Classic Bike Guide – March 2023
English | 109 pages | pdf | 165.24 MB
Welcome at Classic Bike Guide Magazine March 2023 Issue
Greetings all. Hope your tea cup is brimming, you’re staying warm and, most importantly, despite all around trying to ruin everything it seems, you’re still smiling. I won’t pretend, most of the last month was too cold, too wet or too filthy on the roads to even contemplate riding, with just a brief time warm enough to get into the workshop.
This inevitably leads to boredom, spending money via the interweb onshiny parts and even new projects. To resist, I’ve been taking the dog for more walks to admire the beauty that winter brings us. Saving money and healthy!
With my new-found walking, I feel the benefit of noting the world around us as we age, but losing a friend brings this home. Biking lost a great friend, competitor, and skilled engineer recently, with the passing of Carl Martin. After a long battle in which he was generally upbeat, ‘Smerf’ built some amazing trials bikes and a Supertwin that won every race it entered at Scarborough, all from his shed. And he rarely shied from helping fellow riders or racers. Thanks, Smerf, you were a fighter, and it was a pleasure to know you.
Last weekend the sun was out and temperatures were mild. The go-to bike at CBG towers for dirty winter riding is the easy-to-clean, no-electrics, knobblie-tyred B31.But the tank is still split, so there was no playing for the sturdy single. Maria put some more miles on her modern Ducati, while John, Butch and brother Sam joined in. The BMW wasn’t working thanks to my incompetence and 45-year-old wiring, but luck lent a hand and it made a great machine for winter temperatures. Tea and cake, here we come.
We headed south over the Suffolk border (don’t tell anyone) and got lost. Keeping the sun to our right to get to the sea, Suffolk treated us to some great riding roads that weren’t busy, lovely views (being a little hillier than Norfolk), and the towns and villages were picturepostcard. Much fun was had by all. Though I’d guessed ending at Southwold, it was a surprise when we entered Aldeburgh, 20 miles further south! Lots of bikes were out, but the only classic we spotted was a Featherbed framed B31. Sausage roll, cake and tea, then a race back home before anyone noticed we’d left the motherland… and the sun sank, along with the temperature. Only downer was the gritters coming past just before we got home, so all those spoked wheels had to get cleaned.
A 135-mile trip is easily possible on a classic, but more enjoyable on a modern bike at this time of year – it was wonderful to be out again. Though Sam’s immaculate Aprilia RS125 is 20 years old and the BMW 45 years, they still feel new. The NHS really should prescribe this motorcycling malarkey for the blues. Other than Aldeburgh and a short break at Center Parcs laughing at the fat squirrels and tame muntjac deer, we’ve been devoid of workshop time… though a break can be good, or life just feels like a job. And though it’s been cold, you get some beautiful sights at this time of year.
The to-do list is looking so long, so must start soon. Easy fixes first, I say… Good luck with all yours – we know how you feel.
Enjoy,
Matt Hull
[email protected]
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