| It's a small out of the way bike shop. You know what I mean-- Tucked up a side street, an independent store, not a dealer. You spy the sign one day while out for a ride, go right by it, and then-- Something makes you turn around and pull in. You park your bike, and walk inside to check it out. Its looks dingy, but you never know. Maybe there are some nice bikes, some rare machinery. And friendly people, with stories to tell. It's empty, and there's not much work to be done. There's a sign up that says customers aren't allowed in the work area, but Big Sid doesn't give a damn about "liability"and you get to go back and see for yourself.At Big Sid's you got the run of the place: look, read, learn. And maybe you got a question, that's ok--just contact Big Sid and we will do what we can. What else? Well, if you like the vintage pics and the writing, then please sign our guestbook. We hope to use this ezine in order to generate a list of individuals would be interested in purchasing two books: A Wish in the Veins, a novel of motorcycling, and Vincents with Big Sid: A Photohistory. If enough people show interest, Big Sid's will self-publish these titles and sell them via the mail. We are also contacting editors and agents, and we believe that a strong web presence might help us secure publication through an established press. So spend some time at Big Sid's. We humbly think that if you do you will want to own the books excerpted here, and with luck, and your support, we can make that happen. Big Sid's. Only on the net. |
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Through the Megaphone #2 | |||||
he called it in "To Autumn," a time when "clouds bloom the soft-dying day, and touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue." He penned those thoughts after returning from a Sunday walk, one he also describes, and with language just as evocative, in a September letter: "How fine the air. A temperate sharpness about it. I never lik'd stubble fields so much as now- Aye better than the chilly green of the spring. Somehow a stubble plain looks warm - in the same way that some pictures look warm." Once young men liked to debate if Keats' fascination with the sensation of warmth reflected the onset of TB, a fact which might suggest that he did his greatest work knowing he would never make thirty.
and say,"Yes, entertaining such questions And so now I mostly keep this vision of Keats dismounting from a motorcycle to myself. These days when I encounter people who reverence "literature" offering such a scenario as a strut FAILS, and so I don't offer it (except to a few of the grand old men, ONE of whom countered with the assertion that the WORLD will ever regret the absence of the poem BYRON could have written had he driven a sports car through the California mountains at high speeds, and without apparel). But I offer it to you, Big Sid's AUTUMN ISSUE.
And when you pull-in for lunch gather your impressions of the ride
Spin the rear wheel--are there nails? Smoke a cigarette before you go in because a side stand can sink in and the bike will fall over. Examine all cables and hoses. Put your hand on the engine and test for a film--gas or oil. Pat her, offer up a blessing and a thank-you. Even better, share your thoughts with a friend (by definition then one who you have swapped bikes with over the course of the day) and solicit their impressions. In short linger by your bike--stand, fiddle, talk. Its what motorcyclists do, especially here at Big Sid's. And in Issue #2 you'll find lots to linger over. Every department--from Tooltray Tips to Links has been updated. (Additionally, the Contact Info page now features an archive of answers from Big Sid in response to your questions.) So there is plenty new for those of you who have been here before, and even better, you'll discover that Big Sid has listened--MORE, more of what you wanted: MORE DRAG RACING, MORE VINTAGE PICS, MORE TIPS. (And Jim needn't freak, all the OLD STUFF from ISSUE 1 is STILL HERE) so FIRE UP THE PRINTER. Big Sid's doesn't care, we're honored in fact. After all, everybody knows a stack of print-out pages doesn't take the place of a book. The Vincent Photo-history out in the garage, a photographer's loop alongside, some cognac, cigars, John Keats, some friends, and the room full of smoke and exhaust fumes. Print-outs from the internet can't go there . . .books are cooool daddy-O, especially these ones. Jim's down for copies. . . are you? Tell Big Sid your interested. E-mail or sign our GUESTBOOK. We thank everyone who surfed in for ISSUE 1, especially those of you who signed our Guestbook. I value the Guestbook as much as I do any of the other Departments and I encourage visitors to view it. I also extend a thank-you to all who have contributed articles and photos to Big Sid's. And remember, here at Big Sid's we dispense with pointless formalities. If you have material right for Big Sid's, contact us.
Out Riding
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