WTF !!! Nick Sanders made an MBE

Jaws

Jaws

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Apart from be really good at self promotion and causing some major anti biker grumbling ( his epic journeys with very little sleep cased a lot of people to say how dangerous it looked ) he has not really done very much..
He is being called 'the face of motorcycling' by some of the press..
I would the UNACCEPTABLE face of motorcycling !

Do not get me wrong, , having met and chatted several times some years ago he is a really nice bloke and he has some GREAT stories to tell, but an MBE ?
 
I am afraid awards are meaningless now days, they just dish them out like smarties. Money does seem to influence if you get one or not.
 
I’ve met Nick a number of times and rather like him, so I’m happy for him..
 
Nick Sanders has raised the profile of the UK in positive adventuring ways and if you watch his videos he is 100% enthusiasm.

However don't mistake the UK honours system for services to the public, they are the establishments way of rewarding it's own for services rendered. We don't get to vote like on X-factor.
Remember Jimmy Saville OBE? Everyone in the honours system knew exactly what he was doing and liked when he was given that: that info even managed to get onto the establishment's own billboard: wikipedia.

Nick however is a great - if high bandwidth - guy and I'd say has an overall positive effect on the bike adventure scene. I know people who can ride further for longer but not many, but we need more people like Nick, not less :). I suspect he impressed the right 'droid/drone in government and I don't begrudge him the small medal, I can always buy one on eBay if I feel I'm missing out.

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DuxDeluxe said:
Am I the only person never to have heard of Nick Sanders?
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No, I’ve not a clue either. But can’t watch anything motorbike related so hardly surprising. Agree with the gongs given out like smarties tho. The majority are pointless.
 
And as for Baz Basford!

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Enword said:
Bloody hell it'll be that irritating Henry Cole next for an award :rolleyes:
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Yup, irratating as hell, but he does put some very good biking images on TV. I can't help but think of Stepto every time I see him.
 
Sometimes reward for failure, I thought it was an error when I read:
SIR Nick Clegg,
 
Larby said:
Sometimes reward for failure, I thought it was an error when I read:
SIR Nick Clegg,
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LOL, failure for some (All students), but a win-win for government and bankers.
Clegg's reward for student loans which achieved these two brilliant things:
1. No more student protests. Too busy being in debt and paying for their own courses.
2. Get people in huge debt before they even start work, cradle to grave banksterism.

It's like Iraq, Libya, Yemen etc, these have been goldmines for the military vendors and swept away vast areas of civilisation and millions of humans for the Yinon plan, it's really a tremendous success. Only halted in Syria where ISIS were doing so well by those pesky Russians and Iranians who we've been giving hell ever since they took out ISIS. We never touched the ISIS oil convoys to Israel and Turkey but now we are pirates against Iranian tankers we suspect may be heading to Syria. Two sides to every war.
Clegg definitely took one for the team, he'll be well looked after, as is Blair and Straw.

Makes Nick Sanders and his nice bike riders look like the odd one out for actually achieving something positive :). I quite like Nick and Henry, they do what they do and it's good to see that.
 
I've managed to find a recent picture of him.
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Enword said:
Bloody hell it'll be that irritating Henry Cole next for an award :rolleyes:
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hilldweller said:
Yup, irratating as hell, but he does put some very good biking images on TV. I can't help but think of Stepto every time I see him.
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I like his very laid back sidekick Sam..... a good foil for him.

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GPW said:
Nick Sanders has raised the profile of the UK in positive adventuring ways
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I am sorry I have to disagree
He raised the profile withing the biking community but did a fair bit of damage outside the game...
I lost count of the times I found myself defending him to prols.. Very often all they saw was a man so tired he was almost asleep riding a heavily laden bike. Comments such as 'its a wonder he does not kill himself or someone else' were often heard.
Bikers NEED to be as clean as a clean thing if they are going to present biking to the prols.
Doing anything which looks or can be perceived as foolish or dangerous does nothing to promote motorcycling to those not involved.

Whilst only a berk would take any of his achievements away from him, the producers and director of the two series ( I think there was only two ? ) should have chosen the footage better, and Nick should not have pushed so hard as to make the adventure seem like a punishment rather than something those of us who do it love and relish.
A 1000 miles a day is not hard to do.. but doing it day after day after day ?
 
Jaws said:
He raised the profile withing the biking community but did a fair bit of damage outside the game...
I lost count of the times I found myself defending him to prols.. Very often all they saw was a man so tired he was almost asleep riding a heavily laden bike. Comments such as 'its a wonder he does not kill himself or someone else' were often heard.
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Upsetting a few people who worried about non-existent accidents doesn't really make it onto my radar. It's very trendy for people to take offense and get upset, the victim mentality is alive and well.

