On today's Two Wheels episode, our very own Wayne Kershaw tries out side car speedway while Paul Johnston enjoys sometime trail riding.
We end the show today with some of the out takes from the series!
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We end the show today with some of the out takes from the series!
Don't forget to subscribe to our channel and hit the notification bell so you never miss a video!
------------------
Enjoyed this video? Don't forget to LIKE and SHARE the video and get involved with our community by leaving a COMMENT below the video!
Check out what else our channel has to offer and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to Men & Motors for more classic car and motorbike content! Why not? It is free after all!
--------------------------------------- Social Media ---------------------------------------
Follow us on social media by clicking the link below to elevate your social media experience by connecting with us!
https://menandmotors.start.page
If you have any questions, e-mail us at talk@menandmotors.com
© Men and Motors - One Media iP
Category
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MotorTranscript
00:00 [Music]
00:28 On two wheels this week Wayne tries his hand at sidecar speedway. I spend a day
00:34 trail riding with the TRF and a few more two-wheeled cockups.
00:40 [Music]
00:45 A number of weeks ago on our program I opened my big gob which is not unusual. At the BMF
00:53 show I mentioned the fact that I like the idea of having to go in one of these
00:56 speedway sidecars. Well as you can see I've got the boots, I've got the gear, I've
01:01 got the helmet, I've got the gloves. Someone's supplying a bike and a rider
01:06 so I've no excuse I can't get out of it. I've got to have a go. To be honest with
01:10 you I can't wait.
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02:51 Whoo! Now that was the business. Ivor, that was absolutely fantastic.
02:57 First question is was he any good? Like do I get a job or not? Yeah I wouldn't
03:02 want to be going 20 mile an hour faster as we were doing a bit but yeah no you
03:05 did well, you did fine. Oh I did fine eh? But you didn't offer me a job. Never mind, no I
03:09 don't want a job. It was exciting but a couple of laps that's enough and in a
03:13 second when you go out there and do your bit I'm going for a massage and a sit
03:17 down if I can find someone to do it. Tell us about these things. I mean it's a
03:21 very very strange looking thing. I don't mean the colour, that's quite attractive
03:24 and it matches your suit, fine. But it is an unusual thing. You wouldn't ever
03:28 see this in any other sport or would you? You'd see something very similar in
03:33 the world of grass track but they're very very specialised things. I mean as
03:37 you've just experienced they only turn right. They're designed to do one thing
03:40 and that's to turn right and that's what they do very very well. There are a few
03:44 basic differences between this and a grass track bike. These have got no
03:49 suspension, obviously just on the front, no rear or sidecar suspension whereas a
03:53 grass track bike would have and the engine in these is much further back
03:57 because this surface gives you a lot less drive. Moving the engine back gives
04:00 you more drive. Got you. You're not in the right shape when you go around the
04:04 corners. I noticed that. I thought it's steering that's completely wrong but now
04:08 I realise you've got bent handlebars. Is there a reason for this peculiar shaped
04:11 handlebar? Yeah, when we first saw these, I raced in Australia a few years ago and
04:17 we looked at them and thought they can't be right because grass track bikes tend
04:20 to have almost ape hanger bars that you steer like this and they looked most
04:24 uncomfortable but when you're out there because when they turn it
04:28 actually brings the handlebars flat. Got you. So whilst you're in a straight line
04:32 one's down and one's up when you're sliding it brings them. I knew there was
04:35 a reason. I mean I've been selling bars like that for years and people have been
04:38 bringing back to me. Right so I've sussed the handlebars out. I think I've sussed
04:42 out what I'm supposed to do but I'm not really so enthusiastic about actually
04:46 racing them. I mean four of them going round in circles very very fast. Sounds a
04:50 bit iffy to me so I reckon the best move is now so you better go and do some
04:53 racing. Get your mate Simon in the sidecar and go and go and do your bit.
04:57 Win a couple of races won't you because you know that's what we've come for to
04:59 see you do your bit and then we'll have a word after you've done your races.
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06:48 Look at this here now and the lads having a well-earned rest sitting down on the job. I don't know why he sat down lads it was easy. I mean he's been sat down all night on this thing. You've been moving around haven't you?
07:02 Simon and Ivor you're obviously very impressive we've watched you go around very very
07:06 quick and it looks very exciting. The truth is do you enjoy it? Do you really enjoy going out there
07:12 working up a sweat? Okay are you still sweating? Yeah well wouldn't do it if we didn't. That's true. Wouldn't
07:17 spend the money on it so yeah absolutely. How about you Simon yeah? Just an adrenaline junkies I think that's all we are. Yeah you do get a buzz out of it don't you? You do get a bit hyper and I know I did when I was on it and I wasn't really going very quick but you go an awful lot quicker and you still have time to wave at the camera and so on your poser. Tell us a bit about the sport now then. I see there's four cycles.
