TT is such a great spectator race

Posted on February 19, 2024 by Steve Carpenter

19 Feb

I have always loved the Isle of Man, I remember in 1975 heading out to Ramsay as a wild teenager and couldn’t wait to see and hear the likes of Rocket Ron Haslam, Mick Grant and Mike the Bike head on off for a 37 mile lap of the infamous Island Road Race.

There are a few old videos about I wanted to share today to give you some insight as to what turned my Dial as a teenager and gave me my inspiration to always been involved with Motorcycling.

I know many of you watch todays racing and are amazed at the speeds, when I was a teenager they were reaching around 140 Mph but if you have ridden any bike from the 1970’s, thats exhilarating indeed compared to todays modern technology.

So I thought I would add a few videos for you to watch today as its raining here and I was in the office.

Old Commercials I remembered as a kid in the 70’s

Posted on December 6, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

06 Dec

Lets go back- Way Back, when Flared jeans, huge cuffed shirts and Wide Collar shirts were all the rave, Not me then as in 1978 I left school and already had my leather jacket.

Some fun things I look back on and laugh now is the old TV Commercials for things like Pepsi Cola, some were filmed in the UK as you can hear the accent and some in the states.

So Corny yet so cool, I loves these Adverts on the box, check em out and see if you remember these.
This one Below was right in 1978 , this is the first episode trial but still great to see.

Below, a little earlier in 1973 Eddie was banging some cool moves. This was filmed back home in the UK. And I loved it.

In 1973 this took me so long to memorize but I did it.

I remember this well too.

Mopeds in UK back in the 1970’s when I owned them.

Posted on December 2, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

02 Dec

A look at the Classic ‘Sixteener Specials’ of the ’70s

If, like me, you are now in your early fifties, and have had some passing interest in two wheels, then there’s a pretty good chance you will have owned or knew someone who owned one of these bikes…let the memories flood back! The Bay City Rollers, Spangles, The Sweeney, platform soles and horrendous flares.

10. The Fantic Chopper

First imported to the UK in December 1972, the Fantic Chopper proved a success with young 16-year olds as it boasted a 6-speed gearbox and a top speed of 50 mph. Fuel economy was also impressive, regularly returning a hefty 110mpg. Handling was suprsingly good considering the long wheelbase. I personally knew a mate from school who got a lot of money from hurting his back in a motorcycle accident, went out and bought one of these cash, I was gutted, as being 16, you always wanted the coolest stuff. We had a kid at school who got a Bunch of money from a Motorcycle accident and he went out and purchased one of these Brand new and in Cash, I was so gutted.

Where the Fantic did fall flat on its face was the less-than-adequate electrical system. All in all though a good ‘posing’ machine for the young budding Peter Fonda. A restored example now will easily demand a price tag of £2000 upwards. I want one!! All donations will be gratefully accepted!

9. The Gilera Trial

Founded in 1909 on Italy, Gilera has always been recognised for its thoroughbred race machines but dipped its toe into the world of the sixteener specials in mid 1972. The first models the Touring and the Trial were joined in 1974 by the Gilera Enduro.

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The UK specification machines were fitted with a pedal start system to comply with the UK laws at that time. The European models boased ‘real’ footpegs and a kick start. The machines were finished to a fairly high standard and boasted Ceriani front and rear suspension. The 4.2bhp 49cc engine returned a not so speedy 42mph. Pricewise the Touring cost a measly (in today’s prices) £210 whilst the Trial in 1977 would set you back £285 and the Enduro £290. They were produced in a vivid red colour but a rare yellow version has also been sourced. I personally was never able to see one of these for sale anywhere as they were snapped up pretty fast.

8. The Puch Grand Prix Special

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The Puch brand can be traced back to the late nineteenth century as part of Steyr Daimler Puch. In 1972 the Puch VS50 was probably the first serious attempt by a manufacturer to break into the sports moped market. Shortly afterwards they were overtaken by the more technically advanced Japanese manufacturers. In 1973 the M50 Sport was introduced with a respectable top speed of 46mph. This model gave way to the Grand Prix, then the Grand Prix Special. The special sported a black and gold paint scheme same as the JPS Lotus Formula One cars and a front hydraulic disc brake. it was not uncommon for this model to return a favourable 150 mpg if ridden carefully. But I never ever rode carefully, on these mopeds I owned I always hopped up and if I was lucky enough to have had one of these, I would of been in a lot of trouble with the Law- No Doubt.

