The Coventry Parade 2017

 As ever the Coventry Parade is a good excuse for a great collection of Vintage and Classic motorcycles to congregate along with  their riders for a great day.  The day was professionally orchestrated and organised by the amiable and ever helpful Geoff, Robert and support team.  As can be seen from the accompanying images all shapes, sizes and ages of machines were represented at the splendid location of Coombe Abbey country park.

Flywheel Festival 24 - 25th June at Bicester Heritage

 Something for everyone at this years Flywheel Festival at Bicester Heritage, Vintage aircraft, cars, motorcycles and most things in between. We got to give our our bikes a good spin around a small circuit lined with straw bales and proper marshals. This is turning out to be a super friendly and enthusiastic event where the public can get close to all the various interesting forms of powered machines on display, My own moment was being able to get close to the wonderful Bristol Scout aircraft, apparently the only airworthy Bristol Scout in the world.

   This is the Aforementioned aircraft being wheeled into position on the Saturday morning after being unloaded from the trailer and then assembled.

Flywheel Festival 24th - 25th June at Bicester Heritage

My favourite meeting place Founders day.

This years theme for 2017 Founders day was American Motor Cycles, and these three machines deserved my attention because to my eye Indians always appear Beautiful, magical and charismatic  Motor Cycles. Every year I am always amazed at how many old friends or new acquaintances I meet  more often than not in centre of this universe that is the Founders Day Auto jumble. Again this year our section was very lucky to have been given space for our club stand, and after an early damp start we ended up with a very presentable display. And as the weather got warmer the stand became a drop in centre for Friends, helmets, jackets and of course recent Auto jumble finds.

My Favourite meeting place, Founders day.

 If there is one thing I thought stood out at this years Founders day it was the amount of well turned out proudly displayed tiddler machines, most types of mopeds, Honda Cubs, Bantams and other small capacity machines. Is this a new growing trend or just coincidence? Maybe these smaller machines can give just as much pleasure riding and tinkering  than  larger machines that are becoming more expensive and possibly to a senior generation easier to handle in and out of the workshop...watch this space!

Rose of the Shires

Back in June I and two other friends decided to try the Sunbeam Motor Cycle Clubs  Rose of the Shires run. And what a lovely day it was meandering around the  finest Northampton shires country lanes. The run was super efficient and friendly with a very nice lunch stop ( plough mans lunch ) here are my fellow riders David Payne, Simon Dudfield and my self taking a post lunch a breather by my Cotton motor cycle.

Rose of the Shires

 Aha!  My Cotton is not alone, its not very often I see a fellow Cotton on  a ride. No two ever seem the same and mine is the scruffy one!

Rose of the Shires

Spotted at a very hot Banbury!

Just a few images to show some of the machines that caught my eye at this years Banbury run, and as always on this magic day  a wonderful experience for  those who love and crave the sights, sounds and smells of vintage motorcycles.  Now I know the MV is not exactly vintage but I couldn't resist taking its photo, this is one of the those special  machines that used to have me drooling over the pages of my old copies of 'Bike' magazine as a youth...and I think just as fab (70's word) in the full flesh as on the printed pages of that once influential magazine.

Beside the Seaside 2017

 These few images show the 2017 Coventry to Brighton run as organised by the Midland section of the VMCC. Starting out side the Coventry motor museum and ending on Brighton sea front. And following  the  route down south to the seaside with occasional  stops for Tea and Cake, resting aching joints and of course checking maps  to check we were not lost. We returned  back home on the Sunday morning with Simon and myself enjoying  a very pleasant and scenic course...and as usual I just follow Simon, he is after all a professional lorry driver and knows all the best scenic highways and byways back to base. All in all a fantastic weekend that was  enjoyed by all and we even had decent weather and a big sit down meal and awards evening on Saturday night...perfect!

Stopping for lunch along the way and checking maps and route sheet.

What I did in the shed this winter....and kitchen table!

This winter my dear old Cotton has a  received a little bit of tinkering ready for the forthcoming riding season. First was a jolly good top end strip down and de-coke  paying particular attention to the baked on Castrol 'R'  witch tends to cover every external nook and cranny. Then the valves were given a gentle lapping in, this work was carried out on my substantial kitchen table away from the winter cold and gloom. These small important operations give a chap something to look forward to after a  long working day.  The kitchen and its table make a very cosy and convivial work shop for the smaller work, along with radio 4 for company. Other shed work involved  new front brake and clutch cables, every tiny atom of stopping power is needed on these old bikes. I also repainted (brushed) the exhaust and silencer with stove paint purchased from a local country store...I do like a good country store!  Suffice to say I had a very good ride on our Spring run along some fabulous Warwickshire country roads and lanes.

The first run of the year...its spring time!

The first run of the year

The first run of the year....its spring time!