07:35 I see there's four side cars and they go very very quick but they go the wrong way. Why do they go the wrong way? Just because of the shape? Well no it's just history I guess. I've always gone the wrong way. It's the wrong way for speedway track anyway certainly. You have to turn the lights round and all that. Did you start in the grass track scene then before you come to this? Yes I did really I got thrown in at the deep end. I was between rides really and Ivor's late passenger before he broke his arm in Germany and then I was thrown in the deep end with Ivor.
08:04 So I was relatively new to the scene but got thrown in with Ivor who's been about a bit. Hang on a minute now. He's been about a bit has he? Listen you're on about broken arms, thrown in a bit, no doubt thrown off on occasions as well. Is there something wrong with you? Have you had a bang on the head? Is it because of the adrenaline? Would you rather passenger than ride maybe?
08:27 Well I do ride as well. I've got my own outfit so when Ivor doesn't race then I actually ride in night club meetings. But yeah I would rather passenger than ride. But it's too much to do on the front.
08:42 Just going back to the sport in general. You're an ex British champion in the grass track. How are you getting on in the old speedway scene now? We were second in the British Championships last year and we've got that meeting again here in the not too distant future. So hopefully we go one better this year.
08:58 We hope you do. Now if you do need any help with any tuition. I'm not the man to ask obviously. No we do wish you all the best with that. We hope that coming and me having a go at this and showing this enthuses people, you lot out there to consider coming and watching this sport because it is very very exciting. So why don't you go and watch it.
09:18 No fancy leathers this week. No fancy shiny paintwork. No fancy race replicas. This week we're going to get dirty. Full of mud. Because we're going trail riding. Off road riding. Or not off road riding. Apparently it's called off tarmac riding or something. I don't know. All will be explained.
09:45 So here we are on a grand day out in the back of beyond the middle of nowhere with the Lancashire TRF and this is chairman of the Lanx TRF John Gardner. Is that the right title chairman? Yes Paul that's correct. That's a grand title. How did you get to be chairman of the TRF? I turned up late for an annual general meeting on one occasion and I've been chairman ever since.
10:12 Is that your punishment? Right. Well tell me what is the TRF to the people who don't know and what do you get up to?
10:17 The TRF is the Trail Riders Fellowship. It's a national organisation dedicated to the preservation of green lanes and unsurfaced, untarmacked legal roads.
10:26 So is it a massive organisation? Do you have loads and loads of members?
10:29 No there's about 2000 members nationally and it's organised by county or by region. For example in Lancashire we have some 40 or 50 members. In Ribble Valley which is also part of Lancashire they have another 40 members. I think the Peak District has 3 districts in it. And it covers most of England and Wales but not Scotland because there's different laws applying in Scotland.
10:47 Oh right. What different laws as regards to using different parts of the country sir?
10:51 Different laws applying to rights of way.
10:53 Right. OK. So it sounds rather like an owners club in a way. It's a national thing but there's branches throughout the country. Do you get together with other people and you go and visit them and they come and ride in your path?
11:04 Yeah very much so. We'll go and stay for a weekend with a group down in the south of England and they'll come up to ride with us in Lancashire and in Yorkshire or in the Peak District. I've just led a group over in the Isle of Man for a long weekend and the Isle of Man's excellent for trail riding.
11:17 Oh I can imagine. What kind of people do you get? I would imagine you don't get the boy racer is that right?
11:23 Yes I think the odd boy racer that comes and finds us perhaps is not for him because one thing we're not doing is racing. We're riding responsibly and using only legal roads which gives us opportunities to see the countryside and yet sort of preserve the roads that we've got.
11:39 Right. And I think there's one or two guys here with us today that have done a bit of motocross in the past and trails. Is that the case?
11:45 Yes I think there's a lot of retired trails riders and perhaps retired motocrossers who've come out on these bikes with us that are rather slow, steady a pace.
11:53 So this is the TRF, Home for Retired Trails Riders. I think that's a better title don't you?
11:57 I think it could well be that yes.
11:59 Another member of the Lanx TRF is this man. Countryside Warden for Wildlife is that right?
12:08 Well Wildlife Warden for North West Water.
12:11 Now North West Water as I understand own virtually all this land that we've been on today?
12:15 Yes, all the trails we've rode today are on North West Water land.
12:18 So we're quite good to have you on our side aren't we?
12:20 Hope so.
12:21 I think we are yes.
12:23 Some of them were concessionary routes that have been negotiated with North West Water so we've got the keys to the gates and we ride them about seven times a year.
12:31 So there must be problems with, I mean bikes have got a bad image, like it or not they've got a bad image.
12:37 There's a stereotype, people think bikes around the countryside are going to frighten the animals.
12:41 I mean the bikes won't frighten the animals at all because you go past quick, you're not there for a long time.
