Gorgeous Biker Chick

Banks, sunsets and benches.

2012-01-26T18:16:00.004Z

Well, thats the new Cub Mag bank account set up, all approved and apparently I'm digitally verified or something, yay. And I've managed to find the workbench in the shed, it was hiding under a pile of chop saws and batteries and chargers and the like. And, as if that wasn't enough, I took this lil snap of the beautiful sunset when I was in Edinburgh a week or two ago.

Enjoy. And send me some pics of Tiger Cubs and Terriors please!

The MUD, its 'driving' us crazy!!!

2012-01-15T20:05:00.007Z

By the time the Loadall had run up and down the drive and through the fields, turning with its rear wheel steering, in narrow gateways, the place was in a bit of a muddy mess, so we thought that if we got the man with the mini digger in to scrape off the surface mud that had been transferred onto the drive, it would help to sort things out. We also thought he'd be able to fill in the ruts in the fields, but the weather wasn't kind and it rained all day, and as he scraped just a weeny bit more off the drive than we would have liked, the mud got worse. So we set him to work on the ruts in the field, which he managed to do something with, but some still needed the attention of a spade and a pair of wellies. Having been up to our ears in mud for couple of days - which was a couple too many, we were going through the options of how and where to get some stones - this still being in the Hogmany holidays. Nowhere was open. A call to a friend who lives near the local quarry and who's husband just so happens to know the guy who drives the lorry, set the delivery and spreading of a lot of "inch-down" and another mini digger with another driver, in motion. Inch-down is a stoney/dusty mix that should soak up the mud and bed down and set nice and solid. I went to collect Peter and the mini digger, and he continued the mud scraping exercise on the rest of the drive, and a little while later, Jim the driver arrived with the first 10tonnes of stone, which Peter duly spread with the digger. It was originally estimated that 10tonnes would do, but then we thought 20 would be better. That hardly covered from the front to back door, so we had a third delivery, which got us to the bottom gate, and then we were sure that one last load would do it, but it was clear when that arrived that we would need....another 10tonnes. In total, we had 60tonnes of the stuff, and about 20tonnes of that was spread, shovelled, barrowed and levelled by hand - thanks Muckle Flugga Man. We've since borrowed a whacker device from a neighbour, but there's been nothing but hard frost since - and you can't whack when it's frosty. Looks good for tomorrow though, a bit rainy just now which has thawed the remaining frost pockets.

And did I mention that while we had the Loadall, we shifted a couple of old vans that have been gathering rust for a few too many years? I'm surprised that bit of it went as well as it did, you've only got to look at the pics to see it was a bit of a tricky job getting them from their tucked away little parking spaces to the two trailers we had to borrow.

Scottish Cub Fest?

2012-01-05T12:01:00.002Z

And just in case you didn't see this on The Cub Mag - here it is again, and for those of you who check both sites, apologies for repeating myself, repeating myself, repea...

Some of you might have heard about the new Scottish bike show, to be held at Lanark on 12/13th May this year. I was considering the idea of having a bit of a Cub get together there - it would make an ideal venue to showcase our Cubs to a new audience, and maybe even meet a few 'like minded' types. The deal from the organisers is a FREE 16 square meter plot indoors, which would give us room for a selection of different models - not scantily clad stick insects, I was thinking more Sports / Mountain / Trials Cubs etc and not forgetting the Terrier, and perhaps some sort of project on the bench, so that people can see the mad things that we Cubbers do!

Might even manage to hook up a slide show with Cub rides and activies shown on a screen - would probably be a charge for an electric hook up, but if the 'Fest' takes off, I can find out more.
I'm sure there are a goodly number of Cub owners in Scotland or the north of England who would relish a weekend away at a bike show, talking bikes, looking at other bikes and generally having a good old time. Being May, the weather might be nice and we could even attept to organise a BBQ for Cub Fest Partakees and Friends.

Any thoughts on this are most welcome, either leave a comment by clicking on the 'comment' link under this post, or email me gbc AT thecubmag.com. If you fancy taking your bike along or helping out by manning the stand for a couple of hours each day, then that would be much appreciated. Contact me in the same way.

More 'shovelling' than 'shedding' really...

2012-01-01T19:33:00.010Z

....So there we were, digging this hole, which was to be for the inspection pit in the new concrete sectional shed. Well, actually, 'we' didn't dig it, the mini digger man dug it, in the snow, a few weeks back. Luckily, it hasn't really snowed much since then, and the pit has remained covered up with tin sheets and anything else that would stop Star the not-overly-bright-Collie from falling in it. Last Wednesday, the Man from Muckle Flugga came round and started the concreting of the pit floor. There was a small pile of sandy ballast left over from the last shed build, half way up the drive (the lorry driver got stuck so just dumped it there), so some of that was barrowed down to the site and after clearing out the mini-landslip in the bottom of the pit, a few loads were mixed up and dropped into the pit. While the MFMF was busy concreting himself into a corner, I was up a ladder fixing the roof on Cubbie's shed. One of the corners of the box profile sheet had somehow come lose, and was flapping around in the rather stiff breeze. Luckily it had survived the recent storms that we had earlier in December. The problem was that the plank that that the sheeting was screwed into was so rotten that the screws weren't holding, so after a quick scout around the 'timber recycling pile' I found a suitable replacement, chopped it to size and fixed the roof back down. Sorted. Meanwhile, someone had left some footprints in the wet concrete....
(A couple of days later...)
So with the pit floor sorted, the next step will be to pop a few rows of blocks up for the walls and back fill the gap between the blocks and the rest of the world, with some concrete. But that's for later. Moving swiftly on to New Years Eve, and a handy contact in the world of 'big diggers' had agreed to lend us a JCB Loadall, and it was delivered to Cubbie Towers at early o'clock. A rather useful bit of kit, it would surely make shifting the huge pile of spoil a lot easier than a wheelbarrow...

The first pile to be shifted was nice, healthy dark top soil, which had to be carted right through every field we've got, up to the top of the farm, then back down to the bottom and back up half way again, to Mrs BC's veggie garden, and when that was gone, it was time to move the thick, orange clay that was heaped up on the far side of the shed base area. Easier said than done really, as there's the small matter of the whopping great big hole in the middle, aka the inspection pit.

New Years Day: Being ever so careful to avoid dropping the Loadall in for an inspection, TMFMF set about shovelling up the clay and dumping it in one of the fields to make a bit of a sheep shelter. Unfortunately, being the middle of winter, and having had quite a lot of overnight rain, it meant that the big heavy beast of a JCB cut into the ground rather a lot, and after just a few loads it was decided that it would be better to dump the spoil on a patch of waste ground, that wouldn't involve running back and forth through the fields. That was a doubly good thing 'cos it also meant each load could be dumped in half the time, and I didn't have to keep running around opening and closing gates and keeping sheep in the right fields. It's certainly been a great help having the machine in to shift the spoil, but more or less every load has had to be supplemented with hand lifted shovel-fulls of heavy, sodden, half set clay, which let me tell ya, is no way to spend New Years Day! But hey, it's all going to be worth it when the muck is cleared, the ruts have healed up and the shed starts to be built. Can't wait. Oh, and before I forget to tell you, it looks like I might be getting my paws on another plunger Cub frame in a few months!

We've only got the Loadall until Wednesday, so hopefully the weather tomorrow will be nice and frosty, and we can finish off the earth shifting and maybe even get the mini digger man back to help tidy up and then.....maybe.....on Tuesday....maybe the block work could go up in the pit....maybe....oh yes, there's a tree to plant too, one that had to come out when the base was dug out.

And before I take my weary body off to the land of nod, I'd like to say thanks to one and all for the good wishes received by email, text or Fleecebook, and thanks for your continued interest and support in all things GBC and Cubbie over the years. I hope you'll continue to 'watch this space' for more madcap adventures and sheep tails. Tales. Sorry. HAPPY NEW YEAR BLOGGERS!!!!!

What did you get? C'mon, share it, tell us!

2011-12-30T19:03:00.003Z

Well I was one lucky girl this year, receiving 2 pairs of wonderfully warm and cosy boots, some gloves (which always come in handy, boom boom), a rather brilliant hat and scarf hand made by a friend of Mrs BC, which isn't my usual style at all, but there's just something about it that I love. A joint pressie for Cubbie Towers came in the form of a DVD recorder, but we've now discovered that we have to watch the same channel as we're recording, which rather negates the whole point of finally having a DVD recorder. I'm wondering if it's because it also contains all the Freeview gizmos which we previously had to use the set top box for, and if there is a way of hooking up the old set top box as well as the DVD recorder, so that two different channels can be received at the same time. Mrs BC has gone all technical, with a DAB radio and wait for it....one of those MP3 player thingies! Somehow, Santa managed to fit a hammer drill down the chimney, along with a helmet cam - you just wait for some new 'Cubbie / Terry Tours Scotland' videos. Two other pressies that will aid in the filming process are a natty new neck tube that turns into a hat, and, yes, wait for it, an upside down map. I mean, please? An upside down map? I'm a girl, don't people know girls can read maps the right way up! Tis a bit funny though, finding the south coast of England where the north coast of Scotland should be, and all the place names the right way up. So, what did you get?

Go on, click on the map pic and see for yourself, weird!!!

Christmas Day Sheep Surgery.

2011-12-25T22:13:00.003Z

Did a little surgery on young Dennis the Dorset sheep today. One of his horns was dangerously close to his eye, and after a suspected bit of fisticuffs (or whatever the sheep equiv is) with Solly the Soay, the horn ended up poking poor Dennis in the eye. So it was out with the hacksaw blade and after a very painful few minutes for the lad, with the horn being pushed and poked and shoved into his eye even more, Dr GBC soon sorted it out. And no blood. And hope you all had a great Crimbo day.

Wot, no festive wishes? Oh go on then...

2011-12-21T15:46:00.003Z

Wishing all you bloggers a Very Merry Christmas and a stunningly wonderful New Year, may it be full of sunny fun filled motorcycle riding days and adventures and loads of new and interesting motorcycle magazines to read. Well, actually, hey, you only need one new motorcycle mag really, doncha? And I bet I know which one you'll all be asking Santa for....The Cub Mag!!!

If you pop back over the hols, you might find something of interest; maybe some shed building, or shed clearing out to facilitate a little bit of bike building, or maybe fitting a new kitchen door, shovelling snow, painting the kitchen, oh, who knows, there'll be festive times a plenty at Cubbie Towers!

Digger Work Cont...

2011-12-07T10:02:00.004Z

After a couple of hours on Sunday, the Digger Man ran out of diesel and went home. Personally, I think it was more likely that he wanted to go and thaw out, cos it was a bit chilly and it hardly stopped snowing all the time he was working. As soon as he'd gone, that's when it did stop. Monday morning was fun; a guy came to buy some of the lambs, so they had to be caught and penned up in the hurdles, which we first had to drag across the fields of snow. We got the girl lambs caught first, with the aid of some feed in their trough, which we moved into the hurdled off area. That was easy enough but keeping the little critters in, that was another story! Every time a lump of snow fell from a tree at the end of the field, they all took flight and barged the weak point in the hurdles, almost succeeding in breaking free on one attempt. While I kept an eye on them, Mrs BC went and caught the boy lambs up in another field, using the same sneaky technique. By this time, the Digger Man had arrived, and work was under way, and then Tony the Shearer, whom we shall now refer to as Tony the Lamb Buyer, turned up an hour or so late, much to his usual form! With the sheep all wormed, injected and treated for things they haven't got but might get when they leave the sanctury of the farm for pastures new, they were loaded into his trailer and the deal was done. Tony set off down the slippery snow covered icy hill, and we went to see what the Digger Man had managed to do in his next two hours. Oh. My. Goodness. That's a mighty large hole in the garden. And that's an even mightier pile of spoil we've now got to re-home. Did I mention that the plan with this shed is to have an inspection pit in it? Always wanted one, and never had the chance to be able to 'make' one before. Seeing as it was partly the Man from Muckle Flugga's idea to get the mini digger in, it's also down to him to beg / borrow / steal (no, don't really mean 'steal', not as in 'break the law') or acquire some sort of machine to shift the mountain of spoil, cos none of us are relishing the thought of moving it with a wheel barrow!

Just a wee scoop to see if we'd hit the soak away from the gutters round the house. No, is the answer, nor did we find any oil or gold or anything interesting.

Nearly deep enough, but needs to be a little longer and wider......

"What, about this big for the pit?"

Er, yeah, ok then, that's probably big enough now! Thought we'd better cover it up before the cats, dogs and small sheep fell into it.

Thats it, dig a huge hole and then clear off!

Well, that's the first stage done and dusted with snow. Next up (after moving the mountain out of the way) we need to get some shuttering up and investigate the best option for the base. Do we mix it ourselves? It's not much bigger than the previous Cubbie Shed base which Mrs BC and I mixed up and laid a few years back, or do we try and get a ready mix company with a small enough lorry to deliver the gloop straight in? At this time of year, it's gonna be tricky getting lorries and big loads up the hill, down the drive and back up the drive again.

A Day of Rest.

2011-12-03T10:54:00.003Z

Digger man coming tomorrow to scoop out the base for the shed. Snow also due tomorrow.

Grampian Classic Club Xmas Bash today, ciao.

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I didn't see any point in starting a new post about the same subject, so here are a few pics from the digger work today - woke up to a blanket of white stuff everywhere, but the digger man still managed to get his transit van and trailer up the steep hill to Cubbie Towers. He managed a couple of hours work in almost constant snow, then ran out of diesel! So he nipped off home and will be back tomorrow to finish the job. If only I hadn't given my spare can to the hay delivery chappie on Friday.

The calm before the digger.................................First to go was the Woolly Willow

Which was so huge it had to be chopped in half for re-planting. Followed by two birch trees and a conifer.

Nice, dark top soil, handy for the garden............then down to the very stoney, sandy stuff. Would have taken more than a couple of hours to get to this stage with a shovel and pick.

And finally, some frozen woolly faces.

Cub Mag website

2011-11-30T10:14:00.001Z

Could you all do me a small favour....just try www.thecubmag.com and see if you get a blog type of page on a blue & grey background, or a boring plain white web page with not a lot on it...thanking yoooooo.

A Short Trip South.

2011-11-28T13:58:00.005Z

Just on my way home from a bit of a trip south - a VMCC meeting followed by a flying visit to the Greystone Enterprises HQ in Kent for Cub Mag related discussions, and to purchase a few bits and pieces for a Cub that I acquired shares in some months back, called Yorkie. Also picked up the fuel and oil tanks for it which had been painted by a lad called Craig, and a very fine job he's done too - wait til you see the colour; all I'm saying for now is (for those of you in the UK) think Co-Op shops (or if you're not in the UK, maybe try Googling Co-Op shops).

The drive down to Kent took a bit longer than expected, and all those weeny country lanes that twisted and turned this way and that were lovely to drive but easy to get lost in. After a chat with the lads at Greystones and a good look around the stocks of Cub bits, it was time to find somewhere to eat, which was easier said than done. Nowhere seemed to serve food mid-afternoon, and the place that everyone said did serve food, well, it wasn't 'just at the end of the road'!

There'll be more about Greystones in The Cub Mag Issue 1, which you'll be able to get your paws on in April 2012, but in the mean time, I'd just like to thank Derek and Adrian for their hospitality and time.

A NEW MAGAZINE IS ON THE WAY!!!!

2011-11-20T20:24:00.004Z

Laydeeez and gentlemenz, I do hereby announce The Plan. I had planned to announce The Plan over the weekend, but had a couple of car related problems to deal with, so I thought, well, everyone loves a Monday morning announcement, so I'll announce the announcement of The Plan here and now :

I'm planning to start a new magazine all about Triumph Tiger Cubs and Terriers.

There y'go, I've said it now. I've been keeping it under my hat for a few weeks, making enquiries, costing things out and contacting people, and I think it could be a go-er. It's not quite finalised yet, but you can probably expect -

*an A5 size publication - easy to fit in your pocket/Cub tool box

*loadsa pages in full colour - just had to add another page to the first issue to make room for more articles

*subscription only, quarterly publication

*road tests on different models of Cub

*restoration stories

*service / supplier features

*Cub quiz with Great Prizes.....hopefully....maybe....well, a prize of some sort anyway!

*nostalgia series

*profiles of owners and bikes

*off road section

*for sale & wanted section

*product / book reviews

*spotted Cubs

*readers stories of Cub adventures

*techy tips

*forthcoming events - which leads me to add that I'm also planning some sort of Cub Gathering for summer 2012...that bit remains Top Secret for just a while longer though...

One of the main supporters is that well known supplier of all things Cub, Greystone Enterprises, who will be offering subscribers to The Cub Mag a healthy 10% discount! The Cub Mag also has the support of Mike Estall, author of what all Cubbers refer to as the Cub Bible, and Steve Aikens, the owner of the very popular Cub forum, - both of whom will be contributing to the first issue which is due out in April 2012.

So, like any other club style publication, much of the content relies on YOU, the reader. While I'm able to interview owners and write stories myself, it would be nice to receive some submissions written by your own fair hand, on anything to do with Cubs or Terriers. It might be that you used to have one, it was your first bike - tell us about it, take us back to the time when you were learning to ride a motorcycle and how you came to own a Tiger Cub - or maybe you trial one nowadays? The one thing missing so far from the draft copy of the first issue, is anything muddy and offroady. There's a lot of pre65/twinshock trials around the country, could you perhaps just nip along with your camera for me on a crisp, autumn weekend and get some shots of Cubs doing what a lot of people say they do best?

I know a lot of people who say they can't write. Don't fret about that. Just jot down the basics; dates, names, locations and then the rest, well, it'll be easier to fill in the blanks. Something else I'd like to feature too, is Cubs and Terriers spotted at random when you're out and about - take a photo, send it in and we'll see if the owner reads The Cub Mag!

Hey, talking of readers and subscribers, you don't actually need to own a Cub to be able to subscribe, although we hope to convert as many non-owners as possible!

Well I reckon that's a good enough reason for GBC and the Blog having been a bit on the quiet side lately; as well as all this Planning of Plans, there's been the building of a new shed, doing the day job, running the local Classic and the Vintage clubs, and nipping down to Burton on Trent for VMCC meetings. Over winter, I shall be trying to put this magazine idea into motion - the next step is setting up the website - what do you reckon, website or blog? Then there's a Facebook page and Twitter....and I've got an interview with Greystone Enterprises lined up soon too...are there any questions I should be asking Adrian and Derek, apart from 'have you got the choccy biscuits at the ready'....?

Time for another shed.

2011-11-13T09:42:00.005Z

I think one knows when its time to build another shed. A good clue is when one can't actually move anything, including oneself, in the shed that exists. At the moment, Cubbie's Shed houses Cubbie, the Bulto, Skorpy, the 250cc MZ project, a pillar drill, one (too) small workbench, a nice wall unit full of 'stuff', several tool boxes/tool chests, two big wooden ramps for getting bikes in and out of the shed, compressor, flame thrower/gas bottle, plus a heap of general tools and farm equip, plus half a dozen Cub projects (the roof space alone is home to about 6 spare wheels) which can't be worked on as there is no room to get to them or do anything with them. The bench is temporarily home to a gigantic chop saw, bench grinder, box of trials Cub project bits, Terry's engine, battery chargers and so on. So yep, it's time to crack on and build the sectional concrete shed that's been piled up in the yard for a year or more. Work began yesterday with the removal of a few shrubs that need to be re-homed, and hopefully today, while Mrs BC and I catch and move sheep around, the Man from Muckle Flugga will be able to get the site marked out and work out the levels and other technical stuff; then start the real digging. If all goes to plan, it should end up as a 20x20ft box, on a 5" thick base, with a double door and a single door in the front, a window in the side, and I quite like the idea of roof windows or clear panels to let as much natural light in as possible. We'll have to make the trusses and roof it ourselves as it's only the walls that we have. The trusses, I'm told, will have to be beefy and sturdy to support such a large roof area, and of course, I'll want to use the roof space for storage. At least if the base can be laid before the frosts set in, then the rest of it can be done on those lovely sunny, snow-free, dry winter days that we *sometimes* have.
View to the left of the site, and view to the right. Its just the small shrubs to move and a few of those bigger willow branches will have to 'pruned'.

