The New And Improved Unofficial R65 Forum V2

General Category => Totally Off-Topic Discussions, Rants, Tire & Oil Threads, Etc. => Topic started by: thrang on April 10, 2007, 05:55:06 AM

Title: Fashion statement, or designers taking the piss?
Post by: thrang on April 10, 2007, 05:55:06 AM
Just spent my bank holiday Monday putting a new clutch, actuator, and lifter in the wifes (well she will be in a fortnight) 750 Zephyr and gave it a run to Hartside Cafe to make sure I'd not buggered the job up. Anyway after avoiding the blind, deaf and stupid car drivers who always infect the Lakes on Bank Holidays I reached the Cafe which was packed with bike's and their owners.

Anyway sat on the wall in the sun enjoying my mug of tea I started wondering if the leather designers were deliberately going out to make people look like plonkers or what? Because a fair few on show looked to me like there design must have been inspired by the after effects of a night on the strong ale, followed by a extra hot chilli donna, or 'stick the bog roll in the fridge first' curry?

Just curious if anyone else has wondered the same thing?
Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: nhmaf on April 10, 2007, 08:30:45 AM
I have some nice looking riding suits, but lately I've also seen some very weird/wild looking ones
that seem to have been inspired by those Japanese anime' cartoon characters.   Usually see those
on the new young riders on their little screaming crotch-rockets, sometimes wearing sandals at the same
time !
 :o
Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: SCJJR65 on April 10, 2007, 12:58:49 PM
Yeah, it seems to be either that or the "Hell's Angels" leather vest and ass-less leather chaps look!  (And don't forget the doo-rag!!)  ::)
Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: milkman on April 10, 2007, 05:06:44 PM
trying to find an understated but safe jacket is near impossible.
You wither get over the top "brando" jackets (with way more buckles and tassle and rubbish that was never on a brando jacket) or some lurid mulit coloured storm trooper armour.

Surely someone can take one of teh older style Schotts or Lewis jackerts and fit some armour in there?

On saying this, I did see a really nice Spidi jacket that fit the bill the other day. A couple of jackets from Triumphs range look alright too - I like the Romero, but since I dont have a triumph, I'd feel like a bit of a tool riding around with Triumph emblazened on my back.
Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: Lowen on April 10, 2007, 07:38:05 PM
I like my Powertrip jacket.

http://www.rapidracer.com/potrsacrleja.html
Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: Justin B. on April 10, 2007, 08:35:00 PM
There are a lot of jackets out there that are not gaudy.  My "mid-weight" is a First Gear Chief III:

(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.powersports4less.com%2Fimages%2Finventory%2Fchiefjacketblack.jpg&hash=13f3d9dbf0e6adf6e53b5f0474ceffc130f63d00)

My summer jacket is an old First Gear Mesh-Tex, except in a silver-grey where this is red:

(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.powersports4less.com%2Fimages%2Finventory%2Fmeshtex_RED.jpg&hash=5ced35975b59cc11b0eb27b623aec51451cbe4cb)

My dead-of-the-winter coat is a Joe Rocket Balistic 4 in basic black:

(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.powersports4less.com%2Fimages%2Finventory%2FSU-351-0702.jpg&hash=44d9704c4a2afe542e4b8d14534ee868de9f9b7c)

All of these are very subdued and conservitive in colors and cut.
Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: Ed Miller on April 10, 2007, 11:15:11 PM
Quote
Just spent my bank holiday <snip>
Anyway sat on the wall in the sun enjoying my mug of tea I started wondering if the leather designers were deliberately going out to make people look like plonkers or what?<snip>after effects of a night on the strong ale, followed by a extra hot chilli donna, or 'stick the bog roll in the fridge first' curry?

<snip>

I haven't noticed anything interesting about the riding gear out, but it's early yet this spring here in Western Oregon, so there aren't that many riders out yet.  It's plenty warm, but plenty wet most days too.

But:  where are you from, Thrang?  I don't know who has bank holidays, don't know what plonkers are,  definitely know and love what a strong ale is, but don't know what the other two bits of food are.  But they sound really good!