12:47 But we do get a problem in certain areas and it's mainly young lads which is a shame.
12:52 They've got bikes that are not road legal, they just scream around, some of them have been pinched and it gives all bikers then a bad image.
13:00 So here in the TRF all our bikes are road legal and we try and educate them, certainly when we're out and about.
13:07 If we come across any lads motorcrossing as such, we'll stop, we'll have a chat and usually they've got a problem.
13:15 You know the bike's not legal and they can't get about places but at least we can sort of, it gives us the opportunity to chat and explain the problem they're causing for other bike users, certainly trail riders.
13:27 Excellent, so you think we're winning the battle in the countryside?
13:31 Oh yeah, we're winning slowly but surely.
13:33 So perhaps you're wondering what we're using for all this mucky stuff.
13:47 Well I'm actually using this old, well old-ish Yamaha XT350.
13:52 I'm not being rude there Roger, this is Roger Davies, the man who's very kindly, very foolishly let me ride this bike of his.
13:57 Roger, without being rude, this isn't worth a fortune is it?
14:00 It's certainly not, no.
14:01 So what would you get for this?
14:03 Probably around about £800, maybe even £1000 possibly.
14:06 Right, so that's just, the point I'm trying to make is that you don't have to have fancy stuff to have a lot of fun with this do you?
14:13 Certainly not, no, no, no, you can spend £500 and you can have a bike that will give you an awful lot of enjoyment or you can go to the other extreme and spend £4000.
14:25 Right, so we've got everything here from this, I mean XT350, you know, solid sort of thing but nothing fancy.
14:31 XR250 over there, Honda, I mean four and a half grand's worth.
14:34 And I notice we've got three bikes today, these Yamaha Cerros which is a grey import, is that unusual?
14:40 It's not unusual at the moment but then the big motorcycle companies don't seem to send us the sort of bikes that we require.
14:49 Oh right, so you're saying...
14:51 So we can buy things under a grey import.
14:53 Oh right, so what you're saying, well what are you short of, what's the trail bike world short of?
14:57 The best sort of trail bikes are things that are light, they're economical, they have a long range because where we ride quite often garages are few and far between.
15:07 They must be cheap, they must be easy to repair and they must be reasonably powerful to have a reasonable road speed.
15:15 So you're looking at what, sort of 250-ish, 250cc's?
15:19 Anywhere between 200-250 is the best sort of capacity for what we do, yes.
15:24 So your argument to the manufacturers who are all watching this now is that you haven't got enough choice when it comes to 250 trail bikes, is that right?
15:31 That is right, yes, that's why we've so many grey imports.
15:34 Right, I see, well they're doing well these little 225 Cerro's are going the bomb today.
15:39 But not just the bikes, I mean you can spend as much or as little on the bikes, but the gear, I mean, you know I've got my dirty old motocross boots on that I've had for donkeys years and a scruffy nylon.
15:48 You don't have to, you won't have any more fun will you if you spend thousands than the guy who spends 500 quid, is that right?
15:54 That is right, yes, this is certainly not a fashion parade.
15:57 We tend to ride through the winter and once something gets covered in mud and once it's raining a lot, everything looks about the same.
16:05 Alan Hodgson, Honda man, XR 250, nice bike, smart bike, fully kitted out, all the fancy gear.
16:24 What do you get out of this Alan?
16:26 Pleasure, absolute pleasure, it's just enjoying riding motorbikes, not on tarmac, although on roads, that's the difference.
16:34 Right, because these are roads aren't they?
16:36 Yes they are, yes, it's not off road as such, it's off tarmac and that's the difference.
16:40 They are, as you've said before, they have to be legal motorcycles because you're riding on roads, but the terrain doesn't look like a road because people haven't used it so there's no tarmac there.
16:49 Have you done anything like this before, I mean have you done any off road stuff, motocrossing?
16:54 Yes, I've competed in motocross, that was many, many years ago when I was a lot younger.
16:59 What I like about trail riding is the fact that you can go at your own pace, it's not a competition and you just enjoy yourself riding your motorcycle for between 8 and 10 hours a day, it's wonderful.
17:10 So you must cover a lot of mileage, I mean we've had a bit, we've disrupted your run today I know because we've stopped with cameras and had you going past us and all this, but how far would you go on a typical run?
17:20 Between 80 and 150 miles, but obviously that depends on the terrain.
17:23 And all over the country?
17:24 Yes, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Wales.
17:28 Where's the best part of the country for trail riding, I know what you're going to say, you're going to say Lancashire aren't you?
17:33 No, Yorkshire probably, even though I'm a Lancashire man, well I don't know, Wales is good as well.
17:38 They're all good aren't they?
17:39 They are, there's some superb lanes.