One down....

Just a quick update, all the shrubs have gone - 3 have been rehomed and the other 2 are promised to the local farmer, Mrs BC doesn't think he was serious about taking them but I'm sure he was.

We decided that pruning them would be the way to go, even though, according to some, the middle of November isn't quite the right time. It sure made it easier to dig them up, plus there was no way they'd fit in the back of the car without a haircut!

The last piccy shows the first big of serious digging by the MFMF. He's gone all technical and has set out his level line and done measurements and everyt'ing.

And cos the spoil from the new shed base has got to go somewhere, it might as well go around the base of the original Cubbie Shed to stop the rubble wandering off, and to form a ramp at the front, which will be finished with something non-slip at some point.

Remembrance.

2011-11-11T11:06:00.004Z

11:11 on 11/11/11.

Don't forget.

2011-11-10T12:10:00.007Z

Gosh, I am living it up. That's the second year that I've been to the October Stafford motorcycle show. First, there was the possibility of getting a lift down with some friends of the Man from Muckle Flugga, who just happened to be heading that way, but then their plans changed, then there was a small chance of a lift down with Shorty, but his plans weren't confirmed, so in the end, it was a hunt on the internet for a cheap flight. The cheapest option was to stop off for lunch in Belfast, before getting back on another plane to East Midlands. Security is obviously tight in Belfast, and tourism is also obviously very important to them. Stepping off the plane and entering the airport, the first thing you come to is the tourist info desk, and the nice lady there gave out details of local buses, where to catch them, where they stopped, and she was empowered to sell tickets too. It seemed like a good idea to head towards the new Victoria shopping centre, where they've created a huge viewing dome on top, with views across the city in all directions.

With eyesight better than mine, (or wearing specs) Carrick Fergus power station could just be made out across the water, plus in the foreground sat the dry dock where the Titanic was built (according to the 'tour guide / security chap in the dome, "it was ok when it left Ireland"; I don't know what he was implying, to be sure), round to the right and up high on the hill was Storemount, and I didn't get a chance to see in the other directions because the built in movement of the platform was making one feel just a little bit strange.

Time to get some lunch. Disappointingly, lunch turned out to be a cold McDonalds, cos the other outlets were all too expensive. A short walk through the Cathedral area of the city led back to the right bus stop, and then I got told off at security. First of all, I had the 'wrong kind of plastic bag' for my liquids, so I had to re-bag them in the special bag she gave me, then I apparently tried to walk through the x-ray machine thingy before I was told to (good job it didn't go off), then my liquids were picked out for a random spot check, and then my netbook was picked out for another random spot check for explosives. Do I look dodgy or summat? Finally ended up with a fish and chip supper on the way back to my accommodation.

My bodyguards for the show were the MFMF and Pete. We arrived a little on the early side for the show, just before 10am, to enable Pete to get his Triumph Legend wheeled in and set up the 'for sale' sign. The sun was shining and the dark heavy clouds that were in the distance, stayed in the distance for much of the day. Sunday is usually the least busy day to go, and my snouts tell me that Saturday this year, was indeed, very packed. No sooner had we started to wander round, we bumped into Shorty fae Scotland, who did the right thing and handed over the chocolate bar he'd had melting in his pocket. Then it was time to meet up with Stu, a regular reader and commentor on the blog. Stu was hunting for a new jacket for his winter commute and I had a plan to buy some nice new winter gloves. Stu struck lucky first, and while he was busy trying a few jackets on, I stupidly browsed around the rails of waterproof armoured trousers. And then bought some. Well, they were cheaper than the pair I got at the Scottish bike show back in March, and I collared the sales lad and said if they're not waterproof I'm sending them back. Fair enough, he said, here's our address. So that sounds promising, I'll have to see if I can find a rainy day to try them out; shouldn't be too hard!

After a wander round the outdoor stalls of autojumble, looking at the piles of unidentifiable, rusty bits and pieces and many, many displays of shiny new tools; mmmm, spanners, hammers, socket sets, and best of all some pink tyres (I do have photographic proof) and cable ties about 3ft long and at least an inch wide, we made our way to the indoor halls. Full of club stands, more clothing and goodies you didn't know you needed, we had an interesting browse around. The Triumph Owners MCC were a friendly bunch, advising me on a modern colour match for Terry's Amaranth Red and giving me a free pen. We had a good chat about the new style Nacelle magazine and the changes in the Club over recent years.

They were up on the balcony, and downstairs there was a stand with a beautiful collection of vintage and veteran machines, but they were all priced at silly money. That selection alone must have totted up to about a hundred grand (£100,000).

They were beautiful, some were from foreign shores, French I think, many were British, and I wouldn't mind having any of them to ride, but d'you know which bike really grabbed my attention? The...........wait for it........the RACING TERRIER.

(I'm thinking this is the racing carb from the Terror...)

Stu had spotted it just outside the entrance to the hall and we went to have a closer look. With a racing hump, low slung handlebars with the levers nearly drooping on the front mudguard and modified 'rear sets', the little 150cc bike certainly looked the part. Ah, but it wasn't 150cc any more. The story that accompanied the 1953 bike, nicknamed the Terror, stated that it had been increased to 230cc, and raced right from day one, up until the early 1960s. I could have bought it, it was for sale, I nearly bought it - should I have bought it?

Unfortunately I missed the editor of Classic Dirt Bike, a certain Mr Britton, riding his Bultaco over a car, but I did catch a few words with him in the dirt bike hall, where his recently restored Bulto was on show, alongside 'Project CanAm' which he had finished just in time for the show. I did manage to snap this sneaky little shot of him o te Dirt Bike Arena though. There were a host of other machines that caught my eye, all trials Cubs plus another couple of Bultacos. Most were a bit too shiny for my own personal choice, but each to their own.

Just a couple of other pics that I thought were interesting - an MZ 150cc police bike...

And a Triumph Boss...

So that was at the end of a very long day, and it was soon time to head back to the accommodation for a bite to eat and to recover from nearly buying another Terrier!

Pics coming in a bit, but I'm doing this from my netbook, the pics are on my Blackberry and my main computer is pretending to be dead. At least, I hope it's just pretending!

And whilst on my travels, I spotted this rather handy Haynes book...covers all models too...

Cairn O Mount, 2011

2011-10-26T11:25:00.000+01:00

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think I've put anything about the Cairn O Mount on here yet. If I have and I'm just going over it all again, then please do forgive me, but I think you'll like the pics. It's organised by the Grampian Classic club, and held in the first half of May, which is not usually too snowy a month, but a lot of the guys who've been attending for many a year reminisce about the time that the Cairn, which is basically a pass at nearly 1500ft high, through the Grampian mountains, was covered in snow. This year, we didn't suffer that particular weather condition, but instead, it absolutely chucked it down with rain on the night before the Cairn, as the event is affectionately known. Luckily, as Recovery Vehicle Driver, I had the use of a borrowed Big Red Truck, and not even a raging river that will stop that. On a thoroughly miserable Sunday morning, some hardy types turned up at the Potarch Hotel just outside of Banchory, and it was still raining as they parked up and signed in. Bacon rolls and cuppas were consumed, and it was still raining.

As they set off following their little route maps, it was still raining, and as we got further and further along the road behind the riders, more and more fields were filling up with water. One small village that used to have a football pitch had, instead, an outdoor swimming pool.
Turning off the main road, my assistant and I were soon confronted with a swathe of muddy water that stretched across the fields to either side of the road, with only the top half of the fence posts showing. Then we spotted some bikes on the far side, all of whom had obviously made it through safely, and a car in the middle of the flood, with Maurice, the Cairn organiser for 2011, wading through it. Dropping the bike trailer on dry land, we backed up to his car and slung a rope out to Maurice and pulled him back out. In terms of rescuing people, it wasn't quite what the recovery vehicle was for, but at least we were able to help, although his car had swallowed too much water and was later declared a write off by his insurers.

The rest of the route to lunch would have been lovely had it not been for the variations between more rain and thick fog.

After lunch we were joined by a bike breakdown, but other than that and more rain, there's not much more to report. Such a shame that so much effort goes into organising these events and not a thing can be done about the weather. Such is life!

Terry, and the Man With No Name.

2011-10-23T19:34:00.008+01:00

Thanks for the gentle reminder Stu. The Man With No Name is a member of the Grampian Classic club, and while we were at the Buckie show, he very very very kindly offered to have a look at Terry the Terrier's frame to assess the situation with the lugs for the plungers. I dropped the frame off to him a few days before the Stafford show and after a quick look at it, he suggested that he might make a threaded insert for it, if I were to be able to get the new rods at the show.

So, fast forward to the show, I didn't get the rods because I left it a little late to get in touch with Greystone Enterprises, suppliers of Cub and Terrier spares, to ask them to take a few bits and pieces there for me (to avoid paying postage, scrooge!), so it was back to the Man With No Name empty handed. No matter, an offer from TMWNN and another kind soul to simply make me some new rods, made my day. How good is that? So now you know why I have to call him the Man With No Name, cos if the whole world knew who he was, you'd all be wanting parts made! Ah yes, summat else, in a spare moment between his other engineering jobs, he also cleaned out some of the other threads on Terry and turned a few TITANIUM bolts for me. Teehee, well if nothing else, this is gonna be one light weight little light weight.

The next bit that could prove difficult, is finding the little aluminium fork that fits on the left hand rod. Greystones didn't have any at the show, and don't have any in stock, so in an idle bit of chit chat to the Man With No Name, I suddenly had a bright idea - I know a man who works at a foundry. Ah, bingo! I am fortunate to have a spare fork on another frame, but it would be pointless to use that on Terry, then have to find one for that frame in the future, so an email with pics of what I need has been sent, all fingers are crossed that the man can make such a thing.

Buckie rally.

2011-10-16T20:54:00.016+01:00

An email came through a while back saying that there was a new classic rally up in Buckie. That's only about 40mins up the road from Cubbie Towers. I imagined that seeing as the mail from from the Garioch vintage rally organisers, a rally that is mainly cars, that the Buckie rally would be mainly cars. But as it was a new rally, I thought it would be good to try and get some of the Grumpyones to go up there with me to support it. So in the end, there were 3 of us. The Man from Muckle Flugga was on his '81 Yammy XJ650, The Man With No Name (you'll understand the reason for this later) was on his modern BMW after a hiccup involving a wet grassy slope and his Honda 400/4, and I was on my MZ Skorpion. A 1994 model, so nearly a classic.
We had a good run up there, in the dry but chilly conditions, on damp roads, and once in the vicinity of Buckie, the organisers had thoughtfully put up some very clear signage. Just as well, 'cos I didn't have a clue where Linzee Gordon Park was. We pulled in, parked up, and waited for the hoardes of bikes to turn up, cherishing our free tea tickets that had been given to us at the gate. Thoughtfully, again, the organisers had provided bits of wood for the bike stands. Another Grumpy member arrived soon after, with his two Yamahas on a trailer, well, you can only ride one at a time - more about his bikes later (in the Alford report, which will follow soon), and we met a chap and his wife who'd brough their little Raleigh along for show. Another couple of club members turned up later on but were bikeless, but at least they made the effort to pop in, as did a couple of Hinkley Triumph riders. Oh, and then there was the guy who rode in on the BSA but I didn't get a chance to speak to him. And then there was Fido, an ex-Grumpy member who is moving to Hungary. Not much in the way of Brit bikes out there, he reports.
The free tea and butteries with jam (yep, go on, what's a buttery? It's a chewy solid kinda thing that's made in this neck of the woods, traditionally using lard I believe. Yum) were doubly nice cos they were free, and instead of tea I managed to wangle a glass of squash. After wandering round the rows of cars on show several times, I somehow managed to secure a ride in the smart red 1933 Alvis. But not til 3pm.

So as it was only about midday, the Man With No Name decided to wander off home while we other two decided to go Chocolate Hunting. 3pm took a heck of a long time to come around, well, about 3hours I suppose, but soon it was time to squeeze into the Alvis whilst wearing my full biking kit, minus the helmet of course, and owner Hal fired the engine up. Boy what a sound. Verrrrry nice. Twiggy the dog sat on my lap and hung her head out of the window (so did I, to be truthful) while we joined in the parade lap of the town, to show the public the wonderful old cars. Hal obviously enjoyed driving his motor as we listened to the roar of the 2511cc, 6 cylinder beastie, accompanied by the 4 speed crash box.

Upon returning to the field, the rest of the exhibitors were setting off home, so after thanking Hal and Twiggy, it was time to tog up and head back to Cubbie Towers. But first, a word on the rally. The men to thank were Brian Reid, Charles MacKintosh, Ian Ross and the boss himself, John Ferguson. These guys only decided very recently to put on a classic gathering, and in the space of a few weeks, secured the use of the local sports pitch and pavilion, provided free refreshments and sorted all the admin and advertising out, and they arranged for a rain-free day. If only classic bikers would turn out in numbers like the car enthusiasts, we'd be ok for impromptu rallies! Thanks for the show guys.

Oh, I nearly forgot, out of all the classic cars, these ones were my favourites alongside the Alvis, for reasons that are probably obvious...

And as for the Man With No Name, a short post connecting him and Terry the Terrier, will also follow shortly...if it doesn't, you'd better nag me!

Festival of 1000 Bikes - the Man in Black.

2011-10-03T16:51:00.003+01:00

Just to let you know that the Vintage Motorcycle Club event, the Festival of 1000 Bikes is being shown on ITV4 tonight at 8pm and Thursday 6th Oct at 7pm. Look out for our Man in Black, Mick Elstone from the NE Scottish VMCC section, riding bike number 921, his rather smart AJS 7R.

Time for some Haggis.

2011-10-01T21:35:00.002+01:00

Well, that's Us just back from setting out the route for the Haggis Run tomorrow - we left Cubbie Towers at half 11 this morning, and only just back at 9pm. Goodness knows how many sign boards we put out, but hopefully it'll be easier for the riders to follow than a soggy route sheet. Must go and get on with other pre, bring on the Haggis!

Terry update. Plunger.

2011-09-25T09:22:00.002+01:00

Ooh, we're getting somewhere, albeit, nowhere particularly fast, but at least with that plunger unit removed I can have a think about what to do next. Had a spare 10mins after finally getting the 4x4 back together and noise-less yesterday, so had a closer look at the plunger set up. I had made up my mind to replace the springs anyway, as they had suffered a lot of heat in a bid to get the thing undone, but then in a fit of temper, I had attacked one of the shrouds - actually, it wasn't really a tantrum, but I thought if I could expose more of the spring, I could perhaps compress it and then get the mole grips or similar, on the rod which would give me a better grip than the broken screw slot. But it didn't work, because I couldn't get enough of the shroud out of the way. Anyway, that's not the problem. The problem is at the end where the rod screws into the frame. The Tractor Fixing Man pointed out that the thread isn't up to much inside the 'lug' on the frame, and I see now what he meant, but the odd thing is, the 'lug' on the other side of the frame, is larger - no wonder that plunger had already been removed, it probably just fell out! I haven't measured it in a very technical manner, just stuck the digi-measuring-thingy on it, and the left side is 13.7mm and the right side is 15.4mm. So have you got any suggestions as to how I can get the two lugs tapped and made to match the size and thread of the new rods that I'll need to buy?

Terry progress!!!

2011-09-20T12:42:00.002+01:00

Oooh!!!! Exciting news people!!!! Took my Terrier frame to the local tractor fixing man, he hummed and haaa'd and did that sucking air through teeth thing, said he wouldn't be able to do it today so I left it with him. 20mins later, got a text saying it was ready for collection. A simple fix, weld a nut on the top and undo it. Bingo. PS, must learn to weld. Seems to be a multi-use skill for farm yard and bike building alike.

Slacking again!

2011-09-16T10:05:00.006+01:00

Yep, sorry, I've not been keeping up with the blog much lately, I do apologise. But...and there is always a 'but', I've got good reason. That 4x4 has been causing some headache, with an unidentifiable noise, which was then identified as a wheel bearing, so that was then followed by a search for the right one, which I eventually found....but then when the hub etc was rebuilt, the darn thing still didn't fit. The problem was that the drive shaft wouldn't come far enough through the stub axle to get the circlip back on. It was only by chance that the drive shaft then kinda got kinda 'stuck' and it was decided that the next step was to open the CV boot up and examine the joint, in case it was damaged. It didn't look damaged, so next the plan was to remove the drive shaft completely. Well, not having the correct Haynes manual for it made the job a little harder, for example, when it said to remove the 4 bolts that hold the drive shaft in place and simply withdraw the unit, it was discovered that the unit cannot be withdrawn. One reason being that the steering knuckle to come off too, so it was a chance for the Big Hammer to be used to aid splitting the ball joints. That, along with copious heat and constant hitting freed the knuckle and as it was pulled off, all the needle rollers inside it, fell out. Ah, the source of the noise, perhaps? I'm sure.

The next step was to post messages for help on the Frontera forum, where the guys helped with information and advice. The state of the bearing inside the knuckle was so poor that it was hard to see which bits of seal, washer and other bits of metal had to be removed. In the end, I took the unit down to the local tractor fixing guy, who attacked it with a special hooky tool and his welding torch and soon had the remains of the bearing on the bench. I'd fired off several emails to suppliers and one of them had come up good, Autovaux. They priced up the bearing kit (the whole kit inc P&P was nearly £50, ouch) and said they'd post it out ASAP. I also got prices for new balljoints, top and bottom, but they were twice the price of a company called Milner Off Road. Two days later, both orders arrived, so tomorrow, Saturday, is the day of the rebuild, again. Just hope this cures it and the truck can be put back on the road after, erm, about 4 weeks in the sick bay.

Ball joints took a bit of persuading.........................before the knuckel could be removed.....

Not much of a bearing left..................................Ah, a nice shiny new bearing, cheap at just £22

The seal however was a stunning £17!

In between truck fixing, a couple of attempts have been made to remove Terry the Terrier's stuck plunger unit. This one though, is proving a tough little devil. All that's been done is a good application of a concoction of nail varnish remover (aka acetone) and ATF (automatic transmission fluid), kindly recommended to me by a fellow VMCCer who saw my Scottish Column in the VMCC mag, where I was moaning about not being able to move on with work on the Terrier, more heat, and more violence. Nothing has moved though, other than half of the screw head which has parted company, so for now, I've taken the frame down to the tractor fixing man and we'll see if he has any magic tools to assist.

First, mix up the flammable potion......................and soak the offending item in it.....

...and then set fire to it. Don't worry, thats not the gas line being set alight!

Besides the mechanical works, there have been one or several additions to the fleecy flock at Cubbie Towers. Two little Ryeland ewes called Nel and Gwyn, and two whopping great big Ofxord ewes whom I think we're going to get away with calling Morse and Lewis...

Pics would have been added then posted but last night the car had an electrical hitch so I've been working on that this morning, but no joy! GRRRRRRR!!!

**Added some pics for your entertainment. The car however, is another entertaining story. It's now Saturday, and after going to test drive a replacement car, work commenced on the 4x4 once more. Then rain stopped play, so it was time to put the poorly strimmer on the bench and take the carb apart. Got a good healthy spark but no go-go. Gave it a whizz out with the compressor, put it back together, still no go-go. I do hope things aren't going to keep braking this winter!

Un-Conventional.

