Author Topic: What's your brew, as in life trade  (Read 11905 times)

Offline AndyH

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Re: What's your brew, as in life trade
« Reply #30 on: June 05, 2017, 11:10:48 AM »
As an Antipodean Anorak, I finished High School 1967 and spent a couple of weeks as a roustabout for 3 gun shearers on a property which had ~9000 sheep (some Merino).  This taught me a shiatload about what hard work was!!  ;D
Having not matriculated to uni (upset a teacher or 2 in the final years!) I instead joined an international telecommunications organisation as a senior technical officer.  Started off in Sydney NSW where I played around with a few trail bikes and had loads of fun with my mates going out after dark and riding around in State Forests etc.  Had a road bike or 2 as well.
Moved to Western Australia in the mid '70s and spent 10 years in a place called Carnarvon, about 900kms north of Perth at the satellite station.  When that closed down, transferred to Perth and have been here ever since!  Was doing the same work until I was made redundant in '04.  During the time I had several bikes, some road, some trail.  Joined a small comms company in '06 and finally retired in '09.
A close friend of mine who restores lots of bikes to concourse condition basically sucked me in!  ::)  So I looked around to see what was available, and found the CB500K1 in cafe style.  The plan is to bring it back to some sort of originality.
So here I am, wondering what I've got myself into!  :o

Apparently, anoraks are what you Britishers call folk who have a passion for a particular pursuit.  I have several pursuits (Amateur Radio, caravan travel, etc.) but I guess this restoration thing is my latest!  ;D
« Last Edit: June 06, 2017, 10:52:39 AM by Himble »
Andy

1971 CB750K1
1972 CB500 Four K1 (SOLD)
1978 Suzuki GS750E
Previously....
1967 Honda Sports 90
1971 Yamaha CT2 175
1973 Yamaha RD250
1975 Kawasaki KX125
1979 Yamaha XT250T
BMW R65
BMW R80
BMW R100LT

Offline gwallis

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Re: What's your brew, as in life trade
« Reply #31 on: June 05, 2017, 02:42:48 PM »
I am from the States.

I left home while still in High School ... Step-Father issue.  Lived with friends until I graduated and got an apprenticeship as a Refractory Bricklayer in a local steel mill.  After eight years the Mill laid me off and I went into residential construction.  During the next four years I finished college and took a job at selling cement for the Medusa Cement Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  It has been over 38 years now and I still sell cement... it has been a great ride!

Offline Rozabikes Tim

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Re: What's your brew, as in life trade
« Reply #32 on: June 05, 2017, 04:45:25 PM »
discovered women,  blah blah...(in hindsight I wasn't good enough anyway :-) ).

Such a shame or have I read that wrong? :o
One day I'll have the time to restore it, not just talk and dream....

Offline Coppertop1234

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Re: What's your brew, as in life trade
« Reply #33 on: June 05, 2017, 05:16:58 PM »
Left school at 15 in 1972 went into Royal Navy as a junior marine engineering mechanic left after 6 months due to bullying - shame it was a good career. Started  as a miner underground work as a trainee at 15 and half up to ripper and faceworker at 27, decide to leave as I had a young family and wanted a career which would not kill me. signed on for 2 weeks and got job as a school caretaker progressed to senior caretaker then training instructor then contracts manager in charge of half local council sites. Left to work with South Yorkshire Police as contract,s manager in charge of all police stations cleaning operations progressed to Direct service manager in charge of soft services Then Facilities manager. Retired in 2015 - after working from 15 to 57 starting at the bottom and ending up as high as my career choice would allow me to progress with only 2 weeks not employed. Diverse, but great working life met some excellent people and now happily retired.
« Last Edit: June 05, 2017, 05:33:55 PM by Coppertop1234 »
I Love Tinkering with Old Classics

Offline Johnwebley

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Re: What's your brew, as in life trade
« Reply #34 on: June 05, 2017, 05:53:36 PM »
Had a few forks in the career path along the way.... Wanted to be a professional cricketer, played county cricket until the age of 19 and then got injured, discovered women,  blah blah...(in hindsight I wasn't good enough anyway :-) ). Ended up studying Mechanical Engineering at Warwick Uni - was sponsored through Uni by a company called Ricardo plc, who I still work with / for to this day (Ricardo.com). Also started training as an Opera singer whilst at Warwick (long story). Graduated in Engineering and returned to work at Ricardo on Passenger Car / LCV Diesel Engine Development programmes as a combustion, calibration & test engineer.  After ~ 15 years my career moved towards business development / marketing.  Setup my own agency with a good friend 10 years ago (MAJOR Digital) - doing digital Marketing / Web Development. Love the work, but the bikes keep me sane...have imported sveeral bikes from the US over the years - some kept, some restored, several sold...:-)...


 that must have been great working for Ricardo,

 often wondered how the sohc motor would run with a pent roof head,instead of the hemi head
lifelong motorcycle rider,and fan

Offline matthewmosse

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Re: What's your brew, as in life trade
« Reply #35 on: June 05, 2017, 07:10:40 PM »
Ricardo? As in the company who are part of developing the combustion chamber of the early ( 1958 release for the engine in production) 2.0L diesel engines for landrovers - nice to hear they still exist. I have a few engines of that lineage around.
Got a 500/4 with rust and a sidecar and loadsa bits. nice and original and been round the clock

Offline florence

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Re: What's your brew, as in life trade
« Reply #36 on: June 05, 2017, 07:33:56 PM »
I'm a professional musician, was in rock/pop bands in 90s, now make incidental music for film and television, probably nothing you've heard of apart from Top Gear, CNN news and a few other things.  Currently working on a feature length documentary, sounds more glamourous than it is, in truth very hard work and poorly paid but I love doing it and I'm not really capable of doing anything else properly.  Sometimes have to do little bits of IT contracting to make ends meet.

