Ed and Jimi took to Phillip Island like a duck to water and scored top 10 finishes in every one of the Unlimited Forgeotten Era races they competed (4) and top 20 placings in the four International Challenge races. An astonishing example of how good racers learn new bikes and new tracks quickly.

I got the opportunity to do some extensive interviews for Jules Cisek and Jim Race’s Motopod internet podcasts. They will be published in the next few weeks. I spoke to (or, perhaps I should say, listened to) Robbie Phillis, Steve Martin, Josh Brookes, Ryan Farquhar, Jeremy McWilliams, Ed Haazer and David Taylor. I can’t wait to hear them as the guys really opened up on the state of racing in the world and in Australia.

Speaking of Josh Brookes, he was flown in as a last-minute replacement for Cam Donald who’d broken his jaw in a dirt bike accident. Perhaps he’d have been better to stay away. In the first race og the International Challenge, Josh’s beautiful XR69 replica Suzuki was turned to scrap after running over its own (broken-off) exhaust pipe. The footage, captured by Pat Heuvel, will no doubt go around the world.

Josh Brookes’s accident, Phillip Island.

As with every meeting there were good luck stories and bad luck ones, underlining again just what a fickle trade motorcycle racing is.

Me? Well, I just had a ball, mooching the pits, helping out where I could and trying to stay out of the way of people who were there doing serious things. So much good racing, so many great stories; I’ve overdosed on racing. My album has now grown to over 200 pictures and browsing them and the captions for them will tell you so much more about my Island adventure that I can by reconstituting all the captions. Go there and enjoy.

Till next time

Phil’s Island Classic photo album

I got down here early Wednesday morning after enduring a nightmare 10 and a half hour train trip from Moss Vale. Instead of doing the 160km/h the XPT usually does, it was restricted to 90km/h and so took an hour and a half longer for the journey. Next time I’ll take the punt of getting a seat where I can stretch my injured leg and take the plane instead.

I picked up my car from my son in Melbourne and headed out to Team Gunn HQ at Seaford, near Frankston. Roger Gunn, a Melbourne business man, runs a team of three Suzukis in Post-Classic racing, 2 Katanas and a GS1000S and he has invited my good Facebook friend, Edwin Haazer, from California, to come out from the US and race for him at the Island Classic. He also invited another American rider, Ed’s good mate, Jimi Mac, from Reno, Nevada, to come out as well, AND he asked me if I’d like to come down and hang out with the boys as guest of the team How could I refuse?

So, from Seaford, we headed down to PI with the three bikes in tow and the rest of his team, head mechanic, Peter Minehan and wrench, Mike Curtin. Roger has rented a house at Cowes so we settled in, hit the sack and got ready for a huge weekend.

Yesterday (Thursday) was a track day at the circuit and most of the competitors for the Classic were there, using the day as an extra practice day. Ed and Jimi were quickly on the pace as I knew they would be and it was all smiles in team Gunn by the end of the day. Peter and Mike spent most of the day fine-tuning the bikes to suit the new riders and the riders spent every session frantically learning a new, and very demanding track.

As one of the things that Ed wanted to do while he was out here, he had brought a mini voice recorder so that he could get some interviews with riders for Jim Race and Jules Clisek’s MotoPod internet podcast. Unsurprisingly, when Ed found out that I was a teacher and had lost of commentating and media experience, he prevailed upon me to do the interviews instead, especially since I knew nearly all the riders anyway. So, as well as helping out where I have been able, I have managed so far to do extensive interviews with Robbie Phillis, Josh Brookes, Steve Martin, Jeremy McWilliams, Ryan Farquhar and English Manx GP Ambassador, David Taylor. Tough work, but, somebody has to do it. Watch out for these interviews in the weeks to come on Motopod podcasts.

I have taken a hundred or so photos while trolling the pits and have spoken to literally dozens of the riders, mechanics and support crews. I have made friends with some of the British riders and especially the French riders who are in the pit bay next to ours. They are wonderful gentlemen, most of whom barely understand English, but, somehow we get by and understand each other. Their team has had some appalling bad luck with one of their best riders, Christian Vite, crashing in the very first session on Thursday and severely damaging his finger. This has required micro-surgery in hospital in Melbourne and there is some doubt as to whether Christian will be able to fly out with the team on Monday.

