Workshop woes
I am just starting into OBA 43, posted on to me in China by my son in Melbourne. It is a great lifeline whilst I am here without my bikes and workshop! Lynn Grace’s letter shows the ‘shed’ spirit is alive and well in Riverton, NZ and as an erstwhile apartment dweller I can only dream about Indian parts spread across the floor. Lynn may think me a philistine when I say I agree with the notion that we are creeping away from maintaining our motorcycles but clearly it is fact that the number ridden as daily transport has declined from those far off days of the ‘fifties and ‘sixties when the mechanicals (even electricals) were simpler and owner maintenance was a financial necessity. On the positive side, we still have the real enthusiasts who build, restore and maintain their bikes because they really want to. By contrast to traditions of owner maintenance in Oz and NZ, a colleague in China wanted to maintain his own car but the parts just don’t seem to be available to the individual (only advice about which organisation can look after the car). My Chinese colleagues were quite intrigued by my photos of engines in pieces in my own workshop. This year I was able to schedule a trip to Australia to coincide with the sixth Broadford Bonanza (a terrific weekend) including the Gala Dinner (following good advice in OBA last year). Some years ago I was introduced to Lindsay Urquhart by a mutual friend and when Lindsay visited my workshop and saw my vintage Matchless he said “So, if I come back in a month, it will be all finished?” When Lindsay was presented with a special award at this year’s dinner I thought back
to that question and felt it epitomised the man who saw a photo of the 1923 Temple Anzani and decided to build a replica from scratch. Sorry Lindsay, the Matchless is still in progress... Jim Beeching Shanghai, China