2011-09-03T20:54:00.002+01:00

Yep, well thats me! Just home from my second stint at work today, firstly in Aberdeen then home to collect something, then back out to Huntly. Mrs BC's just getting me some tea (to eat, not drink) then I'll be printing off membership forms, dragging tables down out of the loft and emptying the car ready to go to the Motorcycle Convention tomorrow at Alford. If you're on Facebook you can expect a few piccies to be posted, but if you're on the blog only, it might take me a day or two to get some pics on here for you.

Hope y'all have a good weekend.

Hairy Larry's Very Own Blog.

2011-08-20T16:38:00.001+01:00

...just for Mrs BC...

www.travelswithpete-lclark.blogspot.com

Well, not just for Mrs BC, you can all go and look at it too. Great read Larry, and some brill pics from the 'Mile' - don't know what I'm on about? Go and see for yourself.

Botheration and Skorpion gloom.

2011-08-19T13:03:00.007+01:00

Having got Skorpy back on the road, I was really looking forward to trekking down to the National Assembly of Vintage Motorcycles (aka the National) at Blairgowrie on it (12/13/14th Aug). As if the Plus1 hadn't kept us busy enough on the Weds and Thurs pre-National, we also had the possibility of the sheep shearer turning up some time on Friday. He arrived at 3pm, although my watch said 4pm (he's always an hour or so late, worse than me, some might say) and by 6ish, it was all over. I hadn't started packing of course, much preferring to leave that til the last minute, so I looked out my throw-over panniers, tent and 'stuff' that goes with it, and even managed to find the non-slip mat that I use on the seat to stop the tent and 'stuff' sliding off. With the oil level checked and topped up, and everything bungeed on good and tight, it was time to fire the beast up and be gone. Poor old Shorty is always short (sorry) of volunteers to man the checkpoints at the National, so the Man from Muckle Flugga offered to spend his weekend standing in a layby in Perthshire doing the necessary time checking and logging of the bikes, so I met up with him on the way south and we trundled down the rain sodden A90 in the dark and cold and wind. Conveniently, there is a MacDonalds situated right on the exit that we needed to take to cut across country to Blairgowrie, so feeling a little peckish, and it being somewhere after 10pm, a food stop was in order. Luckily these places don't close til 11pm. We topped up on coffee and fries (oh, how American?) only I passed on the coffee, a cold drink being my preference unless the weather is really awful, and set off once more.

The MFMF's bike was suffering a little, with an indicator lense full of water and a hole in the underside of one of the panniers, the one above the exhaust, to be precise. Skorpy was performing faultlessly though, and I was quite enjoying the ride, now that the rain had stopped and once we were off of the main road, the side winds weren't so effective either. We must have arrived at the campsite some time around 11.30pm, set up the tents and then the rain came down once more. In the morning, it was quite sunny and warm, and I couldn't decide whether or not to wear my jumper. In the end, on the advice of Pilot Rae, I wore it but left the liner out of my coat. Wise move? Yers, it worked out ok, and taking my waterproof trousers bungeed on the back of the Ariel-ish-trials-outfit meant that we missed all of the rain that some of the other riders experienced. I think I should probably write a seperate review of the Plus1 and the National, seeing as this post is specifically to do with Skorpy woes, so I'll miss out all the bits about the ride, and skip to going home on Sunday. It was a bright and glorious day and I was looking forward to going on the social run to Glenshee. As it was roughly on the way home, I planned to do the first part of the run, stop for lunch with the rest of them, then head north while they returned south. Had to go and get oil for Skorpy, so fired it up, rode out of the campsite, and it started to pop and back fire - now, I'm used to Cubbie doing such things, but Skorpy? No, never. Not even when they say 'they all backfire on the over run'. Not mine. I thought perhaps a little rain had got into the petrol tank (I need a new seal for the filler cap) so rode to the garage, and just as I turned off the bike stuttered and died. Thinking it was out of fuel I switched it to reserve and rode smoothly up to the pumps. Filled it up, bought some ultra expensive oil, headed back to camp only to find that Skorpy wasn't happy at all. Decided to check the plug for signs of water in the fuel, which on this bike isn't an easy task. Off with the seat, off with the side panels, then off with the newly filled tank. Whip the plug out, hmmm, seems a little pale, but there are no signs of water. Clean it up with some borrowed emery paper (thanks Mr 'Sunbeam' Odling), gap it and replace. Checked the small filter that's located in the base of the fuel tap, no sign of anything untoward. Flicked the tap on just to make sure there's no nasty bits got in while the tank and tap were lying in the grass, and noticed that there wasn't much of a flow rate when on main, but put it all back together anyway. By now, a selection of chaps have been over to have a laugh and to pass derogatory comments about MZs, but I ignore them all, and besides, they're all heading off on the run in a minute, so peace will be resumed! Captain Bill had hired a van for the weekend to transport his Connaught to the rally, so a plan was formed that I would set off in front of him and see how the bike ran. I got as far as the other side of town, then Skorpy died. Bill parked the van up and the MFMF helped heave the bike up the very very steep and narrow ramp (desighed for the Connaught not a bike with a big fat back tyre!). Just as we got it inside, the Heavens opened and down came the rain, bouncing and pinging off of the road, I'm sure I head thunder too. If ever there was a good time to breakdown it was probably now! With all my gear in the back and Skorpy tied down we set off once more. Once back at Cubbie Towers, some proper ramps were used to unload and my heart didn't stop quite so many times as it did for the loading up.

After a quick brain storming session on my favourite Skorpion forum www.mzskorpion.info/phpbb2/index.php the guys reckoned my first port of call should be the fuel tap. So I spent far too long playing musical-spare-petrol-cans, filling one, then another, then emptying one into Cubbie and looking for other vehicles to empty the next one into, until finally, the huge Skorpy tank was empty.

Then removed the two bolts that hold the fuel tap in place. Took the tap apart, blew some compressed air through it all, finally got the long filter removed and gave it a clean, then put it all back together. Was slightly apprehensive as the last time I took one of these taps apart it never stopped leaking....chucked some petrol back into the tank, enough to take it over the reserve level and the tap leaked just a little, but seemed to dry up after a while. Ran the bike a bit in the shed, seemed fine. Just needed to test ride it before heading off to the Harley gather at Aviemore on the following weekend. Got a fine day midweek and risked a trip to Aberdeen. All was well. No back firing or stuttering. Could it really be as simpe as dirt in the tap? I hope so...

PS, if you're wondering where I've been, other woes, such as a broken water pump for the house and an extended search for a wheel bearing for the 4x4 have been taking up too much of my time lately! Hopefully both are now sorted and normal service can resume. I'm told, by the way, that there are two reports by GBC in OBM this comiong month, so check it out.

Bizzy bizzy!

2011-08-12T09:11:00.003+01:00

Well that's the 3rd Plus1 over with, everyone got a really good soaking on the first day (Weds) followed by a sunny and warm ride on day two (Bob's Lunch Run), so now they've sampled both types of NE Scottish weather. Today, its time to take the marquees down and pack everything up, then there might be sheep shearing, then there might be work, then I might head down to the National at Blairgowrie. Or I might get up at the crack of dawn tomorrow and go then. Personally, I'd prefer going today but we have to wait and see what the weather holds in store.

Thanks to everyone who helped at the Plus1 - and thanks to all the entrants who braved the non-stop rain and chilly conditions to 'enjoy' the route we'd planned for you. Hope to get some of your comments and feedback forms back. Be seeing y'all again some time I hope.

The Skorpy story continued...my first 'proper' ride.

2011-08-04T09:11:00.012+01:00

Its been 3 years since Skorpy was on the road - last time I rode it I was terrified because the rear end seemed to wiggle 'n' jiggle and hop about all over the place. It was 'orrible in the wet and scared the daylights out of me when crossing white lines and overbanding. So I put it away in the shed and decided I ought to replace the worn bush in the linkage that sits at the bottom of the shock absorber, before I junked the new tyres (not my usual BT92s that I knew and was used to, but some slightly cheaper Continentals that I thought might be responsible for the handling) I'd just fitted. So after three years, I finally managed to make time and space to do that job (see www.gorgeousbikerchick.blogspot.com/2011/07/one-more-done-5-more-to-go.html - pictures now added) and other than a short run down and up the bumpy track that leads to Cubbie Towers just to check that all the brakes and gears worked after having their linkages disassembled, my first 'proper' ride was a couple of miles to the MoT station. I was majorly disappointed to find that it was just as scary as I remember - but that was probably something to do with having the wrong pressure in the back tyre! I'm a girl, so I can confess to that, and this; I didn't get into top gear or over 40mph all the way. The Skorpion doesn't have that great a top speed, but it is blessed with low down grunt, and going from Cubbie, who has neither, to a 660cc beast that can exit corners like a rocket (well, by comparison) is a bit of a shock to the system. Good job there's a grab handle at the back of the seat tp stop me sliding off the back!

Proprietor of Cameron Autotech, Roy, kindly adds some air to Skorpy's rear tyre.

Roy handles MoTs and repairs on any kind of bike from sports to 'middle aged MZs' to classics.

And even Velos...

My next 'proper' ride was from the MoT garage, where they presented me with a PASS and topped the back tyre up to the right PSI, to get the tax. I could have done without the gale force winds trying to push and pull me around but apart from that, I think it rides much better than before, although it still took a few miles before I got up to 60mph, and getting smooth gear changes is, er, interesting. I remember now, why I chose this bike in the first place. The balance is spot on for slow speeds and you can dribble along on the back brake in town without having to stop. The crazy rev counter is cute and the zorst - both looks and noise, is bootiful, and in the short space of time that I stopped to get and fit the new tax disc, two chaps stopped for a chat about bikes - admittedly not Skorpions, but one was a Triumph man and the other a Jap bike lad who remembers the days when he and his mates got their first 2 stroke Jap bikes and messed around racing their Brit bike riding buddies.

So, onto my first 'proper' proper ride. Oh yes. In at the deep end, and why not. With my timing being to perfection for once, the bike was MoTd on the Friday, then I picked it up on Saturday morning, which just so happened to be the day of the Grampian Classic club BBQ and Mr P's ride out. Setting off from Turriff, I was still feeling a bit wobbly, but on roads that I know quite well, I soon settled into Skorpy style again. It's rather strange having to use the throttle and brakes to adjust my speed for corners - on Cubbie it's usually fairly full on, unless the corner is very tight. Stopped at Huntly for cheap(er) petrol and a sarny, then cut over the hill to Gartley, Rhynie and then Lumsden. I didn't like that road. I never have liked it. I can't seem to get into a rhythm. I know a lot of local bikers who love it because of the combination of sweeping bends and tight corners. Anyway, met up with the Grumpies and after hanging around for a bit to see who would turn up, we set off in the wake of Mr P. I don't really know where we went, other than the Glenbuchat road which was a single track tarred road with gravel down the middle, and some stunning views. The sounds of our selection of bikes startled the sheep, horses and cattle who could be seen beating a hasty retreat up on the hills. We passed through the Cairngorm National Park, not all of it, just a smidgen of it, and ended up in Ballater for lunch. Again, some breath taking views along the way, which thanks to Slick Vic, we all had more of a chance to appreciate, as his bike decided to run on just one cylinder. After a hot chocolate and a slab of cake large enough to feed a whole fleet of Skorpion riders, Mr P set off again to take us back to Lumsden. The weather had been a little damp and chilly when we'd set off on the outward leg, but by now it was just about right. Again, no idea where we went, I was too busy re-learning how to ride my bike, but the roads were good and the pace at the back of the pack was spot on.

Up on yonder hill, don't know which one, but the views were nice.

Lunch time in Ballater.

The BBQ put on by club member and newsletter editor, Mr Jolly (yes, I'm sure he's heard them all before) was spot-on, with plenty of tasty burgers, sausages, salad and accompaniments, followed by a selection of puddingy cakes. By the time we all left to go home, the weather had chilled down again, but at least it was still dry. All in all, I must have clocked up 160ish miles and I'm pleased to see the squared off section of Skorpy's rear tyre has been replaced with a nice smooth rounded off bit instead. That'll soon be gone though, I've got a bit of a dual carriageway stint coming up next weekend when I go to the National Assembly of Vintage Motorcycles at Blairgowrie.

Trophy time again.

2011-07-29T10:43:00.006+01:00

You may recall that last August, Pilot Rae and I, were crowned International World Scottish Trials-ish Champions, or similar, for riding various trials bikes at a trial where no-one knew us, along the road from the S&T (the first part of the Scottish Double), plus, at the S&T, GBC was awarded a trophy for being the "Best Sidecar Passenger". Well, we get to keep that invisible trophy but as it's almost time for the Double again, the organisers of the S&T would like their trophy back. No panic. Grab it off the sideboard, give it a quick dust, and rush into Turriff Tackle & Trophies to have it engraved - and the engraving lady was able to do it while I waited, so I thought I'd take a few piccies for you...

Setting it up on the machine...

Like so...
Laying out the words and choosing the font, spacing and size...

Then the machine whirrs into life and a few mins later...
The small shield is ready to be positioned, drilled and pinned to the wooden shield...
Just like this. Sadly I won't be able to attend the S&T this year to defend my title, as I have to be at a local rally - the organisers of which are kindly lending us their marquee for the Plus1. But everyone at the S&T, y'all have a good time now - I can't remember the last time I wasn't there.

Huge thanks to Turrif Tackle & Trophies for the swift engraving.

Cheeky little thing to use for premium phone numbers.

2011-07-22T10:23:00.003+01:00

In case you need to call a company that uses a premium rate phone number as their main point of contact, what you need to do is type in this address http://www.saynoto0870.com/ and then search either for the company name or type in the number you've got for them, to find an alternative. Just been on the phone to get insurance for the MZ and it took 21 minutes - no cost to me cos I get all my 01.... calls for free. Bingo. So now I'm just waiting for the MoT man to do his thing, but there's another 6hours to go....til I get the word...or not...need chocolate....

One more done, 5 more to go.

2011-07-18T08:53:00.005+01:00

Well, well, well well well. Looking back at the photos I took of my MZ Skorpion swinging arm strip down, I noticed that the date on them was....yes....wait for it....July 2010. I left it so long because I thought I'd like the challenge of trying to remember how it went together. A Grumpy club member kindly patched up and painted the old swingy, but when one in much better nick came up on Ebay I thought there'd be no harm in having two. The new one was powder coated and looks 'proper good', and seeing as the swingys are a bit hard to come by, I might try and get the old one reinforced or patched up some more and keep it as a spare. Or maybe I'll find someone to make me a brand new one using that as a pattern.

Anyway, over the last few days I've been messing around painting a few more bits that came off the bike - the dog bones from the suspension linkage, the footrest hangers, gear change lever and brake pedal. The search to find a spray can of silver Hammerite in Fraserburgh was epic, but that's another story all on its own. Did you know, that the Skorpion was fitted with an adjustable shock absorber? I'd forgotten, and mine was so caked in oil and mud that the adjuster couldn't be seen! So it was on with the shock, and all the linkage bits, then off again when I realised that the swing arm should really have gone on first!

Next up was my favourite bit - the fitment of a nice, shiny new chain, in gold, with O rings and ooooh it does look good, I could sit and look at that for a long time. To keep the chain in tip top condition, I thought the Scotoiler ought to be brought back into service. All the bits were there (or thereabouts, in a drawer) but the reservoir had a hole in it where it had been rubbing on the mudguard (ok ok so it's a hugger really, I know) so I nicked a reservoir from a box I found in the shed, and hooked it all up and stuck some blue gooey oil in it. A couple of cable ties sorted out the question of how and where to run the feed pipe to the back sprocket.

The brake caliper had a clean up, took out the pin that holds the pads, copper slipped everything I could find to copper slip, stuck it all back together and then had much fun trying to recall how the spring / washers / no washers / little thing on the bottom that pushes the piston into the rubber thing went. Tip: when you take pics of a strip down, try and clean the parts first so you can see what you're taking a picture of. Hmmm. Bled the brake and then time for a tea cake. Back out to the shed, changed oil and filter and cleaned the gauze filter in the junction above the back of the engine, almost lost a washer in the Cubbie Towers oil recycling bin. Finally got around to the gear change lever, which compared to the brake was a piece of cake.

The battery, which had been left on the bike over winter (errrrr, three winters) had been lovingly tended to over a few days with a top up of distilled water and a good charge, and on the third crank of the button (after a carb drain), bingo! Thump thump thump. Skorpy lives again! Not bad after standing for three years, yes, THREE years with no love or thought given to laying the bike up properly. A quick spin down the private lane just to check everything and the back brake is rubbish so that'll have to be bled again, and then I'll be on the phone to the MOT man. The sad thing is, after getting it back together, I'm not sure it'll be going on the long jaunt to Italy this year. Having costed it out properly, it would cost over a thousand great British pounds just for the fuel and camping. Then add to that food and fun for a week (I fancied a day trip to Corsica but the ferry is about £100+) and I dread to think what the total would be. Plus I really need to do some miles and re-acquaint myself with the potential oil consumption issue - does it really need to be topped up every 100 miles or was I imagining it? And yes, when the internet stops dropping the connection every couple of mins, I'll pop some pics on for you. Mind you, British Telecomedy estimate it will be Thursday before they can fix it.

Anyway, you'll be glad to hear that Skorpy is 17 years old now, so I can get away with writing about it on this here mostly classic blog. Hey, it'll make a change, and Cubbie ain't going nowhere, no Sireeee, I've got the primary chain case off and my spanners at the ready to give the clutch a strip and find out if all is ok in there - a chance glance at it a few weeks back revealed that the whole clutch basket moves in directions that don't look all that healthy. Then if you want more of a Brit bike fix, hang around, and with a bit of luck I'll be working on Terry the Terrier again sooooooooon.

Gotta go bleed that brake again.

PS, if you're wondering what the title means, 5 is the number of projects left to finish!!!

The 3rd Plus1.

2011-07-08T23:31:00.003+01:00

Well that's the route taken care of - well, for the time being. Mrs BC and I went round plotting the main route with Captain Bill last week, now it's in his capable hands to be drawn out all nicely and neatly, ready for testing, then altering if needs be, then its back over to Cubbie Towers for printing on waterproof paper with waterproof ink (huh, you'll be lucky, a plakky bag is your best bet) and getting ready for the rider packs. The evening meals are taken care of, the lunch stops planned, the weather booked (can't be worse than last year....oh please....don't let it be worse than torrential rain and flooding...), the entries so far are all spread-sheeted in alphabetical order, colour coded and arranged in my own mad method, so if you really want to annoy me, best get your entry in ASAP so that I'll have to re-arrange the lists! Oh, yes, make it very soon cos the closing date is the 15th of July, so chop chop!

Off to Glamis tomorrow, see you there?

Cubbie...and BikeSafe.

2011-07-04T22:10:00.003+01:00

I've been trying to get on the BikeSafe course for years, but never got around to it, or remembered to apply in time and all that stuff. This year, after a talk from Grampian Police at the bike club, I pestered all the Grumpy members to go on BikeSafe with me. And some of them did. Not many, but enough to get a group together and make a good showing at Aberdeen police station when we turned up on Sunday for the course. I was pleased - no, amazed to find a total of 3 Triumphs belonging to 'students' and 1 Triumph belonging to the Advanced Motorcyclist who helps out, parked up outside the station, and Cubbie made 5. In case you don't know, there are no tests or exams on the BikeSafe course, it doesn't aim to make you a faster rider, or turn you into an 'advanced' rider, it is merely intended to help make riders more aware, and therefore safer, on the road.

