Greetings! B owing off the cobwebs

Good day to you from Classic Bike Guide towers. I hope we find you happy and smiling, or covered in oil and swarf, yet still smiling.

We’ve made a conscious effort throughout the last year not to waffle on about what was happening in the world

– if you wanted it, you didn’t have to look far; so we hoped to be your escapism. But hopefully, wherever you may be, you are experiencing some freedoms now and able to ride! And that is one of the benefits of old bikes – we don’t need a destination to be open... we’re just happy riding.

Maria and I wanted to blow cobwebs away, so we popped up to Lincolnshire

(we had our passports to leave Norfolk and promised to stay away from those not related) and had a day at flat track school. You can read about it on page70, but I’ll spoil the end for you – it was brilliant fun.

I have a bad knee; I can’t bend too far (arthritis), which has curtailed track riding. But with flat track, you stick it out – perfect!

Maria’s confidence grew and grew, and now wants an oval in the back garden…

I don’t normally witter on about this month’s mag, but the variation of bikes got me thinking about one of the elements of classic bikes – the sheer choice. With British single-cylinder pre-unit, Japanese twincylinder unit, a couple of two-strokes and even a European big twin tourer already with us, we should be happy bunnies indeed. But then you see the rigid JAP special which lit my fire, the TX750 which would have so many people intrigued, the Triumph TR7 that could be an everyday classic or the Vincent Black Shadow. And a flat tracker! Are we becoming addicts? No! Just embracing all that old bikes offer.

Elsewhere, the workshop has been busy with spraying various parts and trying to get the finish I want. The spraying is the easy part – it’s the time taken to prepare everything. And I’m trying to improve my aluminium welding to make my own fuel tank.

With lockdown it’s been a case of try and try again. But we’re getting there.

A sad note is the passing of His Royal Highness Prince Phillip, aged 99. While not a prolific biker, he was a visitor to the TT or Manx several times, and I’m sure you’ll join us in wishing his family our condolences.

In one photo above, we see Prince Phillip at the TT in 1969, watching Phil Read on the Padgett Yamaha TR2, starting alongside John Williams on an Arter-Matchless. In another, we see the Duke of Edinburgh dropping the Manx flag, signalling Artie

Bell off in 1952, and in the last, opening the 1952 motorcycle show. Farewell, sir.

Makes you think... we must all enjoy every minute.

Be good,