Phillipe le Grand, who rides a Seeley-framed Suzuki TR750 replica is such a charming and wonderful man, I wish I could remember more of my high school French so that we could converse more.

It hasn’t been a good weekend for some of the Suzuki riders either. NZ’s Russell Barker, holed a piston and damaged the crank on his GSX1100-engined bike on Thursday and is out of the event and today, the #7 Harris-framed GSX1100 ate the timing chain tensioner block, necessitating a complete engine tear-down to repair.

Rest of the World team’s Glenn Kelleher, from Taree, had a huge “off” this afternoon and the team was frantically rebuilding the CB900F when I left the circuit this afternoon. Glenn’s dad, Brian, is the proprietor of the National Motorcycle Museum at Nabiac on the north coast and he and his mechanic look like working a minor miracle and having the bike ready for racing tomorrow. Glenn is, thankfully, not injured.

Names? Malcolm Campbell, Robbie Phillis, Joshua Brookes, Steve Martin, Johnny Pace, Laurie Fyfe, Stuart Lolley, Leo Cash, it just goes on and on.

I’ve taken over 100 photos so far and published them on my Facebook page as an album. You do not need to be a Facebook member to view this album.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150620151015757.456144.785170756&type=1&l=72ea0b8b16

Tomorrow and Sunday I might be out of circulation, pit-wise, as I might have parlayed my way into the commentary box with Phil Harlin.  I hope so, they are predicting 32 degrees tomorrow and the box is air-conditioned!!  Stay tuned for further developments.

• (3) Max Biaggi / ITA / Alitalia Aprilia RSV4
• (58) Eugene Laverty / Ireland / Alitalia Aprilia RSV4
• (7) Carlos Checa / Spain / Althea Ducati 1198 R
• (34) Davide Giugliano / Italy / Althea Ducati 1198 R
• (50) Sylvain Guintoli / France / Team Effenbert-Liberty Ducati 1198 R
• (96) Jakub Smrz / Czech Republic / Team Effenbert-Liberty Ducati 1198 R
• (33) Marco Melandri /Italy / BMW Motorrad S1000RR
• (91) Leon Haslam / Great Britain / BMW S1000RR
• (4) Hiroshi Aoyama / Japan / Honda World Superbike CBR1000RR
• (65) Jonathan Rea / Great Britain / Honda World Superbike CBR1000RR
• (84) Michel Fabrizio / Italy / BMW Motorrad Italia S1000RR
• (86) Ayrton Badovini / Italy / BMW Motorrad Italia S1000RR
• (78) Lorenzo Zanetti / Italy / Pata Racing Ducati 1198 R
• (17) Joan Lascorz / Spain / Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R
• (66) Tom Sykes / Great Britain / Kawasaki Racing ZX-10R
• (36 Leandro Mercado / Argentina / Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R
• (44 David Salom / Spain / Team Pedercin Kawasaki ZX-10R
• (21) John Hopkins / USA / Crescent Suzuki GSX-R 1000
• Leon Camier / Great Britain / Crescent Suzuki GSX-R 1000
• Mark Aitchison / Australia / Grellini BMW S1000RR
• (121) Maxime Berger / France / Team Liberty Ducati 1198 R
• (19) Chaz Davies / Great Britain / ParkingGO Aprilia RSV4
• (35) Raffaele De Rosa / Italy / Pro Ride Motorsports Honda CRB1000RR
• (59) Niccolò Canepa / Italy / Team Roma Ducati 1198 R

Note that there are some number changes. Despite being the defending champion, Carlos Checa will continue to use his familiar #7. Max Biaggi is back to his usual #3 and Hiroshi Aoyama will carry over his familiar #4 from MotoGp. John Hopkins will carry the #21 made famous by Troy Bayliss after Troy agreed to “un” retire it. Despite the fact that this list shows the Italian airline, Alitalia as Aprilia’s sponsor, in fact Alitalia has finished its sponsorship and Aprilia has not yet replaced them as their naming rights sponsor. The last-minute inclusion of Raffaelle d Rosa (from Moto2) is notable as is the omission of Noriyuki Haga whose career at WSBK certainly seems to be over. He will be missed.