Can't tell you too much, cos that would spoil your enjoyment of reading all about it in Old Bike Mart one day soon, but in brief, the day started with a DVD all about filtering, junctions, overtaking and the like, complete with some rather weird computer simulations of riders doing stupid things and being smashed to bits between cars - all based on real life scenarios, sorry, road traffic collisions. Then we were split into two groups, the one I was in went out on the road first for the observed rides, while the others partook of some up to date first aid advice. The riding was observed by either a police motorcyclist or the advanced rider, and frequent stops allowed for feedback and advice.

After returning to the station a couple of hours later we were most certainly ready for lunch. After that it was our turn for the first aid bit. That was rather good as the speaker demonstrated helmet removal and how to turn a casualty over should it be necessary. Turns out that if you stumble upon a casualty out on the roads, after making sure all is safe, if they're breathing you just leave them be (calling the emergency services goes without saying, I hope!) - no hauling them into the recovery position for risk of damaging the spine, but if they're not breathing, then you must roll them onto their back and 'make' them breath - we were shown the 'new' jaw thrust technique - no more of the tilting the head back to clear the airway, because, again, that would put the spine in danger should there be any injuries to the back or neck. Have to say, I'm not all that confident I could master the jaw thrust, it looked easy when he showed us (it's a bit sore when he demonstrates on your own jaw!), and it sounds easy enough, but in real life....anyway, here's how you do it -

Kneel at the top of the casualty's head.
Rest your elbows on the surface where casualty is lying.
Place one hand on each side of the casualty's lower jaw at the angle of the jaw, below the ears.
Stabilize the casualty's head with your forearms.
Use the index fingers to push the angles of the patient's lower jaw forward.

After that, a guy from a local bike shop who doubles as a Special Constable took us through a bit of bike maintenance, most of which didn't apply to such an ancient machine as Cubbie! Then it was time to go home.

So there it is, I've done it, and so has Cubbie. I'm not convinced that all of the techniques apply to slower machines / riders though. For example, taking a nice long sweeping right-hander, you should place yourself as close to the left hand verge as is safe, thus giving maximum view of the road ahead and any hazards, but with a max warp speed factor of 50mph on Cubbie, I felt that I was giving an open invitation to car drivers to overtake me. So with some more advice, I modified that positioning slightly, and will take such bends a little further in from the verge. And stick my elbows out to make my presence on the road 'greater'. I could have said bigger there but you'd only tell me to eat more chocolate!

All in all, a good day out, and not bad for £20. And besides, what harm can extra advice from professional riders do?

Tomorrow.

2011-07-02T08:50:00.003+01:00

Woohooo, doing the Bikesafe course tomorrow on Cubbie, can't wait. Don't know why I'm so excited, maybe because like the local easter egg run, I've always missed out on entering or being able to enter or having a bike on the road. Hope they will make allowances for Cubbie - I suspect that the majority of bikes will be sports bikes....

Have you tried, recently, living without the use of a bank card (either credit or debit) and cheque book? It's extremely difficult. I've been trialling such a method for the last week, not from choice but from stupidity - if you lose your bank card, for some bizarre reason, it takes the bank 7 to 10 working days to make you a new one. Ok, so you can withdraw cash from any branch by using your passport as ID, but then you try eeking out the cash - no flexible friend in your pocket to help should you spend too much, and how much is too much, how much cash should you be carrying around in your pocket - oh, and that's another thing, try finding a cheap petrol station with is manned these days! Obviously the manned (or womanned) ones have to be dearer because they have to pay that man, or woman. Still, on the 7th day, my new card arrived. Now I just need the new PIN which I'm told, will be arriving under seperate cover. Shhhh.

Skorpy goes to Italy. Maybe....

2011-06-24T22:27:00.002+01:00

Well that's the plan anyway. This was something Robin of Wales and I talked about after the success of our Spanish adventure a year or two ago. That was undertaken with both of us riding small capacity two stroke MZs and mucho fun it was too. For some reason, I have a desire to go to Italy. Nothing to do with Ducatis or anything... So this trip was mentioned in passing, and now, here we are, planning it. I'm hoping to go on my MZ Skorpion, and I suppose it would help if I re-fitted the swingy-army and new rear shock bearing and all the other bits that I took off about a year ago. Then I need to get a nice shiny new MoT on the bike and get some miles on it again so that I remember how to ride it, and also to monitor the oil consumption. I seem to recall that it had a habit of using a bit too much oil for my liking, requiring a top up after 100-150miles, which, when there's a stack of camping gear bungeed on the seat, is a little inconvenient to say the least. Then there's the cost. I think I need to start saving, and sooner, rather than later. From Cubbie Towers, going straight to Dover and then from Dunkerque to Bologna (Ducati factory...) and back again is roughly 3000miles. Then there'll be the detours and exploring mountain passes... Camping doesn't look too expensive, and I'll just have to go on a diet for a week, or live off a supply of army rations corned beef hash. Hmmm, the diet looks preferable. The ferry is surprisingly cheap at under £50 for a return. Better book that now before it goes up!

Anyone out there been motorcycling in Italy? Tales to tell? Tips to share?

UCAN Motorcycle Fun Run

2011-06-23T11:51:00.001+01:00

The Founder of the UCAN Trophy motorcycle fun run, Chris Norton, sadly passed away on Friday 6th May after a long battle with prostate cancer. He will be sorely missed by all his friends and family, and those who worked with him in establishing the UCAN fun run.

The 5th fun run will go ahead on Sunday 18th Sep 2011, and we will be aiming to raise the £5000 that Chris so wanted to achieve.

You can help by starting your fundraising efforts now - perhaps by holding a garage sale / charity BBQ / swear box collection / sposored run / ride / walk - or just by making a donation to UCAN at www.justgiving.com/ucan/donate

A special charity dance in memory of Chris is taking place on FRIDAY 1st JULY 2011, in the Midmar village hall. There will be a 1970s disco, food and a GRAND RAFFLE -
*1st Prize Dinner and B&B for two at the Marcliffe Hotel, Pitfodels.
*2nd Prize £200 Hamper
*3rd Prize Golf for 4 at Alford Golf Club
*4th Prize £100 Scottish Hamper
Plus many more prizes up for grabs!

Tickets for the dance and raffle can be purchased in advance by contacting Lorna Adam 01330 833333 or emailing tickets@ucanbikeride.co.uk

Terry time.

2011-06-16T15:09:00.003+01:00

Well not really, but the postie just delivered a wee box from Shetland, and in it, happened to be a nice little seat for Terry the Terrier. It's amazing, if you just ask the right people the right questions, usually, they have the right parts kicking around in their shed. Thank you Mr B, you must let me sort the P&P - at the very least.

An Important Message from Lord Montagu.

2011-06-15T10:42:00.003+01:00

In case you don't know, he's the President of the FBHVC (Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs), and here's what he says...

As you know, FBHVC exists to protect the freedom to use historic vehicles – including your freedom to use an historic vehicle whenever you wish.
FBHVC has to challenge politicians and persuade regulators to adjust policies and draft new rules accordingly. Nothing captures politicians’ or regulators’ attention more effectively than big or valuable numbers based on firm evidence – hence the need for this periodic survey, which is being undertaken in conjunction with the Historic Vehicle Research Institute.
Please use the appropriate link, below, to access the survey questionnaire. This survey questionnaire can be completed anonymously, but if you do provide contact details at the end, FBHVC & HVRI guarantee that your answers will be treated in confidence and that no identifiable information will be divulged.
The results of the survey will be a summary of the aggregated answers received.
Thank you for helping us to help you stay on the road.

So go on, pop over to the website at http://fbhvc.co.uk/survey-2011/ and fill in the survey - there are only 12 questions and even I knew the answers!

Cubbie seems to be fixed...and GBC is another year older...

2011-06-13T23:14:00.003+01:00

Well I don't like to speak too soon, but after a weekend of breaking down, messing with the wiring, fixing it and breaking down again, I think the final fixing has worked - a HUGE thank you UN for hours of assisstance via the wonderful device that is the mobile tellingphone, and to the Man from Muckle Flugga who assissted in pulling a few wires off and taking a turn at kicking the cute little bike (to see if it would start, not to hurt the poor thing!) when the sun became too hot and the leg became too weary. And I'd like to thank all those who sent me birthday wishes yesterday, and all those who forgot and sent me birthday wishes today!

Cursed!!

2011-06-09T14:01:00.002+01:00

Last weekend, at the Fraserburgh show, someone commented on the amazing reliability of Cubbie. Well that was the end of that then! Since then, Cubbie seems to be suffering from an electrical hiccup (if I'm truthful, the hiccup first developed on the way to the show), as detailed below...

I got about half way to Fraserburgh, was just picking up speed after a corner, and noticed a bit of a misfire. Thinking it was probably some dirt in the petrol (which has been sitting in the tank all winter) I stopped to investigate. The first thing I noticed was that the horn and lights didn't work, and the ammeter didn't do anything when the ignition was switched on - well that ruled dirty fuel out, and after that I was stumped. The only thing that had changed was that I had fitted a new speedo and hooked the cable up to it a few weeks ago. I wondered if I had knocked a wire whilst fighting to bend the un-bendy bit of the speedo cable into the right position. Whether wiggling the ignition switch wires had any effect I don't know, but the lights worked and after carefully putting the nacelle top back on and re-fitting the headlight, Cubbie fired up and ran smoothly all the way to the show, and I thought nothing more of the problem...

...Until club night, a couple of days later. I used the bike in the morning, it was fine, went to fire it up in the evening and it was dead. Got it going eventually - seems if I just sit and wait patiently (er, I mean, methodically go through all the things it could be and try to decide what to do...) it will fix itself. If only! Despite the torrential rain, Cubbie behaved perfectly after that, and started first kick after the meeting. T'was only when I stopped to de-mist my glasses about half way home, that it decided to die again, but after about ten mins of shivering in the cold rain (me, not it), it booted up and ran cleanly until we got to within 1 mile of Cubbie Towers when I had to stop and sort my specs again. This time there was no starting it after ten mins, so I nipped home and got the trailer. It would happen that there then commenced the heaviest and most prolonged shower of stair rod style rain, accompanied by thunder and a few sparks of lightning, resulting in a very wet and cold GBC and Mrs BC, who assisted with the loading.

Humbug.

Still, UN and the Cub guys are on the case, and in no time at all, I shall know which wires to poke and prod.

Grampian Classic club meeting

2011-06-06T11:17:00.002+01:00

Just in case there are any GCMCC members looking at this, wondering why they haven't heard from me about the meeting tomorrow...well, my email won't work any more. So meet at the Legion about 7pm for another of Captain Bill's mystery tours. Don't bother emailing me cos I won't get it!

See you there.

Chain splitting. Or not, as the case may be.

2011-06-04T19:32:00.006+01:00

Ok, I need some advice, by tomorrow morning please as I've got to go to the Fraserburgh show. I'm struggling to remove a few links from Cubbie's new chain, yes, struggling. A simple task, isn't it? Well here's how I've attempted it, and perhaps someone can put me right.

First, tried it like this....

...but that only pushes the pin less than half way through, like zis... ...because the pointy bit on the splitter isn't very long, so then after looking through some books, I saw a picture of it being done like this...

but same result of course, plus the bottom plate gets distored as the pin goes through and there's nothing to support it. So I got a bit cross, and took the grinder out. Ground off the top of the pin, put it in the splitter to start the pin moving and then got a punch out (approx same size as the pin) and beat the living daylights out of it, like zizz...

The problem with all the ways I've tried is that the pin gets stuck in the 'bottom' plate and if I give it one too many hits, it bends the plate. I've tried gripping it with a pair of grippy things but it doesn't shift.

Any advice? Please? Help me? It can't be that hard, can it? I did think about griding through the roller and the pin and Bob's yer wotsit, but I need the roller to go on the new joining link thingy.

Depressed.

At Cubbie Towers.

PS, and I wish this blog thing would stop adding extra spaces between my photos and paragraphs!!!

PPS- how about I grind off the top and bottom of both pins, flip the plates off and the pins should fall out...yes? I'll wait til after my chocolate pudd I think.

**********PPS I've done it, I've done it! Ground the tops of the two pins off on the link I wanted to split it at, then used the splitter to push the pins out as far as they would go, then the plate popped off and hey presto, the chain was split. Sometimes it's so darned simple it's too difficult to think of. So as it was only about 11pm by then, I fitted the chain, put the new link and plate in, was about to fit the spring clip, and noticed that the new link pins are much longer than those in the rest of the chain, meaning they stand proud of the chain face by quite a large amount. It didn't look right, but that's what came with the chain. So I lined up the old link and it's a much better fit, so popped the spring clip on, snapped it in place, wound up the adjusters to take the slack, and will set it up properly in the morning. Good to have you connected Larry - hope the chicken wasn't too hot??**********

So after the karting day...

2011-05-31T15:30:00.004+01:00

I went shopping. I love a bit of shopping now and again, don't you? Real girlie stuff, ya know, things like.....bike frames...wheels...distributors and the like. Hah! No clothes or make up and airy fairy shopping for me, uh uh. A guy called George spoke to me at one of my trips down to Central Scottish VMCC, and told me he had a garage full of Cub related bits that had to go, was I interested? Hmmm, let me think a while....YEP! It took a few weeks but I started compiling a list of Terrier bits that I need, and after passing it on to George, was delighted when he said he had quite a few of the bits I was looking for. So a quick visit on the way home from karting was in order. And I got....a couple of frames, one complete with plunger units - primary reason for getting them was to get the plunger units, but you never know when a frame will come in handy. A box of electrical compants including an ignition switch and complete distributor, a few spare wheels or various sizes, just in case, and a couple of sets of light weight forks.

With one of the wheels came a not too bad sprocket which might be a suitable replacement for the one that's on Terry, oh yes and a nice pair of handlebars with the levers 'built in'. So that should all help the project whizz along, if only I can find the time to crack on with it before, errrr, June....

GBC goes KARTING!!!

2011-05-26T13:57:00.005+01:00

Up astonishingly early last Sunday morning, off to Glasgow to meet up with a bunch of fellow MZers and friends. Had brekky at a roadside Little Chef and bumped into a famous darts player - Wolfie, aka Martin Adams. Spotted that his left hand was covered in those hideous bulgy gold rings that darts players often wear, and then saw his van outside. The waitress was besotted and he promised to send her a signed photo to display next the to the pic she has of Bobby "Dazzler" George.

There were 9 karters in total. Rather than wear the helmets and boilersuits provided by the karting place we all took suitable bike gear (or for the one guy who actually rode his bike there, he was ready dressed).

The weather was forecast to be wet and windy, well, it certainly was windy for the drive south but after a light smattering of rain the sun shone most of the afternoon. Fully briefed on what the various coloured flags meant and a reinforcement of the 'no barging people out of the way' rule, we were given numbers 1-9 and split into two groups for our first practice runs. It was found to be most amusing by some people that I needed a booster seat so that I could reach the peddles. But then I found it most amusing that I 'won' my practice run, won my heats and did rather well in qualifying for the final, despite my kart breaking down and despite having been shoved off the track on a few occassions!

I'm the yellow dot on the left side of the track...

The only downside was that the Organisers started me from NINTH position on the grid for the FINAL!!! How'd they work that one out? The final was a rare old chuckle though, with the 'no barging people out of the way' rule going AWOL. Because there were only 9 of us, everyone qualified, and from my start in 9th, I cleared about 3 karts before the first corner, then made it round the outside and inside of a couple more and was in 3rd place, rapidly gaining on my main rivals at the front of the pack, only for the race to be stopped after a pile up at the back. A re-start was in order so back to 9th again, and this time I only managed to get to 4th as the chequered flag fell. Miffed? Yes, of course! Fun? YES!! Do it again? DEFINITLY!!! Oh, and the bestest thing of all - the organisers had money on me to win.

Just out of curiosity (ok, more to do with my ever so advanced competitive nature) I acquired a copy of the fastest lap times - shall I post it up? Wadday say? Do you think the guys would be pleased to have their times posted? I'm sure they won't mind. Here is it....Followed by a pic of some of the slowest guys on the track, meeowww!!!

Thanks to UN for instigating the BIG KARTING DAY OUT and thanks to all who went along and made it one of the best days out away from bikes I've had in a long time. See you next time...

Blog Down Time

2011-05-20T22:46:00.002+01:00

My apologies for the apparent lack of activity on here lately. For once, it wasn't my fault. For the last week, every time I've tried to log in to post there has been some kind of error. A quick Google of said error revealed that Blogger had been having a spot of bother with things, and some blogs lost posts or comments or both. Luckily, it would seem that I didn't lose any, just couldn't add anything. I've got a busy weekend ahead; fencing (barbed wire, not swords (foils?)), paper work, admin, moving sheep and partaking of a karting Grand Prix in the Glasgee area, plus, hopefully, Terrier parts shopping, so some time next week I'll attempt to pop an update about everything that Cubbie Towers on for you.

Funny looking Cub bit?

2011-05-14T09:34:00.002+01:00

This has been in my box of Cub spares and I've never really looked at it - never really needed spares (oops that's temping fate!) but I thought it was about time I had a proper sort out of what's in there. So what is it and what is it from? No prizes, just the sheer satisfaction of being able to enlighten GBC and further expand her knowledge of old bike bits.

Sidecar wanted for TV work

2011-05-09T08:37:00.003+01:00

There seems to be a lot of call for bikes and sidecars lately, here's the latest request I've had through. If you can help, drop me a line on cubbies counties AT aultan . com (remove the spaces and change AT to @)

...we are filming a TV series in Glasgow and we are looking for a motorcycle and sidecar in ivory, preferably 1920s but '30s would be ok...can you help...?

Flying time.

2011-05-07T16:35:00.001+01:00

Blimey, time really does fly. Just picked up a 3-bike trailer from Grampian Classic club member Barry, 'cos I'm doing the breakdown duties at the Cairn O Mount classic run tomorrow, and when I went to gather a few tools and straps etc from the shed, I found all the stuff I took last year...in the same box...packed away neatly...and I never knew I'd lost them til now!

Gosh, that was an awfully long sentence.

Keeping up with the GBC

2011-05-02T14:08:00.002+01:00

Ok, that's that tested and it seems to work, so, if you fancy being alerted whenever I update the blog, all you need to do is pop your email addy into the box above, and submit. You'll then receive an email asking you to follow a link to verify your subscription. After you've done that, you'll get an email evey time I post something new on here. You might find it annoying but at least you'll never miss a post.

Go on, you know you want to.....!

Nice day!

2011-04-30T11:04:00.000+01:00

Wow, what a sunny day!

(Sorry, just testing the email feed thingy)

100 Bikes - 100 Miles - 100 Years

2011-04-28T19:12:00.003+01:00

Do you think there's any chance at all that I'll have Cubbie's brakes sorted by the end of May? At this rate, I think not, but after some advice from Mr Ex-VMCC-Pres, there might be a light at the end of tunnel. Not that Cubbie hasn't got any lights. Er, no, you're right, it hasn't got any lights or any brakes, but I'm assuming that's just a flat battery, even though its one of those solid ones that allegedly don't go flat...

Anyway, I recevied some info from the organisers of the Scottish Six Day Trial about their centenary celebrations over at Fort William - sounds like a bloomin' good day out and IF I can get Cubbie sorted, I'm going to enter. Anyone else going?

Here's the info...
Do you have a classic bike that doesn't mind a bit of mud? Are you up for a challenge? Then you might want to join us for our Centenary Bike Run!

On Sunday 29th May 100 bikes will take on a route of 100 miles to celebrate 100 years of the Scottish Six Days Trial. It's a day that is not to be missed for any SSDT enthusiast.

The run will start and finish near Fort William, covering a mixture of public roads and private unmetalled tracks. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to ride your classic motorcycle over some of the most remote and scenic routes that Scotland has to offer.

