Two Wheels: Season 3, Ep. 2

Men and Motors

In this episode, Paul Johnston joins up with bikers in Bristol who have organised a charity run to raise funds for a young boy, Thomas Ainsworth, who suffers from cerebral palsy. Paul meets the event's organiser, Barry Maunders, and route leader Phil Davis who have planned and will lead the 50-mile journey.  In the second part of the show Paul test drives the Ducati 748, and we have a selection of fantastic clips from our previous shows!  Don't forget to subscribe to our channel and hit the notification bell so you never miss a video!  ------------------ Enjoyed this video? Don't forget to LIKE and SHARE the video and get involved with our community by leaving a COMMENT below the video!   Check out what else our channel has to offer and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to Men & Motors for more classic car and motorbike content! Why not? It is free after all!   -- Social Media --  Follow us on social media by clickking the link below to elevate your social media experience by connecting with us! https://menandmotors.start.page  If you have any questions, e-mail us at talk@menandmotors.com  © Men and Motors - One Media iP

Transcript

00:00 [Music]

00:28 On Two Wheels this week, a ride on Ducati's red hot 748, and some of the bits that you

00:35 really weren't meant to see, the two wheel cock-ups. But first it's down to the West

00:40 Country to join some bikers on a charity mission.

00:43 [Music]

00:46 Well we're in Bristol today, a beautiful sunny Sunday morning and behind me this car

00:50 park is fast filling up with all sorts of different bikes and different people and they've

00:54 all come here for an organised ride out. But not your regular let's go for a thrash on

00:59 a Sunday morning, none of that. This is an organised ride out and all these people have

01:03 given their time and their money in aid of a very good cause.

01:07 So Barry Mondes, you're the instigator, organiser of this. Tell us why we're here then.

01:16 Instigator. Instigator. Instigator. Instigator.

01:18 So what are we doing here Barry?

01:19 It's a charity run. It's not a registered run, not registered with any charity because

01:25 it's for an individual. Young little Thomas, suffered some cerebral palsy and it was just

01:30 a brain wave of ours to get a large group of people together to do a run on motorcycles

01:37 to get some money for the chap.

01:39 Right, so how does a load of bikers going out for a run raise money? How do you generate

01:43 the money?

01:44 Right, we've generated through our own magazine a registration form which people make a donation.

01:54 They register on the event, either before the event or during the event and at least

02:00 a large quantity of that donation then goes to Thomas.

02:03 Right, so what do we do? I know we go out for a run, what happens then? We're going

02:09 to a particular place though aren't we?

02:10 Yes, we're going to the Hunting for a Million Charfield, Gloucester.

02:13 That's where Dr. Foster comes from isn't it, Gloucester?

02:17 Years ago. We're going to be going to there. There's going to be live music, there's

02:22 going to be a raffle, auction, different things, barbeque, hog roast, a bit of a knees up for

02:29 everybody who's turning up on bikes.

02:31 Good stuff, so plenty more to come. So what's the response been like? Has it been difficult

02:34 to get people involved?

02:35 It's been difficult because of the British weather. You don't know what Sunday's going

02:38 to be like, whether it's going to snow or what have you. So it's been good, registrations

02:45 have been coming through, well donations have been coming through very, very good. If we

02:50 get anything up to 200, 300, 400 people on the day, we'll be more than happy.

02:54 Right.

02:55 More than happy.

02:56 Well it's looking good up to now, it's going to be good. I don't know, we're probably

02:59 over 100 up to now and it's early yet, so fingers crossed.

03:01 I hope so.

03:02 Good stuff.

03:03 I hope so.

03:05 I'm winning, yeah.

03:08 Now this is Phil Davis, Tour Leader, cavalcade front man and the man with the map.

03:21 So hopefully I know where I'm going then.

03:23 Where are you going to take us today then?

03:25 Well today what we're going to do is we're going to take the A420, I don't know if you

03:29 can see this one here, up to Pennsylvania. Now we've got a big group today.

03:32 Pennsylvania?

03:33 Pennsylvania.

03:34 Have you got a Pennsylvania there?

03:35 Yeah, in England, yeah, in Bristol.

03:36 Well I see you learn something every day, Adam.

03:38 That's right. We've got a big group today so it's going to be very difficult to keep

03:42 all these people together. So what we're going to have to do is try and keep the pace down,

03:46 have a nice steady ride. We've got a paramedic with us, hopefully we won't need that guy

03:50 but he knows the tour as well. So we've got someone else who can tag along and perhaps

03:55 pick up the people from behind.

