Author Topic: Not Thumper - MotoGP  (Read 1364 times)

beeman

  • Posts: 428
Re: Not Thumper - MotoGP
« Reply #15 on: November 09, 2006, 07:42:42 PM »
Ahhh Ron Haslam and Pharoah yamahas now theres some memorys. He was my hero when I got into bikes my mate even painted his helmet to match his. Mind you back then we didn't have air brushes just brushes.
I've been following James Toseland lately on the basis he lives around here and went to the school my kids go too. He's also, apparently, a nice lad to boot.
We all get Heavier as we get Older because there is a lot more information in our heads

guest27

  • Guest
Re: Not Thumper - MotoGP
« Reply #16 on: November 09, 2006, 10:38:39 PM »
Ahh Rocket Ron Haslam - has always seemed a great bloke and supposedly one of the best development riders this side of a winged wheel.  Often wonder how many GPs or even World Championships he would have won if he had shaved off those side burns.  I have a lot of time for Leon, it cannot be easy being Rocket Ron's son, the expectation of others must be so high, yet he seems to be coping well and moving apace.  I really hope his choice to stay in BSB rather than go to D'Antain or Illmor in MotoGP does not come back and bite him.

When RR was riding the Elf Honda I was working in a factory in Milton Keynes - we made train windows amongst other things.  One of the production managers was called Ron Rocket.  I could never look at him and think how little he looked like Rocket Ron (and why should he) consiquently I could never really take the guy seriously, and he was a real nice bloke.  Mind with a name like that he should have been a racer or an aeronautics engineer.

Now not a rider - but had the 'pleasure' of meeting Dr Joe Ehrlich once - nice guy, clever guy but I did not realise how little in this world he had not invented.  I guess I must have missed his passing - which raises another question - does anyone know if Mez Porting still exist, had some work done on the Triton by Old man Mez and have seen their web site - but no resoponce.  Was great in his workshop - what looked like a set of old garden sheds at the end of the garden and inside - hidden under covers, works Honda and Ducati heads - amongst others.  Could have spent hours playing with his machines, and he did a great job for me.

R

xbruby

  • Guest
Re: Not Thumper - MotoGP
« Reply #17 on: November 09, 2006, 11:11:15 PM »
I can concur with beeman re: Jim Toesland from the parish of Wales in Sheffield( always makes me smile!). One of my customers lost a long time employee last year and James being the kind and considerate lad he is turned up for the funeral and the shindig afterwards. Fame seems to have left this man 'one of us' despite his success.

As for Rocket Ron, most aficionados refered to him as 'Hurricane Haslam', a name with which we still fondly acknowledge him to this day.

Anyway, enough of this nonsense I have a second ice age shelter to build after Rogers last but one missive!

Andy

peterj

  • Guest
Re: Not Thumper - MotoGP
« Reply #18 on: November 10, 2006, 12:46:14 PM »
Speaking of the late great Joe Ehrlich, does anybody know whether anything has happened to his elegant variable compression and capacity engine design of around 2001? I think the company he was developing it with, Mayflower?, have been struggling and it would be a great shame if that combined with the passing of Dr Joe buried the design.