The event is restricted to 100 entrants and is aimed at pre-1960 bikes, although bikes up to 1970 will be eligible to take part. In the event of over-subscription any pre-1950 bikes will take preference. Throughout the day a full back-up service will be available and marshalls will be on hand around the route too. Before the run you can relax and enjoy a social gathering on the Saturday night

Doreen Stratford is co-ordinating the event - you can find more details in her event notes below and if it sounds like something you'd be interested in, you'll also find the entry form at the foot of this article. If you have any further questions, please just contact Doreen and she'll be able to provide you with the information you need.

www.ssdt.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=136:100-bikes-100-miles-100-years&catid=24:old-bike-run&Itemid=43

And a little bit more to tempt you...there will be two routes - one for old trail/trial bikes involving some slightly rougher tracks, and one for vintage and road based bikes involving tarmac, and some properly graded unmetalled tracks - these will be suitable for road based bikes with reasonable tread pattern tyres.

Look at that - doncha just fancy poddling up there on your old bike? No traffic....no pedestrians...maybe the odd bit of wildlife but you'll only be going slowly.

HAPPY CHOCOLATE DAY!!!

2011-04-24T10:42:00.004+01:00

Or to anyone who hasn't been off chocolate for Lent, Happy Easter. Either way, have a great day. The sun is shining at Cubbie Towers, the grass is growing, the lambs are skipping and the birds are singing merrily. And hopefully, I might get around to building a make-shift blasting cabinet today or tomorrow and I'll be able to get the Terrier wheels cleaned up.

Chocolate, anyone?

Tough, they're all mine!!!

PS in case you're wondering, I wrote this on Easter Sunday but it wouldn't 'post', possibly something to do with having just moved over to IE9, or maybe too much chocolate. I can't believe it, no choc for 46 days, ok ok, I had 2 little wobbles (possibly not the best word to choose) when an already opened packet of M&Ms wound me up so much that temptation got the better of me and I gave in. Only had 3 or 4 though. I think that's good going. You try it next year.

Terry / Cubbie update

2011-04-16T22:33:00.013+01:00

What an exciting few days its been in the shed. Yes, I've spent a good few hours in there and achieved, let me think, hardly anything. I started at the beginning of the week with the intention of reassembling Cubbie's newly refurbished brakes, but ended up getting nowhere, because the brake arm is in the wrong place. I don't know what the technical names are, but the arm fits on a square 'thing' that is on the sticky-out end of the cam, therefore, the arm can only be adjusted in 90degree increments. This is inconvenient because one setting is too horizontal and the next one is too close to the bottom of the fork. After a long time spent head scratching, assembling it all again, checking that the brake plate was located correctly, spinning the cam around 180degrees, taking it all apart and putting it all back together again, it was time to go to work. Couple of days later, same thing, only this time, when I'd had enough, I moved on to fitting the 'new' speedo that Mr Pres (who incidentally, I should really call Mr Immediate Past Pres) sourced for me. Removed the headlight, ripped the sticky tape off the top of the nacelle (it was covering the hole where the speedo should go), removing a goodly amount of paint, cleaned the remaining sticky stuff and flaking paint off, rubbed it down and wiped clean with my favourite cleaning product, old petrol. Up on the top shelf, hidden away at the back was a pot of...wait for it...begins with H....yep, Hammerite. Smooth Black. Popped the lid off, it's still liquid, found a brush....lunch time! Followed by work time. Woe is me.

Next day, decided not to waste more time on the brakes, and it's too cold to paint - wouldn't want to have a bloom effect on my concors machine - so I take to cleaning one or two Terrier bits. I can't resist, I've got to try and undo the sludge trap in the flywheel. It's peened over to stop it from coming undone, so I un-peen it in a slightly amateurish way, but it works, and try the easy route first, just a large flat screw driver. It don't budge. Mrs BC lends a hand to hold the whole thing steady while I put all my weight behind it. It still don't budge. Back to cleaning then. So come Friday morning, I still don't have a bike ready for the Large Lunch, which was today (Saturday) but I've given up on that now and am more focused on that dratted sludge trap.

A few words of advice from someone point me in the direct of the impact driver - good idea but it still doesn't have any effect. Oh well, it the worst comes to the worst, I'll bundle it up and take it to the Large Lunch...at least I'll have part of a bike there... So at this juncture, I still haven't sorted Cubbie's brakes, or painted the nacelle, or fitted the speedo, or emptied Terry's sludge trap...but I should add that there is some positive news...but you'll have to wait a bit for that, busy day on the farm today with tail ringing and a poorly lamb born last night, then guess what, I've got to go to work. Huh.

SATURDAY - time for the Large Lunch, a good excuse for a get-together, eating and catching up after winter. And you know what that means...a gathering of men who know far more about bikes and working on them than I do. So I packed the flywheel thing into a box with rags, screwdrivers, hammers and the impact driver and popped it in the car. As Mrs BC and I arrived at the Sheiling Tor in Fyvie, some riders had just left on Bob P's treasure hunt style ride, and other were just returning, so I grabbed a few of them and lured them to the box of Terrier bits. First up was Andrew M but despite all his efforts, the sludge trap held firm. Next to give it a go was Bob P, but no joy there either, and then a team effort from Maurice C and Graham McC, with backup from onlookers Huey & Dewey forced the blighter to give in. A few good wallops on the impact driver and the screw loosened to reveal a pile of solid sludge, as predicted by everyone I'd asked if this was really necessary. Thanks guys, I would never have got that undone on my own.

Went to work on the way home from Lunch so no time to finish the job, but managed to sneak a bit of time back in the shed yesterday (Sunday, gee, this is confusing) before going to work, and picked away at the sludge, using a drill bit at first to wind the muck out and downwards, away from the big end, followed by an assortment of cable ties, plastic pointy things and a fine Allen key that was the only thing long enough to reach to the top. Then came my favourite bit; out with the GBC Red Plastic Flywheel Assy Washing Device, a turkey baster and some old petrol (old as in bought before the prices went sky high and not as in 'dirty'). The first rinse was shockingly filthy dirty and bitty, with a load of grit being washed out. Using clean petrol each time I rinsed and rinsed until it ran clear and free of debris, let it dry and then smothered it in fresh, new oil, before wrapping the whole thing up in a clean carrier bag and returning it to the shelf. Job done. (Thank you Larry for doing that research on sludge traps - just needed some muscles!)

A couple more rinses with the turkey baster and all that grit was gone.

Sunday was a very productive day, as not only did I do all that, but it was so hot that the Hammerite was at the right temperature and the nacelle didn't feel like a block of ice to touch, so after a lick o' paint, lick o' paint, Cubbie's looking a bit brighter and smarter. Trouble is, I'll have to do the other bits that need a lick o' paint now. Botheration!

Apologies for the really weird layout, I just can't get the pics to stay where I put them! Grrrrr!

PPS thanks to Gordon from Shetland the search for pics of Islay is over. Sounds like an interesting project that's on the go, update you later.

Photos or videos of Islay WANTED

2011-04-14T14:35:00.002+01:00

Got the following email in a while ago, can anyone help?

I wonder if you could help me. I'm contacting you on behalf of a whisky distillery on Islay, Scotland, called Ardbeg. We are trying to find images/video or documentary evidence of motorcycles on Islay, from vintage to classics - owners or road trips etc.

A new recruit to the Vintage world.

2011-04-12T18:15:00.009+01:00

I'm pleased, and a little proud, even though I do say so myself, that as a result of the Scottish Vintage Training Day last year, at least one more person in Scotland now rides a vintage motorcycle - read on for Paul's story.

B.S.A. W32-6 VMCC training days can have strange and lasting effects; an interesting and challenging day was anticipated, but falling for side valve hand-changers? No, not really. And then, barely a week after the event at Alford last year, I saw an advert for a very tidy BSA W6 at a very fair price - some things are just meant to be. What we have here is a 500 sidevalve with full electrics and a four-speed hand-change gearbox. The new-fangled foot change was optional but a detachable cylinder head as standard was thought modern enough for 1932. Controls are not quite as they appear or as you might expect: the left-hand 'mag' lever is in fact the decompressor, ignition advance being controlled by a left twist grip (great fun!). Oh, and the horn button is on the right, as is the rear brake pedal. The machine has been beautifully restored, sometime in the early 90's I would guess, but the worthy emphasis on originality made it less than ideal to actually use. This might explain the mileages shown on the last 13 years' MOTs: 570 in 1997 and still only 980 in 2010. So ... firstly, the coiled copper fuel pipe had to go - it was routed close the cast iron engine and the resultant vapourisation of ethanol-laced fuel caused weak running and an absolute refusal to start when hot. Next the cable from rear brake pedal to front brake was removed - linking may have seemed a good idea but in practice it restricts the geometry of both brakes. A two-pole bulb holder has been fitted in the rear lamp unit so a brake light could be wired in - not a legal requirement prior to January 1936 but important for safety in modern traffic; rather like a mirror. A little fine tuning to carburation and ignition timing further improved things to the point where this is now a safe, reliable motorcycle. Just as BSA intended. Sorry if all this causes gnashing of teeth but I like to ride my bikes regularly over quite long distances without recourse to the tool kit and its a 115-mile round trip for an MOT here. We've done over 700 miles since the last one and the engine feels more willing than ever; I don't think it has been given the chance to 'run in' since the rebuild. The hand change can be a bit of a handicap in town where the W6 is otherwise sprightly enough, the brakes coping well. With a comfortable cruising speed of 45mph main road riding needs an eye on the mirror and, if a queue is beginning to build up, I pull in to the next lay-by to let them all pass. Its a pleasant surprise how many drivers appreciate this and give a wave or a hazard flash. But on back roads and single track the BSA is an absolute joy. Plod along in top gear or push on a bit just as the mood takes you. Either way concentrate on the road surface as girder forks have their limits, and allow extra braking distance on steep descents or when running above 40mph. Steep climbs need a drop to 3rd with perhaps a little retard on the ignition if the revs fall off. All situations need good anticipation and planning but with a little practice it will come together. And then comes the magic as the machine begins to talk to you. Your control asks the question and the way it responds gives reply as in "oh for goodness sake, what are you playing at", or perhaps simply "could do better", but best of all is "well, you got that right, didn't you". And so the dialogue continues to journey's end. Wonderful!

VMCC training days can have strange and lasting effects. You have been warned!

A few facts and figures... Engine air cooled 4-stroke single Displacement 499cc Bore/Stroke 85 x 88mm Compression (est) 5.0 : 1 Valves side valve Carburation 1in. Amal type 76 Ignition Lucas magneto, gear driven Lubrication pressure feed from gear type pump to roller bearing crank 3 pt. (1.7 l) reservoir in unit with crankcase Power (est) 13 bhp at 4000 rpm Transmission single row primary & final drive chains Clutch multi plate Gearbox 4 speed, hand change Electrics (optional) Lucas 6v 3-brush dynamo Frame I-section steel spine with bolt on front & rear down tubes, lower rails & rear sub-frame Front suspension BSA girder with coil spring, adjustable friction damping Rear suspension sprung saddle Front brake 7in. SLS drum (originally with additional link to foot brake) Rear brake 7in. SLS drum Tyres 3.25 x 19 front & rear Fuel 2¼ gal. (10.2 l) Wheelbase 54 in. Seat height 28 in. Weight (est) 360 lbs. (163 kg) Typical consumption 55 - 60 mpg

Confession time.

2011-04-08T11:34:00.005+01:00

You know me, I'm fairly up front about things, so I feel the need to confess about a small departure from the chocolate free path I've been on since the beginning of Lent, which was many, MANY days ago. But what could I do? I was at work yesterday afternoon, and this particular job involved interviewing an elderly couple. Well, tradition in the north east of Scotland is that when someone is offered a cup of tea (or in my case, a glass of cloudy lemonade) and they accept, then alongside the drink goes a plate full, and I'm not kidding, FULL of biscuits, cakes and various other sweet things. In this case, every item on the plate had chocolate on or in it, and it would have been considered very rude and improper of me to refuse, so I opted for the coconut biscuit topped with dark chocolate. I only had one though. And I have confessed. So now I feel better. Only 15 days to go...

By the way, this is nothing to do with chocolate or confessions, but I'm fair chuffed, as they say, to have 27 'followers' who are bold enough to click the 'follow' button and have their little piccy / name added to the bottom of this page. However, I think there are probably one or two more of you out there who could be brave and click the 'follow' button and get the list up to 30 at least. Waddya say? C'mon, please?

***Wow, thank you guys 'n' girls, that it up to 30...I suppose 35 is too much to ask...?**

A trip to Inverness

2011-04-05T23:08:00.001+01:00

Well, what a nice bunch of chaps. Just done a talk for the Highland Classic Motorcycle Club and VMCC Members, and jolly well it went too. After a day of admin duties and updating my slideshow, I arrived in Inverness in time to grab a pannini at Tescos - no other hot food is served after 6pm, and yes, I'm still rather peckish. Got along to their meeting in good time for the 8 o'clock start and sat quietly while Chairman Neil went through Club business. My turn came at around 9pm and I hope I didn't bore them all too much with tales of my first two years of Area Rep-ship. My favourite kind of talk is one where I ask a question and someone in the audience responds - exactly what Geoff, Burt, Neil, Andy-he of yet another bike purchase, and one or two others, I'm sorry I don't know all your names, did. It must have gone fairly well as I'm invited back - and I just had to go and say in my usual witty way that I'd only go back if at least one Highland Club member joined the VMCC - so two people then came up and hinted that they would possibly get around to filling in the form and joining the big happy gang that is the Vintage Motorcycle Club! Excellent, thanks guys, any questions etc, just give me a shout on cubbiescounties AT aultan.con but remember to change the AT to @ and remove the spaces. The Highland Classic Club organise the Loch Ness rally every year, an event worth doing for the scenery, good company and usually good weather. Thanks for the invite, be seeing you again sometime chaps.

Scottish Training Day CANCELLED

2011-04-01T16:17:00.004+01:00

No, this is not an April Fool, the Scottish Training Day really has been cancelled. This is due to a lack of bikes being available for the entrants to try. It's probably best if I don't comment further, other than to say once again, thank you to everyone who attended LAST YEAR and made that such a successful event, and thanks to those who have helped recruit riders, or helped finding a venue, or offered help for this year. ****Anyone who hasn't had an email from me about Plan B, please get in touch - cubbiescounties AT aultan.com ****

And the Pre-Xmas Comp Winner Was...

2011-03-30T10:05:00.005+01:00

You may recall the Pre-Xmas Competition, which was something to do with coming up with the funniest word or phrase to complete the wording on a snow covered sign at Cubbie Towers. You are a funny lot, but the one chosen by Mrs BC to receive the nearly invisible prize, was Stu - so I'll hand over to him...

Just a few words to say thankyou for the prize that I won in your recent blog competition. I thought my reward might be a tee-shirt and half expected a picture of an enigmatic GBC wearing her blue helmet and mounted on her faithfull Cubbie to be printed on the front. Imagine then my shock to find a rather devilish and scantily clad young lady posing on a piece of Japanese exotica! My ghast was well and truly flabbered! Is this to be your new image? Have the bright lights of Edinburgh turned your head? Has Mrs BC been hosting an Ann Summers party for the sheep? or could this be your almost twin sister making another appearance? Heeheehee! Thanks again and keep up the good work, happy biking, Stuart.

Er, yes, that's Stu! And this, was his winning witty phrase!

Things may move at a slower pace around here, but we got there in the end. Thanks all for entering the comp and well done to those shortlisted to go through to the 'Mrs BC Decides' round. Talking of competitions, it looks like your Head Photo Comp Judge, Mr Phil Mather was correct in his assumption that seeing as winter has very nearly left us (although it's cold, wet and windy here today) the famous, annual GBC Blog Winter Photo Comp is not going to happen this year. Sorry about that, where has time gone? I mean, I went to bed and there was 6ft of snow outside, and when I woke up the clocks had changed and the sun was shining! So I hope you weren't looking forward to it too much, but if you had already gone and taken some snaps please do feel free to send them in anyway.

AND IN OTHER NEWS - - - my contact in Shetland has only gone and found me Terry's registration documents!!! Oh yes he has, what a star you are Joe!!! Now I really must get myself into the shed and get working on the wheels....frame...engine...paintwork...etc etc etc.

GBC's trip to Glamis.

2011-03-26T00:33:00.004Z

Hmmm, just been pulled by Grampian's Finest (aka the local Constabulary) on my way home from doing a talk at the Central Scottish Section of the VMCC! More tomorrow, or should I say later today, but the good news is you don't have to come and bail me out.

Right, so there I was, heading home, minding my own business when my phone went 'ping', so being a law abiding citizen, I pulled into a field entrance to check it, suspecting that it might be Mrs BC checking to see if I'd forgotten to put the chickens away. Then I spotted the car that had been coming the other way had gone past, then stopped, and was now reversing back to where I was parked. Well, being a girly out in the middle of nowhere at what must have been midnight or beyond, I decided the best bet was to move on. Then about half a mile further on, my mirror was full of flashing blue lights and blazing headlights. Humbug. All I wanted to do was get home and go to bed (after shutting the chickens away of course). So I pulled over, rolled the window down and the nice policeman requested that I join them for a chat in their vehicle. After a 'what brings you out at this time of night on these little back roads' quiz, we established that the cop doing the questioning also has poultry, and recommends a light sensitive pop-hole that you can adjust to shut at certain light levels so that the chickens are all safely shut away before dark - only works though if the hens are trained to go in the shed before the door shuts! We had a grand little chat about ducks, geese, badgers and foxes but I couldn't get him interested in joining the VMCC. Through the course of the conversation, he also established that I wasn't drunk, nor had I been drinking at all (I'm just a naturally merry person), so I was free to go. Got the local paper the next day and found out that there's been a bit of a drink/drive crackdown in these parts lately - was relieved to see the name of GBC didn't appear in it!

First Scottish Training Day Video

2011-03-18T14:09:00.002Z

She's back - again.

2011-03-15T14:09:00.005Z

Well this time it was a trip away for work, followed by the Ingliston bike show, followed by work, but now I'm back, laden with new clothes, chocs and aching feet and legs. Will attempt a report later on, just got a few admin issues to deal with.

Ok here we go. Can't write too much as Old Bike Mart would like a report too. Saturday, and I arrived early before the doors were open to the public, had a quick wander along one side of the hall and ended up at the Bikers Gearbox stall. For about the last five years, I've attempted to buy a pair of Kevlar-type trousers, but either I haven't found a pair I liked or could afford or, as I absolutely hate clothes shopping with more of a vengeance than you can imagine, I've given up when I've seen the hoards of people pushing and shoving and queueing in a hot stuffy hall, all after the same alleged show bargains. But this time, because it was before the crowds came in, and I quite enjoyed a bit a banter with the Geordie sales lad, I decided to try a couple of pairs on. The improvised changing room (hallway at the rear of the hall, cold, concrete floor, two sets of double doors...) was, well, let's just say that it made for a quick change, and after trying on the medium pair which were way, way, way too huge - they fell down even when fully buttoned up, I was resigned to not getting any after all, because a) these places hardly ever have the clothes in small sizes and b) even if they did, I assumed they would be too small. But the helpful Geordie found a pair in small and after being walked in on by a guy when I was mid-way through trying them, I did a few turns, assumed the 'sitting on a motorcycle' position and decided that they did fit rather nicely, not too tight and loose enough to be comfortable on a bike or walking around. And I managed to get a fiver knocked off the price for the embarrassing interruption. So that was the only time I managed to get a little walk around during Saturday; the entire day was taken up with recruiting entrants for the Vintage Training Day and taking turns with Shorty in demonstrating how David M's Ner-a-Car worked - as UN put it, a left hand twist grip clutch, lever throttle and centre hub steering, what could be more simple? Johny J's Hobart - soon to be GBC's Hobart, albeit temporarily, was also on my portion of the Central Scottish VMCC stand (thank you Shorty for allowing me to have the little teeny bit of the stand on the end, all to myself), and a goodly amount of people I think were somewhat calmed by the tour of the Hobart's controls after having the Ner-a-Car demo. Thanks to both owners for putting the bikes on show. So I was that busy that I didn't eat until gone 3pm, and then it was only a packet of crisps, and boy was I starving! A scrummy Indian takeaway later that evening soon put things right though, when I eventually found the place, and found parking, and found my way back to my hotel.

