MrWolf

I suspect that as the British did in the 1950s world market, the big four Japanese brands still don't have any serious competition. But we all know the price of resting on our laurels.

That is as good as any professionally weathered wagon I have seen.

Alone In This World - The 5 Trojans

On The Road Again - Canned Heat

Rules Of The Road - The Turbines

I think that you had hit the nail on the head at "Often the very particular motorcycles that no-one else wanted or could afford". Quite why nobody has had a sideways look at the competition and built a range of motorcycles 50-1000cc that people could afford and then stick with, which was a lesson that should have been learnt by 1968 I will never know.

Of course it doesn't help that the British government is anti motorcycle, anti motorcycling and anti motorcyclist and has been for a good half century.

People in cars pay out more and are easier to control. That suits the folks in charge, regardless of their political stance.

I Found Heaven - The Del Chords

Time Is On My Side - The Rolling Stones

Remember Then - The Earls

Johnny Valentine - Andy Anderson

Or you could travel a bit further and knock together a historical model. Not much at El Alamein but the railway and sand, plus inevitable sheep and goats.

The buildings are available... 

Keep ruminating on designs and keep it Upwool! 

Pictures like that always remind me of a bloke who had many Land Rovers telling me at great length what godawful rotboxes old Vauxhall's are. 

I do like oddball European cars.

Panhard from Les anciens.com

I generally go with the "Bulldoze-a-clear-section-of-space-when-taking-a-photo" approach.

I can't say that I recommend it.

I also don't understand how or why my benches for wood and iron based projects are immaculate and the little model making bench is an utter f....

Interesting stuff in the background.

I haven't seen a Renault Six in years!

I have unfortunately been on the spot when someone has applied JIT and lean manufacturing to a company that made machinery for a global, but relatively small market and tailored individual machines to the specific customers requirements using a range of standard parts. Seventy percent of the parts were manufactured / machined in house, the rest bought from places as varied as Italy (motors) , Switzerland (hydraulic solenoids) and Mexico (electronics) . It was all very well working to just in time until lead times changed, specifications changed or someone forgot that some countries go on holiday for a month in summer and again at Christmas. Then the UK based supplier of castings went belly up. Oops. 

I had too much to dream last night - The Electric Prunes

1 hour ago, Hroth said:

Dunno (probably dead in The Shades), but Nobby is on Lu-Tzes left...

There's always some photo bombing git at the back giving it the hello mum isn't there?

9 minutes ago, Gibbo675 said:

Hi Mr Wolf,

 

The involvement of Peter Rudd, failed stock broker and father of a former home secretary's involvement in the demise of Norton makes for painful reading.

 

Banking and political interests, 'nuff said !

 

Gibbo. 

Apparently we did have a turnaround from the Great depression in the thirties because of the implementation of a free market economy. WW2 put paid to that.

Lonesome Train - Johnny Burnette Trio

Is that like the rhyme we had as kids for counting cars going under the motorway bridge?

One car

Two cars

Three cars....

Four.... A lorry.

5 minutes ago, Gibbo675 said:

Hello Mr Shovel,

 

I'm not so sure that British engineering was ever the problem, from my view point, and not just with regard motorcycles, I would say that the trouble lay with accountants and their steadfast attitude driven the cost of every thing and the value of nothing outlook toward R&D.

 

With no funds nothing is ever done, period.

 

Gibbo.

I tend to think the same, in the thirties the British industry got stung with a whole lot of too much too soon designs that a conservative public steered clear of especially when the pub experts didn't help.

After WW2 most were busy trying to stay afloat. Have we learnt ANYTHING? I Tend to think not, accountants and shareholders still overrule engineers and market experts with "lean manufacturing" and "just in time systems", none of which are sustainable long term, but do hang together long enough for the boy wonders to collect a golden handshake and a glowing reference as they move on to streamline another ailing firm.

I enjoyed just chucking a bike around a field, but as soon as I was able to ride on the road, that's what I did. Each to their own but I don't understand the motoX and doing a handstand on the rear mudguard malarkey. 

Rather like when BMX bikes first appeared, I wasn't interested because you couldn't GO anywhere on them. 

I remember someone showing off the stunt he had learned on a local car park and my mate saying: "Very fancy like, but wot yam want a babbies bike for?" 

Nowadays of course the BMX is well established and a firm favourite with purse snatchers and for dodging the police with a pocket full of tenner wraps... 

2 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

 

I never owned a Fanny-B, I had at least that much sensitivity to opinion... I’ve only owned one BMW, a 1974 R60/6. Quite unparalleled as an A-road tourer, very comfortable, no vibration and totally reliable. Solid handling, once you got the hsng of not changing gear going into a corner. 

Had a 200cc FB with Villiers 9E in trials trim 30 years ago. Capable and light and I am pleased to say still around and still wearing the same paint from 1951.

20 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

 

That would be Ernst Degner, who went to Suzuki and won their first GP in 1962? 

 

See also Honda, where the influence of NSU (particularly pressed steel frames and link front suspension) was fully utilised 

You're right, it's a long time since I read about it. Having worked with people who had escaped from the Soviet Union and worked there since the fall of communism, I have seen and heard enough to know that I would have done the same thing as Degner.