I wrote a few weeks ago about reading about a couple of riders wrecking on a road that I also ride, within a few minutes of each other, in high speed wrecks.  One at 80, the other at over a hundred.  My joke at the time was, I wanted to know what kind of riding gear they had on, because I wanted some, because neither was hurt too badly.

It turns out one of them works at the BMW place where I buy parts, I've known him for some time.  Neither he nor the other guy were wearing much of anything, but he insisted I wasn't wasting my money on riding gear, as he was still recovering from some icky leg wound; didn't say anything about hte other guy.  Oh, and since I know he rides all winter, I can't blame the wreck on the first nice day in several months, like I did when I mentioned this before.  Oh well.  

Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: thrang on April 11, 2007, 09:00:42 AM
Lol Ed!
I am in Northern England, The Lake District (Same place as Beatrix Potter & Will Wordsworth wrote about).

A plonker is English slang for someone who looks/behaves oddly, or is a little thick...

The Bank Holiday was for Easter (Good Friday and Easter Monday are both bank Hols here).

A Chilli Donna is a kebab (processed lamb in pita bread with soggy salad) doused with super hot chilli sauce, traditionally eaten after a skin full of beer on your way home from the pub.

A 'bog roll in the fridge' Vindaloo or Vindi, is a type of super duper hot Curry that has a reputation for ruining your taste buds and tongue when you eat them, and your burning your arse the morning after. And guess what, Vindi's are also traditionally consumed after a skinfull ale.

There you are a bit of Brit culture for you :)
Tony
Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: milkman on April 11, 2007, 05:25:53 PM
I love the drunken kebab too..........usually from the dodgiest looking roadside carvan you can find. We didn't adopt the booza curry love as much though over here (as a generalisation)

For me the meat pie still reigns supreme

That power trip jacket looks good. Never heard of them before though.
Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: Ed Miller on April 11, 2007, 10:56:35 PM
...drooling....   Those foods sound even better now that you've described them.  I can't believe the British could have ever aquired a reputation for not having a good cuisine.  And to think I only wanted to go to England to drink beer!

Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: SCJJR65 on April 12, 2007, 05:54:44 AM
About the only things I've heard of that I don't think I could stomach are Kidney pie and Eel pie!   :-/

(And maybe Haggis, but that's Scottish cuisine!)
  ;)
Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: nhmaf on April 12, 2007, 08:58:59 PM
After all those years of the British Empire, they have to have something still to show for it -
yummy foods from many foreign lands (and, a few somewhat questionable foods like
Haggis, eels and kidney pie from the homeland).  Well, at least I like authentic
bangers and mash, and practically every British -or Irish for that matter - beer I've
ever tasted !

 [smiley=beerchug.gif]
Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: milkman on April 12, 2007, 09:13:49 PM
you dont usually find the kidney pie by itself, more often steak and kidney, and its priamrily steak. really tasty.

There beer is good too, but like teh US, it could come out of the taps a bit colder, te closer to Zero the better. [smiley=1drink.gif] [smiley=1drink.gif] [smiley=1drink.gif] [smiley=1drink.gif] [smiley=1drink.gif] [smiley=puke2.gif]

Triumphs and most of the great rock bands  came out of there aswell, but not THE greatest......

ACDC
Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: thrang on April 13, 2007, 08:46:18 AM
We've invented a few things for sure, but the UK's crowing glory has got to be Cask ale. The best ones tend to come from the smaller brewery's. Personally I'm a tad partial to Moorhouses Pendle Witches Brew, (5% abv and very smooth) unfortunately it tastes like a 4% pint. Which can be a bit of a problem as the crone likes to creep up behind you and wallop you over the head with her broomstick when you want to stand up.