Sunday, and it was up fairly early again and back to the grind. I had a quick march around the rest of the show on my way in to the classic hall. Not much to talk about, the usual array of modern shiny bikes with the usual array of middle aged men who should know better perched upon them. The usual troops of almost naked girls advertising, er, what were they advertising? I don't know, the shade of fake tan put me off from looking for too long. Anyone know? The Man from Muckle Flugga did a stint on the stall and assisted with signing people up and going through the Ner-a-Car routine, almost losing his voice in the process, then UN turned up for our luncheon date, bringing with him a set of lovely thermal undies which will come in handy should this wintry weather hang around. I reckon with that kit on and my new troos I won't ever get cold on a bike again. An hour or two before the end of the show I finally got a chance to nip round and speak to a few people and see some of the other stands. Had a nice chat with George Beer, the new organiser of the classic & club hall, also met one of my predecessors, Mr C, ex-Scottish Area Rep and had a good old natter with Doug Young, who, with his wife Paula, ran the classic hall for many years. Ah yes, mustn't forget Rick Parkington! He stopped off for a chat and gave me some instructions on riding the Hobart, all I can say is I hope the instructions that Johny J is going to give aren't quite so scary! I'll have to check my notebook for details of anyone else I spoke to - apologies if I haven't added you to the list yet!

So there you have it, the Ingliston bike show in a nutshell, but the nitty gritty will be in OBM in the near future...watch that space...

Now, whose idiotic idea was it to give up chocolate for Lent.....it seemed like a good idea a week ago, but now I'm getting bored (read CRABBIT) with the idea. Most people who choose to give up, for example, drinking or smoking, at least have smoking or drinking to fall back on when times are testing, but I don't do either, so what do I fall back on? And to cap it all, I've got more chocolate in my possession than is good for me. And to cap it all again, I've just read that Lent is in fact 46 days long this year. What happened to the good old fashioned 40 days?

Places still available for VINTAGE TRAINING DAY

2011-03-10T17:26:00.002Z

SCOTTISH VINTAGE TRAINING DAY BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!!!

Due to the success of the first ever Scottish Vintage Motorcycle Training Day in Aberdeenshire last year, there will be another chance for you to try some rare and beautiful machines on SUNDAY 22nd MAY 2011. This time the event is being held at Lanark Auction Mart in Lanarkshire to make it more accessible for those in the central and southern parts of the country - and it is also within suitable travelling distance for those in the north of England. Accommodation is available nearby. The cost of entry to the event is £30 (+ £3 for non members) and pre-booking is a MUST.

If you have a pre1931 machine, or even a slightly later model with a hand gear change or lever throttle, or any features that make it just a little bit different and challenging to ride, then PLEASE GET IN TOUCH. We'd also love to have a few BSA three-wheelers, Morgans or sidecar outfits (these need not be as old, for simply riding one will be the challenge!) for the riders to try. Some of the machines kindly supplied by members last year include a 1923 Hobart...1930 Ariel LG250...1927 Raleigh Model 17...1929 Velo KTT...1930 Scott...1922 Indian Powerplus...RE Model K outfit...plus lots of different Sunbeams! Without at least 20 machines, we can't hold the Training Day so if you think you have something of interest, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH!!!

The training days are the only way that some people can experience vintage / veteran motorcycles and sidecars, so please consider lending a machine to make someone's day. The event is overseen by Chairman Kim Allen and is conducted in an educational manner with riders (and owners) being fully briefed before any riding takes place.

Please note that your machine must be roadworthy and road legal - but you've got 2 months yet so get those spanners out and get cracking, Grommet! Riders must hold a full motorcycle licence.
If you have any questions, have a bike to lend, want to help out (yes, we need a few helpers to make sure things run smoothly - how about if you were an entrant last year, switching roles and helping out this year?) or want to book a place, drop me an email to cubbiescounties AT aultan.com but make sure you change the AT to @.

However, the next, next, next project is...

2011-03-08T11:49:00.002Z

...another Cub...

Initial research indicates it is a a 1961 T20SL (Scrambler with lights / referred to in some places as a Sports Cub) engine in a 1955 frame. The frame is obviously wrong for the motor, but it seems to have the correct quickly detachable headlight, heavy duty forks and a few other little bits that go with the SL style. It is not entirely mine, no, this is a joint ownership arrangement, like people do with highly strung and very valuable race horses.

The SL engine does indeed have a bit of a racy background, with a compression ratio of 9:1 (the standard T20 road Cub is 7:1), the 'R' cam, sports type valve springs, close ratio gears and flat styleee handlebars. Just imagine crouching down over the tank, elbows tucked in, hanging on to those bars for all you're worth and hitting the top speed of 77.8mph...as reported by 'Motor Cycling' in a road test in 1961. That's another 13mph faster than the T20.

All I need to do now is make a bit of space in The Shed, or perhaps, make Another Shed.

Moto Guzzi V8

2011-03-07T10:23:00.002Z

Calm down, it's not my next project, it's from the Race Retro show...

Apologies for the video that accompanies the soundtrack but I was sitting inside the hall and really couldn't muster the energy to get up and walk outside into the cold, bitter breeze so I made a little gap in the marquee wall between the ropes and held the Blackberry outside. It does the job, and I wouldn't have been able to get to the front of the crowds anyway.

Race Retro Show 2011

2011-03-03T17:34:00.029Z

Ok, here we go, off to the Race Retro show, hang on tight! It was the idea of club member, Andrew, after he spotted an advert for the show in one of the classic bike mags. It seemed like a good idea to do a bit of car and cost sharing, so we tried to get a few others to head south with us. Arthur was keen but no one else seemed to want to go, apart from Shorty but his weekend had already been planned for him, cough. So I found a B&B that turned out to be a miniature version of Fawlty Towers. Read on. I managed to be at Andrew's place nearly on time on Friday morning, and we set off to collect Arthur. We trundled on down the road, Andrew and I sharing the driving - Arthur did offer to take a turn but as he walks with the aid of a white stick we politely declined his offer. It took about 9hrs to get to the B&B near Rugby, and once we'd established who was having which room - Arthur got the best deal and I was left without an en-suite (had to creep down the un-creepable-downable stairs in the middle of the night, after slamming my door on the way, oops, sorry!), we swiftly headed to the pub for some food. My vote for getting a Chinese take-away was disappointingly over-ruled. The grub was great and feeling ever so slightly refreshed, we then spent the rest of the evening in the other pub (there are 3 in the village) playing pool. Heaven alone knows what the locals thought when Arthur walked in with his white stick and then proceeded to nearly beat me at pool!

Up early on Saturday, at Andrew's request, and down to brekky. The arrangement was that the rooms we were staying in were in a self contained cottage, but the food was in the pub across the courtyard. The 'waitress' was Irish, not that there's anything wrong with being Irish, indeed, GBC has a smidgen of the Irish blood in her veins, and Mrs BC has a whole lot more, so watch out. We dared to ask for some serviettes only to be told that the order hadn't come in, and then the Irish female version of Manuel (you have all heard of Fawlty Towers, haven't you?) shuffled off into the kitchen, came back a while later and chucked a pile of blue paper tissue, the type that you might find in a garage or workshop for wiping oily hands, on the table. After she offered the guys more tea and coffee, and made a range of tutting and huffing responses to their requests, I made the daring move of asking for some more orange juice (I don't drink tea or coffee), and I kinda wished I hadn't! Much muttering and more tutting followed, accompanied by our sniggers and giggles as we then caused as much 'trouble' as we could. Some people wouldn't think of simply ordering breakfast as causing trouble but Manwell did. The extra orange juice arrived in the carton and was thumped down on the table in front of me. Still, all this entertainment made getting up early more bearable. We arrived at the show in good time and were able to park quite near the showground and Andrew was the only one who had to queue for his ticket (Arthur having been sold a spare ticket in the middle of the field and I had prebooked mine), but the kindly souls that we are, we waited for him.

We eventually found our way to Hall 3 where the bikes were located. On the way though, I spotted a stall selling some rather nice motor-related trophies. We're always on the lookout for something a bit different to the usual cups and shields, so I had a little chat. Arthur borrowed the guy's pen, and then walked off with it and by the time we realised, I had also realised that I, for once, was without a pen of my own. So it came in handy - apologies to the stall holder who probably only realised when his next customer appeared. On entering the bike hall, the first machine that we saw was the (famous?) Moto Guzzi V8 that Bill Lomas and Ken Kavanagh raced in the 1956 Dutch TT. Apparently it was fast, very fast, with a recorded speed of 187mph. Later in the show it was fired up, and that's what all the little boys had been waiting for. Personally, I preferred the Manx Norton, which sounds very dissimilar to a Cub, and yes, I did mean to write that. The following photos will probably convey more to you than I can....so enjoy...

Brit bikes don't look too bad either...

Is the guy propping the bike up, or is the bike propping the guy up?

One of the good things about going to shows like this 'south of the border' is that I get to meet people who have read my articles in Old Bike Mart, or been on the blog and whom I wouldn't normally get a chance to bump into. One such person is David "Kendo" Kendal, from the Warwickshire Section of the VMCC. We had a right old natter about all aspects of the Club and how to try and encourage more younger people to join. Didn't get us anywhere but it's good to thrash some ideas around with like minded people. Have a look at Kendo's blog for some more pics from the show http://www.vintageshed.blogspot.com/. I also had the pleasure of meeting Dave Mac on the stand, who describes himself as a Rudge enthusiast. I think being the past President of the Rudge club and owning a shed full of them probably qualifies him. Plus he is a technical advisor to both the National Motorcycle Museum and the Coventry Transport Museum. The bike in the picture is his 1911 single speeder, just look at all the beautiful work on the engine and the levers and the bits of curly pipe and the little oil 'can' tucked away under the seat, and the overall design. Very nice.

I also stopped off at the Northampton Section for a natter, mainly 'cos the stall was being manned by three handsome chaps who all stopped talking when I approached and smiled ever so nicely at me. Be seeing you in Scotland at some point, chaps!

For some reason, I was quite attracted to the clocks, lights, tanks and zorsts of some of the exhibits, hope you enjoy (or forgive) the following few photos...

Maybe should add, CLEAN translations only please!

So, after spending most of the day in the bike hall, and a trip outside to hear the Moto Guzzi V8 and the Manx being fired up, we dined on the obligatory burgers and then had a quick whizz through the other halls and exhibitions. Lots and lots of cars and car related things, quite a lot of jumble but mostly 4-wheel orientated. There were also some noisy rally type cars being started up, which really didn't do anything for me. Then it was back to the B&B for a rest (that's code for saying we got back there just in time to catch the start of the England Vs France rugby, which was most enjoyable!) and then the guys gave in and it was a Chinese takeaway for tea. We crammed into Arthur's room as he had the luxuary of a sofa, and we nicked the table from the hallway and munched on mountains of sweet /sour /ginger / spring onion / chicken /pineapple / balls (don't ask) with piles and piles of egg fried rice, YUM.

Up not so early on day two, only to find that there was no heating and no hot water. The chaps were most displeased, understandably, but there were kettles in each room, probably for this purpose so drop of hot water could be had for a quick rinse in the basin. Breakfast was just as much fun. We bumped into Manuel in the courtyard at the back of the cottage, and I enquired if we should place our order there and then so that it would be ready by the time we got to the table, and I can't repeat what she said, other than it must have been Irish! Good old Arthur mentioned the hot water situation and managed to negotiate a small discount for us - well done Sir! The journey home was about the same as the outward trip, boring and punctuated only by stops at service stations for fuel, food and driver swaps. The best bit was getting back to Andrew's and being invited to stay for supper - thanks Andrew & Audrey.

Don't worry, got a sound clip of that V8 coming right up after work today....

She's back!

2011-03-03T11:54:00.003Z

Never fear Bloggers, I've been away and now I'm back - full report on the Race Retro show to follow - but right now, I'm off out to the shed to see what I can achieve with the Terrier rebuild before lunch. Just hope it's a late lunch!

Another weekend.

2011-02-25T08:02:00.003Z

Why is it, you're wide awake before the alarm goes off, and as soon as it starts trilling away, you switch it off, and almost immediately, sleep prevails? Strange. Anyway, the weekend starts here at Cubbie Towers and I'm off to the Race Retro show at Stoneleigh with a couple of Grampian Classic club members. Will tell all upon my return. Meanwhile, your weekend plans are....?

PS anyone else going? Who am I likely to bump into?

It's the weekend!

2011-02-19T09:27:00.002Z

Thank goooooodnesssss. It's the weekend, and I'm not working and the only place I have to go is to nip in to the local town. What are your weekend plans?

The Morgans Yearbook

2011-02-15T11:07:00.005Z

Hey guys and girls, got this email through from the Morgans Yearbook people...

Good morning GBC Chick,

Morgan’s Historic & Classic Vehicle Events Yearbook, now in it’s 13th year, was published on February 9th 2011.

The 2011 yearbook is 80 pages and contains details on over 980 events including over 160 in Scotland and for those who wish to venture over the border another 130 in the counties of Cumbria, Northumberland & Durham plus another 690 events down to central England making it the most comprehensive ‘almanac' available for the area it covers.

The yearbook is produced by the Rotary Club of York Vikings to assist organisers of events north of a line from Aberystwyth to the Wash and up to the Shetland Islands that involve Steam Traction Engines, Veteran, Vintage & Classic Cars, Commercial vehicles, Motor Cycles, Tractors, Buses, Stationary Engines & Aircraft to publicise their events FREE OF CHARGE.

This helps thousands of enthusiasts, who purchase the yearbook, over 6800 copies in 2010, know about them.

The combination of these two things, plus financial support from advertisers, allows the proceeds of the yearbook...

over £118000 in the last seven years

...to be donated to national & international charities supported by the Rotary Club of York Vikings.

PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD AMONGST YOUR CONTACTS. We have to rely on the word of mouth as advertising in such a wide geographical area would be impossible.

THE 2011 YEARBOOK CAN BE ORDERED ON http://www.morgansyearbook.co.uk/

· It is only £ 4.00 (including postage )

· or £ 3.00 per copy if 15 or more copies are ordered at the same time for delivery to one address

Thank you in anticipation of your support in ‘spreading the word’ from the Members of the Rotary Club of York Vikings and all the charities we support.

For further information contact mail2editor@morgansyearbook.co.uk or telephone 01347 878198

Terry update.

2011-02-10T14:44:00.005Z

I made an executive decision yesterday. Seeing as I didn't get home from work until gone 11pm the night before, I decided that Wednesday would be a day of rest. Well, comparatively. So after doing all the animal related jobs, collating and transferring my figures to my boss, moving some timber to a better place of storage and having lunch at 2.30pm, the rest of the day was my own. Out to the shed. Off with Cubbie's brake shoes, at last - they need re-lining so I'm told, and then on to the little job of removing Terry's timing pinion. Cub forum member Scott was good enough to send me a couple of suitable pullers along with the oversize piston I bought from him, and with the right tool the job was simple. Screw the puller into the pinion, wind the inner bolt in and, with a little twist to disengage it from the distributor gear, pull the timing coggy thingy off.

With that out of the way, the whole big end assembly was easily pulled out. The book states to clean it with a petrol / paraffin mix but as I didn't have any paraffin, I cleaned out an old oil container and used that as a basin, before swishing some petrol over it. Other than a few little bits of rust and stuff, it all seems ok. Dosed it up with a liberal amount of nice clean fresh oil and wrapped the big end do-dah up in a clean plakky bag and put it on the shelf for safe keeping. After that I used a rag soaked in petrol to scrub away at the old gasket goo on the edge of the case. Ok, I might have used a penknife too, but I was very careful.

The oil return pipe seems to have snapped the small clip that holds it in place, and tell me something, why does the pipe have a split pin through the end of it? To regulate the amount of oil, maybe? What should the next job? I intended to leave the gearbox alone as to my novice eye it all looks ok in there, although that seal at the back might need to be replaced. What about the left main bearing that isn't a bearing, it's a bush, should I replace that as a matter of course? The colouring looks a bit 'odd', kind of worn in patches. Is it easy to get it out? Actually, how does one remove said bush?

UPDATE - just checked the bush again, one of the edges is chipped and broken so I guess it's gotta be tackled.

Busy busy, been building!

2011-02-08T13:07:00.002Z

No, not shed building, much as I need another few sheds. No, this time I've been website building. My skills aren't up to much on a professional level but using the templates supplied I can knock a decent site or three into existence, well, I think they look decent, what do you think?
New site for information on rare breeds and keeping them in Scotland - www.rarebreedsscotland.co.uk

New site for smallholders in the NE of Scotland www.nescotlandsmallholders.co.uk and a forum to go alongside it www.nescotlandsmallholders.freeforums.org/index.php

And finally, if you want to order your free range and naturally reared lamb and mutton, have a look here - www.lambandmutton.co.uk

Scottish Vintage Training Day numero two.

2011-01-26T11:10:00.003Z

Did I mention that the second Scottish Vintage Training Day is booked for Sunday 22nd May at Lanark? Gosh, how remiss of me! Well it is, and you'll never guess what, we've had our first enquiry already. The trouble is, we don't have any bikes lined up yet, soooooo, if you have a pre1931 machine, or indeed, some later models will be ok as long as they have either hand gear change or lever throttle, or any features that makes your bike just a little bit different and challenging to ride, then I want to hear from you. The Indian we had last year was so well received, that anything along those lines will be most welcome again, along with Morgans, BSA three-wheelers and sidecar outfits.

The training days are the only way that some people can experience vintage motorcycles, so please consider lending a machine. The day is overseen by Chairman Kim Allen and is conducted in an educational manner with riders (and owners) being fully briefed before any riding takes place. Please note that your machine must be roadworthy and road legal - but you've got 4 months yet so get those spanners out and get cracking, Grommet!

If you have any questions, have a bike to lend, want to help out (yes, we need a few helpers to make sure things run smoothly - how about if you were an entrant last year, switching roles and helping out this year?) or want to book a place, give me a shout - cubbiescounties AT aultan.com but change the AT to @.

Finding GBC

2011-01-20T14:15:00.004Z

Haha, er, right. Someone just emailed to say they found the blog by typing GBC in Google and following the link. Well, that's good, isn't it? No, not really, cos if you just type GBC, look what you get...

Must tell people to type the full Gorgeous Biker Chick, then you get...

...although it was a little unnerving to follow the link to the Triumph Rat forum and see my almost twin sister staring back at me, almost as large as life and some discussion about her gorgeousness.

On the pull.

2011-01-16T10:03:00.005Z

Settle down you lot, it's not what you think. I need a puller for the timing pinion. Captain Bill came round yesterday bringing with him a selection of 3-legged pullers and others, but none would fit due to the lack of space in the tiny Terrier motor.

So I looked on the Greystone Tiger Cub spares website, with the intention of buying one, and noticed they also have a distributor drive gear removal tool, ooh, thought I, I could get ahead of the game here and buy one of those at the same time, but they're out of stock. So, I've asked my chums on the Tiger Cub forum if anyone has these two tools and if I can borrow them, we'll see what transpires.

Captain Bill also confirmed that the nasty grooves in the barrell were more than likely to have been caused by the circlip going on holiday allowing the gudgeon pin to move about and score the barrel rather deeply. So, with what looks like a +40 piston already, I'm on the hunt for a +60, a decent second hand one would be fine if you happen to have one in that box of bits at the back of the shed....

