FROM THE BEAR

Posted On 06 May 2024

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This entry is part 2 of 29 in the series AusMotorcyclist Issue#30

GRIZZLING

This fairly standard pinup photo ran on one of our favourite motorcycle blogs, Cyril Huze Post (cyrilhuzeblog.com/). It attracted plenty of comment, too; almost all of which complained about the fact that the girl hides too much of the bike…

WHAT CHANCE HAVE WE GOT?

“A teenager narrowly escaped death after her car was hit by a tank in Germany,” reads a recent report. “Police say she pulled out in front of the tank to make a left turn… She apparently didn’t see the tank.” I’ll say it again. What chance have we got when drivers can’t even see a Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank?

THERE’S A FIRE DOWN BELOW

Just in case you think that I’m picking on Triumphs in these stories here, I’ve got one about a BMW. I didn’t see this myself, but I heard about it from several people including some who are totally incapable of lying after the third bottle of Stone’s.

Apparently one of the tried and true methods of getting BMWs started on really cold rally mornings is to roll them over the fire so that the coals are below the sump. This warms the sluggish oil and makes it easier – or even possible! – to start the bike.

Inevitably someone got too keen and didn’t just roll their bike over the coals; he stoked the fire instead and added a few more branches. Perhaps he was in a hurry; who knows? At any rate, the flames licked at the sump of his bike which, although he clearly did not know this, was made of magnesium.

Yes, it caught fire. Yes, it then dumped the by now pleasantly fluid oil all over the fire, raising the flames even more and making it impossible for him to roll the bike out of the way. It was left a burnt-out hulk, so I’m told. If anyone out there can confirm the name and date of the rally where this happened – I am hoping it only happened once! – I would be grateful.

“Well,” writes Karen Hill from Bathurst, “the construction quality of the sign and the competence of the signwriting would certainly make you feel good about getting welding or painting done here…”

THE MEANING OF BIKE

I’ve just returned from a two-week ride in the Balkans, visiting some places I remember and others I have never had the chance to visit. It’s a very beautiful place, and Adriatic Moto Tours (www.adriaticmototours.com – tell them The Bear sent you) took us on some amazing roads. You’ll read about it here, of course – maybe even in this issue – and I can only recommend it. The grin is still plastered all over my face. Hmm, maybe it was fixed in place by the 100km/h winds on Hvar island…

Karen also sent in this roadside image. She has some misgivings. “If it’s really a good forest you wouldn’t need to emphasise it, would you?” she writes. “If, on the other hand, it’s a dump…”

PARK RIGHT HERE, MATE

Melbourne’s example of tolerance for bike parking is spreading, it seems.

Peter C, one of our Bear Army troopers, writes; “In Bendigo recently, en route to southern manoeuvres, I was told it’s ok to park on the footpath??” How about sending in any examples you have of local councils taking a sensible attitude to motorcyclists and motorcycling? Email to thebear@ ausmotorcyclist.com.au, please, or snail mail to MOTORCYCLIST, PO Box 2066, Boronia Park NSW 2111. Let’s give credit where it’s due!

Peter ‘The Bear’
Thoeming

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