03:57 Right, so that's a very big long line you've got on this map, how long is it going to

04:01 take us this?

04:02 I would imagine that's going to take us about an hour, maybe an hour and a half, steady

04:06 riding. It's nice long open safe roads so we're going to be nice and clear hopefully

04:11 all the way up through.

04:12 We've got the right mixture of bikes here, we've got top Red Hot Sports bikes and some,

04:17 well, not so fast bikes shall we say. So what do we do, go at the pace of the slowest presumably?

04:22 Yeah, no, what I'm going to do is I'm going to lead from the front and I'll be keeping

04:26 the speed down a bit.

04:27 Right, we've not got a police escort have we?

04:29 Not at all, so it's all in my hands I'm afraid today.

04:32 So it's abided by all the traffic lights, it's abided by all the speed regulations?

04:35 That's right, that's right, try and keep everything nice and steady and hopefully no one's going

04:40 to go shooting by me and think they know what they're doing and where to go and find their

04:44 own way type of thing because they'll probably end up lost.

04:46 Right.

04:47 But, you know, it's a very straight forward route.

04:49 Okay.

04:50 From the A420 straight up the A46 up through Old Sodbury into Nailsworth up into the big

04:56 city of Stroud there, skip through the outskirts of Stroud, cross through Stonehouse up to

05:02 the A38 all the way back down and back basically into wherever we're going.

05:08 That means absolutely nothing to me.

05:09 No.

05:10 I'll follow you.

05:11 Alright then.

05:12 Let's go.

05:38 So with everyone in their best well ventilated leathers we were off into the blazing sunshine

05:44 for a run which would take us along some fantastic roads and through some quaint country towns.

05:52 The problem with such a lot of bikes is keeping the run together.

05:59 It only takes a couple of sets of traffic lights and the odd busy junction to spread

06:04 things out over several miles.

06:09 We had just about every type of bike you can think of and the excellent weather had encouraged

06:18 quite a few pillion riders to take the trip.

06:38 The majority though did manage to stay fairly well together and there's nothing that turns

06:51 more heads in a quiet town than a long line of motorcycles snaking its way through narrow

06:57 twisty streets.

07:11 And so eventually after just under 50 miles which had taken us about 1 hour and 20 minutes

07:18 we arrived at our destination.

07:46 Well that's it.

07:47 We've made it to this fantastic place.

07:49 I don't know where on earth it is.

07:51 I've been using that 1200 Triumph Trophy.

07:53 Great bike.

07:54 Dead dead comfy and really fast as well.

07:55 I don't know where on earth I am but it's a lovely place and all the sensible people

07:58 are now taking their leathers off and putting their shorts on and their t-shirts and no

08:03 I haven't brought my shorts with me so sweaty legs today I'm afraid.

08:06 But it's loads of things going on here and all in a good cause.

08:09 It's a very very busy day.

08:11 There's a raffle in a bit with the first prize it says here is a mop head.

08:14 Sorry it's a mop head but it's a good prize anyway.

08:18 There's an auction of all motorcycle bits and pieces and to me this is what biking is

08:23 all about.

08:24 Loads of people here that may have never met each other before and they're all instantly

08:28 best of friends.

08:29 Great camaraderie and all doing some good.

08:31 Fantastic advert for biking.

08:33 And there's a pop group setting up just over there at the moment.

08:35 I'm looking forward to that.

08:36 They sound very good.

08:37 They're called Seth and the Symbolics.

08:39 The drummer's called Seth, the bass player's called Sim and the guitarist is called Bert.

08:44 So they should be a good band.

08:45 Looking forward to a smashing day.

08:47 Well we're all here today to raise some funds for little Thomas Ainsworth and this is Thomas's

09:01 mum Louise.

09:02 So Louise tell me about Thomas.

09:04 What's the problem?

09:05 Thomas has got cerebral palsy and it affects both his legs and his right arm.

09:10 And his right side is the real problem really.

09:14 And he has to go a long way for treatment I understand.

09:17 Yes he does.

09:18 We've taken him to the PETA institute in Budapest three times now for eight weeks at a time.

09:28 Pretty intensive and very expensive as well.

09:30 Yes.

09:31 But I understand this isn't the first thing that bikers have done for Thomas is it?

09:37 No.

09:38 Bristol Triumph motorcycle owners have before now done a bike run in aid of Thomas last

09:45 year.

09:46 And you've lots of other charity fundraising events all over the place.

09:49 Yes.

09:50 I understand you have wine tasting?

09:51 We have had a wine tasting which was very very successful.

09:53 I bet it was.

09:54 I'd like an invite to that next time please.