It's all a bit 'Minority Report' for me. When people get upset when Nick 'may have' crashed but say nothing about us supplying arms to blow the arms off children in Yemen I find myself without sympathy for their bleating and whining :)

I tend to stick with real crimes and accidents: Nick had none. Zero. Nada !
 
GPW said:
Upsetting a few people who worried about non-existent accidents doesn't really make it onto my radar. It's very trendy for people to take offense and get upset, the victim mentality is alive and well.

It's all a bit 'Minority Report' for me. When people get upset when Nick 'may have' crashed but say nothing about us supplying arms to blow the arms off children in Yemen I find myself without sympathy for their bleating and whining :)

I tend to stick with real crimes and accidents: Nick had none. Zero. Nada !
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And it is that head in the sand attitude concerning the general public's opinion that has kept bikers in the 2nd class citizen group since 1960
It is ALL about perception
Unless more youngsters are drawn to bikes , we will soon be non-existent
When mum or dad watches bike related stuff on the television, and little Johnny says he wants to get a bike, what reaction do you think the parents had to seeing a bleary eyed dog tired bloke pushing him self to the limit and beyond. It will not be favourable

We need new blood.. and we will not get it until the prols see biking as we do..

Those that know me will tell you I am proly a bit of an anarchist ( to say the least ), but I always try and promote biking in a positive light when it comes to dealing with the media
 
Jaws said:
It is ALL about perception
Unless more youngsters are drawn to bikes , we will soon be non-existent
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Actually a lot of it is about organisation, availability of decent commuter grade bikes and scooters and provision of parking etc.

Biking has regressed over the past decade to the Power Ranger set where bikes become expensive racing toys that are the first to be dumped when the economy sinks.

I ride a scooter but always get a constant '2nd class citizen' from the 'proper' bike brigade, who seem to think giant low MPG engines, mechanical gears, zero practical storage and no weather protection marks out the man who can get his knee down. The biking magazines and a lot of bikers have boxed themselves into a corner and the clique rivalry of power ranger vs Harley vs scooter is far more of an issue than some comments about a lone adventure rider.

Look at the number of bike shops closing. Look at the bike shows, by hiding all the stand show-girls, pushing all the useful scooters aside and pandering to the philosophy of bikes being expensive useless toys for brave real men to get killed on is entirely self made by the industry.

Meanwhile I carry on using my extraordinarily un-trendy scooter with internal storage, 80mpg economy, no chain to lube, weather protection and better focus on the road due to not having to play with sequential gears.

In the parallel biking universe people will wtill by R1's, 1200GS's, S1000Rs until the money stops and then everyone will go bust as a potter past on my scooter and everyone else (put off by the expensive toys) goes by bus.

Biking has a serious image problem, but please don't pretend Nick is anything to do with that, most people have never even heard of him ;)

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GPW said:
In the parallel biking universe people will wtill by R1's, 1200GS's, S1000Rs until the money stops and then everyone will go bustick is anything to do with that, most people have never even heard of him ;)
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There is of course a serious financial problem here, they make ££££ out of the Big Balls Bikes, they make peanuts out of sensible scooters and little sensible bikes like mine.

JAWS has just invested in a new scooter.
 
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GPW said:
Actually a lot of it is about organisation, availability of decent commuter grade bikes and scooters and provision of parking etc.

Biking has regressed over the past decade to the Power Ranger set where bikes become expensive racing toys that are the first to be dumped when the economy sinks.

I ride a scooter but always get a constant '2nd class citizen' from the 'proper' bike brigade, who seem to think giant low MPG engines, mechanical gears, zero practical storage and no weather protection marks out the man who can get his knee down. The biking magazines and a lot of bikers have boxed themselves into a corner and the clique rivalry of power ranger vs Harley vs scooter is far more of an issue than some comments about a lone adventure rider.

Look at the number of bike shops closing. Look at the bike shows, by hiding all the stand show-girls, pushing all the useful scooters aside and pandering to the philosophy of bikes being expensive useless toys for brave real men to get killed on is entirely self made by the industry.

Meanwhile I carry on using my extraordinarily un-trendy scooter with internal storage, 80mpg economy, no chain to lube, weather protection and better focus on the road due to not having to play with sequential gears.

In the parallel biking universe people will wtill by R1's, 1200GS's, S1000Rs until the money stops and then everyone will go bust as a potter past on my scooter and everyone else (put off by the expensive toys) goes by bus.

