Modern Vespa

We regularly laugh about them at class reunions. There was some truly creative stuff, which got progressively better as kids progressed through the grades and had a better and better knowledge base for their "hypotheses".

But more than the entertainment value, we all agree, in hindsight, that it benefited us intellectually as well. It was an exceptional school.

Signed..

http://news.sky.com/story/1442567/reinstate-clarkson-petition-tops-250000

first the beeb don't give Alan Partridge a 2nd series.. now this bullshit!

he's such a loveable arse hole

I've actually got another, earlier book that is making me a steady trickle of money. Nothing much - enough to cover the annual spares and repairs on the scooter, roughly - but it's nice to see it coming in

spotted on today's ride in: A glass delivery firm called 'Fragilistics'

Ahoy Donks. Went with 4 scoots on an East London ride out. Andy, Grant, Noel. Andy suggested the venue...Fatboys, no coincidence. It's a copy of the well known US chain. It's in a derelict wharf area, called Trinity Light Buoy. Its on the north bank of the Thames slap bang opposite the Dome, right where the river Lea joins the mighty Thames. This is where lighthouses were designed and where shipping Buoys for the South East England coastal waters were constructed for the last 200 years. Very evocative and a nice obscure destination. West Ham football club was founded there too. Fatboys is an american diner, built in a steel coated american rail car. There's also a nice fat free cafe on the site too. Cheap, cheerful and instructive, as there's plenty of information boards, quirky interactive sculptures and a housing development constructed wih shipping containers and a moored red painted Light Ship, We met at the tea hut Black Heath a magnet for motor bikes, super motos, and a very nice pale green Li 150 series 3. Tea a bit weak, but at 60p a cup and the place open 24 hours. It's a bargain. Blackwall tunnel is a bugger, as I squeezed by I was given the slip by the leading Donks and had to use my tracking instints to find the place. Gass
silver machine gts 250

Scoots at the Fatboys riverside . The proprietors hadnt seen a buzz of Vespas there, so they took a pic for their archives. If you could get up a bigger posse that would make their day. Gass Silver machine GTS 250

great photos Gass

Yeah, cool. Good to see people emerging from hibernation

Noels helmet reminds me of some Sci Fi B Movie. Looks like Grants sporting Momo and a pair of Weise Victorys.

Next meet? Scooter Sunday at Ace is 29 March but aam oot as its the mother in laws birthday lunch, pah. Buckingham Palace and Carnaby Street run is Sat 2 May, we've had some fun on that day before.

Noel......out and about, nice. 8)

i almost took somebody out yesterday

I was filtering between lanes of stationary traffic on the North Circular. There were three lanes of stopped traffic and two 'filtering lanes'. The lane I was in was blocked ahead, so I decided to switch over into the other filtering lane. As always, I looked down the lane i was switching into, to see if there were any other motorcyclists approaching. It appeared clear, so I pulled out.... directly into the path of a chap on a monkey bike luckily he was able to stop in time, and I apologised profusely - but it honestly hadn't occurred to me to look for something about two and half feet tall hurtling up between the rows of cars. I'm not even sure it's legal to take a monkey bike on the A406, but I'll add it to my list of things to look out for nonetheless.

Jeepers!!

I have on more than one occasion done a careful check before emerging between cars, only to find I had unaccountably missed not a monkey bike but some massive, loud, brightly-coloured sports beast, so I sympathise!

I'd guess they're a moped and thus legal on all but motorways. Stupid, but legal

whose at fault with this one..

She is unless the biker was speeding of course....

I think the rider is not aware enough. You could see he woman in highly visible white heading sideways at least 2 cars in front of the rider. When you do your video test for your license you are shown things like this. You may not think anyone would be stupid enough not to look, but you have to ANTICIPATE in case they do. Both people are lucky. Gass silver machine gts 250

I'm with you gass

failed on hazard perception (both of them )

I agree withy Gass - rider not aware enough, and probably a little speedy for the conditions, given the rest of the traffic stopped.

to be fair to the rider, the lady asked him if he could go any faster

maybe next time..

Remember - Every driver/rider is a pedestrian, but not every pedestrian is a driver/rider (this could also apply to cyclists).

Look left, look right before crossing the road.....

Those helmet cams give a false sense of speed when filtering....

who're you, bloody Dave Prowse

Yep, I'm with that. No indication (from the footage anyway, taking Pepys point about speed on helmet cams) that the rider braked to anticipate the pedestrian crossing his path, and no sideways look from the pedestrian as she stepped out between the cars in anticipation of a two wheeled rider able to be there. Mutual Fail.

David Prowse takes me back. That and Charlie says...

As we're on this, saw the latest NI ad for rider safety today. Just a warning that it doesn't pull any punches, so view at your own risk...
http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-videos/northern-irelands-shocking-new-road-safety-video/26393.html

Women are worth an additional 10 points.
Teenagers are worth 40 points.
Kids under 12 are worth 75 points.
Seniors over 75 are worth 100 points.

I agree with kate. Woman was clearly visible moving to cross road 4 - 5 sec before impact. 20 mph (rider's claim) does not meet 3 sec rule for such conditions of obstructed vision.

I think we're all being a little too perfect here aren't we?
Yes you do see her but the rider is probably caught up in a little tunnel vision maybe? She cannot absolve herself from not looking either.
Hopefully "we" never have to face this situation......

the rider should have seen the woman and slowed down - she was clearly visible between the cars ahead well before he reached her. and given the environment - a two-lane road with pavements on either side - he should have anticipated the possibility that somebody might try and cross.

anyone riding in London has to face this situation all. the. time. i'm constantly checking to see if pedestrians are about to emerge into queueing traffic - even on the north circular, where there are a few places that squeegee people, flower sellers, drinks sellers, etc. tend to congregate. they wander about between the lanes of stationary traffic - some of them wear hi-viz, but others are barely visible until you're almost on top of them.

WATCHIT..!

If you step through the frames, he's traveling faster that 29 ft/sec (20 mph)

The driver of the Citroen appears to be a MOD

Met up with Gass in Camden last night, for a snifter in The Dublin Castle (famous venue for gigs by Madness, Amy Whitehouse, Blur etc) then off to the Jazz Cafe to see some bands, headlined by New Street Adventure playing their biggest gig so far to promote their new album. Packed house mixed in with the crew from their label Acid Jazz. Great vibe, chats and laughs before I had to duck out for the last train home. Skoktastic. Cheers Gass 8)

The BV350 has been sold.

Bill.

Ooooooooh, new itch to scratch now then.

Yes, just trying to think of what to buy next.......

Something not Italian I'm considering says Yoda.

Bill x

Maybe there's a Harley Davison scooter in your future. Not Italian.

If I can't afford the t-shirt I certainly can't afford the bike.

Not American either.

Bill x

I predict it's name to be Petula Clark.....

Its name shall be the 204 / Cloven in Twain.

The demonstrator had that name attached to it for the brief period that it was in my company.

Bill x

Boycott D&G?

For fuck's sake, how far are these people removed from the real world??!!

boycott Matalan maybe

Absolutely

Good news on the sale Bill. I thought next was already decided.

I spent most of yesterday dropping the engine on my 500. My butt and lower back are screaming today but I was successful. Will start in on the top end tonight if I am not too tired.