Goin' to Bourke for a Hamburger
After nearly a year of being chained to the post in the back yard, first with a plaster on my right leg then this Mexican Beer Virus (MBV) choker leash, it's as good a reason as any to go for a ride! Stroof, I'd push on to Darwin for a pizza if I could blag a few weeks away from the coal face.
I can't think of many pursuits that encapsulate the idea that the trip is about the journey not the destination than motorcycle riding. Many a time my mates and I have lobbed at the meeting place and decided on our direction by the colour of the clouds on the horizons. This flash new world allows us to open the rain radar app and get more precise information to help us decide whether to try and out-run the soggy stuff or punch through it into clear skies. Often the only goal is to avoid the great unwashed and seek out a deserted place to enjoy.
For us in the Unclean State, this will be a tall ask for the first few weeks. I expect we'll see a mass exodus from the city, every-man-jack and their dogs. The back tracks will be strewn with badly driven 4x4s and the highways crawling with revenue raisers.
Come to think of it, I might even lock myself down for a couple of weekends, for my own good instead of the Grovelment doing it for me. |
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HOOJ THANKS!
Like the rest of the motorcycle industry, we have been flat-chat and pinned into our own corner to using boxing parlance.
As you know, anything wearing the Andy Strapz brand is made by us (or for us, locally) and the realisation by Aussies that the loss of Australian Made was a massive mistake has turned the shed lights onto us. We have been pushed to the edge of traction and our loyal customers have been just terrific! Every time I send out a 'heads up' regarding orders on the waiting list they have just sent the equivalent of a laconic shrug 'all good'.
Delays in critical supplies like buckles and fabric have caused less drama than initially anticipated but they have had impacts at times, a week here and a fortnight there. The biggest issues we've had was our sew-in label supplier simply vanishing. Dead phones, no email responses, even farcebook silence.
Naturally, we found another supplier and they have come through but it all added to delays. The fun part is that many people will have 2020 COVID Special Editions. We searched behind cupboards and under benches for anything that would do the trick while we waited. |
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| There are people out there with gear that has no more than 4 or 5 sets of bags the same in the whole wide... Collector's items? Yeah... Nah. |
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A few years ago these retractable cable locks from Pacsafe were a very popular item. I found them one of the most useful items to have in my jacket pocket. Juggling my wallet, a drink, trying to send a text and carry a bottle of plonk while I have a helmet hanging off my wrist has big bumpy knobs on it!
These jiggers allow me to leave my expensive brain bucket securely locked to my bike.
There are lots of choices of convenient little locking devices out there but in my humble... this is one of the best. At 900mm long, the cable is long enough to slip through the sleeve of yer jacket too.
I only grabbed a few for a start, grab one now. CLICK HERE |
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| | No Bull
Andrew Forrest has just announced his faith in Australian brands. His purchase of R. M. Williams brings an iconic brand back into local hands. He's effectively put his money where his mouth is, something we have all been getting a taste of this year. It's something we've had to think about, and that's been great for Australian manufacturing.
Plenty of Aussie brands have gone offshore over the last couple of decades, but the pandemic has brought the importance of Australian made back into focus. At Andy Strapz this has been our focus from the beginning. We've put our heart and soul into building an Australian brand that is made here, with home-grown materials, to the highest quality, while ensuring its also tough enough for our conditions. You only get that when you use materials that are made for purpose, and we use Australian made materials wherever possible because they last.
Producing goods overseas has influenced the undermining of our manufacturing industries at the expense of end-product quality, and that is never going to be great for the end-user.
The pandemic has presented us with a unique opportunity to bring back some of that quality and take control again, but more importantly, we have an opportunity to support our friends, neighbours and workers and pull Australia through what has been a devastating crisis and come out the other side better for it.
Janette Wilson
(Mrs Strapz)
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| | Halloween, Give Me a Break!
How did we let this ridiculous retail opportunity get a foothold in Australia? We should be ashamed of ourselves, letting this bit of US cultural imperialism into our country.
As if the Golden Bum, Starving Jim, Choke, Ooogle, Spamazon aren't bad enough, we are encouraging the kiddies in the street to go about scabbing lollies.
I give 'em little baggies of sugar, let their parents decide whether it's Trick or Treat. The sponging little buggers won't be back next year! |
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Grubby Soul Solution
One of the perennial problems (First World problems) we motorcyclists' have to deal with is carting extra shoes. For a quick over-nighter it's usually not a drama but a multi-day trip often needs an extra set of boots. Clomping around a campsite is one thing, it's another to go out to dinner with the 'lations. I always seem to drag my jeans out of my bag to find a big ugly daub down the leg.
These superlight bags fix it. Offered in two sizes at $25 and $29.
I have size 8 feet and my slip-on shoes only just fit in the small one, just sayin'.
Grab one here |
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Flashback
I've had lots of time to think about stuff over the last few months, most I can't share with anyone. It wouldn't do my reputation any good at all.
One TukTuk of a thought that overtook my grey-matter on the inside was ... "Whatever happened to the Zinger?"
A couple of lifetimes ago, I wandered the country (and commuted) on an MZ 250 ETZ, it essentially became my first Adventure bike. Under-powered, ugly and smokey it had character in spades!
Although it was doughy in the go department it would still sit on $1.20 all day, handled OK and the long exhaust pipe created more low down torque than it really should have. I fell in love. |
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It was a regular attendee at the TTT Rally, in those days it was a road bike, run-what-ya-brung event. My biggest problem was wind drag on the highway, so a pair of 70's U bars that I had in the back of the shed were swapped. It didn't help the dirt road manners much but hey, I got there in much better condition.
I thought I'd do a search for a picture to include in the newsletter and found this.
It was sold some time ago, not far from where I lived when I owned it, maybe, just maybe, that's my old "Zinger" |
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| | | Not for sale, just having a laugh. |
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Opening Arrangements
Woo hoo! We've re-opened our shopfront to visitors again. It won't be long before we get a chance to scarper off and scrub in those new tyres.
I know that means bugger all to those who don't live in the Unclean State but I know we have a bunch of people hanging out to try on helmets, jackets and get some earplugs made. Our first Saturday in the month opening will get back on track as of the 7th of November.
In the meantime, the crew are still bangin' out gear at a cracking rate and Telstra willing, the phones still work.
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