Well done Graham B for spotting the small hitch with the oil pump - it isn't connected to anything!

Good job GBC didn't just fire the engine up without checking it all over...as if...!

In other news, if you follow Gee-Bee Chick on Facebook, you'll know I've now crossed even further over to the wrong side and signed up for Twitter. They won't let me use a - in my name over there, so if you wanna follow me there, I would be delighted if you do, then you need to look for GeeBeeChick, I think, I don't know if you have to put @GeeBeeChick or waaaaat. I've got 3 followers already, so hello and welcome if you've come over here from over there.

Right, I'm off to work. Is there no rest for the wicked? No, obviously not.

GBC and the Flame Thrower, part II.

2011-01-13T13:19:00.009Z

Ok, just in case you left a comment on the previous post but haven't noticed my reply, I'd like to say...Thanks for all your suggestions, luckily I didn't have to do anything serious (like welding, cos I can't weld) but I soaked it over night with WD40 and then set fire to the darn thing this morning, and gave it another wallop for good measure. I forced a small flat bladed screwdriver bit into it and that got a grip so I was able to get more leverage on it. Bingo. Next problem...

Yep, so, got the split pin out of the spindle, then couldn't get the spindle out. There seems to be a lot of rustiness about Terry. I gave it a dose of WD40, tapped it gently in both directions, managed to get the tip of a small flat bladed screwdriver in the groove to try and gently lever it out, with some persuasion from a small hammer, but it wasn't shifting. On Cubbie I simply grasped the spindle with a pair of long nose pliers but this one was stuck firm. Out with the flame thrower again. I really quite like that particular toy - Mrs BC got it for my birthday a couple of years ago and I haven't really had cause to use it...until now...then I had one of my better ideas. Mole grips. Problem solved. With the jaws clamped on the end of the spindle I was able to twist and pull the spindle free.

Right, undo the 4 screws that hold the inner cover on, but there are only 3 and, you're there before me, the last one was stuck fast. Where does that expression come from, I wonder. I really couldn't be bothered with the gentle approach so it was out with the flame thrower again and it soon gave up the fight. Gently wiggle the cover up and off, being careful not to pull any bits of the gearbox out and hey presto, there's the distributor shaft, timing stuff and oil pump. Something odd struck me about the oil pump, I'm sure it shouldn't be like that. See if you can spot it in the pic.

Next job was to remove the big coggy thing and drop the tappets out (now I know why the things at the top in the rocker box that I call tappets, aren't really tappets), and then the timing pinion. But I don't have the correct puller for that one so we're back on hold for now. Still, at least progress is being made, if a little slowly.

Anger management.

2011-01-11T22:24:00.006Z

I've been suffering from a bad back since the start of my Christmas hols - typical, 'cos I haven't been able to get as much done as I wanted to, and that includes work in the shed. Well, I've been feeling a bit better these last few days, so I took the spare half hour I had before going to work to do a bit more to Terry's engine. You wouldn't think that one teeny weeny little innocent looking screw, could cause so much trouble. It's one of the ones that holds the cover on that you have to remove to gain access to the split pin so that the camplate pin (I read that somewhere, it could be the wrong name) can be removed - you with me? Mr Pres informs me that he sometimes uses an impact driver on them, but I never had any bother with the ones on Cubbie, so I wasn't anticipating any bother today. The first one came out, easy peasy, but the second, and indeed, the last one (why is it always the last one and not the first one?), no way was it shifting. I tried my trusty screwdriver with interchangeable bits, can usually find one that gets a good grip, but no luck, then I tried to set fire to the darned thing, don't know whether that was a terribly good idea or not, but by then both my shoulder and back were hurting. I remembered spotting an impact driver somewhere in the shed, gosh, didn't even know I had one, so I dug it out and gave it a go. Well, a thump, to be precise. But it ain't shifting. About three days ago I drenched the screws with WD40, but you can never have too much WD, so I after another soaking I chucked my screwdriver down in disgust and got ready for work. Grrrrrr.

The offending item. Looks like it'll have to be dug out with an excavator now that I've successfully chewed it up.

Oh, this'll make you laugh. I'm going to build a blasting cabinet to facilitate the cleaning up of Terry's rusty bits. I was inspired by a link that UN kindly sent me, detailing how you don't need to build a cabinet, just use a huge box of bicarbonate of soda, and because it's non-toxic, you just use it straight out of the box, outdoors, then a quick rinse with the watering can will sort out your patio. Now, that's not a bad idea, only it's usually cold and breezy outdoors in Scotland at this time of year, and I don't think bicarb is going to quite cut the rust on the wheels, so I reckon if I get a bit of perspex and some ply, build a box, cut a couple of holes in it for arms, get some thick gloves, and some sand, away we go. Anyone out there built their own cabinet? Want to send me a piccy? Please? Go on, pretty please?

All the way from the swamps of...

2011-01-08T16:17:00.004Z

You probably don't believe me, but the Postie has just delivered a big box addressed to THE MOST GORGEOUS BIKER CHICK (nice, very nice) and inside, amongst other things, is a miniature alligator head, complete with miniature teeth.

Ok, so you don't believe me, do you? How's this then...

Hmmm, thanks Darrell!

Terry and Cubbie II

2011-01-05T10:21:00.004Z

That's a point, what am I going to call my trials Cub? There's no hurry but I need a name for it. I plan to let the local Scout group have a go at working on it, not sure to what extent yet, maybe it will just be wire brush and painting, or maybe I'll let them help me strip the engine, we will see how that goes, but I can't think of a better way to get youngsters interested in old bikes, than by letting them get their hands dirty.

Now, talking of getting dirty. There's a lot, and I mean a LOT of wire brushing to be done to Terry the Terrier. While I think about it, I really ought to set the wheels in motion (ha ha) for sorting out the reg number and official bits too, cos if I don't get on with it, before you know it, it'll be June and I'll be ready to set off to Shetland... Yep, that's my aim. Get it ready and running and on the road for the Simmer Dim 2011. Whaddya mean that's mad? I've got 6months yet!!

I've got some pics for you of the rusty pile of bits and pieces, which I'll put up after we've moved the sheep today.

PS, anyone else following the cricket...

Engine dismantling work started yesterday but didn't progress much due to the absence of a clutch puller, and the rotor seemingly being stuck on the shaft. I'm sure it should just pull off? Then I thought I'd move on to taking the carby off, and such like, no go, the nuts are stuck and one of the rocker studs (that doesn't sound like the right term...) unfixed itself from where it should be fixed to. So I gave the stuck nuts a liberal spray of WD40 and gave up.

I think I'll keep the two-tone job on the oil tank, it gives the bike a bit of character. Just a spit and polish required, not that I would actually spit on it 'cos I'm a lady.

Two 20" wheels. The brake bits look a bit rusty, but at what stage of rust does one have to do something serious to sort it out?
Alright, alright, I'll get a new sprocket!

Mr P made a good point at club night this week, he suggested that finding 'affordable' tyres for the 20" wheels might be tricky - following the pointers from the guys on www.cubsite.com I've started getting prices - some horrendous, ie £77 for one tyre!!! And some not so bad, around the £45 mark. Still pricey tho, that's my whole budget for the bike ;-)

Ah, the easy bit. Hopefully. Wire brush, de-grease in the bath with the help of Mr Muscle, paint it up, away we go. Oh yes.

Pre-Xmas comp...and the WINNERS ARE...

2011-01-02T16:36:00.010Z

Well, hang on, let's set the scene first....way back sometime, I posted a pic of a sign at Cubbie Towers and invited guesses as to what the last line might be. I boldly stated that there would be a prize for the right answer and a prize for the funniest.

The right answer is, of course......

I couldn't announce the winners and answer before, because this is the first time that the sign hasn't been completely covered in snow since the competition opened. No, really. All the names of those who guessed correctly are in a hat, the only thing is, I've lost the hat, so a winner will be announced when I can find it, and as for the winner of the funniest, it was a hard decision, but I left it to MRS BC and she whittled it down to....

BEWARE OF...
...eating chocolate on these premises and not offering a bit to GBC
From U N

...Snowploughs
Stu

...Pickpockets & Loose Women
BigBob

...of being aware?
ng

...Gorgeous Chocolate Eating Semi-Scottish women?
Darrell

...Mrs BC
The Big (but not very brave) Yin

But the one she couldn't stop laughing at....was.....drum roll please......
BEWARE OF Free Range Biker Chicks
Well done Stuart, some kind of mystery, if not invisible, prize will be on its way to you!

Thanks all for having a go, can't believe that attracted nearly 50 comments - must do it again some time!!

Just wanna say...

2010-12-31T19:43:00.004Z

HAPPY NEW YEAR BLOGGERS!!!

Graham B's Top Tips, Part IV, I think.

2010-12-29T13:07:00.007Z

Yay hay, Graham B is back with another top tip to make your winter biking a bit safer and more enjoyable. You might remember Graham has a couple of books out about Improving Classic Motorcycles, and oddly, that's the title of one of them. Another in the GBC library is Magnetic Speedometer Repair, a most useful title if you need to dismantle, tweak and attempt to reassemble a speedo or anything else that goes round and round. Perhaps I should have read it before I took Cubbie's old speedo apart, chuckle.
You can pop along to www.lulu.com/product/paperback/improving-classic-motorcycles/12932659 to buy yourself that extra little Christmas pressie. Take it away Graham B....

VISOR MISTING AND HOW TO AVOID IT
Hopefully you’ve all equipped yourselves with a Vee Wipe to keep the outside of your visor clear in rain. But what about the inside of the visor and the constant battle with it misting up from your breath?

I’ve been riding year round for just short of 33 years now and have tried pretty much everything to stop misting up. My case is particularly tough because I wear contact lenses which require a well fitting visor that doesn’t let the wind in. When wearing contact lenses (well the hard type I use anyway) the slightest spec of dust that gets in your eye causes an “I’ve just been chopping up the strongest onions known to man” effect. The sort of dust that that would just make someone not wearing lenses blink a couple of times can have you struggling to see the road ahead.

Very rarely I wear glasses instead but I am very aware of the lens frames and feel
that glasses restrict my peripheral vision. So. A draft free visor is good at keeping rubbish out of your eyes and is also good at reducing wind noise and protecting your hearing. But it makes visor misting up worse. I tried a few of the solutions you apply to the inside of the visor but found that washing up liquid (the one that’s kind to your hands!) worked as well if not better. All of them wore off after one or two rides so it was a time consuming routine taking off the visor and retreating it every time I went out. They also gave a rainbow effect across the visor as breath settled on them. Not great.

I noticed that GBC’s equally gorgeous sister <> was using a double-glazing type stick on internal sheet in the “Cubbie returns from Wales” blog. I have one still stuck to a visor from one of my long retired helmets.

The idea is quite clever. A layer of air is trapped between the stick on sheet and the visor and they work just like double-glazed windows in that they don’t steam up as much. The seal around the periphery is critical so you have to apply them very carefully to an absolutely spotlessly clean visor. And it is a once only operation so make sure you get the positioning right first time. If that glued down peripheral seal is broken they stop working as well.

These may be your best bet if you wear glasses while riding. However they also suffer from the rainbow effect and the glued edge restricts peripheral vision. In some helmets, they may foul the visor seat rubber seal as the visor is opened and closed. They are not as scratch resistant as the visor itself and must be treated with care to avoid your view being marred by scratches.

Respro Foggy mask

So far the above treat the symptoms (breath landing on the visor) rather than effecting a cure. Stopping breath getting on the visor is in my experience the most effective method and for the last 15 years or so I’ve been using Respro Foggy masks also sometimes called a Breathguard. These are an after-market nose piece that traps breath below them and stops it reaching the visor. The visor stays clear and there are no peripheral vision problems.

I must state that I have no connection with the manufacturer or anything to
gain by singing their praises. But in my view this a good solution to the visor
misting problem and thus a safety aid. It can’t be used on an open face helmet because there’s no chin piece to stick to. I found it difficult to use with glasses but you may have better luck than me if you persevere. Glasses sit on top of the nose piece and bounce up and down I’ve found – which is really distracting.

Fitting the Foggy
Supplied is one half of a velcro patch that is to be stuck to the chin bar of the helmet. I suggest you rehearse fitting the mask with the velcro patch hooked up to the mask but with the peel off layer still covering the sticky stuff. Try the helmet
on for fit. Then mark exactly where the sticky side of the velcro is to go.

To say that it sticks like glue is an understatement! You must get it in the right place first go because there will be no second attempt. In removing it the glue is ripped apart and will never stick as well again.

Spend a lot of time on the rehearsal before fitting the sticky patch and go look at yourself in the mirror with the helmet on with mask fitted. It should be a comfortable fit and easy to get the helmet on and off. When removing the helmet I find pulling the bridge of the nose piece forwards helps. Also look for gaps between the mask and your cheeks and adjust it so there are no gaps. The sticky velcro patch has loops whereas the three patches of velcro on the mask itself have hooks. These hooks cling really well to the fabric of the helmet’s cheek pads and the position of the sides of the mask can be fine tuned to give the best fit. I try to fit the mask so it follows the contours of the chin bar and cheek pads viewed from underneath so no breath gets past it.

Maintenance consists of removing the mask and putting it in the washing machine when it gets cheesy (!) and buying a new one when it wears out. I’m about half way through my third one now.

Don’t buy anything other than the black one. I had a blue one first with a silver strip of metal that holds the curve over the bridge of the nose. This reflected annoyingly in the visor. I’ve also drawn over the maker’s (originally white) logo with black biro to stop it reflecting in the visor.

While we’re talking helmets, I have a chin cover that slips in between the helmet lining and shell. It’s remarkable how much warmer my chin is in winter with this little device fitted.

Finally – don’t scare people! With the Foggy mask fitted less of your face is visible and shopkeepers and garage staff are more likely to think you’re a customer who’s not intending to pay. I always remove my helmet even at the petrol station. I find without the helmet I’m more aware of my surroundings – useful when pumping explosive fuel.

Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

Festive Wishes

2010-12-23T23:49:00.000Z

Diggy wouldn't want us to sit around being miserable, so I thought I'd better get the Xmas decs up and start acting like the day after tomorrow is Christmas. Thanks to you all for your support, patience and good humour throughout 2010, this blog would be nothing without the input from you. There have been time when there's been very little input from me, and I apologise for that - you know, things to do, nails to paint and so on! My new years resolution is to catch up with myself and keep this place a bit more up to date in 2011. Hope you'll stick around to see if I can keep my promise or not.

What are your plans for next year?

Another Cub...

2010-12-23T19:18:00.005Z

Don't panic, it's not mine, it's Bob's from over there, across the sea on the other side of the world. Not BigBob, the OtherBob. Funny old thing this internet. Who would have thought we'd be talking to people in NZ / USA and even Scotland. Thanks for the pics OtherBob.

How about a pic of the finished beast to complete the set??

RIP Diggy.

2010-12-21T09:54:00.005Z

Several years ago, when I stumbled across an unloved and rusty Tiger Cub in a barn, I had no idea that my purchase would connect me to a world of classic bike enthusiasts, dotted, quite literally, around the world. I joined what was then, the Classic Bike Forum (nowadays it's morphed into www.classic-motorbikes.net) and as a newbie quickly made some buddies. Diggy was one of those guys, and once we got chatting on MSN, he became interested in my Cub project that I had in the front room....well, over many, many months, late evenings and early mornings - Dig was in New Zealand so the time travel bit was quite tricky, we built a bike. I say 'we', because if it hadn't been for Dig fetching bits of Cub engine from his shed, and then using the webcam to show me how to do various jobs, and emailing pics back and forth with arrows, diagrams and instructions, and giving me encouragement on simple things like which way certain nuts and bolts would undo, then I don't think I would have persevered, or it probably would have taken me three times as long! When you're starting from scratch, as I did, sometimes you just need someone at the other end of MSN, and that's where Diggy remained, right from start to finish. As BigBob said on the forum, RIP - Race in Paradise, Dig.

Yet another testing Blackberry post

2010-12-15T08:04:00.001Z

Yippeeeeeee I can post on the blog from my BB, how exciting is that!!! Weeeeeeee. Ok, calm down. I'm on a train to Perth (the Scottish one) and Stonehaven had lots of white fields, and just a little further south all along the banks of the choo choo twack it is all looking VERY WHITE. Keep those silly answers coming in for the pre-Xmas comp... You know you want to...

BEWARE...pre-Xmas Comp!!!

2010-12-14T10:15:00.004Z

No, I'm not saying beware of the pre-Xmas competition, I'm saying, that there is a competition, now, pre-Xmas, and the aim is to guess what the sign is warning you of. Geddit? This sign is situated at Cubbie Towers, just as you come down the drive, and until a few days ago was under a weeny bit of snow, as you can see. So what do you think it's warning the unwary visitor of? Anyone who has been to the Towers and seen the sign is NOT allowed to enter and if I find out that you are entering and cheating I will chop your fingers off, slowly!

So, send your guesses in to comp AT aultan.com (yeah, change the AT to @!)

There will be a prize for the funniest answer and a prize if anyone gets the correct answer - prizes yet to be decided on! Closing date, whenever, so come on, chop chop, that's all the incentive you need!

Life at Cubbie Towers...

2010-12-12T20:43:00.009Z

I know, I know, I've been awfully quiet these last few weeks. Well, if I said I'd been sitting around doing my nails would you believe me? Yeah, probably. Thought you'd like a few photos of what the daily chores have involved since the snow arrived...

Load the barrow up and dish the hay out to Horse and the sheep in four different fields...

Looby-Lou saying she didn't get enough hay!

Time for a pretty picture along the way...

The little lambies scramble to get a place at the hay rack...

Not sure who is keeping an eye on who...

Bloomin' ice everywhere. Look at my poor brand spanking new gutter, all iced up!!!

It's a little tricky getting water to the animals when there are liners made of solid ice inside the water barrels . This one is about 4" thick.

The road out of Cubbie Towers, two days ago, followed by the road home before the Big Thaw...

...when all the roads became flooded instead of snow-bound.

So there y'are, don't forget, get snapping with those cameras before the next lot of snow arrives...all I'm saying is there might be a category for a winter pic with no snow....that's all I'm saying, yer know what I mean?

Blackberry posting

2010-12-09T21:57:00.001Z

I do apologise, I was just trying to see whether or not I could actually post in the post that I started on the BB, but turns out I still can't do that, which is most annoying. I'm not having an awfully good time with the BB, although I do like it, it seems to enjoy winding me up. I installed the software onto my home computer so that I could 'sync my devices' and all that happened was the pooter refused to boot up. It's working now though after I rebooted using the last know something or other settings, but how long it will last is anyones guess.

I was also looking at 'mobile blogging' through the Blogger site, to see if that might be the answer, but all it seems to be directing me to do is to register so that I can then send mobile posts to my 'new' blog. Well, I don't want a new blog thank you very much, I would just like my old one to accept posts from my Blackberry, is that too much to ask?

I'm probably going to go and spoil it all now by connection (using a wire) my BB to my pooter so that I can share some video footage I took the other night on my way home from work and get all the pics off that I keep snapping. Wish me luck....I might be right back with a vid for you, or I might not...

The Really REALLY good news, is that PHIL MATHER has agreed to be the HEAD JUDGE again for the Blog Winter Photo Competition. I've yet to think of a suitable topic, but I'm sure something will pop into my head soon, so make sure you pop back to check on the blog, and take your camera or moby phone with you on all outings from now on, so that you can capture that magic moment that might just fit into the comp category.

Right, BB is plugged in and away we go....

Wireless Technology.

2010-12-09T12:25:00.003Z

Received this from a fellow Cub owner, too good not to share with you - wirelessly of course!

Thanks Jim!