09:56 Well you see you can always rely on bikers, especially on a sunny day to turn out and

10:00 I'm sure they must have raised a fortune here today.

10:02 I think we have yes.

10:03 Thank you very much.

10:08 This is our host here today at the Huntingford Mill, Tank.

10:12 Called Tank for pretty obvious reasons.

10:13 Tank James yes.

10:14 A biker.

10:15 I play bikers.

10:16 Ex-biker.

10:17 But I've heard a story that you're actually a very famous person, film star even.

10:24 Bike related film star.

10:26 Yes I play lots of biker parts as you can see.

10:30 I'm sort of a biker image.

10:32 Well go on, will we know any of these famous parts that you've done?

10:35 Well I played a famous cigar advert back about 8 years ago.

10:42 I've done some insurance adverts and some fairly well known beer adverts as bikers.

10:48 So what were you in the cigar advert?

10:50 What did you play?

10:51 A mean lean fighting machine, hell's angel, slightly upset you know.

10:55 Oh right I see.

10:56 Because this chap in one of them three wheeler yellow cars that one can't mention knocked

11:01 over 100 of our bikes parked in the car park you know.

11:05 So did you beat him up?

11:06 I smashed him up with my bumper car actually.

11:09 Excellent.

11:10 Right so have you been in any famous films that we know about?

11:13 Well I've done sort of Paper Mask.

11:16 I had a part in Paper Mask.

11:18 I've done quite a lot of BBC stuff.

11:21 Commercials is basically what I enjoy doing.

11:23 Right very good.

11:24 You're an abroad.

11:25 A professional biker no doubt.

11:27 So this is your thing now, running this place.

11:31 Biker friendly pub, is that the idea?

11:33 Well at the 100th of a mil we are a biker friendly zone.

11:36 We don't look at bikes and go moron.

11:40 It's leather fighting machines, lovely machines and people aren't on two wheels now because

11:46 they can't afford four.

11:47 Some two wheel bikes are a lot more expensive now than four.

11:51 Absolutely.

11:52 They're luxury item bikes to a lot of people now.

11:56 You can go in and look like a city gent for five pound in Oxfam but you can't look like

12:00 a real biker for five pound out of Oxfam nowadays.

12:04 You spend a lot of money now for your leathers.

12:07 You've got a restaurant here at this place and you've got a big big menu.

12:10 Tell me about these things on your menu.

12:12 Well it's a big old place.

12:14 It was built in 1608 and it's been a restaurant now for about 30 years.

12:19 And it's been specialising in the big steaks.

12:22 We do rib eyes, we do big 32 ounce rump and we even do a belly buster, 64 ounce.

12:29 64 ounce.

12:30 That's why they call me Tank.

12:31 Are you the chief taster, do you have to go through them all?

12:35 No, no, the wife cooks them.

12:37 I just move them out when they can't walk.

12:41 He's already walked his way but he often do after a 64.

12:45 So are you still riding bikes then?

12:49 Yes, I still ride bikes.

12:51 Only professionally is it?

12:52 Professionally I'm afraid.

12:53 I haven't found a trike large enough for me yet.

12:58 Well Barry, you've done it.

13:13 Fantastic turn out, you must be very pleased.

13:15 Over the moon.

13:16 Absolutely brilliant.

13:17 All the branches have turned up.

13:18 Nottingham, Northampton, Cannock, Stoke, Warrington, Bristol.

13:23 See I didn't know this.

13:24 When we left Bristol this morning and I thought this is it, it was quite impressive.

13:29 You've got to keep a few surprises.

13:31 And then all these other blooming lots started turning up and I wondered what was going on.

13:34 So they've come from all over the country.

13:37 Any idea on numbers?

13:38 A guesstimate?

13:39 A guesstimate, 2, 3, 400, something like that.

13:42 Fantastic, it's good.

13:43 And any idea, I know it's early days yet because all the money's not in, but a rough idea of

13:49 what's been raised?

13:50 Yep, well we've still got to count the auction money, but it's going to be well over a thousand

13:54 pounds.

13:55 Wow.

13:56 Just for basically an afternoon-ish type.

13:58 And a great day in the sunshine.

14:00 I must say your scenery around here is superb, you've got some good biking roads.

14:03 Yeah, so you told me earlier.

14:04 Yeah, yeah, some of these are all full of cars, that's the problem.

14:07 But you know what you want to get involved in?

14:08 I was talking to Thomas' mum, Louise, earlier and she says they have fundraising wine tasting

14:14 sessions.

14:15 So why don't I get an invite to that?

