The Things Which Get Squirrelled Away

Some relics ... the Oz importers wouldn't even waste money on using their own stationery for receipts!!! Fuji Heavy Industries FFS!

So this is 1975, I've obviously decked the SF1 ... new mudguard (AUD$12.95), bracket ($8.23), brake lever ($2.58) etc.

But the one that gets me is the primary chaincase ($15.95!!!) or a tacho for $44.38, points plate complete $30.75. 1975 dollar values were different, sure, but I recall when I bought that primary chain cover a Kawasaki Z1 chromed tin points cover was around $18.
By 1987, when Eades had taken over prices were still pretty good - SF rockers $68.95. Makes you weep :cry::eek:

Stanco-1 1975.jpgStanco-2 1975.jpgJim Eade 1987.jpg
 
Got a rear wheel puncture last week ... ( on a non Laverda ) ........ the Pirelli Diablo was about three quarters worn , yet had covered over 12,000 miles .......... which is staggering , as I still scoot along at pretty much the same pace as I have always done ......... In fact , if anything , a little quicker .........

The rear chain has not needed to be adjusted once over the same period .......... which makes me think that consumerables such as these seem to last a lot longer nowadays than they used to .

Which put me in mind of digging out from the archives a list of the rear tyres that the Mirage chewed it`s way through ....... together with the mileage each one covered ..........

Sad or what ......... not , I say .......... but it`s interesting that the Pirellis seemed to last around 4000 / 5000 miles each , whilst the Avons would last around 1500 to 2000 miles longer ............ There are a couple of other interlopers in the form of Continental , and Michelin ..........

Later Avon AM21`s seemed to last quite well .

I would usually wait till they were completely bald in the middle before replacing , so actual legal life would be at least 500 less than shown .........

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Got a rear wheel puncture last week ... ( on a non Laverda ) ........ the Pirelli Diablo was about three quarters worn , yet had covered over 12,000 miles .......... which is staggering , as I still scoot along at pretty much the same pace as I have always done ......... In fact , if anything , a little quicker .........

The rear chain has not needed to be adjusted once over the same period .......... which makes me think that consumerables such as these seem to last a lot longer nowadays than they used to .

Which put me in mind of digging out from the archives a list of the rear tyres that the Mirage chewed it`s way through ....... together with the mileage each one covered ..........

Sad or what ......... not , I say .......... but it`s interesting that the Pirellis seemed to last around 4000 / 5000 miles each , whilst the Avons would last around 1500 to 2000 miles longer ............ There are a couple of other interlopers in the form of Continental , and Michelin ..........

Later Avon AM21`s seemed to last quite well .

I would usually wait till they were completely bald in the middle before replacing , so actual legal life would be at least 500 less than shown .........

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If you did that sort of mileage on the Mirage , you must have quite a few sets of World Cup coins from the petrol station! Serious mileage- but don’t bikes love to be used everyday? I was doing about 15,000 miles a year when I was commuting but used loads of different bikes- sometimes a different one every day. I used to have to test ride bikes with intermittent problems ( cutting out, carbs freezing, over heating fouling plugs etc..) on my way to work..I was working before I even started work! I rode a ZZR1100 that used to spew coolant onto rear tyre- blasted it to work for a week trying to overheat it🙄 not a drop. Guy picks it up, back in five minutes covered in antifreeze…I used to have to “ run -in” bikes that had glazed bores and used oil- Triumph technical phrase was “ give it a good Birching”
 
If you did that sort of mileage on the Mirage , you must have quite a few sets of World Cup coins from the petrol station! Serious mileage- but don’t bikes love to be used everyday? I was doing about 15,000 miles a year when I was commuting but used loads of different bikes- sometimes a different one every day. I used to have to test ride bikes with intermittent problems ( cutting out, carbs freezing, over heating fouling plugs etc..) on my way to work..I was working before I even started work! I rode a ZZR1100 that used to spew coolant onto rear tyre- blasted it to work for a week trying to overheat it🙄 not a drop. Guy picks it up, back in five minutes covered in antifreeze…I used to have to “ run -in” bikes that had glazed bores and used oil- Triumph technical phrase was “ give it a good Birching”

Maybe you should have ridden the ZZR gently, like the owner probably did. Overheating from going too slow maybe.