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The Puch Grand Prix had the looks and the feel of a ‘real’ motorcycle. In 1977 the Grand Prix Supreme was launched with a 5.2 bhp engine and a hefty price tag of £356. I only had one mate who owned one of these and he would never ride it, twat!

7. The Honda SS50

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I really do love these bikes, but in the 30 years sice I last looked at one I have never seen another and I never actually owned one, which is such a shame as its one of my very favorites. Unfortunately the SS50 was let down by a disappointing measly 2.5bhp OHC four stroke engine making it one of the slowest mopeds.

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Introduced in 1975 with a price tag of 270 pounds it offered reliability along with economy with an exhaust tone that wouldn’t annoy the neighbours unlike those nasty two stokes with their Allspeed pipes!! The style was very much alike the Yamaha FS1-E with a slimline tank and pressed steel frame. The early model had drum front brake and a handlebar width of only 22 inches. In 1976 the SS50 B2 was released with a now uprated engine giving 4bhp coupled with a 5-speed gearbox; the newer version could reach the heady heights of 50MPH. A cable-operated front disc brake gave the bike a sportier feel, and you would be relieved of 259 quid if you (or your parents) bought one. A good moped, but let down by poor performance.

6. The Suzuki AP50

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At number six, the Suzuki AP50; a bike derived from the early A50II model. This was a late entry into the marketplace arriving in late 1975. One advantage that this moped had over the others was the CCI lube system which meant no more mixing fuel and oil together on the garage forecourt. A separate oil tank pressure fed all moving parts requiring oil. The bike proved to be reliable and had a good working electrical system, unlike some of the others on the market. This was one of my First bikes, I did have the AS50 at first but got pulled over for speeding and I wasnt old enough to have it as they had just changed the riding laws to say if it had pedals I could have it, but if not, then it had to be governed to 30mph, and as i was doing 65 in a 30, I got my wrist slapped and had to trade it in for one of these Red AP50’s.

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Available in candy blue or red, the AP50 proved an instant hit with the teenagers, going head on in sales against the ever popular Yamaha FS1-E. Once again the bike was fitted with a pedal start system to comply with UK laws at the time. The 5-speed engine was relaible and torquey and more than a match for some of the other models. I felt that an immediate improvement to the look of the Suzuki would have been the addition of a front cradle to the frame then giving it the look of a ‘proper’ bike. But I hopped mine up with a bigger Carb and pulled the old baffle out and cut it down to 2 inches and ran like a raped ape.

5. The Yamaha TY50P

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The Yamaha TY5OP was introduced to the UK market in 1976 and was an immediate success with budding trial riders. The little Yamaha engine unit only kicked out 2.9bhp, but the bike’s cool looks and capabilities off-road soon made up for it. Top speed was a disappointing 32mph, but the machine was high quality and featured the Yamaha autolube system oil lubrication system. Telescopic front forks and a good sturdy pair of rear shockers ensured a smooth ride even on the rough.

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I used to stand Outside Bowers Motorcycle shop in Bury St Edmunds, eating my 15p worth of Chips and smudging the window with my nose in envy at this awesome machine, I couldnt afford the payments on this but really wanted it. Funny thing is , 40 years later out here in California I had TWO of the TY250’s. ha ha.

Number 4: The Garelli Tiger Cross

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I used to love these bikes: the style, the speed and the sheer street cred of having one of the fastest 50cc mopeds on the market. A mate of mine from years and years ago had one of these (as far as I know, 35 years down the line, he still has) and he was the envy of us all. Imported into the UK by Agrati (Sales) UK in 1972, it was an instant hit with the teenagers.

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The 6 bhp engine returned a respectable 60mph top speed, no mean feat in those days. Available in black and yellow, or in a rarer version in red and black, it eventually evolved into the Tiger Cross Special, which was a UK-only bike but basically a facelift of the original bike. Great fun in its day and expect to pay over a grand for a running bike these days

3. Fantic Caballero

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One of the first ‘enduro’ sports mopeds, introduced to a waiting UK audience in 1974, the Fantic soon gathered a loyal following. A 7.2 bhp two stroke Minarelli engine ensured a mean top speed of 55mph. Fuel consumption was a respectable 125mpg, not bad for a machine with such a good top end result. Probably a bonus having such good fuel results as the tank capacity was a meagre 1.1 gallon.