14:17 You could do, yes.

14:18 Yeah?

14:19 Yes.

14:20 Yeah.

14:21 So what's next then, buddy?

14:22 Where do we go from here?

14:23 Next year.

14:24 Yeah?

14:25 Next year, definitely.

14:26 If Thomas needs it, we'll do it.

14:27 Aye?

14:28 Yeah.

14:29 Fantastic.

14:30 What can we say?

14:31 Rely on bikers, eh, every time.

14:32 Undoubtedly.

14:33 All the time.

14:34 And coming up after the break, a ride on Ducati's red hot 748.

14:43 And some fun and laughter as we dip into the two-wheeled cock-up archives.

14:53 Many people would say that the world's sexiest bike is a shiny red Ducati 916.

15:00 But they're not particularly cheap.

15:02 There is, however, a slightly cheaper alternative.

15:06 A shiny red Ducati 748.

15:09 748 cc's of V-twin motor, delivering 97 brake horsepowers of grunt.

15:17 The engine feels quite different from a 916.

15:20 It's much more revvy.

15:22 But it's still got tons of low-down power to shoot you out of a corner or catapult you

15:27 away from a junction at an incredible rate.

15:30 It doesn't look half bad either, does it?

15:33 And you know, from just a few feet away, I reckon you'd be hard-pushed to tell the difference

15:36 between this and a 916.

15:39 And that's because they share the same geometry, they've got the same suspension, and it is

15:45 actually the same overall dimensions.

15:47 Now up at the front here, a very neat, very compact dashboard.

15:52 Nothing fancy.

15:53 With a green rev counter.

15:55 I don't know why it's green, but, well, I suppose it's different.

15:59 Further back here, steering damper fitted as standard.

16:02 Quite useful.

16:03 More use on a racetrack.

16:04 Well, we're talking about racetracks.

16:06 For people who like messing with the setup of the bike, here we've got the facility to

16:11 actually alter the steering head angle.

16:14 Very, very trick.

16:15 And you may notice a lack of an ignition barrel there.

16:18 That's where the key would normally go.

16:20 But on a Ducati, it goes down there at the front of the tank, which is fine if you've

16:25 only got one or maybe two keys on your key ring.

16:27 But if you carry your bike key on a bunch of keys, and you keep putting it in there

16:32 and turning it, and this part of the tank really is going to get scratched to hell.

16:38 And talking of scratching, is what the 748 is all about.

16:42 Ride it through busy traffic where you're stopping every few yards, and you'll absolutely

16:47 hate it.

16:48 The seat is hard and the footpegs are high.

16:51 Bikes like this are not built for comfort.

16:54 They're built to perform, to compete, and to excite.

16:57 The 748 does all of these things brilliantly.

17:01 Head for the open road, and you'll begin to understand what this bike is all about.

17:06 Better still, head for the racetrack.

17:09 That's the only place to fully appreciate the potential of this Italian thoroughbred.

17:14 You'll find yourself entering corners at speeds which you've only ever dreamt about.

17:18 So precise and sure-footed is the handling.

17:22 You'll get massive adrenaline rushes as you twist the throttle and see the front wheel

17:26 parting company with the tarmac.

17:28 And if you should get your gear selection slightly wrong as you power out of a corner,

17:33 the torquey nature of the V-twin allows you to get away with it.

17:37 Well, it all sounds pretty impressive so far, doesn't it?

17:41 Until you realise that all of this Italian style doesn't come particularly cheap.

17:45 OK, a 748 is cheaper than a 916 or a 996, as it is now.

17:52 But a standard 748 like this one will still cost you about £9,700 for an official UK

17:58 one.

17:59 I believe you can get an import for about £8,200, so it's quite a saving there.

18:03 But if you want the 748 SPS, that's the one with all the fancy suspension and the

18:08 tricky bits and pieces on it, that'll cost you about another £2,500 on top of that.

18:13 And when you think of its Japanese rivals, even the big twins like Honda's Firestorm,

18:19 less than £7,000, Suzuki's TL1000R, perhaps £7,000 and a bit on the road, it does start

18:26 to look a little bit dear.

18:28 Even second-hand examples like, say, an early 748 from about 1995 in a dealer's would

18:34 still fetch the best part £6,000.

18:37 But let's look on the positive side.

18:40 What do you get for your money?

18:41 Well, you get this fantastic, sexy-looking piece of Italian exotica, instantly recognisable.

18:49 Single-sided swinging arm, very, very trendy these days.

18:52 The much-copied exhaust exiting under the tailpiece, and of course, the unmistakable,

18:59 gorgeous Ducati shape.

