I'll get round to it one day
By John Dickinson on 9th Nov 07
Now that winter is nearly upon us again, JD tells us about restoration projects that he almost started but decided to have a brew instead!
DON'T know about you, but I have the utmostadmiration for those amongst us who carry out the frequently awesomerestorations on older ‘classic' machines - and also those who build thefabulous ‘replicas' which they often race with a vengeance in Classicscrambles and trials. And this doesn't just mean old British iron -have you seen the trick twin-shock Maicos and some of the earlyJapanese models like the legendary Honda Elsinore's currently on thescene.
Now I certainly don't want to get even remotelyinvolved in the authenticity of any of the bikes or of the inevitable‘what should be allowed' i.e. this frame, that carb, those forks, thesewheels. I don't actually care and the Classic stalwarts are welcome totheir 24/7 discussions on what is right and what is wrong. Thearguments are just that, arguments, and have no ultimate answer. WhileI fully appreciate a ‘genuine' as-you-were machine I have always beenof the opinion that if Joe Bloggs has paid cash for his 1958 MumboJumbohe is perfectly at liberty to put the hacksaw through it wherever helikes.
I say this as the ‘scrambles' season is now allbut over and the dark nights are upon us, thus offering severalpossibilities. One is the pub, and probably the option of popularchoice. The second is watching endless trash ‘celebrity' progs on tellywhile the third, which at first glance looks a positive way to spend anevening, is to locate a ‘nail' and turn it into an object of greatbeauty - and worth a few bob to boot.
I usually have just that thought at this time ofyear. I have, on occasion, even gone out and bought the required nailthat was to be turned into the object of beauty. I even bought one in abox. The box turned out not to contain all the bits of the saidmotorcycle but quite a few (clapped-out) bits of other motorcycles,several punctured inner tubes, an incomplete workshop manual for a1970's moped, the tank off an old lawn-mower (Atco) and severalbattered golf balls. All of which are still to be found somewhere in mygarage.
Other projects have fared slightly better. Onlyslightly mind you. Usually, I get as far as dismantling the latestfantasy object in a couple of hours one dark night, making a list ofwhat needs doing, going back into the (warm) house to make a brew tostudy my list... and that is the last time I venture near it. Except toscoop all the bits into a big box to be stored away until the greatmoment when I will begin THE RESTORATION. Yeah, right!
The intentions are good, it is the WORK that isthe problem! You go out into the garage, it's cold and raining outside.In order to work on one bike inside you have to push something elseoutside. And given that if you even think of opening the front doors tomy garage, half the contents instantly fall out anyway you can see myproblem.
Then, you go to a Classic bike show and see allthe fabulous offerings on view and as you stand and stare in awe Ithink you are supposed to feel inspired. It has exactly the oppositeeffect on me. I just think that even if I bought a brand new bikeitwouldn't look like some of the sculptures that you see knockingaround these days.
While I love looking at these works of art andappreciate oh-so-fully the sweat and time invested in them, unless youare a person of incredible resolve, possess endless skills, oralternatively endless cash, as regards doing it yourself...don't eventhink about it!
n You can read opposite this page the ACU Endurocommittee's decisions and reasons for not going the 144 two-strokeroute in their 2008 British Championships. The short version is theywill effectively be splitting the 125 two-strokes and 250 four-strokesinto separate classes. A damned good decision - but one that shouldnever have had to be made. All the problems regarding engine capacitiesbeing addressed (or in most cases not being addressed) by theorganising bodies are entirely self-inflicted, by their decision to tryand kill two-strokes by implementing the silly mixed classes with whichwe are now all too familiar.
Once again I ask, will the individual that came upwith the bright idea that 125 two-strokes and 250 four-strokes (or 250two-strokes and 450 four-strokes) should compete together please standup... thought not!