Hitchcocks Forum

I have noticed, since my return to Bulleteering, that I seem to have become more approachable.Within minutes of parking up, some random Member of the Public shuffles up and engages me a conversation which inevitably contains the phrase "used to have one of these". I have noticed, since my return to Bulleteering, little old ladies waiting at bus stops, grin broadly as I chuff past. Nice,but weird.

Yeah, they're a real babe magnet...Can get a bit tedious though explaining that no, I haven't restored it, it's new(ish) and made in India. Yes, it's electric start. No, it doesn't break down (well, not often) etc. OK if you have the time. Maybe I should make a placard. On the other hand it's nice that it gets all the attention, much to the chagrin of a neighbour who has a Kawasaki H2 £22k superbike that, unless in the know, looks like any other big Jap plastic fantastic.

little old ladies.
you have met my wife then.

enjoy.

Can you bottle some and send it to me. Whenever I park up whatever I am riding some slightly eccentric person comes up and button holes me. My mates slide off laughing and I am left to carry on the conversation and try and extricate myself in the nicest possible way

That's the opposite of my experience. Until I bought my 2000 IB I've never even seen an iron barrel, only pictures. I've been riding since the sixties on many machines and wanted a "slow bike to ride fast" so I sold my Ducati SS and scoured CL for a BSA of some sort since I once enjoyed a 441 Victor. The Pre unit Bullets were never up to California emissions laws so only a few arrived in the early 70's. A fellow from Hawaii imported my RE to California and no one seems to notice this odd bike even though to this day it's the sole IB I've ever seen.
That's fine with me!

I am currently en route to the IOM classic on er, my classic - fully loaded with dual fabric panniers and a Brooks bag with bungees. My pals have Ducatis and the odd Italian classic. Nobody talks to them, in fact, my pals ask me about the Enfield, repeatedly, then persist with machines that seem to break down all the time. The Enfield just chugs on, and hotels and coffee shops seem to bend over backwards to help out. The Triumph has again been left on its own at home!

Ok, Its not just me then. There is a similar shared bon homie with dog owners,but none of the people I speak to are riders.They are just genuinely curious.We, for our part, must appear mildly eccentric and aimiable enough to chat to.Long may it continue.

At least we are providing an antithesis to our feral bretheren on axe wielding mopeds and wheelie popping quad bikes..