1. Ducati MotoGp are presently at the Jerez circuit in Spain, conducting a super-secret test of the new GP12. While Filippo Preziosi has been very cagey on the actual details, he has said that the bike WILL have a perimeter aluminium frame and a carbon fibre swingarm. What he didn’t say, and what is being hinted at by many O/S journalists, is that the actual configuration of the engine has been changed, from a “L” motor (90 degrees between the v) to a proper “v” motor with 75 degrees between the v (a la Aprilia RSV4). Many people have said that the 90 degree configuration has been one of the major shortcomings of the GP Ducati’s design, making the engine, and thus the wheelbase, too long, not allowing enough weight to be placed over the front axle. It seems very simplistic to think that that could be all that the problem has been, but, lack of front-end feel is the universal complaint from all riders who have ridden the bike, so, it just could be that therein lies the root cause of their problems. Ducati’s slavish adherence to the “L” configuration stems far more from tradition than it does to engineering good practice, so, perhaps their abandonment of the c/f “mini frame” AND the “L” motor may see a resurgent Ducati in 2012. Let’s hope so. If you look at the success that Aprilia has had with the 75 degree engine then, maybe Ducati, late to the party, might still get a seat at the head of the table.

Franco Battaini, Carlos Checa and Australia’s Troy Bayliss are all apparently shaking down the new bike this week with Vittoriano Guareschi and the two GP riders yet to sample it. Somebody needs to step up to the plate and give Casey Stoner some better competition than that which he had last season, could 2012 be the year for a Ducati resurrection? Oh, and speaking of Ducati, the factory has now come out and said that it WASN’T Nicky Hayden on the back of the bike Rossi rode through that snow at Vrooom last week. Ducati’s medical staff have said that they never would have allowed him to do that, given the condition of his shoulder.

Australia’s Andrew Pitt, 2 times World Supersport champion, one of the most versatile riders of recent years, development rider extraordinaire and all-round good guy, has announced his retirement from racing this week, aged 35. Pitt, a peerless ambassador for the sport, suffered irreparable nerve damage in his arm in a BSB accident last year and has been forced to hang up the helmet. I wish him well in retirement, one of the all-time good guys, he will be missed.

Remember the other day I said that Jules Cluzel was leaving Moto2 for a ride in WSS? Well, it isn’t going to happen. Despite announcing the popular Frenchman as their rider for 2012, the WTR 10 Ten team has now announced that they are not going ahead with the deal. Apparently this isn’t the first time that this team has pulled a stunt like this. Sure hangs poor Jules out to dry, though. Despite his propensity for crashing, he is fast and a race winner. Let’s hope some other team picks him up.

Wayne Gardner and his two boys, Remy and Luca, jetted out to Spain this week to take up residence there so that the boys can pursue their racing careers in the ultra-competitive Spanish racing atmosphere. I wish them well. All indications so far point to both the boys having inherited their father’s talent and determination, so remember their names.

Marc Marquez, still troubled by blurred vision after his accident late last year, has opted for surgery (I think he probably should have done that straight away) and is apparently home already recuperating. Let’s hope that it is successful as Grand Prix racing needs him badly.

In WSBK, the Ten Kate Team is testing at Phillip Island behind closed doors this week. The media releases contain the usual platitudes but don’t really tell you anything.

2012 Grand prix entry list

It certainly makes for some interesting reading. Notable in MotoGp is that the total grid size moves from 17 (though that was rarely achieved in 2011 with injuries to riders and team turmoils) to just 21 in 2012. Hardly the huge boost to the grid sizes that the introduction of the CRT class was supposed to deliver. Of the 9 CRT riders accepted it is going to be VERY interesting to see just how competitive they all are. I’m guessing that the FIM had many more prospective entrants who were rejected on the basis mainly of them being half-baked and not likely to be able to field a competitive package, but how many of the accepted teams will be able to get within a bull’s roar of the prototype bikes is another issue altogether. Ezpeleta has said that the class will be a “work in progress” for the first couple of years and has stated that DORNA will “do what they have to do” to make sure that the CRT bikes are not embarrassed once racing kicks off. In any event, we won’t have long to wait, with the first test session for 2012 being scheduled for the 31st of January. TechIII have confirmed that Andrea Dovizioso WILL be participating in the test session. Good news.