GCMCC XMAS BASH

2010-12-06T14:51:00.003Z

....IS ON!!!!

Just pray that the snow that's just hit the south of the country stays there and Bantam Cub gets his wish of lots and lots of snow!!

A catch-up.

2010-12-05T19:07:00.016Z

Well, Hobart day was cancelled due to the snow, and that snow is still here. We've had about 18" of the white stuff hanging around for a week and a half now. It didn't stop me from getting to my VMCC Committee meeting in Burton-upon-Trent, but it nearly caught me out coming back. Heading north on the M9 wasn't too bad, but trying to get on the A9 at Dunblane wasn't happening, as the road was coned off due to the snow. A detour through Dunblane village was, erm, interesting and a little 'white', with cars abandoned at the roadside, and some vehicles completely buried. Straight through the village (or is it a town?) and back to the A9, it was easy going for several miles on a single track of the dual carriageway, with no other traffic in sight. Up ahead though, was a queue of red lights, for as far as the eye could see, all the way up the hill and into the distance. Great. The trouble was, even though I was in a 4x4, with two lanes of jammed traffic ahead, and a barrier down the middle of the road, I was going nowhere. Not all was lost though, after about 45mins of waiting and wondering, one of the cars ahead managed to get un-stuck, leaving me free to get to the Dunning junction. Eagle eyed, a snow plough was spotted clearing that particular route a little while before, and a quick check of the map showed that it would take me all the way to Perth. A stop in Dunning led to a chance encounter with a local dog walker (at 7pm on a snow bound winters night? Yep) who suggested heading to Bridge of Earn and getting onto the M90, which would make it easier to bypass Perth and reach the A90. All the roads were covered in slushy, mushy and icy white stuff, but, as they say, were passable with care. North of Aberdeen and the roads were quite bad in places, and just around a bend out of Oldmeldrum what did my wondering eyes see, but a girl racer in her girl racer Clio, on the verge on the wrong side of the road. She'd been run off the road by an idiot taking the bend on the wrong side, but luckily she managed to park in the snow, avoiding being hit and / or ending up in the field. Good job I had a tow rope handy, but unfortunately for her, she had no tow point on her car. But then a couple of nice strong chaps stopped to give a push and we soon had her back on the road. Since then it's been 4x4 travel only, with what passes for the main road still being covered in a layer of ice and snow.

This week has been taken up with clearing snow from all of the shed rooves, feeding hay to the sheep, shovelling snow from one place to another, collecting hay and rescuing more damsels in distress. Actually, what's the male version of a damsel? Cos that's what they were. Boy, it's good to have a 4x4!

So there isn't much else happening I'm afraid. Oh, getting the hang of this Blackberry lark and finding that it isn't a bad wee tool. Had a bit of bother with setting up one of my email accounts because, like most other things in my life, I don't follow the ordinary everyday patterns that most people do, but that's all sorted now. The camera on it is pretty good - see attached pics, all taken on the BB, and after downloading a few Blackberry 'apps' I now have the football and sport updates at my finger tips, and can communicate not only by voice and text, but also by Blackberry Instant Messenger (should I know anyone else with a BB with whom I wish to communicate!) and Windows Live Messenger. My brother tells me there is still much more I can use it for, but I just haven't had time to explore all of the menus and apps yet.

Shorty reports Meigle was a little (no pun) chilly the other night...

...he just had to beat me...

The temp at Cubbie Towers, early evening on 2nd Dec, I'm sure if I'd gone out to the truck and check the temp later on, it would have beaten Moscow and Meigle, but d'you know what, it was too cold to go outside!

...and talking of winter....yep, it's nearly time for the one and only, world famous, not to be forgotten GBC BLOG WINTER PHOTO COMPETITION!!! I just need to come up with a suitable theme. In the meantime, don't forget to take a few photos as you're out and about, just in case they fall into the category for the comp.

This cow doesn't need much feeding - did you hear about the Turra Coo on the news? Well I guess you probably didn't unless you live in Aberdeenshire. I'll tell you about it in a bit, right now, it's time for GBC to get some beauty sleep, wrap up warm!

Blackberry Day

2010-11-27T16:27:00.003Z

Well that was odd. I got my new Blackberry on Thursday, logged on here to let you all know the joyous news, and although I was able to start a new post, I couldn't write anything in it. Hmmm.

Anyway, loving the BB and getting used to all the 'apps' and so on, got some lovely snowy pics for you too. Let's be having YOUR snowy pics perlease!

Hobart Day Tomorrow.

2010-11-23T22:46:00.002Z

Here be the Hobart I mentioned.......with Shorty on board at the first Scottish Vintage Training Day last May. Why have I waited until it's snowing to go and collect it? Don't ask.

UPDATE, or should I say, DOWNdate. Johny, owner of the Hobart, has reported about 4" of snow over in his neck of the woods out west, so we've agreed to postpone Hobart Day. I hope this isn't going to be like Groundhog day....

Christmas at Cubbie Towers!

2010-11-21T20:03:00.020Z

Well it's like Christmas has come early to Cubbie Towers. Over the last few weeks goodies have been arriving though the post, left, right and centre. First was a little package all the way from Shetland, containing some clutch plates and shiny rocker box covers from the depths of Joe's shed. I was supposed to bring them back with me after the Shetland show, but I seem to recall, I was in a bit of a hurry to catch the ferry and didn't have time to pop in and collect them. I can use the clutch plates for the Terrier project, one day....before June 2011, hopefully. Thanks Joe.

Next to arrive was a parcel from Wales. It was Cubbie's speedo, being returned under separate cover. It had been declared....er....defunct...caput....bust....or something, but the good news was that Mr Pres's team of scouts had tracked down an identical replacement.

Low mileage Cubbie, one careful owner...tee hee...

And the third arrival, a couple of additions to my wardrobe, from a new blogger and Fleecebooker, Bob, from Massachusetts, I think...and no, I ain't modelling them for you.

One looks like it's from Bob's local bike shop, Licks Cycles http://www.lickscycles.com/ where you can purchase all you'll ever need to customise your Tiger Cub, or Hhhhhhharley ... I probably shouldn't look any more actually 'cos I'm beginning to wonder if I can get Hammerite (other brands are available. Are they? Don't know, just thought I should say that in case anyone thinks I'm promoting one particular brand above all others) in sparkly pink. The second T is to commemorate the Fall Run from last year - there's a video on YooToob from this years run in aid of Shriners Children's Hospital - go have a lookie - www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7Yxy1_8NkQ. Thanks for the T's Bob, will have to clean some grime of Cubbie and make room for the stickers!

Moving on to today, this wasn't a delivery, more of a collection. I went shopping on behalf of Robin of Wales and picked up a couple of bikes for him. Wait til you see these little gems. I'm temped to keep one, do you reckon he would mind?

Errr, vroomm?

Before you say anything, I would just like to point out I am sporting my winter layers in this photo. And I'd better also point out that Mrs BC took the pics of GBC doing the trials demo. So there.

Plenty of room. Oh, make way for the HOBART!! Snow permitting, it will be joining the merry band at Cubbie Towers next week.

Blackberry....apple....grape....?

2010-11-19T13:55:00.004Z

Just doing a little research here....do any of you have a Blackberry or perhaps an iPhone? If so, what do you think about them, do you use many of the apps on them, what's the best or worst thing about them?

Smokey Child's trip across the water.

2010-11-16T20:00:00.013Z

Hi GBC, it just occurred to me that I did a short article for SCCMC on a previous visit to USA (Report 1), this might be of some use to you. On my latest visit, (Report 2) I managed to talk to a few of the local Brooklyn bikers to get their views on what it is like running a motorcycle in such a huge and busy built up area.

Report 1
Just returned from hols in USA mostly in New York but trippies up to Michigan and Connecticut. Staying with my son in the Williamsburg Brooklyn area, which is of a largely Hispanic population, and is 4 storeys up on the corner of a built-up busy urban crossroads where it can get rather noisy. There are police sirens, fire-engines, ambulances, refrigerated lorries, mixer trucks, ice-cream vendors, reversing bleepers, car alarms, house alarms, shop alarms, taxi horns, drunks, singers, would be-singers, people who do not knock at doors but shout loudly in Spanish to see if anyone is in. There are even loud Scottish people on holiday shouting at loud Puerto Ricans to be quiet. There is also music from various sources, TV's, radio's, vans, taxis and cars fitted with the loudest sub-woofers this side of Cape Canaveral. I could swear the building shook when some of them went past. But do you know what, they were all relatively quiet compared to (I did not think the day would come when I would ever hear myself saying this) compared to passing or pausing motorcycles. Yes b. Harley Davidson's with slash or no pipes, Ducatis with race cans and Kawasaki's with no cans winding up the revs dropping the clutch and melting the rubber. Interesting for the first few goes but at midnight or 2 in the morning it can become a little wearing.

USA riders do not seem particularly safety conscious, either for themselves or for anyone else judging by some of the manoeuvres which I witnessed. Most popular riding kit seems to be t-shirt, shorts, trainers, no gloves and sometimes a lid. I did however see one guy riding down 5th Av. on a BMW with a Labrador on the front in the riding position holding on to the handlebars. It was wearing sunglasses and a helmet. I am still not sure who was in control. Brings a new meaning to "handles like a dog". There was some bike high-spots to the visit however. When visiting the Sloane museum in Flint they had a special bike exhibition which included a reasonable selection of old Britware. Also at the Henry Ford Museum in Greenfield Village Dearborn there was a good selection of all kinds of machinery from Harleys and Indians of course to Hendersons, Excelsiors, Whizzers and everything else in between. I was also slightly taken aback when visiting Keihl's Pharmacy in New York on the corner of 13th and 3rd Av. Keihl's is a kind of olde-time up-market, very expensive purveyor of beauty aids and applications, owned by Aaron Morse who has a huge collection of American motorcycles. I visited this establishment with my wife. (No I did not buy anything before anyone asks.) Inside I was surprised to see a good selection of oldish and newish American bikes including an ex Steve McQueen 1934 Indian "suicide shift" as they describe it. This shop was definitely not at all like Boots or Superdrug. Did not manage any biking on hols. but if it is OK to mention "car" in this publication I did have my first ever shottie of a Buick Reatta sports car, also a Porsche 911 RS America. I do believe I could get to like them. Still love BSAs though.

Motogrill workshop proprietor

Yummy!

Keihls

Connecticut bike blessing

Hmmm, bikes not welcome?

Report 2
Like here although I don't like doing it, it is possible to categorize the different types of motorcyclists by what they ride. Harleys in particular seem to be pretty much a race unto themselves. One striking difference between here and the UK is that there is quite a lot of old Brit-iron running about and in day-to-day use, particularly late model Meriden Triumphs.
Hinckley Triumphs also appear to be very popular particularly the Bonneville models, there also appears to be a good spread of everything Japanese, German and Italian. One major difference compared to the UK is that I do believe that the almost total lack of silencing on a lot of bikes wouldn't escape the attention of our local constabulary, but when you see some of the crazy traffic and crazy drivers it is one way of alerting them to the (vulnerable) motorcyclists presence. But by and large everything is pretty much the same as in the UK in relation to types apart from I didn't observe many lightweights except Vespa scooters which seem to be gaining popularity, particularly in the Manhattan area. One guy I spoke to said that lightweights aren't too popular because of their perceived vulnerability in heavy traffic. As far as the classic scene goes there is a huge mixture of everything. I was lucky enough to be given a tour round a couple of bike garages and was pretty amazed at the variety of machinery within. One of the main problems about living with a motorcycle in such a huge built up area with mostly flatted houses is that their simply isn't many places to store a bike. One of the solutions is to rent a space in an outdoor off-street car-lot with all the attendant storage hazards that it can bring.

The other solution is to rent a space in one of the growing number of bike stores cum workshops. These take different formats but several of them in the Williamsburg area have bike shops, do it yourself workshops and in-house mechanics. Rates for repairs vary but they seem to average round about the 80-90 dollars per hour mark. Just total up some of the times you spend on your own repairs and potential costs could become quite frightening. Conclusion – apart from the low cost of fuel in USA we are doing pretty well in Scotland and the UK compared to motorcycling life in the Big Apple.

Williamsburg workshop

Smith & Butlers Boutique

Parking lot...

A New Jersey workshop

And A New Jersey frame builder

BIG THANKS SMOKEY for the words and photos. Don't be shy guys and girls, write something about bikes or bike trips, take a few photos and send 'em in...go on...you know you want to...!

Cracking day.

2010-11-16T09:18:00.001Z

BRRRRRRRRRR it's minus 1 degree out there. Musta been chilly last night. Got a right old tale from Smokey Child coming up later today. Make time to pop back and have a read....

11/11/2010

2010-11-11T11:09:00.004Z

My grandad was an anti aircraft gunner in WWII. I should add that he was lucky enough to survive and lived to a right old age - it is probably him I have to thank for my interest in all things crafty / DIY / mechanical / making, breaking and mending!

Got the following email and piccy in from blog regular, Stuart.....

Hello GBC,
Thought you might like this picture of a Royal Enfield Paratrooper's bike, all crated up and ready to go. I saw it at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Cambridgeshire earlier this year. Recent comments on the blog regarding our brave boys and girls both past and present brought it to mind.

Cubbie. Wales. Mr Pres. THE TRUTH.

2010-11-05T10:14:00.035Z

You might not know this, but I converted my 1962 Triumph Tiger Cub to a 'rigid' some time ago. I'm not going to go into any more detail other than to say it was all my fault but hey, it's a learning process, and if I'd listened to the guys when they told me to get the swingy thingy pin / bush setup reamed when I rebuilt it, then maybe things would have been different...

So, it's been on the list of things to do for some time, but I just don't seem to have enough hours in my days, or days in my weeks, or even weeks in the month sometimes. Also on the list to 'look at' were the forks. The new seals I fitted never really fitted properly and they were yet another part of the bike that ran on a 'total loss' system. But guess what, the little bike got me around all 34 of the 33 Scottish Counties (yes, you did read that correctly) on Cubbies Counties (2008-2009) so I ain't complaining. Anyway, my reputation obviously goes before me, and the President, Bill Phelps, of the Vintage Motorcycle Club heard of my plight (no time, no skills, umpteen bikes to build / mend / keep / get on the road) and offered to fix Cubbie up for me. It worked out quite conveniently that he was attending all 3 parts of the Scottish Double Plus 1, and on the last leg at Blairgworie, he instructed me to take Cubbie to him and he would then convey my poor little bike to his Welsh workshop and attempt some repairs. See quote from previous post, below, or skip it if you read it before...

There was hardly time to breathe after the Plus1 was over, and on the Friday, I
was back to work and not home til about 10pm. While I was out, Mrs BC had
received an instruction from Mr VMCC President, Bill Phelps, via Past Pres Harry
Wiles, saying that I "must get Cubbie to Blairgowrie tomorrow for the National".
Frown. I was all set to head off early in the morning to accompany Pilot Rae on
his Ariel outfit, but not ready to have to extract Cubbie from the shed and
devise a safe and suitable way to transport it one hundred miles south. But when
The President gives an order, one finds it hard not to comply. So after my tea,
Mrs BC and I nipped out to the shed and moved a whole lot of junk around, and
wiggled Cubbie free from alongside Skorpy, where it had been sitting since about
June, when the MoT expired. The rain was lashing down outside, and the night was
of course, pitch black, so rather than load up there and then, we measured the
hay trailer and the back of the truck - in case there was any chance it would
fit in there. Well it probably could have been made to fit, but not without
draining all the oil and petrol and cleaning the muck off, so I came up with a
cunning plan, Baldrick. If I screwed some blocks of wood to the floor of the
trailer, and wheeled Cubbie on diagonally, it would just about fit and the
blocks of wood would stop Cubbie's back wheel from sliding from side to side. At
goodness knows what hour, I packed my rucksack, put the camera batteries on
charge and got to bed. Up at 5am on Saturday and at least the rain had stopped.
Once I managed to get Cubbie out of the shed, backwards, with little room to
manoeuvre, it was fairly straightforward to load it onto the trailer and strap
it down, and then we were off.
www.gorgeousbikerchick.blogspot.com/2010/10/and-then-at-last-there-was-scottish.html

I wasn't there, 'cos they took the opportunity to load Cubbie onto Mr Pres's trailer while I was busy working, but some right old hilarity was had by all, and thanks to Pat Kirkham, there is plenty of photographic evidence, some of which you may have seen in the VMCC Journal, but in case you didn't, here are some snaps....

These snaps by Mr P, Pat's Snaps to follow...

So off Cubbie went, to Wales, in the company of an Indian and a Nimbus, (my, what quality company my little bike has been mixing with these days!) and once settled into Mr Pres's workshop, work began. After Mr Pres had been to the Isle of Wight and several other VMCC do's in his capacity as President, he set about examining the bike and making a mental note of a few more little jobs that he thought needed some attention...
On the bench, awaiting execution, er, I mean examination.
Quote "is this REALLY how the rear brake is adjusted?" I don't think Mr Pres wants me to actually answer that question, but the answer is yes, of course, how else would one adjust the brake?

Quote "Yet another horror - now gone". Boo hoo, I quite liked that funky little arrangement.
Rear end stripped, ready to remove the pin...

Like so...

Voila!

Quote "YES I DID USE THIS HAMMER". I'm not sure I wanted to know that.
No quote, but I'm sure he was thinking this bit could do with a clean. I made him promise NOT to clean Cubbie though. And you think I'm kidding.

New pins and isolastic bushes ready to fit...

Like so.

After a quick cuppa tea, Mr P tackled (sorry, no rugby pun intended...er...Wales...rugby...oh never mind) the forks

They look alright to me...but rumour has it, Mr P had to use the oxy torch to remove the screwed fork tops which were seized. Oh, and he had a bit of bother removing the offside stanchion due to the welded lug which had distorted the leg.

Just the shroud in place...

Hmmm, is that rust?

New stanchions in place - thanks to Bantam Cub, sorry it's taken so long to get around to letting someone else fit them for me.

Now, if I were doing this job, and I had to find or make a new oversize fork oil drain screw, I'd be stuck, but Mr Pres just goes and turns one up. Next thing I need is a lathe.

Old one on right, new 'un on left. A braw job there ma man.

The list of other odd jobs that Mr P carried out includes "re-fitting the Nacelle properly using nuts and bolts to replace the cable ties", ouch, ok, so I didn't get around to ordering some bolts that fitted. "Made a proper headlight rim adjuster screw and spring, fitted new W clips to headlight beam unit and rim and headlight was adjusted correctly for the MoT. Removed front wheel bearings and re-greased, replacing one that was noisy." Jobs that I've been told to do in the not too distant future are...new chain, possibly sprockets too, and brake linings...oh go on then, maybe I can do that when it snows.

Hud on, just a few more pics to upload from the camera and then that's this tale ticked off. While you wait, have a look at the pics below, of Bill putting on some style at Aberdare Park in the early 1960s. The bike is a Manx by the way, but you'd spotted that already, I'm sure. What I probably shouldn't tell you is on the next lap, Bill decided to take a short cut through a tulip bed. Unfortunately, there are no pictures of that move - unless anyone out there knows of some...

I bet he didn't think, all those years ago, that one day, he would be the President of the Vintage Motorcycle Club, or that he would be fixing up a scrubby Cubbie for a wee lassie in Scotland.

I cannot say a big enough THANK YOU to Bill for all his efforts in, firstly, convincing me to part with Cubbie, then getting the bike to Wales, doing the work and finding the time to get it to the MoT test (hello Barry, hope the pic below meets with your approval) in between all his other commitments. I also must thank "Dickie" on the aberdeenbikers forum for collecting Cubbie on his way home from a race meeting at Pembrey.

MoT man Barry wanted to see what GBC looks like, but he's too late! She's gone!