Elspeth Beard

1980, Elspeth Beard was a 24 years old architect student when she bought an used BMW -1974 R60/6 to be precise- and decided to ride the world. She shipped the bike to NY and started the trip, riding up North to Canada, then down to Mexico before she reached LA. From there, she shipped the Beemer to Sydney.

As an architecture student, she did not have enough funding for the complete trip so she had to work while in Australia for 7 month to build up the funding. She wrecked her bike riding Australia and spend 2 weeks in hospital before she finished the trip there.

Her bike was then shipped to Singapore to explore the South-East Asia, where her valuables got stolen. Took 6weeks to replace all the important documents, such as passport, visa for the country she was planning to visit. She wrecked her bike again hitting a tree, destroying a garden of a Thai family, who kindly nursed her for 2 weeks. Her bike was damaged, "I took the cylinder off, straightened the bent studs as best I could and packed the cylinder base with gaskets and goo to get enough compression back".

She rode the India and fell victim to both hepatitis and dysentery. While there, assassination of Mrs. Gandhi (PM of India at the time ) happened, which made her nearly impossible to get out of the country. She got fed up and forged the necessary document to get out. She rode Pakistan then Iran with a fellow BMW rider from Holland but gotten seriously sick from the hepatitis; She had to take some time off at Turkey. After that, she finished the trip through Greece to Europe and finally UK, which was a lot easier ride.

The trip took her 3 years, 48,000 miles and 53 lb of weight loss.

She became the first British woman to circumnavigate the world by motorcycle.

She still rides and helps fellow bike adventurers and has well-established architecture business. Here is Her architecture site
And for more detailed her bike adventure, you can read this an article from Motorcyclist

Motorbikes in Movies

Via: Bikesure

 I don't if this is because UK thing, but there are bunch more other worth mentioning bikes and characters in movies. I would take Goose with his Kwaka from Mad Max over Golden Eye, or Resident Evil.

McLaren MP4-12C vs Honda Civic BTCC racer vs Honda Fireblade BSB

This was really entertaining to me.

Doing The ton on a bicycle

Experiments in speed. Inspired by those great men of the salt flats, those men that in the 60s pushed the Land Speed Record from the 300s up towards the 600mph mark in jet-propelled cars built in their sheds. We decided to do what we do: build a bicycle, but this time, in the spirit of those pioneers of speed, build it to see how fast we could go…

 donhoubicycles.com
 spindleproductions.co.uk

WWII airbase transformed into energy-efficient farmhouse

"The appropriately-named Allies Farm in Essex UK was formerly the airbase and shelter at RAF Ridgewell, from where the US Air Force's 381st Bombardment Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses on 296 bombing runs during World War II. Following a conversion masterminded by Cameron Scott of Timber Design, the shelter is now a timber-clad farmhouse, home to the Grays and their three children."

Via:Gizmag

Terrier Combat Engineer Vehicle

 

Terrier is one of the most advanced combat engineer vehicles -- delivering uncompromising performance from a medium weight chassis. It is also the first UK combat vehicle to enter service designed with an integrated electronic architecture which facilitates 'drive-by-wire' and remote control making the vehicle highly capable, survivable and adaptable.

 I remember a several years ago, a disgruntled man spend 2 years to make his bulldozer, a bullet proof camera mounted demolishing machine. He went crushing all the places he had problem with. And no one could stop him.

Grey Poupon "The Lost Footage"

I was forced to watch the first 5 seconds of this ad at youtube. I ended up watching the whole thing.

Bertie Shoes & Triumph

Bertie Shoes is a London based footwear brand. They had a photo-shoot with a Triumph Bonneville back in 2010. I have seen one picture from the set (the forth one to be exact...)but never others. I don't care about shoes -I don't have foot/shoes fetish like some do- but I can't resist the combination of bikes and babes.

iSuperbiker 3 trailer

iSuperbiker is a motorcycle race film that followed major contenders of 2012 MCE British Superbike Championship. The film features the trials and tribulations of the Title Fighters Shane Byrne, Josh Brookes, Alex Lowes, Michael Laverty and Tommy Bridewell. I am a fan of former World Superbiker rider, Nori Haga. He has been in the series. He has not gotten great results from the races there. I sure hope he would go back to WSBK. MCE British Superbike Championship is not aired in the US, but a great guy The666Sisco at youtube has been uploading old races so that you can at least watch the races.

Coward

"COWARD" is a 28 minute film set during World War 1 that brings to light some of the brutal treatment soldiers received for suffering what would now be known as shell-shock. It follows two cousins, Andrew and James, from their home in Northern Ireland who join the British Army to fight for their Country and make their families proud. Through their eyes we see the reality of life on the front lines.

 It is a beautifully shot short film. Well-executed compositions reminded me impressionism paintings.

1997 World Supersport Donington

Roberto Panichi's great high side save

Heathrow is a busy airport

"This video shows how short the distances between approaching planes at LHR are" I have been to the airport. Fuzz with sub machine guns were visible everywhere there.

Peregrine Motorcycles

"The ‘OW16 Replica’ combines authentic, classic Yamaha race bike looks with a subtly updated specification that brings the riding and owing experience firmly into the 21st century"

One enthusiast  in UK could not stop thinking about the exciting 2 stroke racing bike that decided to make his own and sell them to public. It is based on OW16, which was 350cc Yamaha factory race bike of 1975. The company is aiming to launch the road legal bike in 2013 with the the target price of under $32,000. The bike with armed with 392cc capacity, 28mm Keihin / 34mm Mikuni carbs, Front forks got choice of Maxton ‘Ceriani replica’ or Marzocchi 40mm Mono-shock option – Maxton ‘TZ replica’ long-shock or Hagon 62029 short-shock Twin-shock option – Maxton T260C or Hagon 2810. Brakes got choice of Grimeca twin piston ‘period’ or Brembo Goldline 4-pot calipers. As well as the spoked wheels or racing Mag wheels. 
In other words,
you can make the bike period appropriate. The bike consists of brand new parts and the only used parts they might use is a Yamaha gear box shafts.

 I personally like old school "parade" spec but like to fit with road legal parts. That would be cool to buzz around the town.
 With the smell of burning oil and the high exhaust note....

For more info visit Peregrine Motorcycles

Iron and Resin

Must be fun to race at a beach

DSS Warehouse

"David Silver built the business that bears his name with the supply of new ‘old stock’ parts for Honda motorcycles bought from dealers and distributors. He began 25 years ago, back in 1986, with the purchase of a couple of hundred pounds worth of obsolete petrol tanks and mudguards and now carries a mountain of spares for more than 1000 different models. The massive inventory includes the most comprehensive range in Europe for machines of the Sixties, Seventies all the way through to 2001 models."

 David Silver Spares, known DSS is not a Honda dealership.  You can say that he is one of the biggest Honda fanatics of the world. DSS not only sells new "old stock" parts but also manufactures obsolete parts such as side covers, gas tanks, badges, calipers and so on. I stumbled across the pictures of company warehouse. I am sure that this is making vintage Honda  fan drool.

Mobility Scooter in the SNOW

It is the same scooter the UK prankster Colin Furze made the 70mph record with.
from UK

John McGuinness - The Road to Revolution