Bennets bike dream competition

http://www.bennettsbikerdreams.co.uk/dream/view/237/0

It would be really cool if you could see your way to voting for me on the link above.
I'd love to be able to finish and adapt my special so I can get to more rallys and shows.

Cheers in advance ;-)

Forum Trolls a pox on society?

    Cyberspace and the ‘Biker’ within

I have been thinking about life in cyberspace rather a lot lately, like some I think that the World Wide Web has it’s benefits to society but it also has its downsides. Often used by people for very dark and nefarious reasons it has become a place where even angels and cherubs fear to tread. Fortunately I’m neither.

Personally I have found the Internet to be a useful tool for research and reference when writing articles and submissions for various publications and as a place to occasionally play when I need a break from writing or being the nominated driver for my young family. When not employed doing my thing I can be found hooning about on my bike or trike handing out information leaflets and generally trying to raise awareness of the National Association for Bikers with a Disability www.nabd.org.uk

I must admit that when my health gets the better of me on occasion it’s been a way to keep in touch with people I know and a way to track down old friends from my youth.

It has also been a great place for me to tell people of the great work the NABD is involved in and to showcase our fine association. I never miss an opportunity to mention NABD on just about every forum and chat room I visit.

I have to admit that occasionally the bigotry displayed can piss me off but I try to stick at it because if I can get just one person on the particular bit of cyberspace I’m visiting to look at one of the NABD websites and perhaps reavaluate their opinion I consider it a job well done.

The proliferation of websites, forums, and chat rooms has affected the way most with a computer and internet connection conduct their daily lives, some of it for the better but a lot of it is used to further peoples own agendas. Unfortunalty some are rife with so called ‘bikers’ who seem to great a great deal of perverse pleasure in ridiculing the efforts of disabled bikers to live as normal a life as possible and enjoy the freedom and independence of riding their own machine.

I know of some folk who spend all their time on the Internet, trying to find the things they feel they lack in their personal lives, many don’t realise just how dangerous this sort of fantasy life can be. The internet in it’s many forms has become a place where small narrow minded individuals can live some sort of pseudo lifestyle where they believe they are some sort of super hero that folk may look up to. They talk a great game but when it boils down to actually dragging their miserable carcasses out of their sad dark little rooms and actually riding a bike they are found out. Some of the idiots that spend time belittling others are most likely to brick it when the going gets tough and I have left one or two shaken and more than a little stirred on a blast over the Snake Pass and the Cat and Fiddle.

The ‘friendships’ I have struck up with folk on the net are tenuous at best and rarely last.

Only occasionally do you meet someone you have met online in real life that turn out to be the person they claim to be.

Most are just sad individuals who are in it for their own gain or trying to make themselves more interesting than they really are.

I have had the misfortune of having to debate several of these boneheads on my travels through the myriad of forums and websites set up by folk trying to build some sort of reputation for themselves. Sadly a lot of these useless tosspots succeed and are followed blindly by people with the mentality of sheep.

 I have recently visited one where certain sad idiots feel it is ok to ridicule bikers who despite a disability get on with their lives without let or hinderence to anyone else. I often get frustrated by the inability of some people to listen to a sensible point of view and even more so when they are only interested in talking to people that share their own views or are weak enough to be bullied into joining in with a point of view just to fit in.

 To be fair though, some folk set up websites and forums for decent enough reasons and try to genuinely help other people with a particular problem or just offer a place for a friendly chat. Some forums and chat rooms are actually quiet good at providing relevant information in a format easy to understand and with decent support. I could name a few off hand but part of the fun is finding these places for yourself.

Most chartrooms and forums ask you to sign up to a code of conduct when you register, a lot of which entails agreeing to not be abusive, racist, sexist or have a go at the various religions.

There’s a lot more IST’s I can’t be bothered to list but you get the general idea

All well and good, until you get into the chat or forum and it’s quiet evident from the off that the rules were clearly written to be broken. Often by the folk that wrote them.

Now I’m no prude as many who have the misfortune to know me will attest, but the whole point of having rules and checks in place is to ensure that people are protected to some extent and are not victimised for their beliefs, sexual orientation, religion, race colour or creed, or in my case being a disabled biker.

