Manky Monkey Motors

Merry Christmas you lot.

Merry Christmas.
Wasn't Dave Mann the guy that did the piccies in Easyriders Mag in the '70s, or Iron Horse mag maybe?

The very same.
He died in 2004. A full gallery of his work here:
http://home.att.net/~knucklehead-47/dmann.htm
The guy was a genius. I always wanted to live the kind of life he drew. Wish I could draw like him too.

A certain person we know is living the "Mann" life in Wales, even got a Harley.

Young Ian? Coo, I'd almost forgotten him! I should get in touch.
Nice guy. Pass on my regards next time you talk to him please.

Will do, by the way, he's a granddad now. Dale, with not a little help from a lass called Donna has produced a lad they call Finlay.

Got any piccies of Ian & his bikes?
I always remember him as having a big ol' Beeza single in his living room & 2 bull terriers that were bought for breeding but hated each other so much they were chained to opposite sides of the room.

Mann was a god, also did pictures of Hot rods for American Rodder mag,
Love the trike in the woods picture with the Mud tyres ;D ;D ;D its giving me ideas :-\ :-\

Yeah, Flap keeps telling me how stupidly cheap Landy parts are. Almost worth building a trike using all Landrover gear just for off-roading on.

...yeah, that'd be propper useful round your way

 ;D About as useful as Flap's Landy.

Wait till it snows and you cant get your van out.

snigger

On that first picture why is he shoveling snow under his trike  ???

i thought that and the girly is wearing shorts

 ;D
The first piccie of the red trike shows the long thin "rocket" tank I reckon Toad should put on his supercharged Reliant -they were all the rage a decade or so ago but you don't ever see 'em now.
In the off road trike pic, aren't the rear tyres on the wrong way round?

They're not shorts foolish woman, they're woolly leg warmers over her jeans. We blokies notice these things!  ;)

mmmm you sure i don't beleive you

I think they are brown leather thigh length boots  ;D

oh the imagination of a man typical

No, definitely clingy wool.

mmmm but agree with you on the wheels of the trike almost as good as the one in the mag with his front wheel

The new issue of 100% Biker mentions a "Harely Davidson" on the cover. Haven't read it though so not sure if it's a genuine spelling mistake or some clever play on words. I suspect the former.

i recon the former too

There's nothing inside to suggest a play on words - the proofreading in general has been very sloppy since Nik became editor.  (I used to be a professional proofreader so I can't help noticing!)

I did a 4 year printing apprenticeship when I left school cos I wanted to become a proof reader &, at the time, that was the only way into the trade. By the time I'd finished my training, proof reading as a career was almost dead. I hate bad grammar though; really annoys me.

i agree but i'm crap at spelling not my strong point thank god for spell check

So's punctuation I see! Hee hee!

and capital letters in the right places

I wasn't going to draw attention to that, but yes. ;D

 ;D ;D ;D ;D :o ;D ;D :P

I went to an all boys secondary school -the same one Speedmaster went to, but he was in the year above me. It was full of very un P.C teachers who'd been in the Army & thought the best way to impart knowledge to small boys was to whack 'em with a ruler. A great education though. Shame I wasted it.   

i think they should bring that back into school the kids get away with murder now literaly

Yeah, my Dad says you know you're getting old when the World no longer feels like the one you grew up in. I hate living in a big ugly town & long to move to a quiet village where the people are still nice. Can't see it ever happening but I live in hope.

You could do it if you moved up north - my friend's daughter has moved to Yorkshire, where her husband has relatives, and they have a lovelly cottage in a village, for less than our end terrace on a town estate!

Hell of a move tho, if you've lived all your life down south - I know I couldn't do it.

i have a spare room in a posh vilage and almost a mile of private road to play on and an open fire in the front room

If I went North it'd have to be Scotland -I love the place, but there's no work up there. My sister says Canada is still very polite & friendly & the house prices are half what they are over here. I'd go like a shot if I got the chance.

I spect getting into Canada - as a resident - is much like getting into Oz?  Need a job and a sponsor AND some money behind you....

Sounds nice Mrs Taz. Very cosy.

She was something posh in the executive side of NTL, selling webspace to businesses I think, but couldn't get a job out there. Her hubby managed to get work as a labourer for a landscaping company & that was enough for them to go. Bought my flatlet for 35 grand. They're going for nearly 90 now.

