Minifigure

Lego Series 10 Biker Mechanic Minifigure

First Time

Our first time on the Isle of Man for the TT (1993) on a borrowed MZ ETZ251.

Halloween Freebie

While looking for something else I found a number of unused Isle of Man postcards that I must have bought while over for the TT or the Southern 100 races in years gone by and not used.

Rather than hang onto them, or throw them out, I’ll send one selected at random to the first seven followers who email their name & postal address to “mike dot thistledown at gmail dot com” (I have two of postcard no. 6 in case you're wondering). 

If you're not a follower, yet, then all you have to do is sign up and send me your details.

I’ll even stick them in an envelope so that they can still be used and you can pretend to your friends that you’ve actually been to the Island yourself.

Call it a Halloween treat, or an early for Xmas present.

Definitely My Cup of Tea

(Spotted at Ace Cafe, London 2013)

A Thing of Quiet Beauty

BMW R75/5 (1972)

(Via: bikepost)

(Also at BikeExif in English)

Soft Top

NVA Trabant Kubelwagen

If You Go Down To The Woods Today

Beautifully restored MZ ES2501 G Enduro bike at a rally in Finland

Down & Dirty

(Via: flesh&relics)

Zen

Meditation Motorcycling involves sitting fairly still in an odd position for prolonged periods, while emptying your mind of trivial thoughts.

Spirit of Adventure II

Many years ago BBC journalist, author, and keen motorcyclist Tom Morton made a trip around all the remaining whisky distilleries in Scotland. That journey spawned first a book, then a radio show, and then finally a television series.

I first read the book years ago and was pleased to discover that Amazon had released an updated version on Kindle format. If you’re interested it can be found here. I thoroughly recommend it to you, especially so as it's retailing at just over a pound (Sterling).

The success of the book led to the TV show, of interest to those of us who rode bikes for the appearance of a ratty old MZ ETZ250 sidecar outfit on prime time television. Tom Morton even joined the MZ Riders Club on the back of his experiences, and later on was the owner of one of the first MZ Skorpions sold in the UK.

The TV show was, as far as I am aware, only shown in Scotland and has never been repeated (I do have a bootleg copy on DVD somewhere should anyone be interested).

As a postscript, the actual sidecar outfit passed through many hands and ended up being owned by a friend of mine who lived near Stirling.