NEW ENGLISH LIBRARY

 

13 books from the late 60s early 70s NEL series. All in "read" condition but all pretty good. £60 the lot plus post (Can post worldwide). tri650@live.co.uk

SOLD

WORKSHOP MANUALS

 

All Haynes unless stated otherwise.
SUZUKI.  GSXR 750-1100 85-92. Bandit 600 650 1200 95-06, GSXR 600 750 96-00.
YAMAHA. Virago all 81-96.
KAWASAKI. EX500 ER500 87-05, EX500 GPZ500S 87-99, ER-5 97-99, W650(Genuine Kawasaki service manual).
BMW. F650 94-00 (Clymer), K100 K75 83-96 R850 1100 and 1150 93-04.
TRIUMPH. Triples and fours Carburettor models 91-99. SOLD
HARLEY -DAVIDSON. Sportster 70-01, Sportster 59-85 (Clymer).
BSA 500 650 Unit twins 72 on.
HONDA. XL 250 350 72 on, 750 4s 69-79.
All £10 each inc post to UK except Honda manuals £7  (bit scruffy)  

TED SIMON

A few weeks ago, about 20 years after everyone else, i read Jupiter's Travels, the story of Ted Simon's round the world adventure on a Triumph 500. When he set off at the age of 46 in 1973 he had no real motorcycling experience and certainly no knowledge of motorcycle maintenance but over the next four years and 60,000 miles he repeatedly stripped and rebuilt the bike which now sits in the Transport museum in Coventry. It seems unthinkable to attempt a journey like that on an old Triumph yet in many countries he visited British bikes were revered as being rugged and reliable.
It is a brilliant book, followed up by a sequel called Riding High which fills in the gaps (in Jupiter's Travels he quite often says things like "passed through Iran with no problems").
I googled the name when i had finished reading to see what happened in his life after the ride to find that in 2001 at 70 years old he set off again, solo, and did the same route, just because...



In 2007 he wrote the story of the second ride called Dreaming of Jupiter, I've just ordered it. If you are interested Ted has his own website called Jupitalia

THIS IS THE BOOK THAT MUST HAPPEN TO YOU

The best book i read last year and this year 'cos i read it again. Bike journalist Dan Walsh did what people dream of and set off on a bike firstly to Africa and then an epic 2 year journey from Canada through the US and down through South America as far as Buenos Aires where his bike and luck ran out. He travelled without GPS, spares, maps or even a licence and just about got away with it. It's not the usual travel book, as much a story of the people he met along the way as the places he passed through.
I tracked down Dan at Rollerburn and introduced myself, he was the big guy with the girl filming the event. It wasnt a great meeting of literary minds (there was only one there for a start), i said i loved the book, he said thanks.
Read it over Christmas and wonder why you never did something like this...

BIG BIKE RACING BY JIM SWIFT 1976

Bought today at Scorton for a quid.

LIBRARY PHOTOS

Today i found what was probably my first Motorcycle book at my mothers and waiting in the post box at the workshop was Road Course, my most recent, bought on Ebay before i went away.
This is an excerpt from the Ladybird book...

BUY THIS BOOK

Written and photographed by Keith Lee, former racer, journalist and Santa Pod commentator. Costs about £11 from Amazon. Nearly 100 pages of superb photos many not previously published. If you have half an interest in Dragbike Racing in the UK you will love it.

BEST BID wins BEST HOT RODS

You had your chance tight arses, on
Ebay now, 99p start price no reserve.

MY BOOKY WOOKS

Some collectable books and mags for sale. Dice issues 2 and 11 on Ebay now, go to "My Ebay Sales" look right.



If you have been following this blog for a while you may remember a book called Best Hot Rods that i borrowed in summer and featured a few cars from (click on the Hotrods tag) , printed in 1953 it has Lakes and Salt racers, Dragsters and Hot Rods of the day plus loads of speed equipment and "how to do's". I have been trying to find a copy since and now have two so here's your chance, 145 pages of real home built early 50s rods. £25 inc post. Also got Castrol Achievements 1965 featuring bike and car sport from that year. £6.

BOOK REVIEW

Time Trouble and Money - the life and Times of a Scooterboy by Mark Brough.
Mark starts this book by saying "i am not a prolific writer nor am i a published author" well thats good because i am a crap reader, i start loads of books but get about half way through then just get fed up. It takes a special book to keep me occupied and this certainly did the trick. Mark was one of the original Northern Scooterboys (not a Mod) in the 70s and early 80s and lived for the scooter runs and lifestyle from his early teens until his mid 20s.
I have never had a scooter but the feeling is the same and his book takes you back to the days when nothing but your bike (or scoot) mattered. Definitely worth a read if you get the chance, just Google it and several scooter shops come up as stocking it, it usually sells at about £10.
Reccomended reading as they say. You may have to wait a while before you see another book review on here ..

BIG BAD BUN

Ell just bought this book for the little girl she baby sits, if you have a little reader that would like it ask for Big Bad Bun by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross. Its bitchin...