big john

I suppose you are right there Tim, when I was a boy he was indeed entered in the SSDT as a Flt. Lt. Sorry Andy T, we digressed a bit on this thread and no, my old man was never abducted by aliens, I think he was too big to abduct, he would have argued with them though! Big John Come on Tony spill the beans, well known fact that RAF boys have done their fair share of UFO spotting over the years! Here's a photo of Arnott with his favourite trilby hat, he is having a chat with Walther Luft in 1973 at Blackford Hill at the end of the Scottish. That's his 2.4 Jag, I learned to drive in that! quite quick, but as I remember the brakes were not too brilliant! Edited to add note: Blimey I calculated it out, for those that know me and perhaps Arnott, when that photo was taken, he was 6 years younger than I am now...that's scary!

Aye, but try and no dae that wi someone else's bike for Gawd sake! Big John PS: I know it wasn't you g4321, so don't panic! (it was actually Jimmy Mair, the daft ****!) PPS: Depends how careful you are Brian!

Wonder if Flt. Lt. "Tony283" ever saw one on his travels, or is he still "classified" on such topics Over to you Black Cat... Big John

Yeah Tim, That's the old Man, but actually his name was T. Arnott Moffat, not "Arnold", a mistake that was made by folks who misheard his name on more than one occassion! Still have the house nameplate fitted to the plinth his old bike stands on, just as a wee tribute to him! Big John

Curtains - poppy cock, bah humbug! Kippilaw, yes indeed, old family homes of my parents, one in Bathgate the other in Whitburn WL, Scotland. If you want any more PM me. I was living there when this Robert Taylor thing happened. You are a detective aren't you? Big John

I was brought up in a part of Scotland, not very far away from what is now referred to as the "Falkirk Triangle" a place that has had probably more UFO sightings than any other part of Britain. I used to think it was poppy cock until the late 1970's when a forestry worker was apparently abducted by alien forces, again I thought it was someone trying to get his fifteen minutes of fame. Having said that very few photos of the guy appeared in the local papers at the time and he was hopitalised. The incident happened near Dechmont, West Lothian near to Livingston. Local contacts of mine claimed he was a very sensible guy and not one to make up a story for publicity. I found this opiece on it when I did a search, guys name was Robert Taylor! http://ufos.about.com/od/aliensalienabduct...979dechmont.htm Having said that I was sitting with my wife one evening about ten years ago, quite sober (hadn't touched a drop for months) so it wasn't whisky related. I glanced out the window, we were watching the telly about 10.00 pm and there was a light in the sky hovering over the city. This light was motionless and I thought it was a helicopter coming in towards Raigmore Hospital as the RAF fly patients brought in from the hills, traffic accidents etc, quite regularly. The light stayed motionless for about 30 seconds, then it took off as fast as any fighter aircraft I have ever seen, this thing must have been doing Mach 6! From a standing start. Wife says, "what was that, a helicopter or a shooting star?" "Neither" I said "it was definately something propelled, I think we have just sen a UFO!" Next day in the local paper, about fifty or so folks had reported sightings including a police patrol. To this day nobody has been able to tell us what the heck it was. I used to think this UFO malarky was just a load of crap...hmmmmm, not any more! Big John (don't know what they are!) Edited to add link!

2/4 if he was on here has more up to date knowledge than I, as to how severe the Lanarkshire Club lay out their trials nowadays, however as you are central belt based it makes sense to go along to a LMCC meeting and see what their sections are like. Pity you don't live in the North of Jockland as we have an active Pre65/twinshock nucleus in the Inverness & District. This year we plan to have a "C" route at our club trials to accommodate Pre65/Twinshock and ahem... Over 50/60 class riders! Edited to add: One trial you must enter is our Two-Day Pre65 & Twinshock "Highland Classsic 2 Day" see details below! Cheers, Big John

That is nothing Ludde, I loaned my 1986 RTL to a guy to have a quick ride, he launched it at a pile of rocks and let it go when he run out of grip. Unfortunately it scored the generator casing but did not crack it...luckily! From that moment, no-one gets to ride my RTL bikes now, except me! Big John

I agree with mattylad, Nigel Birkett is a clever enginer as far as motorbikes are concerned. He's no fool! It has to be said that someone doing work on a bike today could have the work undone by a not too careful owner or by the bike being given to someone else to do work onm subsequently, worth bearing in mind. As for wheels, RTL wheels still appear for sale from time to time. Big John

Er... Actually Slapshot is quite right. I got that boiler suit/coverall from a chap who worked off-shore, in fact I still wear it and the chest monogram does not have my name on it at all! Big John

Number 66 isn't a bad number I had that one last year. Didn't lower my score or anything like that, remember they start the second day at number 90! I told Andy Bamford a few years ago to keep his Matchless away from the bright green stuff, did he listen? Did he heckers like, I came across him half way across Meall Na Cruide up to his waist in the stuff!!! "Told you so" I shouted, mind you I did double back and give him a hand to get it out. ....Slapshot really takes a rise out of me at every given opportunity, doesn't he? Good job I'm thick skinned... Big John

I think that was "HOGWARTS" Big John

Pity you are so far south, a very good one is normally the Ian Pollock Trial at Kinlochleven on March 30th. It uses some of the hills that the SSDT makes use of. A lot of the northern based club riders come up for the Pollock just to practice for SSDT, which makes the event sometimes oversubscribed or full! Big John

Me! Big John

Steve Goode still stocks the parts he puts on e-bay. By the way its "Enots" not "Ewarts" One of mine has an "Ideal" brand, same as the Bultaco Sherpa fitted. As long as you use a tap with the same thread as your tank, you don't need to use an "Enots" tap. Hope this helps, Big John

Slapshot... You can't buy bikes if you waste money like that, especially on insurance to ride a bike less than 50 miles on the road a year! "Phone", what's that? Is that yon expensive thing that's hanging on the wall beside me that I'm reluctant to use because it's expensive, I would e-mail the blighter... what number is he anyway or is that a closely guarded secret? Big John (aka Tight Git!)

