First Ride.

[Riggers]

Hi Riggers

 

I have one of Roy K Battsons books called 'The Land Beyond The Ridge' and it's a great read, if you like old bikes and nostalgia. It's quite a rare book now and generally cost around £60-70 on Amazon but there are a couple of copies on ebay at the mo for thirty odd squids.

 

Having cut his motorcycling teeth on old belt driven 1920's models right through to his final bike, a 250cc model 14 AJS single, it's amusing to read one of the last chapters of the book (published in 1974) where he bemoans the demise of the British Motorcycle industry and the simple single cylinder machines they produced

"....But now, public taste and the Japanese have distorted that pleasant image; a rider now must have two, three or four cylinders... at prices varying from £700 to an incredible £2000. True, there is, at the moment a superbike craze but I doubt if it can, or will, last."   

 

Funny to think now that that old model 14 Ajay that he sold due to failing health back in 1973, would easily fetch £2000 if it was in good nick. 

 

Oddly enough, the first ever 'proper' bike I rode was also a model 14 AJS 250 - I had turned sixteen and had my provisional licence and  an old school chum of mine was trying to flog it to me by letting me ride it up and down the road on our estate a few times, but my dad took pity on me and splashed out on a nearly new 1970 Honda CB250 K1 .... fortunately !

 

I'm just a year younger than you and I'll be doing Ireland this year for about ten days with three other riding pals - it will be our sixth annual road trip having done Scotland a couple of times, Northern Italy, Germany and last year a memorable trip in northern Spain - Santander  to Santiago de Compostela. The oldest of our group is 72, (standing at about 5'6 and riding a GS1200 BMW), then next 64, then me and finally the youngster at a mere 52. 

 

I reckon you have a good few years left yet, I sure hope I have

 

Dan

Thanks for the reply Dan. 

 

I've been shuffling through my old copies of Motorcycle Sport and my earliest copy is September 1970 which would have made me 16 when I bought it. Unusually for a 16 year old I liked the fuddy duddy authors  (as I saw them then), like R K Battson, and liked reading about his 1920s bikes - 'Two Tails" was one of them, an old twin port two stroke I think. One of his last articles was regarding the sale of his AJS to a youngish lad, and the ending of his motorcycling years - another one to bring a lump to the throat. 

 

I've not read 'Over the Ridge' but I might one day if I can bring myself to part with 60 quid for 80ish pages.

 

Like you I was lucky to have some financial help with my first bike. In my case from an uncle who helped me with a new 250 BSA Starfire which sadly didn't live up to expectations. It was badly made and very unreliable, and left me wishing I'd paid a bit more and got a CB250 (which I did eventually).

 

Last year 'my gang' and I did the Normandy landing grounds and war graves in France which made quite a journey from Hull via Zebrugges and an overnight stopover in Amiens. The oldest in our party was 85 riding a Honda 500 twin, so there's hope for us yet! The same guy is coming to N.Ireland with us this year, along with his new knee.

 

Take car mate and nice to talk to you.

 

Riggers.