Fast as slurry off a grape, (But not on a Harley!) :o): Bikes sold, one gone, one to go.......... {:oI

Saturday 28 May 2011

Bikes sold, one gone, one to go.......... {:oI

Well, I've had some luck in selling a couple of the bikes, quite a lot of luck actually, which is bleddy rare for me, let me tell you

The Fantic has been sold and has gone courtesy of eBay, and the Harley has also been 'bought' by someone on eBay for more than I thought I'd get, although it's worth every penny and is immaculate. The Harley has yet to be collected and the dosh handed over, so I'm not counting my chickens just yet.

The Fantic was a real eye-opener though........ It turned out to be a very rare Thierry Michaud Replica bike, and I had had no idea it was so special. The couple of photos here are of my Fantic after it was washed. Water sure makes things gleam a good bit. {:o)

As soon as it was listed live on eBay on Saturday evening I had several emails asking what I'd take as a 'Buy Now' price, and eventually someone who was a real expert on these bikes emailed me and said:-

"My advice to you is to let the auction run, as I believe it will make close to a Grand!! It’s a Fantic 300 Thierry Michaud Replica and is VERY rare bike Good luck!!!

I had a bit of a Google and found that Thierry Michaud won the Scottish Six-Days Trial on a Factory Works Fantic in '84, '85 and '86, which is no mean feat, let me tell you........ He was world trials champion three times too.

Here's a link if you want to read more about him....
http://www.thebikeinsurer.co.uk/thierry-michaud-a-frenchman-who-adores-the-ssdt/

Here's a YouTube link of him in 1986......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py7xWk1qqEc

Anyway....... get this........ I was offered £1,500 CASH!!!! on the Sunday morning by a guy up in Middlesbrough via an email........
Yup….. one thousand, five hundred pounds!!!!!

I thought I’d be lucky to get £500!!!!! {:o)

Then another guy offered £1,250 cash if the Middlesbrough guy pulled out

The first guy who'd promised me £1,500 managed to scrape up the cash (Sunday), and came straight down, .....a five-hour journey he said.

In the event he knocked me down to £1300 because he could see it had evidence of having had a sidecar on it, the engine wouldn't start (I thought I had a while to get the carb cleaned before the auction closed) and a footrest had been welded on........ all minor stuff and he was trying it on really I think, but, what the hell........ I'm hopeless at this haggling shit and besides, I'd done WAAAY better than I ever dreamt I would!!!

My Flabber was completely Ghasted......... I've never made so much as a quid profit selling anything before in my entire life, and here I've made a huge profit in a single deal. Well, I think it's a huge profit anyway...... {:o)
Fancy, that old bike I paid £350 for 18 years ago and has been buried behind all that junk for years, was actually a VERY rare bike........ Few were ever made. Special bits in the engine, special paint job (which was good bit knackered!), special frame and special suspension. Done up and restored, it's prolly worth more than double what I've sold it for, but I don't have the access to sourcing the parts like these specialist boys, and anyway, I’m delighted with the deal.

He texted to say he cleaned the carb and it started just fine. I guess he knew that all along.

Whatever...... it cheered me up the most I've been for ages.

Yet another example of my dear old dad's mantra......... "You never know what's around the corner".
K. {:o)

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Welcome to the ramblings of an Old Greaser :o)

Hi there,
welcome to my ramblings, those of an Old Greaser who's been around the block a few times too many.

Some ramblings will be of no interest whatsoever, and some will wander all over the joint, often ending up way clear of where they were heading in the first place.

Some will be bad, and some will be good. Some will have only got on here because of the lethal immediacy of the Internet, and all will prolly get tweaked, altered, modified and deleted or added to after I revisit them and have second thoughts.

So, check stuff recently written, and don't be surprised to find it changed, because i am all too vulnerable to the immediacy of how I'm feeling at any given time, and the technology means there's no delay to posting thoughts, :o)

Having said all that, I generally don't edit what I write all that much, and so you do tend to get the raw thoughts, especially as I have a direct brain-to-keyboard link, with the censure permanently off for a spin somewhere or other. Although I generally leave things as they are, sometimes I might change things because I realise perhaps I have been less than wise in how I've said something. :o)

This is started from the position of Not Having a Life, not in the way most people have lives anyway, but more in common with a medieval hermit, only with lots of toys and 'stuff' to play with............ IF I can be bothered, that is.

If you have an open mind, you might like what I reveal here, not that it is likely to be particularly earth shattering, but it is likely to sometimes be outside of what a lot of people think, or rather would like to openly express and admit to thinking. It's certainly going to be very un-PC, and Anti-Bullshit........... two things that never fail to flash me up and light the fuse. :o)

It will sometimes be full of humour, unless I’ve really got steam up about something or other, but even then the humour will often creep in. Bear in mind that I often have my tongue in my cheek, and what I say is more likely meant to amuse that to offend, so hitch up to that, and laugh rather than get pissed at me. :o)

Although, if you're a manager or in a position of responsibility for others at any level whatsoever, who is in truth actually a workshy, bullying, egotistical psychopathic bastard or bitch then, yes, every perceived insult is indeed intended for you. Weenies, and bullshitters are included. I hate you with a passion.

Genuinely good managers and people in authority are, however, worth their weight in gold and to be cherished and saluted, but, personally, I have found to be few and far between.

However, on a lighter note, sometimes I think I’m being soooooo damn funny, and I forget that I’m writing for people who don’t know me, and won’t always get it. To that end I'll often put in an emoticon..... :o).......... :oI .........:o( ……….etc to try to make sure things aren't taken the wrong way. :o)

If it comes across badly, have another read of it, …………and if it still seems badly, well, that's just tough shit! :o))))

If you really think I’ve stepped over a line, let me know, and if I agree, I’ll tweak it and put it right.

Anyway, like I said,........... Welcome. :o)

To enlarge photos in the main Blog........

Fast as slurry off a grape, (But not on a Harley!) :o)

Saturday 28 May 2011

Bikes sold, one gone, one to go.......... {:oI

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One of those moments........

NEVER.........