23/9/2018 MCN Supersprint @ Alexandra Palace + a rant on current motorcycle design

It's many years since I've been to a motorcycle show, but seeing as I've been a biker again for a few years and this one was virtually on my doorstep it seemed too good to miss. Also, the 'Supersprint' concept seemed like fun! It's several years since I've been to Alexandra Palace - I think the last time was an Alice Cooper show. But this time I'm here in daylight - the distant London skyline has certainly changed a lot since I last stood here...

Alexandra Palace is a spectacular venue for all sorts of events, but the MCN Supersprint is something a bit different - a motorcycle show and a sporting event. Sort of. Arriving after two in the wet afternoon on the Sunday got me in at the discount price of only £10 - great value for money! The motorcycle show side of things is pretty conventional, but the 'Supersprint' turns out to be a lot of fun! It's a very informal type of indoor motorsport, with some celebrity riders from the varied forms of motorcycle sport - from road racing to trials and including some world champions. There were no prizes - this was strictly for fun, although the various 'races' and 'trials' certainly brought out the competitive side to the riders and there was great (but good humoured) rivalry! The various competitions were designed to be fun - and they were! World Superbike Champion and I'm A Celebrity winner Carl Fogarty competed against the likes of World Trials Champion Doug Lampkin, TT ace John McGuinness, and road racers Chris Walker and Jamie Whitham.  The varied 'races' and challenges included slalom, wheelie and other tricks of skill. It was all highly entertaining!

Also appearing on the indoor 'race strip were demonstrations of various exotic machines from vintage racers to more modern sporting machines like this Triumph Speed Triple. I was particularly interested to see and hear this in action as it was very similar (although this is an earlier model) to my bike which came to grief (and me with it, although unlike the bike, I survived) last year. Unfortunately, I didn't see it run, so I guess it was demonstrated earlier in the day or on the Saturday. A shame as these Triumph triples sound fantastic!

I did see/hear some other amazing machines demonstrated though - including a vintage 6 cylinder Honda racer which sounded amazing. Many of these racing bikes have no silencers - so you can imagine how loud this all was indoors. I loved it! There was also a show of custom bikes - many old, new and amazing machines to feast the eyes on. Honda, Kawasaki, and Triumph all had stands showing off their latest machines, and it was interesting to be able to try them for size. There was also other exotic and highly desirable machinery on display - this new but very retro looking Brough Superior SS100 particularly caught my eye! This old British make favoured by Laurence of Arabia has recently been revived. This machine of more of a work of art than a motorcycle, but if you are (very) well minted you can buy a brand new one now to ride on the road. If I won the lottery....

In the background are two of the most desirable bikes of my youth: On the right the 1000cc 6 cylinder Honda CBX, and in the middle a 1000cc Laverda Jota triple. I could only dream of owning superbikes like this back in the day, but my most recent Triumphs would leave either of them for dead now!

I didn't take many pictures as the new bikes  from the major manufacturers as they are well covered in the media and you can easily find them for yourself, but if you want to know more and see some of the Supersprint action check out the MCN page on the event. However, I did have a few thoughts after trying out for size and comfort some of the latest machines.....

<rant>

I was pleased to see many of the latest bikes from some of the big manufacturers on display. I was very interested in being able to try out these machines for size and comfort, but was surprised and disappointed in what I found: My last two bikes have been a Triumph Speed Triple and a Triumph 955i Daytona so I was particularly interested in what Triumph had to offer. I was thinking one of the Triumph twins might be more suitable for me these days, as although I love the character and performance of the big triples I have to accept that my reflexes aren't as sharp as they once were for 'on the edge' riding. On examining the newest Triumph twins I noticed something odd about the exhaust pipes leading to the silencers - all was not what it seemed. Part of the 'exhaust pipe' was actually fake and merely a piece of single sided metal trim giving the appearance of a straight pipe leading to the silencer - while the actual exhaust pipes took a sharp diversion into a large metal collector box hidden under the engine before turning back onto course for the silencers. Maybe this goes some way to explaining why all the modern Triumph twins are so heavy - why does an 800cc twin weigh noticeably more than my 955cc triples? Something is wrong here! Even the apparently stripped down 'Bobber' and (ironically named) 'Speedmaster' models are surprisingly heavy for basic 2 cylinder parallel twins. Euro 4 regulations? The new Royal Enfield twins are air cooled and appear to have none of this bullshit and fakery about their exhaust systems, while still meeting Euro 4 - so what has gone wrong at Triumph?