No Slapshot, didn't get the bump, I'm in. Number 161 for me; 159 for David. I'll be riding... same as usual, 347 Matchless as above. David expressed a wish to ride it, leaving me to ride either a B40 or my short stroke AJS 408, but as it didn't look like it would be ready in time, so reluctantly he's back on his Cub (not a trick Cub, very original/genuine one mind, see photo thanks to "Hilly Lit" for that one!) Also to insure the AJS for him to ride it, was quoted

How about this.. Sorry, wrong! Would that have had less of a emphatic tone? Big John

Are you not entered for the SSDT Woody? Maybe I had misread the Six Days entry list. As for the comment about genuine Pre65, I don't agree, the Pre65 is massively oversubscribed (by 100%) I am sure that if pre-unit bikes, irrespective of the age of their rider, were given preference, you could cover at least more than 50% of the available places at a stroke! I know it's a huge can of worms (believe me, a certain Scots gentleman accused me on more than one occasion of being "against Pre65" because my bike, a 350cc Matchless see photo below, was too genuine "It's folk like you that will kill the sport off by riding things like that!" he said) It is very difficult to police as competitors by their very attitude are competitive and like to win, but I have to say some bikes that ride in Scotland shouldn't really be there. I have heard most of the stories before and many suggestions about breaking it down into Pre-unit; unit; two stroke; four stroke etc etc etc. Let's face it it's one trial over two days with one winner and I think that is how it is going to stay! In short everyone and their uncle has a suggestion about how the entries should be seeded and, funnily enough, the rider most likely to get a ride is the guy making the suggestion! Sorry to hear you didn't get a ride Woody, I was looking forward to having a blether with you, don't worry looks like I'm heading for Robregordo myself, so I shall get a pint with you there (just one for me mind!) Big John

Forget it! I don't see it ever happening. Great idea, but that is all that it will ever be. The SSDT has enough on its plate with land access, permissions, planning, route marking and probably the precarious task of all (covered by the good old boys of the Army) refuelling the bikes that have a range of a mere few miles! OK, twinshocks have a slightly better range, but a Twinshock Six Days, nope I don't see it IMHO. I don't want to be seen as being a killjoy, but there is just not the interest in the SSDT/Pre 65 movement in Scotland to make it happen. (If anybody out there wishes to prove me wrong, both now and in the future, I would be ecstatic, having a variety of twinshock bikes both two and four stroke at my disposal ) The club I am a member of has tried very hard to promote such events and the response has been moderate, we are now even catering for Pre65/Twinshocks at our closed to club trials this season with A/B/C routes so that we can cater for experts - novices through youth to Pre65/TS. However, if you want to ride two days in Scotland on a Pre65 or Twinshock come to Alvie, Aviemore instead (see below!) Big John

Don't you mean you really believe there is a God? You are one of the lucky 180. Get the toilet rolls in OTF, you will need them to cross Meall Na Cruide!! Big John

Yes Martin, much more realistic and credible. I know a very "well known" former competitor up here in Scotland who was a motorbike dealer and motor trader who regularly creamed off unusual and rare bikes from his shops for his own private collection. I'm not really sure how many bikes he accumulated over the years, but it was a lot. SC1980 if you are reading this thread you will know exactly who I'm talking about!!! This "dealer" knew his motorcycles and he had some nice rare pieces of kit at one time. He has disposed of most of them now, but still has a few gems, like a NOS Husqvarna CR400 that has never been started since it left the factory. Big John

OK Guys, nice story, myth as they say, pity there were no old Jaguars languishing in the "barn". True story now... Anyone who goes to the SSDT will have heard of a place called Achallader, near Bridge of Orchy... The tenant farmer there for many years was a chap called Duncan Smith, a trials rider who had a particular love of Triumph twin trials bikes. He also liked Jaguars..in 1978 when I was riding the Scottish Experts & National trial (yes I was an expert in Scotland for a couple of seasons in my youth!) the trial took us up the back of the steading of the farm and I counted at least ten old Jaguars ranging from Mark 9 to 3.4 Mk2 variants lying in the field behing the steading! Just rotting away. I never found out what happened to them. Duncan was killed when a motorbike (road machine) ploughed into his car (a Rover 3.5 SD1) near Perth in about 1983/84. Duncan was killed instantly as was the rider of the bike. His name lives on at the Pre65 Scottish Trial (Duncan Smith Trophy). Second true story... The bike in the photo was left behind the Kings House Hotel for a couple of years, nobody wanted it...except perhaps my Old Man who had bought it from the works in 1957 and stupidly let it go in 1963! It was in a bit of a sorry state in 1973 when he bought it back from a chap in Ballachulish called Skiggs... the rest as they say is history... Big John (I'm the fetching character in the orange boiler suit - the other guy with the suit is Bill Lomas, former World Road Race Champion!)

Big John