The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride - Bangkok/ Pattaya

Hello gentlemen

First off, I must apologize for writing only in English, but writing in Thai is beyond my reach for now. I will try to get it translated as soon as possible and post it here for our Thai friends.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

Another year, another DGR! Just like last year, there will be 2 groups, one starting from Bangkok and one in Pattaya. Both groups will meet in Bang Saen.
Have a look on my blog for last year's pictures:
http://omega-racer.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-distinguished-gentlemans-ride-2013.html


So, if you're from around Bangkok or Pattaya, own a suit and a bike, please feel free to join us. Here are some more details.

All participants are expected to do the following:

1) Ride a motorcycle, preferably a classic, retro, bobber, chopper, custom, cafe racer. Riders with screaming 4 pot plastic rockets may ask a friend to borrow a real gentleman's bike. ;-)

2) All riders are required to wear their finest clothes. Ties are good, bowties are better. There's no limit to distinguishedness, if that's even a word...

3) A distinguished and gentlemanly attitude is paramount to the successful outcome of the ride. Let old ladies cross the road, always smile and generally make your grandmother proud.

4) I would like to stress that this ride is a fundraising event for prostate cancer research. It would be greatly appreciated if you could contribute what you can to this cause. You can do so online on this site once that section is up and running.

5) Ride responsibly. A suit doesn't give much protection in case you...well, you know what....

6) Last but not least, HAVE FUN!!
__________________________________________________________________________________________

For all the ride details please go to the official DGR website, register as a rider and kindly donate for a good cause.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

IMPORTANT:

I would like to remind all fellow riders that you are responsible for your own safety. Ride slow and live a long and venerable life.
This is a FREE event, no tickets, no charges. Just pay for your own gas, food and drinks.


If you have any questions, suggestions or would like to help, please feel free to do so. I appreciate all 3 of them. :-)

ride dapper

Customer's Creations

A special blog post today.

Independently to each other, a few customers decided to send me some pictures of their bikes, after they mounted their Omega Racer parts, of course.

First off, Stéphane Lavillonniere from France. Stéphane owns a splendid Yamaha XS nd needed a cafe seat for his project. Not finding the right seat, he decided to get the Cafe Rocker V2.0 for the SR400/500 and modify it to fit his bike. To keep the rear fender in place he used a 6mm stainless steel screw with brass washers. Good job Stéphane!

Next is Jimmy Cash. He ordered a Norton Dunstall aluminium tank for his cafe racer SR500 and painted it black with classic blue Yamaha stripes.

This is how it looked in August 2013.

 And after a lot of work, Jimmy's efforts really show and shine on this beast.

More lovely creations...

Custom small aluminium fairing

Yamaha SR aluminium tank "The Original"

Cafe Rocker V2.0 mounted on a Suzuki Inazuma by Luke Inazuma

Veni Vidi Vinci!

The year was 2009.
Kawasaki just released a bike that would revolutionize the entire motorcycle scene in Thailand. Until then big bike lovers had to either ride 20 years old unregistered Honda SuperFours 400 and Yamaha SR400, or spend a fortune on imported bikes. That all changed with the Thai made Kawasaki ER6n and f. The ER already had a great reputation and thanks to being produced in Thailand, was sold at a reasonable price. Those are the ingredients for an instant hit everywhere and Thailand was no different.

2009 was also the year I was in the market for a bigger bike and I had the SR400 on one side of the scale and the ER on the other. Eventually, financial reasons made me opt for the SR and I definitely have no regrets about that choice, au contraire!
Still, that unfulfilled desire never left me. It lingered and brooded just under the surface, kept down there by my hand brake...eh, I mean my wife.

Lately though, I've been thinking more and more about my old love, frequently scanning English and Thai classified sites. Until (insert heavenly choir here), a short but very interesting ad got my attention: Sell 2009 Kawasaki ER6n with only 69km in showroom condition.
A five year old bike with only 69km on the clock? I can't be true, ...or can it?

Cut a long(ish) story short, the seller (Mr V), bought the bike a few months after its release. Due to a back injury he never rode it further than up and down the road in front of his house. He kept it running once a week or so, to keep the battery alive and the internals working. Other than that, it hardly ever saw the light of the day. I like to think that he kept it ready just for the right time when I would be ready to buy it. These aren't just coincidences...these are synchronicities; perfectly interwoven events that give unexpected results. It is exactly the model I liked (2009-2011), the colour I always preferred and in a condition I've never dreamed of finding. How could I let such an opportunity pass me by, you may ask. Well, I didn't.

So, here I am with my new (old) bike!
Riding it home from Bangkok, I rode more km than Mr V did in 5 years! Quite funny, actually.

Thank you Mr V! It was a pleasure to meet you. I promise I will take care of her just like you did for the past 5 years. I'll ride her more, though. :-))))