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The downfall ( and there is always a downfall) was that the bike was plagued with poor electrics and a hefty price tag.

In 1977 Fantic introduced the Super Caballero with a whoppin 9bhp engine, but the lack of pedals meant that it failed to qualify for the UK’s teenage market. A great bike with good all round performance. I once found one of these dumped at the side of the road 20 years ago. Obviously someone had dumped it because it was in such a state, looking like a refugee from the Titanic, but it still sold for £180.

2. The Fantic GT Super Six

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What a corker this bike was. I’ve never owned one, and never been able to afford one for that matter. From 1977 to ’79 you would expect to pay £579 to own own one of these, so it put the bike off limits to most kids, unless of course they had super rich parents. The 9bhp engine gave you a whopping 65 mph.

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If you had one of these you were the dog’s reproductive organs! Finished to a very high standard and fitted with alloy wheels and electonic ignition plus the added bonus of a six speed gearbox. Disc brake as standard and a rev counter set this model apart from some of the less superior models. WHEN I have won the lottery this is the bike I am going to run out and buy!

1. The Yamaha FS1-E

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Well here it is, the top dog,the Chief, the most favorite sports moped in the world ever and ever (a little over the top I know). Ahhh….the fantastic FIZZY.

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It first appeared on UK shores in 1973 sporting sidepanels just bearing SS, which stood for ‘Sixteener Special’. Unfortunately Honda complained because they already had a model on the market badged as an SS, so the later ones went to FS1. Available only initally in gold paintwork, more colours were added over the following years.

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Within 3 months this bike became Yamaha’s top selling bike in the UK. Indicators were an optional extra on the early models priced at a mere ten pounds per set. You could expect to get around 45mph top speed from this little beauty. I was one of the many 16-year olds to own one of these but it was the later FS1-E DX model shown at the top of this list. I paid £175 for it with 3000 miles showing and sold it 12 moths later for £165, not bad after a years hard thrashing. The FS1 has been known to fetch a hefty £3000 for a restored usable example. Wish I still had mine now, it’s better than money in the bank. I had a White one and boy was it fast with an Expansion chamber on it, all us kids learned to wheelie on these and the AP50. such fun memories.

Thanks for reading and have a Great weekend.

BRAAAP!

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TELEVISION I WATCHED AS A KID IN THE UK .

Posted on April 27, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

27 Apr

Howdy all

Well today I thought I would reminisce as something jogged my memory into Television programs that Me and My Brother Mick watched as kids back in England in the 70’s.

Some of these you will know, some you may not ( Especially if you are not from Great Britain ). None the less, it may give you a small insight as to what we watched as a kid, We didnt get a color TV until the 70’s after we moved from North London to the East Coast in Bury St Edmunds.

British TV only had 3 TV channels back then, BBC1 BBC2 and ITV, I liked ITV as they had adverts and today I wanted to share a few things we watched.

SHAZZAN:

I loved this as a kid but thought the name of the Camel was stupid, but used to shout Shazzan when the kids put the ring together.

Another cartoon that was on tv on saturdays or on Summer Holidays was the Arabian Knights. But They were part of a crazy show we watched called The Banana Splits.

Here is the full Saturday Morning she we watched.

Another Cartoon we watched was marine Boy, he took Oxygen Pills so he could breath under water, but they banned it later as kids were taking Asprin and jumping in swimming pools almost drowning, thinking they could breathe underwater.

Another cartoon we watched was Herge’s adventures of tin-tin. Hated the dog though.

Sometimes late on a Saturday we might get a sneak watch of George of the Jungle.

We used to watch the Double Deckers too.

I loved all the cool Puppet animatronic and Joe 90 was great, stick him in a sphere, give him radiation, Glasses and a brief Case and he is all set.

Stingray was Epic.

Then there was of course The Thunderbirds. 5-4-3-2-1, Thunderbirds are GO!!!

But the best for me was Captain Scarlet, whats a great opening sequence, a special agent getting shot and Killed, right at the start.

And then the closing sequence, Captain Scarlet drowning in quicksand or tied up and dropped in the sea, how cool was that to see as a kid?

