Retrograde Mechanica

Saturday, 1 September 2012

Saturday Afternoon Foolin'

John turned up with a random fireblade, then preceded to steal me Honda for an afternoon countryside ride. Nice.

I also realised I look like an idiot in sunglasses....hmmmm

I love Stickers - take 2

Lee was kind enough to also cut me some of the RM stickers in a really big format. Love 'em!

Benny's just finished his Killer Digger - This thing is fuggin' awesome.

You know you want it - details here or contact the boy himself on 01562 730429

The bikes gonna be at the Trip Out next weekend and can be collected from there.

Step Thru's - 90cc's of cool

It's not new news that the builders in Japan can take any old piece of crap and turn it into something too cool for school, but the latest run of Honda Cubs i've been seeing really are something special......

Now do i want a Honda 90 to play with?

Monday, 27 August 2012

Stripped.....

....and ready for de-lugging and welding - both should be a lot more fun than the 4 hours spent with paint stripper and scotchbrites!

Nice Guzzi Down the Caff

Took a ride out yesterday on the scrambler with Margo - spotted this pretty little Guzzi.

Sunday, 26 August 2012

Nice Tracker on the Bay of Fools

On Ebay right now - nice!

Like a disease......

Bicycle infatuation has properly kicked in after the visit to Bill's place, so a quick bid on the bay of fools landed this little cheapo, already stripped ready to be turned into something special.....

Friday, 24 August 2012

Ministry of Bicycles

Headed over to Bill's (of Bomberdrome fame) place on the Raleigh this afternoon.......still lost for words, kinda like heaven for the bicycle obsessed - check out what's going on here!

Wednesday, 22 August 2012

Triumph Update - and a Question....

So the 500 engine is all torn down (no pics as at Jack's - and again huge thanks to him for all his work), curly alloy swarf has been found and a scored up bush....not sure what's caused it yet but it's certainly having a re-grind new bush, shells and bearings!

Anyway as for the question - I'm running an open primary - does anyone know how the seal on the end of the crank works - does it stop oil both ways or just one? I'm planning on swapping to belt drive so any advice gratefully received - email to the usual address.

Cheers and Beers!

Fixie's

All shaken down and looking pretty!

Sunday, 19 August 2012

CL Progress

Seats Back, Thanks Sarah, lovely job as always!

Home From Home....

Our salubrious home away from home this weekend in the lincolnshire countryside, complete with free roaming farmyard, a pair of vintage Raleigh's to ride and the owner had a lovely Sunbeam!

There was even a cat to make it just like home, only with beautiful scenery and the most random pub complete with makeshift outdoor swimming pool, beach bar and a fine collection 80's tunes to rock out too.......Billy Ocean included!

"Not everyone understands what a completely rational process this is, this maintenance of a motorcycle. They think it's some kind of a "knack" or some kind of "affinity for machines" in operation. They are right, but the knack is almost purely a process of reason, and most of the troubles are caused by what old time radio men called a "short between the earphones," failures to use the head properly. A motorcycle functions entirely in accordance with the laws of reason, and a study of the art of motorcycle maintenance is really a miniature study of the art of rationality itself"

"That's all the motorcycle is, a system of concepts worked out in steel. There's no part in it, no shape in it, that is not out of someone's mind — number three tappet is right on too. One more to go. This had better be it — .I've noticed that people who have never worked with steel have trouble seeing this...that the motorcycle is primarily a mental phenomenon. They associate metal with given shapes...pipes, rods, girders, tools, parts...all of them fixed and inviolable, and think of it as primarily physical. But a person who does machining or foundry work or forge work or welding sees "steel" as having no shape at all. Steel can be any shape you want if you are skilled enough, and any shape but the one you want if you are not. Shapes, like this tappet, are what you arrive at, what you give to the steel. Steel has no more shape than this old pile of dirt on the engine here. These shapes are all out of someone's mind. That's important to see. The steel? Hell, even the steel is out of someone's mind. There's no steel in nature. Anyone from the Bronze Age could have told you that. All nature has is a potential for steel. There's nothing else there. But what's "potential"? That's also in someone's mind! — Ghosts"