That would hardly buy anything down here!

its Miss Taz and thats cheep one of the one dad bungalows with no parking just up the road from me went for 200'000. well it is surrey

Ah, there's still time for me to whisk you away to my first floor, studio castle then.
If Id've stayed married my 3 bed semi with integral garage would be paid off by now. Had to start again from scratch when I got divorced so don't think I'll ever catch up again.
Not into materialism at all though. When I've got any spare cash I'd rather spend it on going places & doing things than collecting goods. My tiny little flat is all I need. Just wish it was in a nicer place! A llittle crofters cottage in the Highlands would be my ideal. Not sure the little crofter would agree though.

my dream would be something similar to the one i'm in now but bigger with a bigger open fire and with more land and no neighbours to complain whenever we start up the trike

Highlands. The most beautiful scenery imaginable -vast lochs, as still & tranquil as mill ponds, water falls, forests, snow capped mountains, castles -& no neighbours.

sounds perfect

would have to be a log cabin sweedish style with a steam room and outdoor jakuzi

O.K, but I want a big wooden workshop for my metal sculpting. And a couple of chocolate brown Labradors to sit with me on the verandah while I watch the sun go down behind the mountains each evening.
The ex & I used to go to Fort William every October & spend a fortnight hill walking. At that time of year all the tourists have gone but it's still warm enough to sit on the gorgeous white sand beaches in a T shirt. Fabulous smooth riding roads too.

sounds wonderfull me and taz don't really go anywhere :'( but i do have 2 black labs you could borrow them ;D

Might take you up on that! The bottom piccie is of the Glen Finnan monument on the shores of Loch Shiel. It marks the spot where Bonny Prince Charlie landed & raised an army to fight the British. Below the hill I was stood on is a little visitor centre that serves home-made cakes & coffee, run by a Swedish guy called Rudi. Behind me when I took the photo is the viaduct used in the Harry Potter film for the flying Ford Anglia sequence. My favourite memory of Scotland is sitting on that hillside one moonlit night, watching the moon moving across the far end of the loch & listening to red stags baying at each other from the woods on either side.

sigh if only

Yeah, beats a flat in the middle of Basingstoke.
The first time I sat on that shore I kept hearing odd plopping sounds in the water. Couldn't figure out what it was, then I saw a salmon jump a foot out of the water right in front of me.
A magical country. I'd love to take the trike up there when it's done.

well thats a plan maybe book a large self contained house thing and several of us go there for a holiday

Manky Monkies invade Scotland!
We used to break the journey at Carlisle, which is about 6 hours drive from Hampshire. Stay overnight in a Travel Inn then finish the journey fresh in the morning. About 10 hours altogether. Little Miss PMT & Mark, who call in here from time to time, run Edinburgh Trike Services, building Reliant trikes based on our design. Would be cool to drop in & say Hi.
The little B & B we used to stay in was overlooked by Ben Nevis. The next mountain along the range is Anoche Mor, which has a cable car running up it to a restaurant halfway up. Lovely to sit in there with a hot bowl of soup, watching the snow falling outside. 

that is a long way our trike would never make it and nor would i on it i think i would have to go by car for that distance and take everyones luggage and tools

Ya wimp! The first of those piccies was taken near Tindrum, where there's a restaurant & shop called The Green Welly Stop, popular with coach parties in the Summer & hikers in the Winter. Every Sunday morning there's a bike meet there. Maybe next year I'll do it on the trike.

ok will get an extra thick sponge for the seat. if i pass my bike test will probably go on the 650 or i could just hire an articulated lorry shove everyones bikes in it then its easy to get there and we use the trikes to buzz about once we are there.

I went to Scotland once, came home married, not falling for that again

A lady with an HGV licence -how cool is that! Flap's going for his next year through the T.A
I've seriously thought of hiring a Transit van for the same reason. Then you could sleep in the van & save on B & Bs!

 ;D And I didn't even get an invite.
Missed out on the sis' Las Vegas wedding too.
Merry Christmas big brother. See you tomorrow.

i have my class 1 so thats better than HGV but not my bike yet hopefully next year. i love driving big lorries think its a girl power thing and yes when i passed my test i bought a Yorkie bar. good idea with the transit though

It'd have to be a big van to get the trikes in! You can fly to Glasgow in an hour then rent a car. Flap's also hoping to do his bike test with the Army. Is class one for artics then? What's the difference between that & HGV?

yes class one is articulated and HGV is just a rigid lorry but as big as you like. so i can prety much drive anything on the road legally

Wow. I think I love you!  ;D

mmmm  :o think taz would have something to say about that  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Where is Mr Taz? Haven't left him to hobble about unaided on his busted knee while you spend all night on the 'pooter have you?

he's ok got beer on tap i'm on wireless network so i'm downstairs with him and his dad as i'm on call for re fills. going to bed now to wait for santa night night

Then I wish you & both Taz Junior & Senior a goodnight & a very merry Christmas. ;)

Of course you don't have to go that far to live in an idyllic spot - my daughter lives in a tiny village on the Dorset coast, in a thatched cottage with, literally, roses round the door!

It has an enormous garden with views across the Purbeck hills, and also out to sea and across to Portland Bill, there's so much room in the garden they've built an enormous shed for the three bikes plus workshop space, including a fridge for the essential beers!

