Old Dog, New Tricks

Caught up with some of the Hot Rod guys down at Shed 5 on Sunday. Nice people. I was meant to be down there taking some pictures but I got there late as they were getting ready to leave.
As soon as I pulled up on my old Twincam Springer I had a big crowd of people gathering round it. Most people were my age or older and everybody had a question or started to tell me about the FXR chopper, or Royal Enfield they were working on back in their sheds. People were asking me what club I was in and if I would like to join up with them (most of them seemed to be in Ulysses) and could they do a shed raid at my place. Others asked if I was a mechanic and could I help them out with their bike projects. They all seemed to be involved in lots of interesting things and that was reflected in the type of cars they had built and were driving (lots of Model A's and old Ford Coupes). After spending a very long week in what seemed to be a complete waste of everyone's time in a major IT project, it was really great to meet such a bunch of enthusiastic and energetic people. And like I said, these guys weren't exactly teenagers.

That's why I am so optimistic for the scene in Auckland, Wellington and the rest of the country this summer. I hear from so many people who are ready for a different sort of bike show, or run, or party with bikes that were built, not bought. All these new cool bars and shops popping up round the waterfront waiting for waves of Rugby World Cup supporters to spend wads of cash this September. I hope it works for them. I know that it's making the city a great place to hang out now and it should get even better after the tourists leave. I know the old guys are ready for a party and I'm sure the young guys are even more so. There is a new sense of style in Auckland that I certainly didn't see when I arrived here 15 years ago. There is the same sort of buzz (although a little smaller) that you get in Singapore and we get more freedom here to make it up as we go along. I hope that all this enthyusiasm for life starts to spill out onto the streets and that the custom motorcycle scene grows from strength to strength. I'm going to do as much as I can to promote it even if it just means that I can sit outside a cafe in the summer with a cold glass of wine and watch the pretty bikes roll by.
In the meantime, back to those sheds and lets get those projects finished. Roll on Summer.....