Wrench'n Ride'n

Well might you ask "What is this riding bikes really all about???".. If you really want to know how this affects the soul. How the Road Gods call to a person to spend their life immersed in this motorcycling then you must read this book... Buy it from your local bookshop. It was released today. If they don't have it make them get it in. If you are like me and read books on a e-reader get it from Amazon. It is pure brilliance.

Some more photos from Ken Craven. Supplied by Michael Barnes... A trio of Norton Dominators and the Yugoslav coast en route from Venice to Dubrovnik 1963. Port of Genoa 1963.

   

The bar end mirrors I bought off eBay have not lasted long. The right hand mirror ended up flapping around on my hand the other day. I was riding along when the mirror decided that it had enough. So I have ditched them and bought some "N" clamps to hold mirrors on stalks (more on this in a another posting later.) I have also made some frame side covers. On the "S" because of the fairing the covers up near the steering head are not supplied. I could have bought some new or second hand off eBay but decided to make my own. As I call my Bandit 'el-Lobo' ,which in Spanish means 'the Wolf' I have engraved a wolf into the side plates. These plates were cut from 2mm aluminium. Shaped, engraved, painted and then mounted. One on each side. They cover up all that wiring etc that stands out like dogs balls with no cover.

She knows how much I love my Bandit. So she spent many a late night up drawing this as a present for me. You can see more of her great art work @  http://affectiveimpressions.blogspot.com.au/

Twin high mufflers so suits the Bandit.

French Mediterranean coast pre-development, 1962, Mollie Craven posing and being ogled by two other motorcyclists. Again thank you to  Michael  Barnes for this one. 

Michael Barnes is sending in some great slides from times gone by. You might have seen his great report on my blog here. He took his Muz Skorpion to Finland.  This image is of Ken Craven, he of Craven panniers fame, and friend, Lake Como Italy, 1962.

Very nice Gen1 Bandit. Love the Perspex muffler hanger.

The last thing to do for this naked conversion was to get some hens teeth. By this I man the "N" full pod covers. You can't get them from wreckers in Australia as it looks like the 1200 Gen2 "N" was not imported here. So off to eBay I went and bought some from the UK for a 600 Bandit. Same part as the 1200. I knew that they did have some scuffing in the chrome. This was rubbed back. Several layers of matt black paint later. Brackets to hold the instruments had to be altered to fit the covers on and now the bike is done. Until I find something else to fiddle and change on it.

Very nice indeed....