Winter Is Coming

Soviet IZH Planeta 4

Camping Wagon

Unusual, but really practical, camping trailer based on the standard IMZ Ural Cargo  (IMZ-8.401 Cargo Three-wheeler)

standard configuration

(From Twitter)

Ugly Sister

Definite star of my trip to the Ace Café for Red October day was this crazy 70s style chopper based around a Polish 350cc Junak M10.

Not everyone had access to Harleys, and I’ve seen some really unsuitable British bikes done in a similar style over the years. I suppose if this was all you had to work with then that is what you use.

I really like it, it is so ugly and so unexpected that it has a strange beauty all of its own.

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

Happy Easter

(From UralMotorcycles)
 

Beasts From the East

UK 'biker lifestyle' magazine cover featuring a Ural Soviet Knight 650 and a Dnepr Pheonix 650. Both of these were variants of the base model 650cc flat twins created by importers Nevals in the 90s.

Weekend Roundup

(From the pages of the internet)