Tatty old bike spotted - I salute you sir!

[A993LAD]

Doubt he's on here, but just thought it worthy of note that I caught up with a fantastic bike when filtering through heavy traffic on my commute today.

as I pulled up behind it I noticed it was on a 1973 L reg plate. The rider looked pretty ancient in "compo style" wellies and baler twine etc but he was weaving between the cars with some panache. When the road opened up I managed to pull alongside, view the bike and give him the thumbs up.

He looked about 80, the bike looked like it was completely original and kept outside for it's 50 years of life, covered in rust (even the tank) and a magnificent patina.

Wouldn't mind betting he's owned it since new.

Anyway it made my day. Reckon it was one of these, but not as shiny.

Edited by A993LAD on Wednesday 5th July 17:13

[Tango13]

Years back on the way into work I used to see someone riding a really old Italian scooter of some description complete with 1960's style piss pot helmet and a roll up fag on the go.

[DrEMa]

I met 5 dutch guys (all looked retirement age) in Kelso about 6 weeks ago. 4 on very old leaky Royal Enfields and one on a Panther. Each one covered with a stack of luggage, oil and fuel cans Got chatting to the Panther rider - the frame was 1933, engine 1938 and they'd toured 2000 miles so far on that trip, up to and around, Scotland. They headed off west as they were going to Ireland, hoping to get back to Holland at some point around now. That's what I want to be when i grow up!

[bongtom]

DrEMa said:

I met 5 dutch guys (all looked retirement age) in Kelso about 6 weeks ago. 4 on very old leaky Royal Enfields and one on a Panther. Each one covered with a stack of luggage, oil and fuel cans Got chatting to the Panther rider - the frame was 1933, engine 1938 and they'd toured 2000 miles so far on that trip, up to and around, Scotland. They headed off west as they were going to Ireland, hoping to get back to Holland at some point around now. That's what I want to be when i grow up!

Dutch?

[DrEMa]

Touche

[Onelastattempt]

There are more old bikes being ridden regularly on the road than you think. I had stopped for a coffee in Settle a couple of weeks ago when I saw this. If I remember correctly the old guy riding it said it was a 1928/29 BSA 500 single. It has a 3 speed ( ? ) hand gear change, no real speedo as they were not mandatory back then. He had a little bicycle speedo on the handlebars and a scrolling route map, and had done 60 miles so far that day and he and the guy riding the Matchless behind it had just stopped to wait for a few others on similar bikes to catch up before carrying on further. A hand gear change on the roads in the Yorkshire Dales would be interesting !

I used to work with a guy who commuted to work on 1980 Honda CB400 Superdream. He bought it brand new and was still using it in 2021 when I retired, he had two others in bits for spare parts and would cobble together all sorts of things to keep it going. It had an old Craven top box and a Polaris fairing fitted, a real blast from the past.