17:42 I thought I knew this area, I don't live far from here as you know, and I thought I knew this area fairly well, I've seen places to date and visited places I didn't even know existed.
17:50 Exactly, and the sights that you see are wonderful, the wildlife is great.
17:54 Do you go abroad doing this?
17:55 No I don't, I've to have a word with Hilda my wife about that.
17:58 That's the next step is it?
17:59 Yes, hopefully.
18:00 Now as you can imagine when you're out on these roads, very very bumpy, very very sharp rocks on some of them, you get some damage to your bike occasionally, punctures etc.
18:14 Now this man, Peter Nag, Peter you're head of maps and jargon, that's right?
18:18 That's right, yes, talk all day about rubbish.
18:21 About byways and highways and ruts and what they're called these things, ruts?
18:25 Ruts, roads, public paths, byways.
18:28 Right look, forget that, I'm not into the jargon, what I want to know is this, I saw you fiddling in here before, this very comprehensive tool kit that you've got here, is there anything you can't fix?
18:38 No, this is the compulsory tool kit, it carries just about everything for the bike in there, there's a hand pump in there as well, a couple of spare tubes, tow rope just in case we can't get the bike going, we pull many a bike occasionally on the road, although you've got to be very careful.
18:56 Have you ever been out and something's happened, like you've had a breakdown and with your multitude of attachments here, not been able to fix it?
19:03 No, I've been dragged home once or twice before with the old tow rope when the piston's blown in the engine.
19:09 So what's the biggest problem you get on these roads, is it punctures?
19:12 I think punctures, yes, obviously you've got to make sure that all the nuts and bolts are tightened up, when you're on the road you don't often get a lot of vibration, but when you're on the rough stuff, most of the nuts and bolts have got to be really tightened up, make sure you've got the lock washers on and everything else like that, otherwise you'll soon find bits of your bike start dropping off and you've lost them when you turn around.
19:32 So you're a good man to have along aren't you with this?
19:36 Yes, I've just given somebody two paracetamols.
19:39 You've got them as well, medical kit as well is it?
19:41 Yes, a little bit as well.
19:42 This man thinks of everything.
19:43 Brilliant, fantastic. How do people get involved?
19:57 Well we have adverted a number of national monthly magazines and also we're on the internet or you can find us through the BMF.
20:04 And the TRF, is it a club, I mean there's a membership fee?
20:08 There's a national membership fee of £18 a year and many of the regions charge an extra £3 or so to be a member of that particular county's branch.
20:17 Brilliant, it's an absolute bargain, don't miss out on this, it's great fun.
20:21 [Music]
20:43 So just to keep the crowd entertained a little further I'm going to do some impressions, farmyard impressions.
20:48 Wayne, get off that tractor!
20:51 Hey, yes indeedy!
20:53 Can I ask this officer here what's going on, excuse me.
20:58 Oh it's you! Hello Paul, how are you mate?
21:01 How come you've got a fancy jacket and I've got this thing?
21:03 Times are hard mate, I've took a part time job and I'm a traffic warden.
21:06 What, just for the night?
21:07 Just for the night, yeah, just a couple of quid in yeah.
21:10 In fact, just give me that man, I just need a word with these lads over here.
21:13 Excuse me, you can't be parking these bikes here son, I say!
21:17 And welcome to the Two Wheels Better Fashion Ex...
21:20 Grab it, everybody's like that.
21:22 [Laughs]
21:24 Fashion show.
21:25 [Laughs]
21:30 [Sings]
21:33 We're going for fashion show.
21:34 Fashion show, he can't talk to me, he's got me gander.
21:36 It's a lot easier.
21:37 [Laughs]
21:40 Alright, carry on.
21:41 So welcome to the Two Wheels Better Fashion Show.
21:44 I hope this is the words.
21:46 Come on Jeff, give us a song now.
21:48 Dickie Bond.
21:49 Sing us 'Sheriff Ho, how's the food, how's the hoo?'
21:54 You look like Frankie Bond.
21:56 [Laughs]
21:58 Just tell us, in what year was the first TT?
22:02 Nice and simple that.
22:04 Send your...
22:05 Bollocks.
22:06 Send your answers...
22:08 Bollocks.
22:10 [Laughs]
22:13 It's the first one I've copped up anyway.
22:16 I can't believe this.
22:18 Hiya.
22:19 Are you allowed to talk to us? Television.
22:21 Who are you?
22:22 [Laughs]
22:28 Right, stop laughing now.
22:32 You're going to make me laugh.
22:34 No motorways.
22:36 No I know.
22:37 No toll roads.
22:38 Everything's, 90% of the stuff's free.
22:40 Yeah.
22:42 [Laughs]
22:44 On Two Wheels next week, with more people still buying second hand than brand new,
22:51 we take a look at three sports bikes between three and four thousand pounds.
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23:03 [Tires screeching]
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