When my daughter was head-hunted for a job with more money that would have meant moving she had no hesitation in turning it down, after all, as she said, what use is more money when you'd have to leave paradise?

They don't own it of course - well you don't want to own a thatched cottage, cos it's the owner (landlord) who has to pay for re-thatching every 20 years!  But it belongs to the estate that owns most of the village, and the houses are let at an economic rent so that young families can afford to live there and the village will be kept alive.

I haven't got a phot of the sea view or the cottage (well I have but it's hidden behind a bouncy castle!)on the computer but this is looking across to the Purbecks....

And part of the garden....

That's lovely Bobbi.
I'd like to live in a bouncy castle.

Like this one...?

that should keep him out of trouble for a while  ;D

Cool!

Sorry Manky - no adults allowed!

(or large persons)

Damn!  >:(

I've got me class 2, thats any rigid Mr Manky with as many axles as you like, class 1 is an artic. got to do a drops course in January then I can do my class 1, for free  ;D

go for it! but remember as of april next year max 9 hr,s driving in a 24hr period!! its gonna really upset my wages!! ie no overtime! this applys to all vehicles fitted with a tacho! before this s**te was bought in i could drive as much as i wanted! the breakdown recovery industry was exempt! not anymore! >:(

yup artic is a big bugger and thats what i did my test in not a waggon and drag i only got 4 minors see if you can beet that flappy also cose i work with horses and its for my boss's personal use i don't have to use the tacho not even on the continent ;D

I only had 3 minors on me class 2, one was not checking the mirrors (disputable) on a maneuver and 2 for gear change, the splitter was buggered and didn't always change back so it was in neutral instead of second when pulling away  >:( I don't need to use tacho either when when I'm driving something hand painted green 'n' black  ;D

thats a good score but artic is harder hows your reversing with a trailer :o can't remember what i got for the rigid it was about 4 years ago and i have an SJ410 hand painted in green and black too

I'm rubbish at reversing with a trailer, only done it a few times and that was in my Land Rover with no power steering. Hard work that  :)

nothing wrong with landy's but yes steering is a bugger in them. just practice. the artic reversing is tha same patern as the rigid and big trailers are easier than small. if i can do it you can i am just a meer female after all ;D  ;D  ;D

tiz nice to see a feminine truck driver! you wanna see what i get on a class one breakdowns! most of the female drivers are like blokes with boobs! :o i hate doing wagon an drag recoveries. aint nice being chatted up by a bloke with tits! :P

 ;D  ;D  ;D i don't blame you would freek me out too i bet you see some sights  :o  and i'm definatley not a blokey type and not at all a big female only 5'6 there is a pic of me on triker-taz's PitBull

i know what ya look like!! :o saw ya piccy on the shell driving challenge page!  ;D if only every female driver was like you! ;) flirty buggar aint i? on a serious not we got a reccy driver who gets off on butch females! and yep ya right i do get to see some sights! alot of it aint pleasant im afraid which is why some of my post are a bit wierd kinda of an escape from reality for me! ;)

I drove a big artic when I did the 'Ladies Driving Challenge' - dead easy as it wasn't loaded and I only had to go forwards!

I was ok reversing a tractor and trailer when I worked on the farm but that was easy cos you could turn halfway round on the tractor seat to see what the trailer was doing!(No cabs in them days).  Tried to reverse a car and bike trailer once and that was a bugger cos I couldn't see the trailer at all till it jacknifed!

BG sounds like the challenge you did was much more fun and yes tractors are easier especially with the nobby thing on the wheel.

and that ok toad thats tame isn't it MM ;D you should have heard the comments when i had to drove to portugal earlier in the year and that was just in the queue booking in for the ferry, i kinda switch off now  ;D

oh and ya gonna watch it when they tellevise it on the web on 19th Jan for 5 weeks i think and it should be in the top gear mag but probably not till feb.
i'm not allowed to say who won etc as i signed a paper thingy to keep my gob shut.

The nobby thing on the wheel is the driver isn't it?
Remember folks Ms Tazzette was here before she became a prime time TV celebrity. I hope you'll remember us little people when they're offering you your own show. Maybe you could present ScrapTrike Challenge.

I'm glad someone's keen to drive artics, Livin' in a layby, tachos, speed cameras, loads not ready, transport managers aaaaaaarrrrgh!  Glad I'm out of it.
Just let me wander the wilds of Lincolnshire in my mobile library with people bringing me tea and cakes and I'll be happy as a pig in SH** ;D

i'm not quite that sort of lorry driver although i love driving so wouldn't mind having a go and instead of laybys we stop over in fields and my lorry has a loo / shower/ cooker/ fridge etc in it so not that bad realy just the cold nights as no heating. although i have my artic licence i actually drive an HGV with trailer (not drag as normal ball hitch) but the total length is the same as an artic. the trailer takes carriages and equipment and opens out as stabling for the ponies so when we go away we are totaly self contained so long as we have access to running water

My van hasn't got a loo or a shower but it has got a cool box, microwave, kettle and decent heaters. Not brilliantly equiped but good enough for me.
I even get to see some hoses on my rounds. ;D

Hoses ??? where did that come from, I meant horses, of the hunting kind, fox hunting that is.
Did anyone here support their local hunt this Boxing Day?

