Lambretta wanted for restoration

Thus spake Grassy Knollington () unto the assembled multitudes:

Although I came to hate my SX200 with a vengeance because of its lethal
handling and crappy reliability, and got shot of it within a year, I have
to say that it was one of the better looking of its ilk in terms of its
shape and sleek lines: much better than the Vespa hair-dryers anyway.

My SX was however fitted with a chopper seat with a high backrest, and had
flames painted along the front mudguard, and huge Alice Cooper eyes made
out of sticky-back plastic on the front shield. Later, to make the styling
even more utterly incongruous, I added the classic Roger Dean 'Yes' band
logo to the side panels. I feel sure that sufficed to offend *everybody*.

I wonder if GCD 381D is still around... but why on earth would I care?!?

 

Thus spake Champ () unto the assembled multitudes:

The one in question was at least 30 years ago.

I'm not sure if writing quality is all that important when we're talking
about the dialogue of everyday biking folk. I think it's the sentiment
that counts.

Mind you, the one in the latest Bike went a bit far, what with our hero
punching someone so hard his head came off. There'll be people complaining
of incitement to extreme violence!

 

His politics are a bit suspect too.

 

Some Roger Dean art would look cool on a scooter side panel, thats the
other good thing about lambrettas, a nice area for artwork on the panels
(bigger than vespa and flatter) and legshields.

I saw a vespa rally going for silly money, I had one of them once as
well...

but really I'd much rather have a 2004 Sprint ST than a £4000 lambretta
even if it is a "desirable" italian model...

 

Sucking his keyboard for inspiration, sweller typed:

Didn't know he had any, not publicly, anyway. Care to elaborate?

As to Sample being funny, I reckoned he was excellent when he was doing it
in Bike magazine in the 70s. Stuff I've seen recently hasn't been half as
good. Mind you, every time I see a Vincent I think of Ogri, and "crob
crob".

 

I don't think you can get more public than a nationally syndicated comic
strip. Just read it.

 

Sucking his keyboard for inspiration, sweller typed:

Oh, *that*.

 

"O G R I"

 

There isn't any. I couldn't, and still can't, work out wtf Simon's on
about either.

Nowadays it's about the only thing in Bike that I _do_ make a point of
reading. Must get round to cancelling that subscription...

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ DS#8 BOTAFOT#3 SbS#2 UKRMMA#13 DFV#8 SKA#2 IBB#10
`\\ | //'
`\|/`
`

 

Alright, alright, syndicated isn't strictly accurate. Or accurate at all.

It's not overt but the manner he portrays certain situations and
individuals displays his contempt.

He's also quite contradictory in that he rails against the popular press
but he resolves a lot of stories by simplistic and reactionary means.
The Daily Mail on a motorcycle.

I found myself in the same situation and cancelled it a couple of years
ago.

I picked up a copy of TWO that had been left at work - by Christ it's
shit.

 

Sucking his keyboard for inspiration, sweller typed:

So did Dan Dare, Tin Tin, Dennis the Menace, and a million other cartoons.
It's a *story*, FFS!

Think of The Bash Street Kids on two wheels and you're there. Not The
Spectator.

Aye, that it is.

 

Isn't it? By rights, it should be a serious competitior to Bike. It's
got a good team, but somehow...

I dunno, it doesn't work. The layout's boring and the writing is shite.

It's sort of 'Bike Lite'.

 

...but Dan Dare, Tin Tin, Dennis the Menace didn't attempt to score points
against the establishment, highlight perceived wrongs, rail against the
press etc, etc.

It's not even that good - it's naive 'bikers against the world' shit.

Although, having said that I've subliminally made my bike look like
Ogri's Norvin.

 

Sucking his keyboard for inspiration, sweller typed:

Oh, I dunno ...

That's just Good Taste (tm).

 

Thus spake sweller () unto the assembled multitudes:

[Ogri]

I tried that with my C15 back in 1975, and failed miserably. I showed a
pic of it once on the 'net, but I'm not going to inflict it on anyone a
second time. I remember TOG was particularly horrified at the time.

 

Sucking his keyboard for inspiration,
typed:

A C15 cafe racer! Nearly as abominable as the Jawa 350 I fitted with ace
bars in a clumsy and youthful attempt to create one similar.

 

Thus spake Rich B () unto the assembled multitudes:

Yes indeed, but I was only 19 at the time, it was my first "proper
motorbike" and I had loadsa fun on it, just like I'm sure you did on your
Jawa. And I passed my test on it, though heaven knows how, but the test was
after all a bit of a joke in those days.

 

Sucking his keyboard for inspiration,
typed:

Indeed. Passed the test on a C90, then got the cheapest 350 I could find.
Looking back, I wanted a 350 - *any* 350 - just to show I wasn't a learner
any more. I should have got an older 250 Dream for the same money. Yes, it
was *that* bad. I wanted to modify and personalise it, but there ain't much
you can do to an Eastern-bloc stroker, so a repaint and ace bars it had to
be. They were backbreaking with the curiously forward-set footrests, so I
ended up putting them on upside down for a kind of chopper vibe. It actually
looked quite funky - or so the young lad who bought it said. In my defence,
I was only 19/20 or so, and utterly without clue.

You said it, son.

 

Thus spake Rich B () unto the assembled multitudes:

It was similar with my C15. I had clip-ons right down the fork legs, and
using the front footrests gave me a ridiculous riding posture so I used the
rear footrests instead. It made for a lot of leg-swinging every time I
wanted to change gear or brake. Not only that but the clip-ons resulted in
almost immediate thumb-trapping if the bars so much as turned an inch or
two, and made for a massive turning circle. Christ, that bike was bloody
lethal, but I never came to any grief.

 

Sucking his keyboard for inspiration,
typed:

Yup. Good for the stomach muscles.

Pity we never rode together. We could have joined the circus.