Without the main site and the forum the OSS community was fragmented. Banoffee (who was a moderator from the original site) started a facebook group in order to simply keep the OSS community informed about the site’s return. When it looked clear that the site was not returning in a hurry and the facebook page began to grow in size, he recruited 3 of the the original admins – PP, Rene EFE and Jelly and along with Katanamangler they decided to try to establish some of the original OSS values on the facebook group. This wasn’t easy because facebook was facebook and many of the subscribers to the group knew nothing of the Oldskool ways. Nonetheless the admin team stuck to their guns and tried as best they could to keep the OSS flame burning in wait of a new site. The facebook group was only ever designed to hold the fort for a short period until the site returned.

After over a year of no OSS website an original OSS member named Ash set up a temporary forum on the understanding that it was run in the OSS way and was closed down when the main site returned. This was welcomed by many original OSS members who didn’t use facebook. Ash was assisted by Captain Chaos (a moderator from the original site) as well as others. Ash later asked Rene EFE, Banoffee and Katanamangler to moderate and give input to the temp forum. The temp forum was set up using the proboards platform which works like facebook in the respect that it allows for a free forum platform and functions but the information and content is owned by proboards and the site must carry pay per click advertising banners. Like the facebook group, the temporary forum was only ever meant to bridge a gap while the main site was rebuilt.

When it became clear that neither Mr7/11 or PP were going to be able to devote the necessary time to build a new site, Mr7/11 and PP passed the URL (oldskoolsuzuki.info) and the all the rights to Rene EFE and the facebook admin team to build a new site. Ash and Captain Chaos had been kept informed of and were consulted on the development of the new site build and they agreed to help with the migration of members from the temporary forum as well as moderate on the new site.

It was agreed that once everyone was happy with the new site that the temp forum would be locked.

Going Forward

The new site has been set up with all of the same aims and objectives as the original. To create a place where those who  want  to keep these lovable old dinosaurs in the here and now and on the road can gather.  A place to  share information and document  projects for others to enjoy. The rules haven’t changed ( at all) they remain as oldskool as the bikes themselves.

The OSS is dead, long live the OSS

Hanmā-shin Hamamatsu- The Hammer God of Hamamatsu- A brief history

Ancient depiction of the Hammer God, Hanma-shin

Up until the early 90’s Hanma-shin could be found in the Suzuki factory at Hamamatsu where he diligently watched over the work of Suzuki’s designers and technicians, blessing their work with his divine and mighty hammer and scroll. Legend has it that his hammer is made from the very same meteorite that crashed to earth and killed the Dinosaurs. It is also said that the in-line four Suzukis of the 80’s and early 90’s owed their explosive power and durability to the thunder of his mighty hammer, which he divinely bestowed on each and every machine that rolled off the production line. It is also written that he was never without his sacred scroll of engine tuning spells which were attached to his hammer handle by the power band from a GT750.

The story goes that only one man ever got to view the contents of his sacred scrolls. He was a young mechanic named Pops who, after glimpsing their contents,  was promptly forced to flee in fear of divine retribution. Some say the Hanma-shin never fully recovered from the trauma. Things really started to go down hill for him shortly after that when he refused to bless a water cooled in-line four engine that was in development at the factory. He was rarely seen again after that.

By the late 90’s there were whispered rumours that night watchmen at the factory reported older production lines for EFEs and oil cooled GSXR engines just starting up of their own accord. Technicians working on Suzuki’s latest models reported missing front ends and swing arms as well as other cutting edge cycle parts. The legend goes that somewhere in the factory there is a hidden room where Hanma-shin has built a stable of the most perfect old skool Suzukis. The bikes that Suzuki should have built but never did. They are rumoured to be the perfect blend of old skool grunt and cutting edge bling.

For years after his disappearance there were reports of  H*nda Firebl@des in the staff car park being found smashed. The management of the factory put this down to badly driven delivery trucks but staff reported that the bikes very clearly looked like they had been smashed by a huge mash hammer.

A long serving Suzuki executive told us that all rumours and sightings had abruptly ended around about the same time Suzuki had introduced the water-cooled Bandit. He said he thought this had been the last straw for Hanma-shin.

I am pleased to end this sad story on a high, for after many years in the wilderness, Hanma-shin has finally mastered the wonders of the internet. After months of surfing inane, confused and frankly pointless motorcycle “web dwellings” ( as he calls them) he was on the verge of raising his mighty Hammer to smash his 10th computer of the day when the “sage oracle” ( this is what he calls Google) suddenly spoke to him of a distant clan of mortals by the name of the OSS, who had not yielded but had instead stayed true to the ancient ways, forsaking all other things. Since then he has carefully observed that the OSS too live by the hammer and scroll and in turn has come to realise that the OSS is an Island sanctuary in all the interweb and indeed in all the world. Perhaps here, he thought he might find lasting peace.

Here at oldskoolsuzuki.info he truly believes he has found his spiritual home. A place were fellow Luddites burn the midnight oil in secret rooms toiling to create the perfect Oldskool Suzukis by pilfering incidentals from modern machinery. He also loves the rules so much, that he has a laminated copy and slipped it in beside his sacred scrolls. Henceforth he has pledged his mighty hammer and his blessing to our cause.

Hanma-shin has agreed to allow us to use his hammer as our symbol and his image as our emblem on our “interweb dwelling” ( website) on our machines and on our “tunics” ( hoodies n’ that).

Thank you Hanma-shin, may your blessing give us success and your hammer protect us.

OSS- Hanma-shin emblem for the back of  our tunics?

The new OSS logo. Hanma-shin’s mighty hammer.