Biking has a serious image problem, but please don't pretend Nick is anything to do with that, most people have never even heard of him ;)
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We are obviously poles apart and will have to agree to disagree. :-)

And the reason most people have not heard of Sanders is simply because EVERY production company ran a mile after his last series
Take a look at Henry Cole.. Always on telly, people want to interview him, and has work queuing up.. The epitome of the acceptable face of biking

When you potter even 400 or 500 miles a day on your scooter, can enjoy a track day, get a buzz out of riding the Alps passes, go and talk to 10.000 bikers, represent bikers grass roots to your politician or indeed parliament, when you can hold your hand on your heart and say yes, I have done what I can to promote motorcycling as an active member of the BMF or MAG, only then perhaps you will be able to appreciate where I am coming from

Oh, and I have just bought an MP3 scooter to go to Italy on.. I have given my self two and a half days to get there. Normally on the GS or Bird one day if I want to push it, two days for a nice lazy ride. If you fancy it, you are most welcome to join me....

I still have the Bird, but sold the 1200 GS LC three weeks ago.. Which incidentally might not do 80mpg but 50mpg is quite respectable
And the bloody MP3 scoot with a 14 ltr tank only does an average 45mpg ! Spend nearly as much time in garages as riding the ruddy thing
 
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Jaws said:
Oh, and I have just bought an MP3 scooter to go to Italy on.. I have given my self two and a half days to get there. Normally on the GS or Bird one day if I want to push it, two days for a nice lazy ride. If you fancy it, you are most welcome to join me....

I still have the Bird, but sold the 1200 GS LC three weeks ago.. Which incidentally might not do 80mpg but 50mpg is quite respectable
And the bloody MP3 scoot with a 14 ltr tank only does an average 45mpg ! Spend nearly as much time in garages as riding the ruddy thing
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I suppose an MP3 is mostly a scooter but it's a very heavy one! Very handy for not falling off and for parking however. I have a SYM 300 and it did 400km once on a 12L tank, although usually 350km is the most from a tank. SYM are the best scooters as people think they are chinese so they are a pretty safe park.

I went on a tour with a friend who was on a GS and we filled up at around the same times, my fuel bill was always around 60% of his, the scooter was narrower (underseat + huge topbox) and it was a lot easier riding. Over the Pyrenees I was looking at the scenery while he was changing gear :). He dropped it one day and it was a bit of a beast to pick up, a scooter if dropped is of course a doddle.

Thanks for the offer to join you but that would rather negate the point of getting a camper! :). Coming back through France in the middle of the country getting colder and colder as the damp dug in without a campsite or hotel in sight made me decide that a camper would be so much easier and more luxurious :).
 
GPW said:
Thanks for the offer to join you but that would rather negate the point of getting a camper! :). Coming back through France in the middle of the country getting colder and colder as the damp dug in without a campsite or hotel in sight made me decide that a camper would be so much easier and more luxurious :).
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The only real advantage of the MPS is when I am not on it, as manoeuvring it around is a lot easier even fully freighted
But as soon as you move or unlock the front end it feels and rides like any other bike ( albeit a slow cumbersome one )

The Italian run.... I have done it in the motorhome, but it just felt wrong, hundreds of bikers from all over Europe and maybe 6 or 7 motorhomes with bikes on the back ... I suspect this may well be my last year though.
The riding is no problem but setting up and pulling down the tents does me in nowadays.... Too old, too weak and too lazy !

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Jaws said:
The only real advantage of the MPS is when I am not on it, as manoeuvring it around is a lot easier even fully freighted
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You can also stay upright with a front wheel skid - that can be a life changing advantage! Also the front is grippier anyway IIRC as you two independent tyres looking for grip.

Jaws said:
The riding is no problem but setting up and pulling down the tents does me in nowadays.... Too old, too weak and too lazy !
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I also decided I was too old for the tenting. Having to dry the tents also costs a lot of time, when travelling I want to be able to pack-n-go. Also tricky putting up a tent on a concrete aire! I recall in Portugal wondering if anyone would notice if I put a tent up on a motorway services, with a van I'd have been snoring. We ended up riding into the next morning.
 
GPW said:
You can also stay upright with a front wheel skid - that can be a life changing advantage! Also the front is grippier anyway IIRC as you two independent tyres looking for grip.


I also decided I was too old for the tenting. Having to dry the tents also costs a lot of time, when travelling I want to be able to pack-n-go. Also tricky putting up a tent on a concrete aire! I recall in Portugal wondering if anyone would notice if I put a tent up on a motorway services, with a van I'd have been snoring. We ended up riding into the next morning.
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When we are on the road on the bikes we usually just fond a bit of woodland and hide up in there
A very memorable occasion was when my son and I was going along the A8 in Germany..
Spotted a gap and pulled into the woods, thinking we was miles from any one.
Following morning, having dug a latrine, I was just puling my kaks up when two joggers came past !
We had camped about 10 yards from the edge of a big housing estate !
 
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