19:01 It's well-respected by everyone, and it does its job superbly well.

19:06 You've probably gathered that I personally love the 748.

19:11 It's not designed for everyone.

19:13 If you need a bike to take you to work and back, maybe carry a pillion, or to cover long

19:18 distances, then forget it.

19:20 An all-rounder, this bike definitely is not.

19:24 It's not a particularly easy bike to ride well.

19:27 It's perhaps not quite as forgiving in the handling department as some of the big four-cylinder

19:31 sports bikes.

19:33 It's challenging, it's involving, and once you get to grips with it, it's one of the

19:37 most exciting bikes you could ever have the pleasure to ride.

19:41 [ENGINE REVVING]

19:43 [MUSIC PLAYING]

19:47 [LAUGHTER]

19:49 [MUSIC PLAYING]

19:52 [LAUGHTER]

19:54 [MUSIC PLAYING]

19:57 [LAUGHTER]

19:59 [MUSIC PLAYING]

20:02 And Carl had his problems last year, didn't he?

20:06 Or rather, we're talking this year's season, the 97th season.

20:09 [LAUGHTER]

20:14 You've got locating pegs on the frame, there and there.

20:18 So all you have to do is match the two together, with a bit of luck.

20:23 That's the front end, that's the back, and the front end's dropped down.

20:34 So it's just a matter of locating the seat on these two lugs.

20:38 A little bit fiddly, but you do get used to it, honest.

20:43 It's the front end, you must keep that one firmly located there,

20:46 then get the back end over.

20:48 A little bit of fiddling.

20:49 That's all you do.

20:56 You know when I just did that ball, and it went--

21:04 I thought, oh yeah, there it is.

21:08 Meanwhile--

21:08 Oh, bollocks.

21:12 [LAUGHTER]

21:15 Comes complete with C body armor.

21:17 That's elbow, shoulder, back, here, and the--

21:20 here.

21:20 [LAUGHTER]

21:27 Oh, stop it.

21:28 And this fellow who's a rep for him, Rod Brooke,

21:30 I've known him for a long, long time.

21:32 And he's a big chap.

21:33 Towers over me, makes me feel inferior.

21:35 Rod, it's good to see you again.

21:36 How's things?

21:37 Oh, fine, Wayne.

21:38 How are you?

21:38 Oh, not bad at all.

21:39 Tell me about the Reacher suit, then.

21:40 It's new.

21:41 I've never seen them do a one-piece before.

21:42 Yeah, it's new for Reacher for 1998.

21:44 It comes complete with C body armor.

21:46 [LAUGHTER]

21:50 Oh, my God.

21:52 This scooter thing, just tell me, where do you get together, you lads?

21:55 Where do you all meet?

21:56 We all meet at the Alison Herms in Coppell,

21:58 other than the Liverpool lads.

21:59 That's the Lancashire?

22:00 That's the Lancashire lads, yeah.

22:02 The Liverpool Scooter Club.

22:05 I forgot where they meet.

22:07 And the Liverpool Scooter Club meet in Liverpool?

22:09 In Liverpool, probably.

22:11 More than likely.

22:12 So, Harry, tell me, where do you all get together?

22:14 I mean, obviously, you go for rides out on Sundays.

22:16 But do you have a regular meet?

22:17 Yeah, we've got a regular meet every other Sunday

22:19 at the Alison Herms in Coppell.

22:20 That's the Lancashire Lions.

22:22 The Liverpool lot meet.

22:24 [LAUGHTER]

22:27 So, Harry, I mean, it's obvious that you come out for rides

22:29 on a Sunday, all get together for ride-outs.

22:30 But you have a regular meeting day.

22:32 Where's that?

22:32 Yeah, the Liverpool lot meet at the--

22:34 Queens.

22:35 [LAUGHTER]

22:35 Queens, down the street.

22:37 Liverpool.

22:40 On Two Wheels next week, our very own sidecar expert,

22:43 Wayne, tries his hand at something very different--

22:46 sidecar speedway.

22:47 And some more bits that seemingly you can't get enough

22:50 of-- the two-wheeled cock-ups.

22:52 [MUSIC PLAYING]

22:54 [TIRES SCREECHING]

22:56 [MUSIC PLAYING]

23:00 [CRASH]

23:01 [MUSIC PLAYING]

23:04 [CRASH]

23:08 [MUSIC PLAYING]

23:12 [MUSIC PLAYING]

23:15 [MUSIC PLAYING]

23:19 [MUSIC PLAYING]

23:22 (upbeat music)

23:25 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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