WTF is a Birching? A good fanging?
 
It used to happen a lot in Singapore, they were a very strict bunch. Littering was a special for the Burch. Think like school caning but thicker like a broomstick but flexible.
 
I, like many other men of similar age (73) was caned at school for minor offences. this was anything from 2 up to six strokes, using a bamboo cane, and later (administered by a woodwork teacher) a dowel rod of (maybe) 8mm diameter. this was done as "bend, free standing, trousers/underwear on". It was administered by the head teacher, or in his absensce his deputy (the woodwrok master) This I received from the age of 7 until 13, when I learned how to not get caught. It left huge bleeding weals, they curved all around your upper thighs, they took weeks to recover, the very worst was if a punishment was administered before the healing process was finished, that REALY was painfull! I didnt know it at the time, but I can now recall the pleasure that this gave those administering, it should never have been allowed and thank goodness it is now banned. If that happenned to my seven year old grandchild, I would seek that person out on a very dark night and show him what its like to be beaten on the arse with a stick, sod the consequences.

Unfortunately the disipline has gone the wrong way, as an adult pipefitter, I have worked in many schools, for children of all ages, both state and private. I have seen disrespect that beggars belief is tolerated, such as two 15 year olds in a corridor, proferring their cheeks and yelling at a teacher "go on then, stick one on that and see what gives next" their is no fear of punishment for misdemenours. punishment that is to be feared, needs to be re-introduced. Bring back compulsory national service, especially for any illegal immigrants, male or female before they get free housing and a monthly hand out.
CLEM
 
Bit different to the caning method in Australia Clem. Here the thugs made you hold your hand out and then proceeded to hit you with the cane on your fingers. The maximum allowed was six per hand and the talented thugs would aim to hit as near to the end of your fingers as possible to inflict maximum pain. I would certainly like to meet one of those thugs in a dark alley but like you our age means most of those arseholes are dead or dribbling away in a nursing home.
Tom
 
When I went to school born 56 so 62 at school, this times were over im Germany, but there was one teacher who throw his bundle of keys against his pupils and he ask them about their decision of a note in the class book or a slap. If they deceided for a note he gave them a slap with the remark: You are a coward…😩
 
The effect of this hand caning was similar to slamming the tips of your fingers where all your nerves ended of 4 fingers in a car door multiple times and just as damaging. The crimes for which this was the punishment were so inconsistent that they were a joke even then. In my case, this only happened in High School with 13-year-olds. My brother's infant school had a Head Master who did it to 7-year-olds. It must have taken a special type of creep to think that was a good idea.
 
I had a teacher pick me off the ground by my right ear, I can remember it ticking as it stretched. Never had the cane but my parents signed a form to agreeing with me having the cane if the time arose . My headmaster actually said to me “ is it a good caning you need?” ..as if I’m going say yes to that one.
 
My kids are shocked to hear how the nuns punished us in primary school, and the priests, brothers and lay teachers in secondary school. Maybe I avoided promoting to uni in case the punishments kicked up a level as well, the next step would have been the cat ò nine tails.
 
In my Roman Catholic primary school we were caned on the hands. I was caned one time for disobeying the no walking on the grass rule in the Winter. The amount of times you were caned did push you up the playground league table of street cred. I always found the waiting in the corridor outside the headmaster’s office the worst bit. My mother was a teacher at the same school so I couldn’t even keep it under wraps back home. There was an ancient looking register of canings in the office which the headmaster filled in while you stood to attention. Ahh happy days !
This has also just reminded me of my secondary school geography teacher, Mr Godsmark, an ex services boxing champion. He was a dead shot with the blackboard chalk duster, an oblong block of wood with a felt facing, which he would throw with great accuracy at the back of your head if he thought you were whispering to your mate. Perversely most of us thought he was great.
 
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