I happen to agree with the principle of having these checks and balances in place whilst acknowledging that most of us are grown ups and should be able to take care of ourselves but there are those in society that are vulnerable and those that thrive on preying on the vulnerable.

In some cases the Moderators on these forums are the instigators of the abuse so it’s unlikely a sensible approach would work, what should happen is the Mods on these forums should weed out the shitheads and ban them from the sites but it’s not likely if the very folk supposed to ensure the balance and checks are implemented are the tossers taking the piss the most.

I recently read a comment where disabled bikers were described as “ Wanna be’s with bad backs” now the comment as I understand it was made in jest about a person who was being a bit of a knob and deserved to take some flack, but read out of context it could have caused a lot of upset and argument. It’s about perception and unfortunatly once a comment like this is made and posted it’s hard to retract and repair bridges so to speak.

Despite the anger and despair I feel when I come across this sort of thing I try to encourage all of them to take the time to visit the NABD’s own forum www.forum.disabledbiker.co.uk.

It’s a forum with an eclectic mix of different personalities with a great sense of humour where bikers can give advice to fellow bikers about the adaptations available to all bikers with a disability to ensure they are able to enjoy the freedom and independence of riding their own machine.

I also try to encourage them to come along to our rallies to meet some of the bikers the NABD has helped back onto the road and to see that we are as much a part of the biking community as they themselves.

We like any other biking family would make them feel most welcome despite their attitude, show them round the machines with adaptations and generally ensure they have a good time and hope they leave with a different attitude towards the Association and it’s members.

When all’s said and done we are all Bikers and should all treat each other with the respect everyone deserves.

Ride safe and party hard.

Bloody Bike Shows

Do any of you have a love hate relationship with anything? I fucking do! It’s judging bike shows. No matter how you approach it you always have someone having a little dig after the fact. I sort of take exception to the fact that because my fellow judges and I passed a bike by or thought it wasn’t as good as something else people think it’s ok to badmouth folk. I cop for grief all bloody year from some folk, it’s always the same bloody gripes too I wouldn’t mind so much if they came up with a new one now and then.

Let me explain how I approach judging a bike show, it may give you an insight to just how bloody hard it can be. Then decide if you are man or woman enough to step up and judge it honestly on the criteria you set yourself.

Those criteria should be the only ones you use, once you start letting organisers tell you how to judge you may as well just ask them for a list of winners and look like you give a shit at the trophy ceremony. 

I use the following formula, I use it not because I’m any great shake as an engineer or bike builder. I’ve helped build a few and done two of my own with a fair bit of help and advice but that by no means should lead anyone to believe I’m any great authority on the subject and that’s why I have a formula that I stick to. I've learnt from experience that using the same method every time is the best way to do this sort of thing and folk get used to how you will judge their event.

I always watch the bikes and trikes arrive if I can, for me it’s not just about how a bike looks, I want to see, hear and watch the bike or trike rolling in. I like to see just how useable they are at low speed and what they look and sound like.

As far as I’m concerned you should experience the whole package before you make a decision on a category.

I don’t like shows where bikes are trailored in, I just won’t judge those machines, they get walked past every time so. If it needs to arrive on a trailer it must be broken or un-ridable.

I won’t judge at shows where bikes are roped off, I like a bloody good look at a bike and if it’s roped off my suspicious mind screams ‘ ropey’ at me. Again, a show I’d rather not bother with ta.

I don’t consider cost, whether it’s a bolt up build, something clever done in some shed in a back yard or a professionally built bike or trike. I’m not arsed if it cost a grand or ten, what matters for me is if the thing makes sense in the category it’s entered in. By the time the judging actually starts I’ll have already made a short list of bikes and trikes I like. I then wait and see what the other judges think and see if I like any of their choices enough to be swayed. I find a team of three is best, you are never stuck for a final decision. I’ll judge with a team of two but only with someone I know has the same sort of criteria I have to avoid long pointless arguments while beer could be being drunk.

Another thing to remember is impartiality, if your mate has a bike in a show and it’s the best one there give the bugger a prize. But if it isn’t, do the right thing and walk on by, you’d only be bullshitting yourself and doing some poor sod a disservice. Hopefully your friendship will be strong enough for him or her to get over it pretty quickly, if it isn’t perhaps you need new friends.