Offline Johnwebley

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Re: What's your brew, as in life trade
« Reply #37 on: June 05, 2017, 09:55:48 PM »
Yep that's them. Sir Harry Ricardo (the founder) basically pioneered the early development of the 'comet chamber' IDI (indirect diesel injection) combustion system. I worked on probably the last commercial implementation of IDI technology before Direct Injection technology took over. The company celebrated its centenary last year.

 I know James said so much is confidential.he can't tell us of his work on this,so I will post a link !!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_Ricardo
lifelong motorcycle rider,and fan

Offline Mag1

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Re: What's your brew, as in life trade
« Reply #38 on: June 05, 2017, 10:53:35 PM »
I'm a professional musician, was in rock/pop bands in 90s, now make incidental music for film and television, probably nothing you've heard of apart from Top Gear, CNN news and a few other things.  Currently working on a feature length documentary, sounds more glamourous than it is, in truth very hard work and poorly paid but I love doing it and I'm not really capable of doing anything else properly.  Sometimes have to do little bits of IT contracting to make ends meet.

Any bands we would know?, sig sig spurtnik or something like that. Sounds great and also in a job you love.
Honda CB750K7 1977
Yamaha XS750e 1977
Vespa 100 (being restored)

Offline Norniron

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Re: What's your brew, as in life trade
« Reply #39 on: June 05, 2017, 10:56:47 PM »
Started fitting kitchens at 15,still at it 31 yrs later.
😫😫😫😫😫😫
1977 400 cafe
1972 500/4
2013 triumph STR675

Offline Bryanj

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Re: What's your brew, as in life trade
« Reply #40 on: June 06, 2017, 06:55:13 AM »
James, i think he wonders if the not good enough relates to the finding women?

Offline kevin 755

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Re: What's your brew, as in life trade
« Reply #41 on: June 06, 2017, 11:48:09 AM »
Joined the Fire service at 16 as a cadet then became operational at 18,progressed through the ranks including working in fire safety and as an instructor at the training school.Retired 11 years ago at 55 as an operational watch commander at a busy station in Bootle Merseyside after 39 eventful years. Now holidaying and playing with my bikes.

Offline MarkCR750

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Re: What's your brew, as in life trade
« Reply #42 on: June 25, 2017, 06:47:58 PM »
Did my apprenticeship with BREL in 1978, went from there to Hunting Aviation which was interesting, got on test flights etc, went from there to inland waterways for a while making narrow boats, not sure why!, now work for Rolls Royce Aerospace as a project quality engineer, (having divorced and subsequently acquired a large mortgage about 10 years ago I'll probably be able to retire in my late 90's , I can't tell you how jealous I am of those in the above posts that have retired in their 50's, oh well the best laid plans....😄)
Suzuki GT250A (Nostalgia)
1977 K7 CR750 (lookalike, what of I’m not sure)
Ducati 900SS (Soul & Speed)
Ducati M900 Monster (Handling & character)
Thruxton 1200 (suits me)
James Captain 197 (pure adrenaline, i.e. no brakes!)
"Eff yir gitten awvestear yir gooin te farst"
Sir J.Stewart.

Offline mike the bike

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Re: What's your brew, as in life trade
« Reply #43 on: June 25, 2017, 07:45:27 PM »
Progress on ADI training:-

Currently having double lessons (2 hour)  First half is me forgetting my rally - driver - with - a - screwdriver,  everyday sort of driving and learning to slow right down, impeccably like and wearing a halo.

Second hour is where the instructor does the driving and I'm watching him like a hawk, explaining where he's going wrong, correcting his mistakes.  I did reversing around corners last Saturday, one of the pre set tests.

I've got to log 40 hours of that malarkey,  another 38.  That's what the examiner will be doing; driving like a twat and me putting him right.
« Last Edit: June 25, 2017, 08:01:53 PM by mike the bike »
Where's that 10mm socket got to?

Offline philward

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Re: What's your brew, as in life trade
« Reply #44 on: June 25, 2017, 08:11:08 PM »
Left school at 16 in 1971 - apprentice engineer and ended up at BAE as air frame fitter on Tornado. Got quite bored at age of 29 when I was ambitious. Moved to financial services (was called insurance then) and nearly left after 2 years because it was sales, sales, sales with a lot of the successful guys corrupt - luckily regulation came in and I studied hard and got none compulsory qualifications years ahead of when they became compulsory allowing me to end up as training manager training staff to advise customers ethically. Ended up regional training manager before large scale company restructure and redundancy. Best thing that could have happened as I got a non reduced pension at 50 based on a good salary as part of deal. Parent had a stroke so went self employed as mortgage broker 2003 to be able to look after her as she deserved to be looked after until couldn't get people mortgages after financial crisis of 2008/09 when moved to a job with local authority assessing cost of social care.  Left in 2016 due to pressure of no staff and not being able to give a decent service and now back working as a self employed mortgage broker/compliance support on a part time basis to subsidise pension as 4 years off state pension (at 66). Always kept my hand in with engineering via bikes and although was bored at BAE when I was 29, would be my ideal job now - work hard all day and go home with no work related worries. 46 years of work without unemployment - I've had enough and just want to mess with bikes and go on holiday! Thats me!
Current Bikes:-
Honda CB750K2 (1975)
Honda CB500K2 (12/1972)
Honda CR750 Replica (1972)
Honda CB350K0 (1969)
Kawasaki ZZR1100D3 (1995)
Kawasaki ZZR250 (1990) Project (Going on eBay ASAP)

 

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