Recommended reading.

I've been reading "one man caravan" by R. E. Fulton Jr. and, if you're not familiar with it, I highly recommend it. He went around the world on a Douglas (hardtail frame, incidentally) with little more than a spare shirt and a gun stashed under the bike. He also had a couple of cameras and took photos and footage of a world that is hard to believe once existed. The atmospheres that transpire from his beautifully written descriptions are, strangely, vivid and whimsical at the same time.
Really impressive stuff...

Got Mopar?

I had plans for an easy Sunday ride somewhere up the coast, but there were no takers so instead I went to see uncle Fester and his gang at their massive underground lair.

Among all the stuff going on, David was working on his Challenger (the colour is the correct "Vanishing Point" white), specifically a rear disc brake upgrade to help rein in the 400 ponies (four frickin' hundred!!) the Mopar puts out. Together, we managed to get the best part of it done in a couple of hours.

Speaking of Spitfires,

remember that time one of them parked up right next to Brian's Jag?
Jolly good...

What is "normal", anyway?

Another one of my little rants, feel free to skip.
Recently, having had the chance to hear other people's perspective on their classics over the last few years, I have come to the realisation that these motorcycles are the norm for me, but are seen as something really unusual, and odd, and strange, and quirky by (relative) newcomers.
Not to say that I don't consider them special, but it's no revelation to say that having grown up with these bikes, they are much more familiar to me than to someone who might have discovered them (as in, never heard of Norton before, let alone seen one, let alone ridden one) in their 20s or 30s or, god forbid, their 40s.
There is no denying that today, these motorcycles attract attention and spark curiosity from the most unlikely onlookers. People stop you, come up to you to ask "what bike is that?" "when was it made" and to tell you that their uncle had one just like it.
Believe it or not, it's not something I particularly enjoy, and you know why? Because I do NOT ride these motorcycles to be seen. I ride these motorcycles because I like them.
When I've mentioned this in the past, some people said something along the lines of "well, you can't ride a metal-flake purple Fastback and expect to go unnoticed" I have to say the thought crossed my mind that perhaps that's the reason they ride classic bikes...? Maybe I'm wrong.
Anyway the point here is that, to me, these motorcycles are normal. I like them and I like to ride them but it's all between me and them, other people don't factor in.
So, why do you ride?

details...