I tried out many of the latest bikes for comfort. Again I was disappointed. Why the silly thin seats that are currently fashionable? - particularly on imitation hardtail 'Bobbers' with the less than comfortable suspension on the UK's shockingly potholed roads. Also, why the silly little petrol tanks on nearly all modern machines? My last two Triumphs both had 21 litre tanks - and even then had a range of well under 200 miles. So why have so many new bikes have tanks of only around 16 litres? The new 'Street Twin' and 'Scrambler' models from Triumph only have 12 litre tanks - absolutely pathetic for 800cc machines! ! I refuse buy a bike with a tank as small as that. Are these new machines designed just for posing round town on - quick sprints between urban petrol stations? I want to actually GO places on my bike - without have to keep stopping for unnecessary fill ups. You should be able to cover distance quicker on a bike, but you won't if you have to make all those extra stops to refuel. On my Speed Triple and Daytona I had a nice comfortable fat tank to grip between my knees. I tried all Triumph's current twins and found nothing to grip with my knees! Stupid little petrol tanks again - before visiting the bike show I really fancied several models in Triumph's twin range, but after sitting on all of them nothing felt 'right' - I just didn't feel comfortable on them at all. Their petrol tanks appear to have recesses for your knees, but these seem just for show as the tanks are so small and narrow I find it not possible to comfortably grip them between my knees - it's as if they are designed for midgets or children! I am 6' tall BTW. I left the show feeling there isn't a twin in Triumphs current range that I'd buy even if I won the lottery. I did like the new Street and Speed triples, although I think they look ugly compared to earlier models. The 1200 Tiger did actually feel comfortable, if very cumbersome and top heavy - I'm not sure I'd want to venture off road on one. I don't think many owners do - it's a two wheeled Range Rover and you never see them with mud on them either!

Sorry if these seems an anti-Triumph rant - I love the two I've owned, but I can't imagine buying any of their current range. Other big manufacturers left me disappointed too - why are most modern bikes so ugly? Kawasaki had some interesting models at the show, and I liked the new Honda Fireblade - it compared well with my 955i Daytona although obviously more modern with even better performance. However, the new Honda CB1000R just looks like a piece of crap! I'm sure it's actually a very good motorcycle underneath, but just fucking look at it! It looks like a joke bike and exhibits what to me are some fashionable but poor design features common to other new bikes: USD forks? Yes, these are basically a good feature and improvement, on the track, but on the road the difference is largely theoretical. Any reduction in unsprung weight is good for handling and roadholding, but then for road use guards have to be added to protect the exposed (now lower) sliders from grit/stones/dirt - thereby adding to unsprung weight, so any advantage is minimal. The reasons for USD forks on road bikes are more fashion/marketing than genuine improvement.Why not just fit fork gaitors instead of these stupid and ugly guards?  Which brings me from front to rear suspension. WTF is going on here? I like single sided swinging arms, but the 'fashionable' rear end on the CB1000R (and other current bikes by other makers) is just fucking stupid from an engineering point of view. Re: my point on reducing unsprung weight to improve roadholding - the effect of adding a light 'hugger' mudguard to the front end of a swinging arm is minimal. But Honda have added a bulky piece of kit on the rear end of the swinging arm that actually extends beyond it and increases unwanted pendulum effect with even more unsprung weight! Adding the totally unnecessary weight of rear lights and number plate onto the end of the swinging arm is just fucking stupid! And how well are the lights/electrics going to stand up to the long term constant hammering they will be subjected too on an unsprung part of the bike? Put the lights and number plate back in a sensible place like they used to be under or behind the seat - surely having these items at higher level increases safety and visibility. I bet the CB1000R's lights look good bouncing up and down with the wheel when you ride at night! There is no need for all this - it just total marketing bullshit as well as poor design. And Honda even describe this bike as 'Neo Sports Cafe' - what utter pretentious Hipster bollocks!

Apparently sales of new bikes are falling drastically. Maybe it's because the major manufacturers are not making the sort of machines that real bikers actually want? Too much bad design, ugly bikes, too many features people don't want or need - and too much fashion-led marketing bullshit? Even if I won the lottery there aren't many new bikes available today that would actually tempt me regardless of price. Manufacturers - if you want better sales - GIVE US THE BIKES WE ACTUALLY WANT!

</rant> Rant over.

I enjoyed my visit to the MCN Supersprint and I hope the event will return in 2019 - in spite of the lowish attendance on the day I went. Maybe the ticket price was a little on the high side for what wasn't a major event? It was a good day out as far as I was concerned though, and I would definitely go again.

PS: The 'rant' section above is an edited version of something I originally wrote for the letters page of Bike magazine, but they didn't use it as it was far too long. I had a lot to say!