So, 9 CRT riders and only 11 prototype bikes. Sounds to me like we’re heading back to the 90′s where Grand Prix grids were filled with bikes, but only a few of them were factory entries, the majority being privateers on leased or purchased bikes. But, before we decry that, remember that we look back to those days now as a golden era in Grand Prix racing. Lawson, Rainey, Schwantz, Doohan, all dominated in that era and the racing was brilliant. I expect the same to be the case. The prototype riders will clear off into the distance leaving the CRT bikes to fight over their own unofficial championship, the best of the rest. The big question is (as I have stated before), how long will sponsors continue to pour money into teams that have no earthly chance of winning, or of even being seen on TV telecasts? Back “then” money and sponsorship was plentiful with even the lowliest privateer being assured of at least some help. Costs have escalated and the GFC is biting hard in Europe, the area from which most sponsorship emanates. My tip is that we are going to see more teams looking for sponsorship in Asia and India where growth of the motorcycle market is still happening and where opportunities for exposure on the wider stage are still being sought. Mahinda, an Indian company, is already involved in 125cc/Moto3.

So, what will be the shape of the MotoGp bikes? Well, more and more it seems that manufacturers may not be planning a full 1000cc bike. Preziosi, head of Ducati’s effort, suggested during the week that around 900cc seems to be the ideal to maximise the effect of the  of the 81mm bore restriction without compromising fuel consumption. Will we see a return to the rip-snorting days of the 990′s with riders backing it in and power-sliding all over the place? Alas, no. Since those days electronics have advanced tremendously and we will notice little or no difference in the way the bikes perform on the track. They will still be “straight line” racers, following the path pioneered by the 250′sand the 800′s.

Speaking of Ducati, Preziosi has stated in a news conference this week that the GP12 will be about a “90% new bike” It WILL have a perimeter frame as predicted but will take some time to “dial in” since the components are all so new. Rossi himself has said that he doesn’t expect to contend for the championship this year but does want another 2 year contract with Ducati before retiring at the end of 2014 to pursue a career in WRC (something I predicted YEARS ago)

In Moto2 news it seems that Marc Marquez is STILL having vision problems after his late-season accident. The team is talking confidently but I’d be more than a little worried if I was them. An injury to such a sensitive area that has still not stabilised is starting to sound more than just a little worrying.

In other news, the Island Classic draws ever closer. I am so excited to be able to go to this meeting and to be able to mooch around the pits making a nuisance of myself as only I can. My Facebook benefactor, Edwin Haazer from California (though originally the Netherlands), is coming to race along with his racing mate from Reno, Nevada, Jimi McKay. It should be a hoot. The boys are coming out as guests of noted Victorian Post-Classic racer, Roger Gunn who is supplying the two Katanas that they will ride. Ed is a bit worried about going over to the “dark side” after being a dedicated Kawasaki man for so long, but his desire to race at PI is overcoming his reservations. He’s even managed to tee up a ride on a sidecar while he’s out here. Iain Marshall, another of my FB friends posted up this picture this morning of the bike Edwin is supposed to ride…

Iain explained that the team has done what they can to increase ground clearance but it might be at the expense of performance. Love the way these guys kid around. Ed will be bringing out some Edwin Haazer commemorative T shirts to sell, so, if you want one, message me with your size and I’ll see what I can do to snare you one.

That’s all for today. This morning I had a little win on fleabay that I will tell you about in the next couple of days. Quite excited, actually. Have a great weekend.

I had the privilege of having the doyen of speedway commentators, Allan Edworthy, assisting me in the commentary box and, between us, we had enough fun and frivolity to last us well into next year. I know the crowd (and it was a HUGE crowd) had fun, but they couldn’t have had as much fun as Ollie and me with the constant back-chat and banter that was taking place behind the microphones. I first got to know Allan in the early 80′s when I was working the infield communications loop at Parramatta City Raceway. Allan and Stuart Telfer were the commentary team, but  Allan’s other speedway commitments sometimes kept him away so I was called in as relief commentator. Then Allan came to me one night after the meetings and said, “Hey, Phil, would you be interested in the gig at Kembla Grange (Wollongong)?” I knew that he was doing PCR, Kembla and Newcastle and he said that it was all getting a bit too much. So I offered to go down to Wollongong the next Saturday night, call a meeting for free and see if the club liked what they heard. If they did so, then I was happy to do it on a regular basis. The rest, as they say, is history and I commentated the last three seasons at Kembla until the horse racing people resumed the property to expand their complex and the speedway was closed at the end of the 1985 season.

