Out and About on your Laverda.No bull,Just photos

My sister has lived in a house i France for 40 years and recently moved out, she found a Nazi sign in the loft complete with swaztika, wich read (in German) all who enter here will heil Hitler, nasty thing, she asked me if I wanted it, but I would never have anything to do with Nazi's in my house, my father did 103 bombing raids in WW11 and talked very little about it, what he did convey to me that it was terror for all concerned. He never knowingly bought anything Japanese following WW11, for a while this included German made items as well, but by the 1970's he had relinquished that, but never stopped his ban on Jap goods, and was not happy when I bought a Honda cub, in 1965. but said "well you can, but I still wont"
CLEM
 
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I had a step-uncle who spent some time on The Burma Railway and a couple of Great Uncles who were in a German POW camping, Italian Guards though after some African issues with Rommel, my Grandmother wasn't a fan of Made In Japan when I was a kid.
 
My mother was driving troop lorries pulling canon in the Burmese jungle with the British army whilst her cousin was at the controls of a Heinkel bombing London, my father and a couple of his brothers were in POW camps in French uniform whilst another brother was being gassed in Auschwitz.

I adore Italian motorcycles.

Paul
 
CLEMTOG said:
my father did 103 bombing raids in WW11 and talked very little about it, what he did convey to me that it was terror for all concerned.
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My dad fought against the Japanese in New Guinea in WW2. I don't know the details because he never spoke of it. But he mumbled something when we were watching a TV program about the treatment of Jews in Nazi concentration camps. He said, "the Nazis were gentlemen compared to the Japanese". That's the only thing he ever said about the war, within my earshot anyway. I can only infer that they must have given him and his mates a bad time in New Guinea. I know one of his friends from Tasmania was captured and tortured by the Japanese. When liberated from one of their prison camps, he had been blinded. My dad helped him get a guide dog and find a job after the war.

I don't know how difficult it was for him to forgive his old war enemies but forgive them he obviously did. Working as a senior engineer for the Tasmanian electricity authority, he had to deal with Japanese firms like Kawasaki and Mitusbishi (the same companies that built the planes that dropped bombs on him) when buying much of the generators and other electrical equipment for power stations. He did many trips to Japan. Several times his Japanese counterpart would insist that he stay in their family home. There are photos of him wearing traditional Japanese yukata (like a kimono for men) and sitting on the floor to dine with a Japanese family. He even picked up some of the Japanese language. In 1967 he bought a Toyota car. He never even hinted at any kind of hatred of Australia's wartime enemies to us kids (apart from that one mumbled comment). I think that was on purpose so as not to perpetuate any animosity. I guess it worked. I don't have any prejudice towards any country or people. Some of their leaders perhaps, but not the people. I suspect he was an unusual man for his time. He was a big strong man, an ex-Tasmanian league footballer but very gentle. He never swore, never got drunk, never lost his temper, never even got flustered. Unlike my mum who was a fiery-tempered Scottish redhead. A very solid and reliable father. He died many years ago but I still miss him.
 
I cannot remember where I read it but the fire got some obviously negative comments from the owner. It might have been a write-up on the old Guzzi Forum. One turned up at a Snowy Ride the last time we stayed at Bright, Evo Harleys had just been released and they were selling heaps at a pretty eye-watering cost. That Carberry was predicted to be a similar cost but was a way more exciting bike to me.
 
Looking good Nick, about 80% of the ride there is good fun. There is a Suburban bit that's tolerable. Good Cafes and the view make it a great destination after an Old Rd run.
 
I had an XT500 catch like that once, we virtually buried it in soil and it still kept burning, boiling the fuel in the tank doesn't help. My cause, they came with a vertical fuel tap that took a soil core sample every time it was put down on dirt, which blocked the needle and seat open. It overflowed and maybe hit the points and suddenly I had a very warm leg. It's a gutting event. You might notice every bike these days has a horizontal fuel tap opening and that's why.
 
Vince said:
I had an XT500 catch like that once, we virtually buried it in soil and it still kept burning, boiling the fuel in the tank doesn't help. My cause, they came with a vertical fuel tap that took a soil core sample every time it was put down on dirt, which blocked the needle and seat open. It overflowed and maybe hit the points and suddenly I had a very warm leg. It's a gutting event. You might notice every bike these days has a horizontal fuel tap opening and that's why.
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My HL500 Replica w/XT500 motor backfired while I was trying to start it lighting the foam air filter on fire. I grabbed the fire extinguisher from my truck, pulled the pin, pulled the trigger... and nothing. The guy pitted next to me ran over with a jug of water that did the job. Melted side panel and seat base. Have a spare filter with me so the days ride was saved.
 
My Husky had a steel mesh air filter screen to stop that from happening, plenty pull them out as they were supposed to be a power inhibitor. Watching a bike burn to the ground isn't worth 0.005hp to me.
 
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