My final consideration is whether I’d like to open my garage and find it waiting to play out. If I think I’d be able to live with it on a daily basis it’s going to get my vote. Balls to the clever engineering, ten coats of paint, trick exhaust or 20K price tag on occasion, if it floats your boat that’s just the way it is.

The other thing everyone seems to forget that as bikers we are all individuals and prone to thinking and saying what we think. We don’t always agree, that’s just how shit works so get over it. It’s the fact that some folk don’t get it that gives rise to the hate side of the whole thing.

The upside I suppose is the fact that in time some folk learn to trust your integrity and judgement and do you the honour of asking you to judge their show. The prize giving’s also give me pleasure, it’s gratifying to see the appreciation of a good effort rewarded with a trophy. Some folk are lucky enough to win loads of the things but for some folk that one trophy will be the pinnacle of their bike show lives. Those are the ones that are special and a great pleasure to hand over. That’s the love side of the equation.

There you have it, my take on judging bike shows. I just needed to get this one off my chest so there! Like I said earlier, I’m no bloody authority on bike and trike building and some bike or trike builders may even think I’m a cheeky cunt but I don’t really give a toss. I do what I think is right, I might not always be right but at least I give it a fair shake of the stick every time I am asked to judge a bike and trike show. I'm only asked four or five times a year so at least the stress is not too bad.

All I ask of anyone who doesn’t like the decisions made at shows is for you to put yourself in the shoes/ boots of the judges and ask yourself one question. Am I playing it straight? If you can do that I suppose it doesn’t really matter what other folk think or say.  I am however one for the old ‘put up or shut up’ way of thinking so unless you’re prepared to step up and do it at least once yourself give the judges at bike shows a bloody break.

That’s it, rant over, my wine glass is empty and it’s time for a rollup. See some of you at a rally or show sometime .

Peace be upon you all innit!

HOW IT ALL STARTED

Well, on a racehorse to be honest, my dad had aspirations for me to be a flat jockey (the man clearly never understood genetics). My dad had his own business and consulted for all of the big engineering firms so moved in high circles. One of those circles swung pretty close to the Oppenheimer stables and resulted in me riding the Sunday gallops at Turfontein Race Course near Johannesburg; our family emigrated when I was only 5 years old. I loved the speed, racehorses go faster than push bikes. I must have been 13 or 14 by the time the Jockey Academy in Durban had decided that I was going to be too big to ride racehorses for a living ( Man, they had no idea ) Having out grown any chance of getting into the jockey academy I was indentured to my godfather as an apprentice patternmaker.

 As an incentive my old man got me a 1981 Honda MB 5 to get to work on. One of Hondas first attempts at building a 50 cc bike that wasn’t embarrassing to be seen on. The other really appealing thing was that it would do a bit more than 36 mph, which is roughly flat out for a racehorse. I crashed it on the first day I had it. The additional 5 or 6 bhp the Honda produced was heady stuff to a 16 year old. Thusly, I became the first in my family that aspired to be a biker. Not long after starting work I found out that working for my Godfather who was in business with my pop was a bad move, I also found the dust from certain types of timber would set me off coughing and spluttering for days. I had a mate called Kenny working at Honda who sort of persuaded the boss to give me a job being a counter assistant with occasional workshop privileges. Ken is still a mate, we chat on face book occasionally. In fact Kenny and I went on to start a small club with a few mates and drink lots of beer and generally get ourselves into all sorts of laddish and loutish behaviour but that folks is a different story all together!

 It suited me down to the ground and most of what I earned went on beer and stuff for the bike, it got an expansion box and port job, the seat tray was cut out and the auto lube was junked. It ran on Castrol RD 40 premix and smelt of chips. It went like shit off a stick for a while before it destroyed it’s self in a most spectacular fashion after one too many sessions polishing ports. The piston made a really funny noise as it tried to squeeze out of the pipe. I was totally bereft, robbed of my speed rush.

In a strange quirk of fate, at almost the same time my engine was destroying itself a chap called Chris was hitting a termite heap at about 60 mph with his left peg and foot while racing an Enduro event on his IT 175 Yamaha. A foul noxious contraption that had a reputation for trying to kill the uninitiated that sounded like an out of control chainsaw between your legs.