So it was a huge buzz to work with the man again especially since he has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the sport and particularly of speedcars. The meeting was a huge success for the little local club to promote and the drivers were universal in their praise of the track and how the meeting was run. There is even talk that the GP may be run at Nowra again in 2013 (you heard it here first).

BUT there was one thing that disturbed me a little. Also on the programme were Wingless Sprintcars (just like the real ones but with no wings and a smaller engine), Lightning Sprintcars (look exactly like real ones only smaller and run a 1000cc engine) and Compact Speedcars (look like proper speedcars but are restricted to a 1300cc engine) plus the big speedcars (restricted to a 2700cc engine). The problem is that they nearly all looked exactly the same.

Now there was a time in speedway where every open wheel division had cars that looked different and that difference was dramatically illustrated by the static display in the spectator are, the star of which was the glorious SCAT/VW-powered speeedcar that took A J Foyt to 3 ASGP victories in the late 1970′s.

Over-restored, unfortunately, but wonderful nonetheless.

So, what is the problem? Well, nearly all open-wheel speedway cars now conform to the wedge-shaped design as shown below. Constrained to a certain extent by technical regulations and engineering considerations, the various divisions seem to have morphed together into a unified design that makes it hard to distinguish one from another.

These are compact speedcars.

This is a sprintcar

This is a speedcar. Take away the wings and they could be the same car almost.

So there is a loss of individuality taking place that is subtle and sometimes unavoidable, but is robbing each division of its own style and attraction. And, before we say that it’s just a speedway thing, let’s take a look at our own back yard.

What bike is this?

Yes, it’s an M1 Yamaha, but you’re a knowledgeable reader. Haven’t all our modern sports bikes, MotoGp bikes, WSBK bikes become so similar that it takes a moment to detect which is which? This bike, without the sponsorship decals, could be any bike, really. The same ting is happening in Formula One and in other areas of car and bike racing. Individuality is being suppressed by technical regulations, aerodynamic considerations and designers who lack the creativity to create anything more than a “me too” design. It’s much easier to copy than it is to innovate.

Of course this whole “me too” philosophy is symptomatic of a general malaise that has now permeated our whole society, where “standing out” “being different” is seen as being somehow rebellious and subversive. Our society is sinking into a blandness from which it may never recover. And it is reflected in car and bike design. Let’s hope that the next radical thinker is just around the corner, someone who can work within the required parameters but still produce something that is new, refreshing, innovative and fun. I’m tired of the grey porridge school of design. Bring back John Britten!!!

PS: Thank you to all my readers who pointed out that Kembla Grange didn’t close in 1895!!!

Nicky Hayden has been told that he will not need surgery for his broken collarbone, rest and physio should see his injuries heal themselves although there is still some doubt as to whether he will be able to take part in the first test on the 31st of January.

Andrea Dovizioso’s injury is more complex and has been operated on with a view to accelerating the healing process. TechIII must be getting pretty fed up with their riders breaking collarbones.; both Edwards and Crutchlow did one last year.

Superbikeplanet, with their usual laconic humour, remarked that Dovi’s doctor must have more than a passing interest in mummification! Let’s hope both riders make a quick and full recovery.

Grillini Racing (yeah, I know, WHO???) wil be making a return to WSBK after 4 years (I didn’t even know they’d LEFT) and have named Aussie Mark Aitchison, as their lead rider. Let’s hope that it’s a competitive ride for the popular Aussie. Grillini have also asked for an entry in MotoGp in the CRT category but have not yet been given an answer from the FIM.

In MotoGp, Jorge Martinez has announced that he has signed a sponsorship deal with American oil giant, BelRay, to supply lubricants for all his teams. Given how many Spanish oil companies there are, stepping outside of the known arena is a big thing for Aspar. He’ll be running a team in all three categories this year. In Moto3 he will be fielding Alberto Moncayo and Hector Faubel, Tony Elias and Nico Terol in Moto2 and Aliex Espagaro and Randy de Puniet in MotoGp (CRT)

So the pace is starting to accelerate and we are now less than 3 weeks from the first MotoGp test of the year, amazing how time flies.

