John Cantlie - Sonic from Fast Bikes

John Cantlie - Sonic from Fast Bikes

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hepy

Original Poster:

1,266 posts

140 months

Saturday 8th September 2012
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Morning

May be I'm a bit behind the times here, but does any remember Sonic who used to edit Super Bike magazine back in the day, then did a few programmes for Men and Motors?

He got kidnapped in Syria the other week, obviously bikes weren't dangerous enough! He's now free and there was an article in one of the Sunday papers.

http://www.fastfeatures.com/ - is his website, and it's pretty good, definately a step up from Super Bike Magazine!

redtwin

7,518 posts

182 months

Saturday 8th September 2012
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Didn't know he was doing regular journo work. I remember him back in the mid '90 goofing around and posing for wheelie shots in Superbike. Don't think he was the editor then.

BlackPrince

1,271 posts

169 months

Saturday 8th September 2012
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He switched to T.W.O./Visordown after a while.

http://www.visordown.com/road-tests/feed-the-habit...

That was one of my favorite articles of his, on the Bayliss 1098R.

Think he used to be in the Army a while back as well as fly stunt planes.

Glad he's unhurt and safe home and cant believe he still wants to do it, though a guy like that craves adrenaline i suppose

podman

8,856 posts

240 months

Saturday 8th September 2012
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Nutter...he (at superbike) spent a fortune trying to make a TL-R handle, which shoes you what kind of mad man he is!

Thanks for the update, an interesting read.

hepy

Original Poster:

1,266 posts

140 months

Saturday 8th September 2012
quotequote all
Thanks Guys.

Talking of back in the day bike mags, anyone know what happened to Jimarillo and Hamma from Fast Bikes....ahhh those Pulp Friction memories!

FarQue

2,336 posts

198 months

Saturday 8th September 2012
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podman said:
Nutter...he (at superbike) spent a fortune trying to make a TL-R handle, which shoes you what kind of mad man he is!

Thanks for the update, an interesting read.
I remember the red TL-S project bike.

FarQue

2,336 posts

198 months

Saturday 8th September 2012
quotequote all
hepy said:
Thanks Guys.

Talking of back in the day bike mags, anyone know what happened to Jimarillo and Hamma from Fast Bikes....ahhh those Pulp Friction memories!
Still got the Pulp Friction vids and a few others knocking around here. Legendary stuff!

ujio

312 posts

170 months

Saturday 8th September 2012
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hepy said:
Thanks Guys.

Talking of back in the day bike mags, anyone know what happened to Jimarillo and Hamma from Fast Bikes....ahhh those Pulp Friction memories!
Jimarillo is living a life of ill repute in Vegas. Funded by his gambling in sin city apparently.
This is what Colin Schiller said when I asked about the old skool Fast Bike crew.


V8 FOU

2,971 posts

147 months

Tuesday 11th September 2012
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I remember Sonic road testing a bike I built around 1996. He was a real laugh. Did the best write up of all the mags too.

y2blade

56,091 posts

215 months

Tuesday 11th September 2012
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V8 FOU said:
I remember Sonic road testing a bike I built around 1996. He was a real laugh. Did the best write up of all the mags too.
Fantastic cool

what bike was that? I might well have the mag somewhere.

Harvey mush man

110 posts

145 months

Friday 14th September 2012
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John Cantlie wasn't in the Army. Ever.

JC70

1 posts

139 months

Friday 21st September 2012
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Ah, the good old mid-90s days when riding bikes was about fun, crashing and chaos!

Jimmy Miller called himself 'Baby Brown' and turned into a quasi music producer, aka crack head, last seen in eastern California. Simon Hammerson lives the movie star life in Beverly Hills, drives a fully-restored 1967 Shelby Mustang with full Eleanor kit and nitrous, and just had a little boy. The Shelby's for sale along with his fully restored 69 Camaro, pic below.

I did indeed get kidnapped and shot while trying to escape in Syria, which was fun. Currently purchasing new equipment and will be back on the frontline in October. And no, I've never been in the army.

The TL-R with £16,000-worth of bits was eventually sold for £4,500. When it worked it was very fast but most of the time it just fell apart.


m8rky

2,090 posts

159 months

Friday 21st September 2012
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Some very powerful images in that link,this one in particular.We can all only pray one day she will know what peace is.


mudster

784 posts

244 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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Its an old thread, but just been released that John is presently a captive of the Islamic State group who are beheading hostages. Im rather stunned by the news.

Seems he was released but went back and was recaptured in 2012. News has been suppressed until now, and even the family didnt know.

I was a reader of Superbike at the time he was writing and you get to almost feel you know writers. Came as a shock.

Edited by mudster on Thursday 18th September 18:24

hepy

Original Poster:

1,266 posts

140 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
quotequote all
Link http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29258201

2nd time he's been captured, the guy must really love what he does to go back there again.

Good luck to him

princealbert23

2,575 posts

161 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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hepy said:
Link http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29258201

2nd time he's been captured, the guy must really love what he does to go back there again.

Good luck to him
When I heard it on the news I thought it must be another John Cantlie. What a strange turn of events.

Bedford Rascal

29,469 posts

244 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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Odd. This thread was updated by a poster a few weeks ago suggesting than John Cantlie was a hostage in Syria but then must have been deleted. I wonder if pistonheads were asked to remove it. Anyway, good luck to him. How awful.

Gandahar

9,600 posts

128 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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Jeez

He was someone to look up to on two wheels from someone who could not ride a bike in the same ballpark. Not only could he ride a bike he also looked the real deal in his sonic helmet and leathers that did not bulge at the waist like mine always did.

Going from that to this. I am shocked. What a bloke though ? We talk the talk the talk on here, he seems to have walked the walk as well.

Hope he gets out of this ok and goes back to the safe life of a 100mph wheelie....


Gandahar

9,600 posts

128 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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From better days




good luck.

srob

11,588 posts

238 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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Shocking. I remember him well from when I was a regular reader of Superbike.

Just hope that it ends ok for him.