Re: Australian story
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 3:57 am
There must be something in the water in Wangaratta (where Doug, the subject of the doco, lives) as it has more than its fair share of interesting motorcycling people for a town of 20,000.
Barry at the 'Vintage Motorcycle Swap Shop' should charge to get into his business - it's as good as a motorbike museum. He displays about 100 bikes (and reckons he has more than that a in mysterious 'other shed'), mostly English and '60s or earlier and many very rare and curious machines (Ner-a-Car anyone?). God knows where he really gets them from but he has lots of strange stories and is always vague about a bike's origins.
Fred is the finest machinist I ever met (and an arrogant prick) and has a very nice Ariel Square Four. He also has an Ariel Red Hunter that he literally did a ground-up restoration on. He rode it to the end of his street to check that it worked and was perfect and ever since it has been parked behind his couch in the lounge room. I've seen it. He apparently wants to be buried with it.
Peter had (sadly he died last year) an immaculate BSA Gold Star outfit. He would ride it (slowly) to bike shows all over the country, win the trophy for best outfit, and then ride (slowly) home again.
Another Peter has six pre-war Triumphs. Each is superbly restored (by him) and on full rego. He'll happily ride any one of them to a rally or show pretty much anywhere in the country. Trailering bikes is for wimps.
Buster was the World 125cc GP Champion on his Morbidelli. Hell of a nice bloke and he'd bring the bike to the show I mentioned earlier.
Just out of Wangaratta in Chiltern is Charles - the world's leading authority on New Imperials. He literally wrote the book on them. He also manufactures beautiful reverse levers for classic bikes.
And just down the road at Yackandandah is Leigh who raced the world's fastest BSA bantam. Don't laugh - it'd do 100mph.
Funny old world.
Barry at the 'Vintage Motorcycle Swap Shop' should charge to get into his business - it's as good as a motorbike museum. He displays about 100 bikes (and reckons he has more than that a in mysterious 'other shed'), mostly English and '60s or earlier and many very rare and curious machines (Ner-a-Car anyone?). God knows where he really gets them from but he has lots of strange stories and is always vague about a bike's origins.
Fred is the finest machinist I ever met (and an arrogant prick) and has a very nice Ariel Square Four. He also has an Ariel Red Hunter that he literally did a ground-up restoration on. He rode it to the end of his street to check that it worked and was perfect and ever since it has been parked behind his couch in the lounge room. I've seen it. He apparently wants to be buried with it.
Peter had (sadly he died last year) an immaculate BSA Gold Star outfit. He would ride it (slowly) to bike shows all over the country, win the trophy for best outfit, and then ride (slowly) home again.
Another Peter has six pre-war Triumphs. Each is superbly restored (by him) and on full rego. He'll happily ride any one of them to a rally or show pretty much anywhere in the country. Trailering bikes is for wimps.
Buster was the World 125cc GP Champion on his Morbidelli. Hell of a nice bloke and he'd bring the bike to the show I mentioned earlier.
Just out of Wangaratta in Chiltern is Charles - the world's leading authority on New Imperials. He literally wrote the book on them. He also manufactures beautiful reverse levers for classic bikes.
And just down the road at Yackandandah is Leigh who raced the world's fastest BSA bantam. Don't laugh - it'd do 100mph.
Funny old world.
