We've been asked about our avatar.

It's from a Norse(?) or Finnish(?) motorcycle safety poster circa decades ago, late 1990's or early 2000's.  Dialup days.

Note that all identifying lettering & such has been edited out from the tank, sidecover & dyno cover.  We suspect that was done for legal reasons.  However, anyone who knows Z1's will instantly recognize the bike.

We met a member from that country who frequented the same now-long-defunct MSM Groups Z1/KZ forum as we did.  He posted an image of the poster.  Don't remember the context of the thread.  He was kind enough to translate the text for us & we had some T-shirts made.  slmjim edited the picture image to separate it from the text.  The translation is amusing but still quite serious.  It's on a PC that isn't running a VPN so we can't hit kzrider.com from that one, so we'll have to send it to ourselves & post it from this PC in a day or two.

slmjim is his CB radio handle.  Z1BEBE is a mashup of a term of endearment plus a tip of the hat to her passion for wrenching & Ridin' Z1's.  Lots of courtin' & sparkin' happened on slmjim's '74 Z1A back when it was our only bike, so the two-up is relevant.

Note that in all probability we've usually almost never ridden commando.  Maybe.  

And we don't care for open face lids, 'cause not enough protection.

That's our story.

We're stickin' to it.

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

What happens on a Z stays on a Z. 

The original text of the poster.  It is Swedish:

DEN NAKNA SANNINGEN
Du som kor mc eller moped tillhor det "nakna" oskyddade folket i trafiken. Du Har inget platskal eller bilbalte som skyddar vid en krock. Vems felet an ar drabbas du alltid hardast. Darfor kravs det mer av dig som sitter pa en mc eller moped. Du maste alltid, for din egen skull, tanka lite langre an de andra for att komma fram helskinnad. Ditt viktigaste skydd ar det du har innanfor hjalmen. 


The translation:

THE NAKED TRUTH
You who drive a motorcycle or moped belong to the "naked" unprotected people in traffic. You do not have a seat cover or car belt that protects in the event of a collision. Whose fault is it, you are always hit the hardest. That is why more is required of you who sit on a motorcycle or moped. You always have to, for your own sake, think a little longer than the others in order to come out unscathed. Your most important protection is what you have inside the helmet.

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

 

I would be too afraid of the exhaust to try that, but we have had our moments 

I've always thought that it must be hard on the toes when shifting gears.

wrote:

I've always thought that it must be hard on the toes when shifting gears.

Very.