3/9/2018 Porcelain Hill & Lord Algae @ The Unicorn

Monday night. In Camden? Yes - it's a 'School night'. Guess what? Getting to bed an hour or so later now and then won't kill you. Yes really - you'd be surprised. Apparently, Monday night is 'Blues Night' at The Unicorn. Which is odd as I'd describe neither of these acts as 'blues bands' - although of course being 'rock' means their music is blues based if you dig down deep enough. I like blues, but that's not why I'm here. A few weeks ago at another band's gig I randomly discovered an amazing but unknown American band who had been hard at work touring the UK's toilet circuit. I told a musician friend of mine about this band as I thought he might like them, particularly as his own band and the US act are both power trios.  So I was quite surprised when a few weeks later both bands turned up on the same bill at one of my favourite Camden venues! Coincidence?

My friend's band were on first. They are called Lord Algae - formerly the 'The Lord Algae Review'. They are a rock covers band, but a very good one. They put their own twist on the songs they cover, and don't play all the same tired old standards that most rock covers acts play. The set is very varied, veering from 1950's rock & roll, to James Brown, and the next minute they could be playing Motörhead!

The standard of musicianship is very high - frontman Max plays bass like Jack Bruce, while singing with a much grittier bluesy voice. Guitarist Jimmy reminds me of the late Gary Moore at his hardest rocking and most bluesy, while the drummer does the best Keith Moon impression I've ever seen - without actually making and effort to look like 'Moon the Loon'. This is a top quality band, and the music is played with a rare and genuine passion for the songs. This band is well worth catching if you see they are playing in a London pub near you

Next up we have a very different power trio, but an amazingly good one! There are only a handful of people there to see the bands in this Camden pup on a Monday night, but Porcelain Hill play this gig as if it's a packed out sweaty club show on a Saturday night!

The energy level is sky high from the moment these guys hit the stage!

From what I have seen so far, this band play every show as if their lives depended on it - even to a handful of people in a pub on a Monday night. This band take no prisoners!

The songs are their own apart from one or two covers, but this band are so good that it doesn't matter if you've never heard their songs before.

Porcelaine Hill put on a show, but they don't need fancy clothes, lights, or stage props - they are the show. The frontman puts a new twist on the old 'playing-guitar-behind-your-head' trick and plays a whole song (including a pretty good guitar solo) with his guitar behind his back. And makes it look easy.

The music is basically ROCK, but with funk, soul, and blues mixed in. If you can imagine the Jimi Hendrix Experience crossed with Cream then you are in the same ball park. The musicianship is electrifying!

These guys play like they mean it.

This is how you play rock 'n' roll!

Go and see this band if they head your way - you won't regret it. They are coming back to the UK in spring 2019.

People who won't go out 'because it's a school night' are missing out BIG TIME!

2/9/2018 Shuttleworth Collection Heritage Day @ Old Warden

Another excuse to deploy my new bike for exactly the sort of thing I got it for - going to work by motorcycle is great when the weather is OK, but days out like this is what I really love having a bike for. Ironically, today I find myself riding it back out to not far from when I got it from. It's a beautiful day for riding, and it's also perfect air display weather.

It's many years since I've been to Old Warden - I think the last time was on one of my old 500cc 2 stroke Suzukis. This time I'm on a machine with around 3 times as much power that weigh's virtually the same - this is fun!

Today's event is the Shuttleworth Heritage Day. The day's flying programme is very varied and features aircraft from the very earliest days of aviation up to World War Two. The Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden in Bedfordshire really is a wonderful place. If you are interested in vintage aircraft, cars, or gardens there is so much to see. As far as air displays go, the atmosphere here is wonderful, and very informal compared to many bigger more commercial events elsewhere. It all feels so relaxed. The flying programme is interesting and varied.

My little digicam isn't really up to capturing airborne aircraft - even with it's zoom they are little more than dots in the sky so I didn't really bother. Photographing aircraft actually in the air where they belong is a waste of time unless you have a powerful telephoto lens - and even if I possessed suitable equipment I wouldn't have been able to carry it on the bike so you'll have to make do with pictures of planes on the ground instead. Things kick off with a short aerobatic display by modern civil aircraft. Then things get more interesting with a performance by some vintage gliders. I thought this rare Kirby Kite from between the wars was particularly beautiful.

Next were a couple of very rare racing aircraft from the 1930's. The Miles Hawk Speed Six was a pretty hot number in it's day. Only three were ever built and this one from 1935 is the only one surviving in the whole World.

Appearing with the Hawk was something very special that I have been waiting for many years to see in the air - the de Havilland DH88 Comet. This is a particularly rare aircraft as only five were built and only two survive. This is the only one complete and airworthy. This type was designed for the 1934 England to Australia  air race - which it won, as well as breaking numerous speed records. Finally seeing this in the air was a real highlight for me.

I think this is one of the most beautiful aircraft ever built - along with the World's first jet airliner, also designed and built by de Havilland and also sharing the name Comet.

This aircraft (along with the later jet airliner) was designed and built down the road at Hatfield, Herts. The famous Hatfield landmark the art deco 'Comet Hotel' (now a Ramada Inn) near the old aircraft factory proudly displays a scale model of this aircraft on a pole outside.

