The bug bit early

Sometime ago I posted up some old pictures that Dad sent me which kinda showed how I might have been a bit doomed to end up on two wheels:

Smiling despite being forced to wear a pom-pom hat for safety reasons

After a hard morning doing the gardening it's time for riding!  Damn safety Nazis!

Not many people know that I was the inspiration for the Crusty Demons videos...

Anyway, last night Mum handed me over this little book and it might also have been responsible for a bit of encouragement too:

How it works - the Motor cycle by David Carey

Now this little Ladybird book was published in 1968 which pre-dates me in a time period that can be called years (just not that many) and you can tell that it was precious to me as I wrote my name (complete with interesting spelling) in it so that it would always find its way back to me...

It also looks like that it also involved quite a substantial outlay in order to take possession:

Of course, as a "How it works" book it went into some detail examining the state of the art features of motorcycles.  I'm sure that this information is just as valuable today for the Harley riders out there...

Very sexy valve actuation

Drum brakes: love them or hate them - I choose to hate...

But where the book really excels is in its advice on safe riding.  I particularly like the paragraph suggesting not to ride at maximum speed for more than a minute or two at a time.  I will remember this when I'm next on a road where its possible to ride at maximum speed for two minutes...

I'm heading out right now for a new pair of non-splinter goggles...

Anyway, that's enough for now as I need to go finish memorising the sections on points ignition, carburettors and 4-speed gear-boxes...

PS: I did a search to see if there is a modern version of those fine tome but couldn't find anything (do Ladybird books exist anymore) but I did discover that you too can own a copy of this fine publication: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Motor-Cycle-Ladybird-Series/dp/B00L5JTHO0