Season Greetings

[Patstone]

It was light enough for a woman to handle for one, if it got knocked of the stand at least I could pick it up. Before that I had a Honda 550 which was a comfortable touring bike so quite heavy and got stuck in town once where someone had knocked it off its stand and i had to ask a stong young man that was passing if he would help me lift it up into an upright position so I could get on it and go home. The 400 4 was very quick, sometimes a bit too quick. Gave up bikes because I thought I was a bit stupid and didnt want to meet the same fate as one of my friends, - on a mortuary slab.

[ajda]

I've met quite a few people who say they dislike Japanese bikes and yet who make an exception for the 400-4. What does it have that other Japanese multicylinders don't or didn't?

That's an interesting one... I think, if I'm honest, a lot of "dislike" of the Jap bikes is down to Brit snobbery. Our motorcycles were at one time the best, without doubt, but in the 1960s we got complacent and lazy and left innovation and development to them. Yes they built lots of rubbish, but so too did we - one area they began to excel in was multi-cylinder engines, particularly inline-4s. The 400 4 was simply one of the best of these - fast, smooth and light, great power-to-weight ratio, nicely styled - just a very neat package overall. But it wasn't the only one to seduce us away from the old British thumpers - another inline-4 design, the Kawasaki Z1 (Z900) and its children, stands alongside the Hondas as a Jap classic. My ex had a Z650 which I (as a confirmed Brit stick-in-the-mud) secretly loved and admired as much as she did...
Alan

[Goldsmith]

How did my seasons greetings get changed into motor bikes?
Just for the record, in the 1960s I was a Mod and had an old Lambretta Li150 and then a new Lambretta GT200. I moved on to cars in the late 60s and had a convertable Triumph Vitesse and in the early 1970s I bought myself a new single cylinder Ducati 250 mark3, mainly to make my travelling to work daily easier as parking cars had become expensive in London.


James

[ajda]

I'm part responsible for the diversion James - sorry! Now the Triumph Vitesse is a very fine car - a friend of mine had one for years along with a Velocette Venom... those were the days. I'm now imagining a Lambretta all blinged up with pierced gold panels and finely enamelled flowers - a vision of splendour!
Alan

[Goldsmith]

I'm part responsible for the diversion James - sorry! Now the Triumph Vitesse is a very fine car - a friend of mine had one for years along with a Velocette Venom... those were the days. I'm now imagining a Lambretta all blinged up with pierced gold panels and finely enamelled flowers - a vision of splendour!
Alan

In my Lambretta days Alan, I was an apprentice working for a company making regalia, I was making badges and medals, everything from CBEs up to The Order of the Garter. My profile photo is one of me way back in 1975 and it shows me making a Field Marshall's Baton. In those days I was driving to work on my Ducati up until 1976 when I changed my job and started working near Hatton Garden, I had moved house in 1975, out of London and now travelled to work by train so I sold my Ducati.

My Vitesse;

[ajda]

In my Lambretta days Alan, I was an apprentice working for a company making regalia, I was making badges and medals, everything from CBEs up to The Order of the Garter.]

Not these, then?


Ah, the Vitesse is beautiful...

[Dennis]

Well as we're onto cars, my first car was a Morris eight series E. It was called Phylleda after the woman we bought it from and it cost £150. It was decidedly unsafe on cobbles.
As there were no restrictions in London then, it was parked outside in the main road and on Sunday I took out a bucket and gave it a wash. Dennis.

[Patstone]

I had a Triumph Vitesse too. They didn't half shift, mine was a 2000 hard top with wood dash. Drank petrol for a pastime, especially the speed I drove. An memories of "before speed limits". It really is a wonder I am still alive and kicking when I think about the speed I used to drive. Written off two cars, one was my ex's sports car that he lovingly built from a kit. It was a fibreglass body on a two litre engine, slightest acceleration and it would snake down the road. A Fairthorpe, the kit was from Buckinghamshire, a chap called Wing Commander Bennett.

[TeeDee]

Blimey! didn't think bikes would cause so much interest!

How did my seasons greetings get changed into motor bikes?
Just for the record, in the 1960s I was a Mod and had an old Lambretta Li150 and then a new Lambretta GT200. I moved on to cars in the late 60s and had a convertable Triumph Vitesse and in the early 1970s I bought myself a new single cylinder Ducati 250 mark3, mainly to make my travelling to work daily easier as parking cars had become expensive in London.


James

Same as Alan, guilty as charged but great to hear of your own experiences James, especially being of that era myself and a (outer) Londoner to boot.

Gave up bikes because I thought I was a bit stupid and didnt want to meet the same fate as one of my friends, - on a mortuary slab.

biking is a life-threatening illness... at least it can be

Pat/Metalsmith,
On a serious note you're right, , you are definitely vulnerable on a bike. To make my new interest less life threatening I went on to do the IAM advanced riding course and try to do a refresher periodically. It has definitely improved both my riding skills and car driving and has save me form mishap or worse on more than one occasion. Just like making jewellery it's a lifelong learning process which I would recommend to anyone who is a road user of any sort.

Anyway..........to get back on track, seasons greetings to one and all again.
Tim

[Kathryn Harrison]

It's fun to hear about people's other interests. I've never learnt to drive, growing up in London then moving to Brighton it didn't appeal. I only regret it when I want to buy furniture or take the cat to the vets.

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