Vanarama

Another interesting vehicle spotted in my local supermarket carpark.

Simply The Best

Soviet Police

This Ural motorcycle outfit in original USSR police colours was recently for sale in Sweden.

The bike came complete with original paperwork, original paint, and USSR police accessories such as the illuminated stick for directing traffic, phone with antenna, flashing lights and siren.

About ten years ago I was offered a similar bike, a solo Ukrainian police machine in blue and white. I dithered a bit and by the time I decided to buy it it had been sold. Should have made my mind up quicker.

Instrument of War

Yesterday in 1746 James Reid was hanged, drawn, and quartered at York. He had served as a piper in the 1st Battalion, Lord Ogilvy’s (Forfarshire) Regiment, raised in October 1745 in support of the Young Pretender, Prince Charles Edward Stewart. 

He was among several men from this regiment left as part of the garrison of the English border city of Carlisle when the Jacobites abandoned their invasion of England, and was captured when the city surrendered to government forces in December 1745. 

At his treason trial  it was put forward in his defence that, as a musician, he did not carry arms and had not struck a blow against the Government. 

However the court ruled that “...a Highland regiment never marched without a piper, and therefore his bagpipe, in the eyes of the law, was an instrument of war”.

The pipes in the picture were played at Culloden in 1746 and are on display at the National Museum of Scotland 

(Via: scotianostra)

Yellow Peril

(Via: bikepost)

Vinnie

Some more old photographs:

Hosted by the Scottish branches of the Vincent & Velocette Owners Clubs in 1991 or 92, this was among the first motorcycle rallies that I ever attended. I had at this point never encountered a Vincent up close and I was curious, so I tagged along with a friend who owned a Velocette Venom and was planning on going.

There was a fairly respectable turn-out, with everyone riding their bikes to and from the event. Except, that is, for two blokes who trailered theirs up from middle England with rain covers on them. They were mostly ignored and/or mildly abused by everyone present, especially as the covers never came off the bikes for the whole weekend as it looked like it might rain. I have no idea why they bothered, they weren't even in the running for an award as the organisers announced early on that only bikes which were ridden to the event were eligible. 

I think that this is a reasonable approach to awards. Far too many people turn up with bikes on trailers that are beautifully restored and expect to collect an award for having the shiniest bike there. A few years ago at another rally I was at one such individual was mightily cheesed off to find out he wasn't eligible when he arrived and went on at length about how unfair it was because he *always* won an award for his bike.

 

Bikes are meant to be ridden, they are not museum pieces, and it is gratifying to see people ride a fair distance on bikes that were built before I was born. 

Earlier this year a friend rode his Vincent Comet from Ireland to Italy for the International Vincent Owners rally there, with only the expected problems that you would expect from a bike that is nearly seventy years old. By all accounts he had a great time, a large part of which he would have missed out on had he taken the bike in a van or on a trailer.

Gilera

Gotta love those crazy Italians.

Gilera's ad: "Get your bra off, put on a blindfold and we'll go like the clappers up this hill, no handed".