A splendid and very realistic full size replica of this historic machine also used to hang in the modern Galleria shopping centre in Hatfield, but has been removed in recent times - I'd love to know what happened to it...

Next was another rarity - a Focke-Wulf Fw 44 Stieglitz. This is a 1930's German training aircraft.

Things move on to the 1940's with an appearance by a Dakota from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, but as it didn't land - no pictures from me! Continuing the 1940's theme things get more exciting - the Mk XI Spitfire is a very rare beast, and also one of the best looking of the breed. Today we are treated to not one, but two of these elusive machines!

This is probably the first and only time in at least 65 years that two of this mark of Spitfire have flown together. It will also almost certainly be the last time two of these rare birds are ever seen in the air together.

The Mk XI is a special lightened and unarmed Photo Reconnaissance model of this thoroughbred machine and  is the fastest Merlin engined mark of Spitfire - capable of well over 400 MPH. These two aircraft put on a dynamic and exciting display!

I make absolutely no apologies for including loads of Spitfire pictures - there are plenty of these two  I didn't include, and there was also another Spitfire present - but more of that later.

I enjoyed spotting the detail differences in these two 'identical' model Spitfires, but I won't bore you with the details....

After all the rare blue Spitfire excitement we returned to the theme of training aircraft.

The next segment featured a post war de Havilland Chipmunk and two Miles Magisters. One in pre war training yellow...

 ...and one in wartime camouflage.

Continuing the theme of training aircraft we now move from the UK to Russia.

The Po-2 was originally designed in the 1920's as a trainer, but was best known for it's use in WW2 against the Germans on the Eastern Front and even later in the Korean War when it was used against the Americans - who nicknamed it 'Bedcheck Charlie' due to it's nightime use for psychological warfare. As in WW2 it was used to fly very low and very slow over enemy lines in the middle of the night while the soldiers below were trying to sleep - while dropping small bombs on them. Although little physical damage was done on these missions, the damage to morale and sleep deprivation was considerable - the the Po-2 was very hard to see or shoot down in the darkness. This example was built in 1944.

Continuing the biplane theme we move on to the 1930's with the Gloster Gladiator.

Like the P0-2 this type remained in service into WW2 by when it was already obsolete. It still continued in combat against more modern aircraft in Norway and Malta.

One of the aircraft that replaced the Gladiator in service was the Hawker Hurricane.

This example is a rare Mk.I and a genuine Battle of Britain veteran.

Also seen here is a later 'Sea Hurricane' produced for the Navy to help protect Atlantic convoys.

Taking to the air with this aircraft that lives here was another Shuttleworth Collection resident.

Like the Hurricane the Supermarine Spitfire found fame in the Battle of Britain, but like the collection's Hurricane this is actually a later model. This is a Mk V from 1941 and with it's cannons and clipped wings looks quite different to earlier versions.

Next we take a step backwards in time from WW2 to WW1 with the Sopwith Triplane and Sopwith Camel - both of which managed to evade my camera. Also evading my camera were the sleek Bristol M1C monoplane, the SE5A (which I did catch in a hanger later), the Avro 504, DH60X, Comper Swift, and Desoutter I. I did manage to catch the Tiger Moth and Avro Tutor on the ground from a distance.

And also the Bristol Fighter which took part in the WW1 section of the air display.

Later we were treated to a spectacular display of aerobatics by a much more modern biplane - this Pitts Special - which has been fitted with a bigger more powerful engine than standard.

There was quite a contrast to end the day's flying - the Edwardians.

This featured the 1910 Avro Triplane and the 1910 Avro Boxkite - both replicas built for the 1965 film 'Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines'.

I wasn't really looking forward to this part of the show as I expected it to be slow and boring. Actually, I found myself really enjoying it and it was one of the highlights of the day for me!

Those old machines fly so slowly, and they can turn so tightly due to their low speed that they turn inside the airfield's perimeter and never move far from the crowd. This is such an incredible contrast to something like a B-52 which will fly past and then take 5 minutes just to turn round and come back! It is an absolute delight and a fascinating spectacle. It really fires up the imagination to think what flying must have been like over 100 years ago, and what an amazing spectacle it must have seemed at the time.

Even once the air display is over there is still plenty to see. The collection of vintage aircraft, cars, and motorcycles is well worth a visit in it's own right and I'm in no hurry to go home. There is time to have a look at some of the aircraft that didn't take part in the display.

And also a chance for another look at some that were seen in the air earlier.

There is also a chance to have a closer look at some of the aircraft that were flying earlier as they are moved off the airfield into the hangers.

And then there is a chance to look at some of the many treasures in the hangers - this SE5A seen flying earlier.

The weather really couldn't have been better - sunshine all day, but without it being too hot. A great day out!