Japanese tow truck

Well Bafana Bafana are out of the World Cup but as the local newspaper headlines read the next day "Out but not Down!" The boys did us proud and it was a hell of a game! We scored the first goal again and it could have been three goals in the first half, the party at the "Captain's Cabin" was extremely festive and very noisy but I'm afraid that's it - I think that I have watched my last game of soccer. Don't get me wrong though, I will still wear my yellow tee shirt with pride and I am fully behind South Africa hosting our overseas visitors and the rest of the soccer but I've seen enough.

We do, however, want to take part in the fan walk in Capetown before the games are over. We were hoping to have a look this weekend but there is no midday game, apparently the fan mile is very festive and we want to be able to say "We were there!" It all ends on July 11 so it would have to be next weekend, we'll see what we can do.

Back to matters biking and here's something that I found very interesting; my brother in law Miles sent me this item about the Japanese traffic Police and their towing vehicle;

It looks like a seriously cumbersome arrangement and from this angle and at first sight you would have no idea what it was for. There must be some serious wind drag, much like having a big, fat pillion passenger.
Seriously modified Honda 1800 Goldwings, look at the stand arrangements, that must be because they are seriously heavy and would be extremely difficult to pull up onto a centre stand. Also I am sure the rider has to be able to stand on the footrest and step over the saddle, there is not enough space to swing a leg over.
Now they start to unfold the equipment and you would still be excused for wondering what the hell this is all about! The hydraulic pump and piping must have taken some serious work, very ingenious.
Now you see what the bike is used for, a towing vehicle! Sure there is enough grunt in that 1800cc engine to pull a car along but I'm not sure that I would like to ride it like that, damn clever though.

I'm meeting Frank at the Phoenix bar for a couple of games of pool (and a couple of beers) tomorrow afternoon and we have a quiet weekend planned but I'm sure we will get the big red machine out of the garage on Saturday. I need to blow the spider webs out of the exhaust pipe!