I rode an old one once (friend of a friend brought it by work). I say old cus the shift pattern was OPPOSITE. The old brain had to work overtime just riding it around the parking lot. That was a brave as I got (didn’t want to trash his tranny).
It was made in the 60’s. Pretty sure it was a Triumph.
Just like a proper race bike 
I have done that on my RGV track bike by reversing the linkage. Press down to go up a gear - makes it easier when you’re cranked over in a corner rather than try to get your toe under the lever.
Just a note to confirm I have changed my avatar - it’s one I use most often on other sites and I’m making everything the same.
I’m wearing my Dad’s old jungle hat. It is a bit small for my oversized bonce but sits nicely on my bald patch!
btw I got a Russian army hat that he traded some porn for in the '80’s. We were based in BFG (W Germany) and he used to fly up to Berlin every week on intel missions (he had something to do with Brixmis). It was normal for our guys on the trains along the corridor to trade cigarettes, booze and porn with the Russian border guards. They didn’t trust the East Germans with the job.
I’ll upload a photo of it sometime soon - if anyone wants it, give a shout. It has the original USSR badge on the front, but the rest isn’t in the best condition any more.
Nice - I have a Red Army Ushanka that my mother’s boss got for me about twenty years ago when he was working in Russia for a few months.
What I would really like is Soviet tank crew helmet.
One of the Corporals at 1st Armd came back from a three month secondment with a BAOR Regt with one and had the RAEME techs re-wire the plugs to fit the radio harness in the Leopards… Back then they weren’t as anal about headwear in the field… some guys wore green baseball caps, some had CVC’s others even wore ‘bush’ berets with a blacked out cap badge.
Funny you should say that - up until a few years back I used to go to annual meetings of ex-members of Air Support in its various guises since WWII (officially called the Air Formation Signal Regiments Association) and when I was chatting with the lads currently serving they all had catalogues of kit they were buying to wear in the field. Sure, in barracks they had to wear regulation stuff, but on ops they seemed to be able to wear whatever they wanted as long as it was suitable and up to the job. British Army issue trousers/shirts etc yes - but bergens, head- and footwear were all open to personal choice. I was amazed and not a little green with envy as that was a big no-no in my time.
This may have been just for tours in Afghanistan, though.
Did you mean REME?
Nup, Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 
By the time the early 2000’s rolled around, when it came to Ops there was still a fair bit of leeway with some items of privately puchased field wear (shemagh, gortex bivvy bag, etc) but any PPE (e.g. helmet), load carrying equipment, or anything with a pic rail and it was issue all the way. At least by then boots, eyewear, etc was as least as good as what you would buy for yourself anyway. By the time I got out, these were issue:
Heck, by the time I got out… Your average pogue, forward to the photocopier, getting money and medals for a three month stint at Camp Cupcake muppet was tooled up better than a SAS trooper in the early 90’s.
Yeah, I didn’t think you did but couldn’t work out what the “A” was for and didn’t want to speculate lest I get myself into trouble! 
We had an Aussie corporal over on detachment for 6 months when I was at 1Div in about 1984 and, well, he got himself a bit of a reputation. I think he was ‘playing to the crowd’ rather a lot, though.
Anyway, here’s the Soviet hat - it does have a name, but I can’t remember it now. It has 1978 in it, so I guess that’s when my Dad got it, and it’s size 56 - no wonder it doesn’t fit me, I was a 58 in my twenties.
makes you look like Mickey Mouse…
Yeah, that’s a Ushanka. Mine is one of the black ones. Not too sure about what the difference is… I thought the grey ones like yours were part of the winter uniform and the black ones were ceremonial? But I’m not 100% on that.
Unfortunately, like all countries, we also have our fair share of tossers. Shame that one of them managed to score a six month TDY to Blighty.
It wasn’t a bad reputation, Harry, just as a bit of a character.
Got it. I have to admit in the 90’s playing the ‘Crocodile Dundee’ card still worked. Aussies were still kind of exotic then and it was before everyone worked out that the majority of us are a bunch of yobs not far removed from their ancestors that deserved transportation to a penal colony on the other side of the planet.
Yeah I changed my avatar - again! One day I’ll find one that I want to keep permanently
Maybe…
Guess I’ll pop in and introduce myself!
Hello, my name is HamMan! Huge avgeek and I am a TL3 on the MSFS forum and play MSFS a lot. Found this link from Fearlessfrog, and I am excited to interact with everyone!
Welcome @HamMan2118 ! Hope you like it here and I look forward to what you’ll be sharing on MSFS!
Fresh meat!
Sorry HamMan2118, but I couldn’t resist!
Welcome to Mudspike! 
Welcome. You have discovered a wonderful community of diverse backgrounds but a common interest in all things gaming and aviation.
So far I have held off from MSFS, nothing against it I just have too many $$$ invested in X-Plane and too little time to play all the games and sims I already have
Welcome to Mudspike HamMan. You will find us to be a friendly bunch here. Just hang onto your wallet when talking to me as I seem to have a reputation around here of getting people to buy things they never knew they needed. Of course, I have no clue what they are talking about!
I see a lot of people from SimHQ. That feels comfortable. Stay in the sim fight. HooHaa!
