belfastguzzi

It's called, clutching at straws! Defining the seasons is a tricky business. What we can say is that due to thermal lag and what-not, winter, as we perceive it, won't really move out until the end of March. However, I have just found these dates, which are very interesting because they agree precisely with my posts/observations. According to the traditional reckoning of seasons, Winter begins between 5 November and 10 November – and by on-bike observation I said 7th November! and it ends between 2 February and 7 February – and I chose the 6th February, just because it's a potential riding day, otherwise it would have been a bit earlier. Spot-on, eh? Appendix: Traditional reckoning Traditional seasons are reckoned by insolation, with summer being the quarter of the year with the greatest insolation and winter the quarter with the least. These seasons begin about four weeks earlier than the meteorological seasons and 7 weeks earlier than the astronomical seasons. In traditional reckoning, the seasons begin at the cross-quarter days. The solstices and equinoxes are the midpoints of these seasons. For example, the days of greatest and least insolation are considered the "midsummer" and "midwinter" respectively. This reckoning is used by various traditional cultures in the Northern Hemisphere, including East Asian and Irish cultures. So, according to traditional reckoning, winter begins between 5 November and 10 November, Samhain, 立冬 (lìdōng or rittou); spring between 2 February and 7 February, Imbolc, 立春 (lìchūn or risshun); summer between 4 May and 10 May, Beltane, 立夏 (lìxià or rikka); and autumn between 3 August and 10 August, Lughnasadh, 立秋 (lìqiū or risshū). The middle of each season is considered Mid-winter, between 20 December and 23 December, 冬至 (dōngzhì or touji); Mid-spring, between 19 March and 22 March, 春分 (chūnfēn or shunbun); Mid-summer, between 19 June and 23 June, 夏至 (xiàzhì or geshi); and Mid-autumn, between 21 September and 24 September, 秋分 (qiūfēn or shūbun). And see http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/badseasons.html

I've got it here. Not read it. I don't really like his attitude: I'll get over that and have a go.

It's another way, to get there, but not 'just' another way. I was wondering about that too. Walking is – another way. As is the horse, or a bus or a car. All different experiences. For each way, the combination of sensations felt and knowledge referred to and skills exercised and challenges overcome, make each unique. With the motorcycle, intimate proximity to unstable machine + speed + internal combustion + places makes potential for something special. Beyond Nick Sanders, as a first thought, who is writing and creating pictures about 'the motorbike song' today? A few years ago we debated 'The Perfect Vehicle'. I didn't find it completely convincing, but out of all the bike travel books out there, it came close-ish to reflecting on the machine. Charley & Ewan, for example, don't really do that at all, do they? Maybe web blogs are doing it now?

:!: Local UK content :!: This Saturday's brightening of the sky, blue emerging from the grey; a hint of warmth along with daylight stretching to 5 o'clock… something about the sight and the feel of the air gave a sensation of change. Is this the endpoint of Winter's grip? I checked back to see what the date was, when I had noted that it felt like a definite change into winter time. It was a ride on Sunday 7th November: post 'The event of Winter's arrival' = http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=16286&view=findpost&p=175178 Counting the days from that Sunday up until the shortest day – and then on forwards to now: it's almost the same number. Next week it will be the same number. We are equidistant, on this other side of 21st December, on the side of lengthening days. It's a total period of 3 months, a quarter of a year. So, despite the continuing cold and promised rain, will next weekend mark the practical end of Winter and feel like the entrance of a new season?

What I meant was that the very same description could equally have applied to Eric, Jack & Ginger = Cream and particularly the latter two.

~ adding counterpoint to Docc's singing bike thread ~ While watching-listening to Roddy Woomble on stage this afternoon, I thought about how a good song could be like a good motorbike journey, taking mind and emotions to experience new or well-loved places. Such thought association was partly brought about because I was hankering to be out on the bike at the time, as winter's sky was brightening, though still cold: and was also prompted because Woomble's song and music conjured emotions of place and people and journey (of Scotland – farms, hills, harbours, islands and A87 Road to Skye). Conversely too, a good motorbike ride can, perhaps should, be like a good song. A ride is not just about hammering along focused exclusively on the technicalities of the bike and road: as music isn't just about the notes. A good motorbike ride, through everything that the bike enables in and for the rider, can open new and unexpected experience; create enriching engagement with place(s) and people (and weather); and feed the spirit with a multitude of transports and reverberations. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Roddy Woomble... what the? Folk! Indie folk would be the farthest you could stretch. He sure wasn't singing rock'n'roll. So how can there be any connection to a motorbike experience? Motorcycling tends to be identified with a narrow genre of raucous, rowdy riffs. I suppose it was the early symbiosis with Rockers. A little later, Easy Rider actually had a fair spread of sounds: however the broad catalogue of film, bike rally and now youtube soundtracks is dominated by yer basic, heavy rock'n'roll, is it not? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ What motorcycle waltzes are in airwave transmission? Any valve train rolling in six eight or seven eight? Saddlebag sonnets, or five speed free verse?