Hey, I just noticed, some kind person has given me good Karma, last time I looked I was -2 now I'm 0. Cheers whoever you are.

Scratch that, I'm 1, tee hee

Thought fox hunting had been stopped  ??? I hate them hunting Muppet's, pompous oh look at me I so important twats  >:(  I Don't like fox's either  ;D

Ooh, controversial!

thanks flap so i'm an important pompous looking muppet now :'( :'(
I used to hunt but boss gave it up as he kept falling off and hurting himself, haven't been since it got banned and i hate foxes especially round lambing time the kids on the yard call the morning field check the walk of death, not nice first thing to just find bits of lambs where a fox has had its fun next thing is to get my fire arms cert that will show them >:(

oooh I could get contraversial about hunting and people who know nothing about the countryside and rural life......

But I won't cos I is all fluffy........    :-*

Fight, fight, fight!
Set the dogs on 'im!

the few times i actually hunted i never saw a fox it was just fun galloping round fields jumping huge hedges. you knew that you were chacing one but never saw it

Doesn't drag hunting give the same buzz? Not sure I'd want to ride a horse while wearing a frock though.

its similar but pre planned but fox hunting is a bit more un predictable which makes it more fun i've never been drag hunting so can't really comment on it

No offence meant to any one on here, your all lovely and fluffy. Maybe Its just the ones round here, 'telling' me I must stop and and move out of the way " The hunts coming through" or riding through a housing estate with 30 uncontrollable dogs running riot forcing people off the paths. one dog got run over, it was picked up and thrown on a quad bike, nothing was said to the shocked and shaking driver of the car.

none taken there are some thing that hunts do that i strongly disagree with and a situation like that is not on at all i feel for the driver its not nice at all

Don't suppose the dog was too pleased about it either.

hound dear its a hound ;D and bet his head hurt a bit poor bugger

Hound dear -is that like a reindeer?
I've just been playing the other games on this thread:
http://www.dontshootyoureyeout.com/
Click on the yellow tab at the bottom of the screen. Lots of games to keep you amused. Loved the one where you can add antlers & noses & stuff to your own photos. Had a cracking shot of Flap as Rudolf but couldn't figure out how to save it.  :(

haha you know what i ment and shouldn't you be somewhere else ;D

Everyone calling everyone else deer, very nice and fluffy, went drag hunting once but no more, the bloody thong near on cut me in half and I don't know how you ladies ( or others) keep them stocking up, and they were dead draughty too. Mind you they do look nice on ladies. ;D

you wear a thong but you are a bloke  ???

If you're doing it ...DO IT RIGHT ;D
Won't be doing it again, on a horse or off of one ;D

LoL  ;D  ;D  ;D so no pics like Peter Stringfellow then  ???

I also notice that you did not question the stockings..... wonder why? Is that normal up your way.... blokes wearing stockings ;D ;D
Did'nt really wear athong....in fact did'nt really go DRAG Hunting either..... a little play on words ;D ;) :)

What a question, and we hardly know each other.... what would triker taz think if I sent peter stringfellow pics to you? ;D
We could swap ;D ;D
ONLY KIDDING ....HONEST :)

hahaha just clicked and they don't do things like that in surrey its posh here  ;D ;D

i'm sure he wouldn't mind you seeing him in a thong ;D

I see, or not as the case maybe.
Would Taz really like a pic of him in a thong posted on the net........
It would be a net thong ;D

You still did'nt question the stocking though..... :o :o

there are some things best not said and asked but as you keep going on about them stockings you hold up with suspenders and yes they can get draughty at times or get the ones with elastic at the top bit easier and less fidly

The question was..... Is it normal for blokes up your way to wear them as you did'nt question them, just the thong ;D
Quick change of subject called for........ Did you watch The Hogfather?

sorry i did not i didn't realise it was on and back to the subject god knows what these posh types get up to after dark

Great quote from the book, us humble folk get back at them sometimes too according to Mr pratchett.....

It's a sad and terrible thing that high-born folk really have thought that the servants would be totally fooled if spirits were put into decanters that were cunningly labelled backwards. And also throughout history the more politically conscious butler has taken it on trust, and with rather more justification, that his employers will not notice if the whisky is topped up with eniru.

Great eh ;D ;D

brill  ;D ;D and shocking wouldn't be suprised if it does or did happen though

Truth is stranger than fiction ;D

thats for sure ;D