Paul Blezard testing the C600Sport on the launch in and around Madrid, Spain. March 2012. This photo, along with a 19 page report on the launch, can be seen in the August 2012 issue of The Rider's Digest, No.169, available to read on line, or download for free from: www.theridersdigest.co.uk. PNB

This is my new motorcycle! I will be sculpting a radical body for it over the next year that looks like the Akira motorcycle (Manga animation).

http://youtu.be/jytYbSLdDio

I thank http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeffs-Projects-By-Monroe-County-Customs-MCC/160837117318428 for producing the motorcycle (Jeff England).

Should I be here? I see a comment suggesting that this stuff should be elsewhere? No probs with that, and if the Moderator (or whoever…) suggest that I dump this to some other place, please give me a link and I’ll do that. Not sure I was needing feedback…really just posting in case others wanted to know…what not to do! In the meantime, I always thought of the old site as just that…’old’…and this was the newer, preferred one. And since this one prominently said ‘Blogs’ on the LHS, I assumed I was in the correct place…but I’ll take advice…

Out of sequence…

I’ve a couple of bits written, but it’s still ‘lead in / whimsy’ stuff, which might work if you are patient, killing time or like a meander…but might be boring as sin if you want to get to the greasy bits…so I’ll ditch some of the run-in stuff this post and add it in next time, flipping between the two genres in subsequent posts, until we are exclusively in garage + welder territory…

My Early FF Attempts

Alex Gurney riding his father Dan's original Alligator on the Ortega Highway, Southern California in December 2011. The Alligator has a small but useful seat back, but it's clear from this photo that Alex doesn't make any use of it at all when seriously 'scratching' in a turn. PNB
Photo: © Paul Blezard

BMW Motorrad's American chief designer, David Robb, sitting on the freshly-presented new C600Sport maxiscooter, (which is actually a 650), at the EICMA show in Milan, November 2011. The C600Sport is clearly aimed at Yamaha's Tmax; let's hope it's as easy to FF! Mr Robb has interesting FF experience of his own because he rode the very first K100 Ecomobile way back in the 1980s, after meeting Arnold Wagner at the Nurburgring. March 2012 Update. David Robb left BMW only a few weeks after this photo was taken, at the end of 2011, after a quarter of a century working for the German company.

Quasar bodyshells being created in Sussex. The two red ones on the left are mating, having already produced the white and blue ones on the right! PNB
Photo: Paul Blezard, Nov 2011

Paul Blezard in the SynergEthic Tilter, an all-electric leaning 3-wheeler displayed in the Green Planet zone at EICMA 2011 (Probably the world's biggest motorcycle show, held in Milan, Italy). It was fully road legal and had a French number plate. Not a 'proper' FF perhaps, but interesting none the less, IMHO. PNB
Photo: Paul Blezard archive

This image, snapped at Von Kuenheim's presentation of the new maxiscooters, makes it much easier to see the differences between the two new models than looking at them 'in the flesh'. PNB
Photo of BMW image snapped during the live presentation on the BMW stand by Paul Blezard at EICMA in Milan, Nov 8th 2011.

Here's the 2010 Cmax being ridden to it's first MOT, having arrived back from Spain where it went on completion. Now living in Italy, amusing the locals in Naples.

Another video from FJ's head fairing. selected clips from the trip home from John Bruce's gathering

Eight FFs at the Baker Memorial Woodlands: 2 Carvers, 1 MonoTracer, 1 Voyager, 1 Coda, 1 Burgman 400, 1 Helix and Genesis. PNB
Photo: Paul Blezard

Voyagers. Doing what it says in the title. Not very exciting. Which is very much the point.

Voyagers coping with strong sidewinds, Old Severn Bridge from ingrid oesten on Vimeo.

The first time the final version of Genesis has ever been snapped with a Carver. This was in the car park of The Ivy pub in Heddington, Wiltshire, home village of the late Malcolm Newell, co-creator of the Quasar. This was the venue for the final group stop of BruceFFest 2011.
Photo: Paul Blezard

Jen leaving the Bell Inn at Yatton Keynell in her Carver, followed by John Brennan in his MonoTracer. This was the venue for a convivial lunch on Sunday, before we moved on to Heddington. Photo: Paul Blezard

John Bruce (centre left, blue shirt) welcomes devoted FFers at the Craft Renaissance Centre near Usk as his chickens look on in wonder. Blue Voyager owner Graham Robb is standing next to him. To the right, Royce Creasey, with his back to the camera, is gesticulating while talking to Arthur Middleton and further away, to the left, are VF Quasar owner John Cooper and 'Hooray' Henry Mayhew. Photo: Bob Wreford (Bob's own 'KawaBanana' GPZ500 is in the foreground, right).

Getting the ComforTmax well cranked over on a roundabout in Surrey, 2005. The extended forward footrests were just starting to ground at this 'angle of dangle'. This photo was used in an article I wrote about FFs and the then-new Honda DN-01 in the January 2008 edition of Motorcycle Monthly. Compare and contrast with the Roland Sands stripped down Tmax530 shown at the 2012 Milan Show! http://www.EICMA.it/en/news/yamaha-tmax-hypermodified-by-roland-sands.htm PNB
Photo of Paul Blezard by Bernard Zieja.

After pre-MOT test ride. Ready for MOT with one or two faults to fix which may fail it. Engine power is superb and yet another Quasar that needs the roof raising as head height is tight! Last minute tweaks to the rear brake saved the day! Glad to hear "I can't find anything wrong with it" after all the work I did.

After sitting in a garage for over 8 years I was surprised it started at all, never mind on 2 cylinders. A bit of tweaking by Pete Munden and some fresh petrol, all 4 cylinders fired up. I've now replaced the oil, oil filter, plugs, rat/mouse chewed HT lead and air filters and it starts on all 4 cylinders. I've rubbed down the rust and painted. Passed its MOT 20/8/2011 and is now back on the road. Still plenty of work to do to fix some of the dash clocks/lights and sort cold starting. Bought another 1982 VF750 so I can diagnose what need fixing on the Quasar.