The IODA team who will be running a bike in the CRT section of MotoGp this year are close to confirming their technical package. In spite of everyone being told that their weapon of choice would be a Suter/BMW, it now seems that they will be running an Aprilia engine in their own proprietary chassis. This makes sense as their team principal is a former employee of Piaggio and worked with Aprilia, Derbi and Piaggio as well as Aprilia in WSBK.

The big news of the Christmas/New Year break was the announcement that Yamaha would be concluding their sponsorship arrangement with the Malaysian giant, Petronas. After losing FIAT and running the bikes self-branded in 2011, this was a  big blow. It seems now that Yamaha have picked up at least a partial replacement with the announcement that they have signed a deal with ENEOS, a Japanese lubrication company. Quite where this will leave them in terms of Yamaha’s use of their own, proprietary, oils is anyone’s guess. Maybe they will use Yamalube in ENEOS bottles? And I wonder if the bikes will be orange this year, as ENEOS’s corporate colour is a particularly startling shade of orange. ENEOS are no stranger to motorsports having been associated with the sports car races at Le Mans and also the former Honda Formula One team.

Further worrying signs of the GFC have emerged overnight with the Parkalgar Honda Team announcing that it will be withdrawing from the 2012 WSS Championship. The super team for whom the late Craig Jones rode, is just another casualty of a European economy that is barely keeping its head above water. Despite the constant bleating about costs it seems paradoxical that the most expensive form of motorcycle racing, MotoGp, is expanding (sort of) whereas the supposedly less expensive one (WSBK and WSS) is shrinking.

Still on WSS, news overnight that Moto2 competitor, Mr Crash himself, Jules Cluzel, will be leaving Moto2 and heading up the brand new WTR Ten 10 WSS team. Ten 10′s second rider has not yet been announced but the team, backed by Indian money, has hinted at a WSBK entry in 2014.

And, finally, back to MotoGp. The Gresini Team has confirmed a technical arrangement with Ten Kate Honda to supply engines and expertise for their new CRT effort in 2012. Well done, Fausto for snaring the best engine deal in the paddock.

“You really don’t HAVE to be old to read this. Checking out at the grocery store recently, the young cashier suggested I should bring my own grocery bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. I apologized and explained, “We didn’t have this green thing back in my earlier days.” The clerk responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations.” She was right about one thing — our generation didn’t have the green thing in “Our” day.

So what did we have back then…? After some reflection and soul-searching on “Our” day here’s what I remembered we did have…. Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles repeatedly. So they really were recycled. But we didn’t have the green thing back in our day. We walked up stairs, because we didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn’t have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby’s diapers because we didn’t have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts — wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right. We didn’t have the green thing back in our day. Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us.

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she’s right. We didn’t have the green thing back then. We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn’t have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint. But isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the green thing back then?”

My grandma, who passed away in 2001, aged 92, was a  recycler before the term was even coined, making and making do while she supported an invalid husband (grandad lost a leg in an industrial accident in 1929) and raising 5 kids through the Depression. How dare the modern generation lay the guilt trip on us.

When we got to Sydney we were greeted like it was a media event. Kent and all the guys that work with him came out of the factory, several of them with cameras and started taking photos. Kent then brought out the bodywork and fitted it onto the frame. I don’t know who was more excited, me who has waited so long for this day, or Kent who hasn’t even SEEN this bike for 16 years!

I left the bike and trailer there and returned home with the original molds in case it is ever necessary to make more and Kent will now do the thing that he does best, the creative stuff.

I think you’ll agree that the styling is very “current” and it is amazing to consider that the concept was conceived OVER 30 years ago in Kent’s preliminary sketches that he was doing while he was still in high school in the early 70′s. I hope to be able to scan some of his early designs and publish them. He anticipated modern sports bike styling by more than 30 years with his early work. Quite and amazing person.

So, it is starting to move at quite a pace. The glint in Kent’s eyes today tell me that he is not going to be satisfied until he has remade this bike into the very best recreation of his original concept that it is possible to make.