just rolled off the production line

Family Transport

Lovely period photo of mother and daughter and a IZH Jupiter 350 outfit

Duggles

(From museum in Niagara Falls)

Old And New

Nothing much changes. Separated only by about fifty years the first sidecar (above) is an older Meridan-produced Thunderbird 6T, the other (below) is a newer Hinckley-produced Bonneville, both with Watsonian sidecars attached.

(Spotted at MCN Festival of Motorcycling)

Iron Pig

An East German MZ ES250 two-stroke single hitched to a matching Superelastik sidecar. 

The ‘ES’ was said to stand for Eisen-Schwein, or ‘Iron Pig’. If I had the money I'd have one of these in the garage like a shot.