Greatest rock band AC/DC, naw... Its got to be Rush for me (who have a new album out next month). Talking about Rush, the drummer Neil Peart is a big 8valve boxer fan who has done (and written a book about) some humongous trips on his gs1100  after discovering the joys of rinding putting his life back together after losing his wife and daughter with in 12 months of each other in the late 1990's.  
Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: Rob Valdez 79 R65 on April 13, 2007, 07:12:46 PM
Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road (http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Rider-Travels-Healing-Road/dp/1550225480/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_1/103-6526449-0101466)

He also has a 2nd book out now The Masked Rider: Cycling in West Africa (http://www.amazon.com/Masked-Rider-Cycling-West-Africa/dp/1550226657/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b/103-6526449-0101466)

And apparently the man loves the pen...Article in July '96 M/C Tour & Travel magazine. (http://neilpeart.net/articles/motorcycle_tour-travel/index.html)


Thanks for that, thrang.

Say ... you don't know of some lads that go by the name of Slade, do you? ;)
Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: thrang on April 14, 2007, 08:21:31 AM
Slade :)
The music of my childhood, and a band I/we tried to get when I was on the committee for Stormin the Castle,  North East Motorcycle Action Group's annual rally and demo.
(www.storminthecastle.co.uk)

tony
Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: Rob Valdez 79 R65 on April 14, 2007, 01:28:01 PM
The year was 1973 (I think...) and I was feeling blue over a bird.
I went into a record store, and asked the guy for some hard-edged rock 'n roll to chase my blues away.

This is what he gave me...


(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcontent.answers.com%2Fmain%2Fcontent%2Fwp%2Fen%2Fb%2Fb6%2FSlade_Alive.jpg&hash=a8dac4e1071e8eab93549ea37761226248d3dbf2)


It is the only music of theirs that I have heard, but I know the album very well.  My ears actually survived this album co-existing with my Altec Voice of the Theatres for several years!

But I am not a punker by any stretch of the imagination... I call myself a universalist.
Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: Ed Miller on April 14, 2007, 10:03:35 PM
Rob, did you really use the term "bird?"  If you don't mean a feathered friend, undoubtedly snacked down by your cat, then you better get yourself a British bike.  Sorry, I hate to do it to you.

...no, I don't mean MINE.   :D

Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: Rob Valdez 79 R65 on April 14, 2007, 11:45:23 PM
I suffer from severe "when in Rome.." syndrome.

There appears to be no cure...
Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: thrang on April 15, 2007, 08:47:16 PM
Try beer Rob, most things make sense when seen through the bottom of a pint or two.  
Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: SCJJR65 on April 16, 2007, 06:26:30 AM
Yeah, that's how I've gotten thru school so far....   [smiley=beer.gif]
Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: Semper Gumby on April 26, 2007, 07:54:28 PM
Quote
Just spent my bank holiday Monday putting a new clutch, actuator, and lifter in the wifes (well she will be in a fortnight) 750 Zephyr and gave it a run to Hartside Cafe to make sure I'd not buggered the job up. Anyway after avoiding the blind, deaf and stupid car drivers who always infect the Lakes on Bank Holidays I reached the Cafe which was packed with bike's and their owners.

Anyway sat on the wall in the sun enjoying my mug of tea I started wondering if the leather designers were deliberately going out to make people look like plonkers or what? Because a fair few on show looked to me like there design must have been inspired by the after effects of a night on the strong ale, followed by a extra hot chilli donna, or 'stick the bog roll in the fridge first' curry?

Just curious if anyone else has wondered the same thing?

I think I missing something in the tranlstion....Chilli and stong ale...sounds like gas...inflato-leathers?

I prefer to go the other way-

I'm still waiting woman to go by me with full black leathers and a set of torpedo T*Ts.  Hey it's a fantasy!!!!  If she's on a R65 it will be all over!

OF course there was the the skinny lady on the Black S-fairing R80 with a nice set of panniers doing about 90....OOOOOOOGGGHHHHH!
Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: Justin B. on April 26, 2007, 09:22:12 PM
And that truck that just pulled out of a side street in front of you (in your fantasy/daydream) is your ol' lady whopping you up side the head with a 4x2 telling you to wake up and stop smiling when you're sleeping!  ;)
Title: Re: Fashion statement, or designers taking the pis
Post by: SCJJR65 on April 27, 2007, 07:04:02 AM
No, that'd be my wife.....  ::)