Oh - interesting that you say that, as I just noticed last week that is what has happened over here: the 'Demo' tag has gone on. It seems that's a likely plan when the new engine comes out (if that's true, see other New Engine thread). Even so, future pie in the sky doesn't diminish the present disappointment that Guzzi thinks it has to demean itself with such shockingly hopeless and irrelevant designs in 2011. I understand what Pete is saying and I know there's a a case for 'needs must' in order to make a Euro or two in hard times, but should Guzzi not have gotten beyond this by now? Triumph still have some lardy bikes in their catalogue, probably for the $$ market – but they're not the shop window, they're not what gives the marque its credibility and desirability. They brought the Street Triple to market and knocked the socks off press, buyers and competitors. Guzzi gives the world the V7 bubble car. Now, 2011, Triumph have the new 800 real world on/off road performers and the superb new Speed Triple. Probably a new Sprint tourer coming? Guzzi presents... the 'scrambler as toy' and 'Mr Porky California'. KTM, Aprilia, Ducati: European bikes are right there at the leading edge of design, performance, popularity. Moto Guzzi digs itself into a deeper backwater hole.

Was it Jack Bruce and/or Ginger Baker who said that?

rhythm and melody makes a classic combo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl6NzgK7C5I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrO4_nyamZs

Well, you just know that loads of the faithful are going to have a Pavlovian response of "Oh the beautiful genius of darling classic Moto Guzzi!" Those 'products' make me think: why would you want to be associated with contemporary Moto Guzzi any more? Proud Eagle flying into the future? More like confused Ostrich lost in a sandy wasteland. Sad.

...hmmm That video wouldn't launch for me, which is possibly just as well. However I tried one of the others, Wozard of Iz: High on Big Sur. Was/is Mort Garson a dark, transatlantic equivalent of Daevid Allen (who originally hailed from your continent, I believe) and his gnomic Gong excursions?

Is it really? I'll have to watch it again... to look at the car.

Thanks for the observation & further explanations, Jason. It's a strangely dramatic story. I was thinking of similar sorts of circumstances that I've been in or created and often some of us from a more carefree generation (re H&S) don't bother too much about dust, dirt and fumes. In this case, I was thinking how I'd been using brake cleaner as a more general cleaner on parts of the bike and then when the bike is started, as yesterday, there are all sorts of lovely smells arising from the hot parts, particularly the exhaust. There are lots of other examples, like welding galvanised steel or drilling into asbestos wall/roof panels, or just being plastered in old engine oil... but something like the use of spray solvents/chemicals is much more commonplace and liable to inappropriate or dangerous use. Oww! Now what's squirted in my eyes!?

We know chemicals can be very nasty. If this story is true, and I don't see why not, Brake Cleaner can turn deadly nasty in the wrong circumstances. Take care. See story HERE

There are not many new motorcycles being sold here. The secondhand market (for bigger bikes) is also very slow. The local Piaggio-Aprilia-Guzzi place is doing better than most because he can sell anything from 50cc up: and it is mostly the wee scooters, toys and cheap beginners' bikes that are selling. Looking at lists of best sellers in 2010 ( and some were posted here a few months ago, I think?) it's surprising that big bikes are at the top. I would think that they will become more difficult to sell, as prices shoot up and running costs increase. Will 600 - 750s not become more popular?

Not you, then? Interesting wee site. What does OTE stand for, in relation to pay?

After I saw it, I posted it on a local site here, saying I thought it an evocative picture. Someone replied, 'who won?' I said that you did because you were bringing your newly purchased machinery home (I think) but I also added– I wasn't sure if I had the geography right, or what stage of the day or the journey/adventure it was – but that doesn't matter.

Yeah: that was Antonio, three posts up.

(I've forgotten how the Multiquote works) ?? Indeed, well said: an alternative is not a guarantee of better. It is good to remember what the original emotion, spirit, experience, motivation was – as familiarity can make it dull. Something as simple as an enthusiasts' forum or group can and should do that. It should not suffocate the enthusiasm - or communicate it in a false, unrealistic way. Also, the company of others can make us appreciate what we already have and sometimes create a new positive perspective on what we have. Very well said.

I knew it would all end in tears.

Oh you're so vain. Put the mirror away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqUb3-tRs_A

he-he ...if anything snaps...

Same speculation with BMW of course (For watercooling by 2012 / Euro 4). But who knows?

Happy Birthday Ballabio Bertie, wherever you are! Where are you?