A few days after getting out of dry dock Chris approached my father and explained that he had paid for a full season racing enduro and MX in the enduro class. He further explained that due to a small lapse in concentration his big toe was now 4 mm long and would require a fair amount of rest and surgery before it would once again resemble anything remotely like a toe. As a result he couldn’t wear his MX boots.

.

Would it be OK?  At no cost to my Pater if he put me on his bike for the rest of the season? He asked.  My dad succinct to the core replied “ As long as you don’t kill him” After much wailing from Mater and a firm promise that if I killed myself she could kill me next I was allowed to do one race to see if I was any good at staying alive. How to survive the first time? Condoms or a Swiss army knife were not going to be much help, I needed a bit of training it seemed.

Chris had a plan, he arranged for me to go riding on the mine dumps with the guys he normally trained with. What’s a mine dump you ask? A big pile of dry cofferdams for mining waste.

Generally a couple of hundred meters long by half again as wide, thirty meters high with a flat soft top. Over the years the rain forms massive tunnels and caverns through and over these monuments to industry. Absolutely mental, terrifying but fun. These are some of the most lethal places I know to go riding.

Chris’s only advice  “ Stay on the dirt roads on the way there, the tar fucks the knobblies up. Stay close to the ‘okes’ and don’t get hurt hey?” A question? A statement? Who knew?

To be more accurate “ Who cared?” I was 16 years old, I had a job, access to booze, weed, wimmin and a sort of sponsored ride on a quick bike. I was over the ‘kin moon man. Life was GOOD!

I survived the training sessions and despite making a complete fool of myself in the first couple of races I managed to get away relatively unscathed, just. I could crash quiet well by the time I had figured out that dirt bike riding is 90% out of control 2% in control and 8% luck and the size of your balls (or whichever part of the anatomy the ladies choose to substitute) I also did some flat and grass tracking on oval courses on the IT and that was a lot of fun too.

 I walked funny, talked with a squeaky voice on occasion after losing the pegs and finding the tank with the plumbing. I twitched and shook and spoke with a trembly voice. Essentially I was hooked and beyond redemption. I was, am and will always be a petrol head and adrenalin junkie. I still get a shiver of excitement every time I hear a two-stroke chatter by.

I rode for a club with some fantastic folk, some of  whom are still mates today, I got hooked on the lifestyle as well as the speed bikes offered.

I’ll not try to bullshit any of you into thinking I was much good at it, I did manage to finish most races over two seasons and even got a third on a shitter of a day. The rest either fell off, got bogged down or gave up that day and I rode the ride of my life and deserved third. Ok fair enough, one podium in 31 races, crap I know.

But it was a fun way to discover the freedoms biking can bring, whether it’s racing dirt bikes, riding with your mates in a club or blasting down the drag strip looking for a perfect ET.

A lot has happened since then, some good, a fair old bit of bad and some I’d rather forget (I was in the SADF between 83 and 89 but that’s another story too ). But hey! You live and learn, I still love bikes and riding, I still get a buzz when I press the starter button on a bike or trike. Especially the ones I have helped build or refurbish.

The Last 19 years have been different for me though, a fall from a roof and a bad day playing in goal on a frozen pitch have left me a little less able to do the silly stuff.

A bad car crash in Wales in 1994 just about finished me off and resulted in a really bad case of PTSD and other mental health issues. I kid you not one iota, if Wendy hadn’t been about I’d not be here to write this, Wendy and my two girls gave me renewed purpose. I was determined to be a good dad whatever else life threw at me so sort of coped and got on with it. I did manage to break a shrink and two psychiatric nurses along the way but I coped.

I’d thought biking was over for me with the nerve damage but finding out about the NABD about eleven years ago has changed my life. One of our neighbours has a brother who rides with one arm on an adapted bike , she was kind enough to introduce us and he told me about the National Association for Bikers with a Disability or NABD as it more commonly known.  

I joined and within a few months had decided to put a bit back in, I went and met Rick Hulse the chairman . I shook his hand and the rest as they say is history, 10 years I’ve been muddling through with him and the rest of the Committee, helping to run the leading biker charity in the world and I think we do it rather well.

So there you have it, it all started on a horse.