I used to have nightmares about this one below.

And then getting pierced to death in this, oh my as a kid I was “What the hell”

Lastly, they even blew him up and he fell off a building.

Growing up in the 1970’s

Posted on January 17, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

17 Jan

I have been here in Southern California for almost 17 years, but came from Great Britain, things have certainly changed since then but I was looking back on when I grew up and the 1970’s were more memorable than anything and wanted to share a few episodes of a BBC show to see if you remember any of these.

Hope you all have a great week.

Peace and grease

Carpy

HONDA’S New CBR-1100 Should of Been Produced.

Posted on October 27, 2016January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

27 Oct

Concept motorcycles tend to have strange lives. Some, like the Suzuki GSX1100S, a.k.a the Katana, generate such interest from the public that a production model appears the very next year. Others, like the Honda CB1100R concept, take a little longer.

Publicly shown in October 2007 together with the un-faired CB1100F, the single-seat racing-bodied CB1100R disappeared while its ‘F’ sibling made it into production in 2008. Fast-forward to 2015, and the ‘R’ has reappeared in the form of submissions at the Japanese patent office.

The patent filings deal with air-flow around the spark plugs of the CB1100 engine. Ducted air from the new fairing design is channeled to the plugs and the hottest parts of the engine to take away excess heat. This also helps the engine comply with Euro 4 standards by controlling emissions.

As reported by Motorcyclenews, the concept of the CB1100R is still cooking at Hamamatsu. Honda chief engineer Hirofumi Fukanaga, the man responsible for several generations of the Fireblade, said, “We can’t say no to this bike. It’s not just a simple concept bike – it can’t be. I can’t say when, but the way the European market is going we may well be seeing naked bikes and retro bikes out-selling sportsbikes and the CB1100 has been designed with a long time of development ahead of it.”

I Personally spoke to a few people from Honda USA when the came to visit me and could not emphasize enough that this model shown would be a real winner on the European and American market and I for one would be more than happy to ride one around Orange County for all eternity, as to me this particular model and styling is bang on for a retro Machine that has so much Nostalgia with many people of all ages when the Interceptor came out and started kicking arse on the tarmac.

What I loved about this machine was, well Bloody everything, I mean, just have a gander at it, the 3/4 Fairing is reminiscent of old Paul Dunstall and Gus Khun days of cool after Market stream lining and Fairings that I could only drool about as a teenager in the 1970’s in Magazine and the Earls Court Motorcycle shows I attended back then.

And to have a Modern machine with all the New Whiz bang electronics and gadgets but a Wolf in Sheeps clothing to be honest, this machine would of made a tremendous impact where ever it went, and I for one would of loved the whole concept as it is pouring out the days of yesteryear and Bol d Dor Races from when I had poster on my bedroom wall taken out of Motor Cycle News etc.

Having a Modern Bike yet have the old style Twin shock is something that I really liked and reminiscent of the old Marzochii shocks of the day, I think Japan dropped the proverbial ball when they decided to not go this route and spew out a boring stock looking machine that not even I would take a second look upon.

So I hope if enough people make a few waves about that Tokyo show proto type, it may make those guys with the big check books think twice and once again have Honda up there with the rest of the Power Houses that are on the road today. How can you not like this Concept, as if you are reading my Blog, well, you obviously love retro Motorcycles and Together if we make enough bloody Noise, we met yet see this ride over here, we were so close to getting this, I would hate it to be shelved forever.

I wait with baited breathe for this to occur but time is ticking and I aint getting any younger.

Drop an email, phone call, text or go there and let them know this is a Machine that really needs to be considered again as this will be a winner.

I remember these days so well.

Posted on February 26, 2014January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

26 Feb

I left School in 1978, so all this is so vivid to me, I remember painting the back of peoples Levi Cut off jackets with art work ranging from Rockers, to iron Maiden and black Sabbath, fun times and rode so many miles to fun places.

here is a old video from the days when i was running with the rest of the Rice boilers out there, a good morning for me watching this.

This was mainly a Bikers movie as no real rockers here but you must of been well off if you could of afforded a cine camera as developing was a small fortune.
Enjoy

here is a Black and white snippet of the lads in the 59 club for a documentary.

”
Always dug Johnny Kidd and Pirates song “Shakin All Over”