Christopher John Myers

Motor Cycle News (MCN) published an 'exclusive', with a 'spy shot',  about the forthcoming Triumph Trophy 1200 today, 29 June 2011. Predictably they got all excited about styling, but missed the big news - the bike is genuinely all-new and has a shaft drive, something its predecessor lacked.  There's only one Triumph with a shaft at the moment, the minority interest Rocket Three 2.3 litre triple. I couldn't resist pointing this slack reporting out in a readers' letter, see below. Let's see if they publish it!! Sir, Oh how could you miss it?   Your spy shot of Triumph’s new Trophy 1200 (29 June) clearly shows shaft drive ... but your reporter missed it!   Instead we had to read ‘sensational’ guff about silver-painted frame and the fact that the ‘twin round’ headlights are ‘unlikely to be the finished article’. The shaft drive is the big news for Triumph – an omission up to now that has been a major drawback for a bike with touring pretensions. I ...

My local council – Croydon – is planning to scrap weekly refuse collections. They want to collect refuse fortnightly and food waste only once a week. I think this is a disgrace and I’m amazed that the councillor responsible, Cllr Phil Thomas, told the Croydon Advertiser (10 June, 2011) that he hadn’t had a single complaint about his plans! Well, now’s the time for all borough residents to rectify the situation and tell him that scrapping weekly bin collections is not on!   I’ve included his email address below.   You may also care to copy your protest to the council’s mobile ‘phone text (SMS) contact service that’s normally meant to handle failed collections.   How apt, if this change goes ahead. My suggested text: Dear Cllr Thomas, I am asking you to scrap your plans for fortnightly refuse collections.   Can you imagine how a Council Taxpayer living in a terrace house with limited storage space will cope? Can you imagine the stink of two-week-old rubbish, such ...

The Archbishop of Canterbury has wandered into controversy - again - with ‘wide-ranging criticism’ of the government’s policies.   He says no one voted for the policies which he finds ‘baffling’. Isn’t it marvelous that he speaks his mind so often?   But what about his ‘day job’ as head of the dwindling Church of England? Why doesn’t he start looking closer to home – the decline of the Church of England and church-going in the UK ?   What is he doing about that?   How has he got any time for this challenging mission while guest editing, making speeches, apologising all over the place (see earlier blog  http://chrisjmyers.blogspot.com/2011/05/rowan-williams-right-man-for-job-royal.html ) and – what seems to be his principal objective – ‘speaking out’. What is he doing to promote women priests?   What about the ‘homosexual vicars’ crisis gripping the church and threatening its break-up?   What about the, perceived, irrelevance of Christianity in th...

Honda is innovating all over the place (hurrah) but their prototype 700cc auto 'motorcycle' seems to miss the point. It’s twist-and-go, but it’s a motorcycle, not a scooter.   It’s got a low trellis frame but this doesn’t give any step-thru or scooter-type space for the rider and his or her feet. It’s not sporty, by the look of the single front disc, doesn’t have any wind protection and appears to be a motorcycle with the none of the advantages of a scooter … or the other way round.   The worst of all worlds then? But, it DOES have a new parallel twin engine, with Honda’s take on the German Borg Warner dual clutch (DSG) gearbox fitted to some VW and Audi cars.   Now that gives smooth efficient changes and looks like a genuine leap forward.   But what a waste in a bike that’s neither fish nor fowl. What we (me!) thinks would qualify as a step forward is a motorcycle-size and power scooter that has (at least) 16 inch wheels, doesn’t weigh a ton like the current crop...