Chimay and ukrm feckwits (longish)

<resists>

 

This is one of the reasons I like the Guzzi - you can do this and live to
tell the tale.

 

....but I can't play saxophone.

 

It was obviously a MM quote, and I briefly debated feigning amused
recognition.

 

Did others clock the black Laverda RGS at Chimay parked up on the pit side
of the bridge? Utterly gorgeous bike.

 

Yes, but there's a world of difference between "complain" and "spit you
off into the scenery" - even by seventies standards

 

Yep - I took a couple of pictures of it.

 

I'm an old git lucky enough to have some nice toys, so can compare
some of the
machinery recently mentioned. My Le Mans 1 is my favourite, as it can
easily
make the south of France in a day & you get off feeling OK. Did it
regularly when
I worked near Antibes. Totally reliable, easy to fettle, rock steady
for hundred's
of miles at a time, straight or twisty. Low seating & low centre of
gravity make it
much easier to push around than the Lav's for this short-legged, fat,
60+ rider.

Have a Laverda 180 Mirage Anniversary 1200, & a tweaked RGS 120. Much
less
difference between them than you might expect. Both very heavy lumps,
with weight
way up high -- especially with my stomach & a full tank on board. Both
a delight for
long-distance quick journeys, but a decent Bantam more useful around
the lanes.
Both horrible to push around the garage, & keeping best bit of 600lbs
upright is a
pleasure I don't enjoy when my feet only just touch the ground on any
type of
adverse camber .... Wonderful quality of engineering, thoroughly
enjoyable to ride,
& reliable, having had 25 years to shake them down.

Main difference is that my RGS has all the 120 Jota bits, & SFC wheels
& forks.
Great cruiser at high 90's, but can be a real pig around the tiny
single track country
lanes where I live. Unlike modern Jap stuff, you absolutely have to
get entry speeds
right & be in right gear etc. Very unforgiving, but for that reason,
very rewarding 'cos
you know exactly when you are riding well, without a chassis that will
tolerate
indiscretions & sloppy riding skills.

Incidentally, on the 60hp issue, 40 years ago I used to do 2-3000
miles in 3 weeks
each year touring the continent on a AJS 500 single, 2 up, with
camping gear.
Probably just about had 30hp. Raced a variety of hot stuff of the time
-- a good Manx
then made 45-50bhp. Remember having a great time, with machinery that
you
mended cheaply, in the kitchen if necessary.

Don't remember missing another 100bhp or an extra 80mph, but perhaps
some
need that for what seem to be the short long-distance rides of many
contemporary
riders........ Good luck to them, as long as their road behaviour
doesn't jeopardise
motorcycling for the rest of us -- but I have old copies of the green
'un & blue 'un
from the 1920's imploring sensible behaviour ......... plus ça
change .....

 

You are clearly some kind of throwback or genetic aberration!

 

I still have a cylinder head for a Dandy in the garage, I'm afraid.

 

Oh yeah. Hell, I rode to the south of France, two-up, on a Honda CB250RS
single (20bhp at the rear wheel if you were lucky). Had a wonderful
time.

Small low-powered bikes are *fun*. But small high-powered bikes are
**more fun**.

As you say.....

 

I dunno. I feel I like the guy already.....

 

Yes.

 

I didn't say I didn't like him!

 

Is this multiple choice?

 

I live in the "crowded south-east" and the two bikes I had before my
current toy made well in excess of 100bhp. I could easily wring every
last pony out of them every single time I took them out. Hell, I
probably managed the same trick when I took them into crowded central
London.

 

Front end of the fairing, left-hand side.

 

I think I've just sprained an eyebrow.

 

<perk>

 

Well if that's what you keep in your garage,
there are two ARIEL 3s on ebay for 0.99
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BSA-ARIEL-3_W0QQitemZ200135864336


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