October 18, 2012
I love ink lined technical drawings showing exploded components. You can see how it all goes together. Here’s excerpts from the Triumph Workshop Manual for a ’75 T140V/TR7 of the front brake system. This will help me with my updated stopping project as mentioned yesterday. I can see the draughtsman lined up in a smoky office at Meriden, Coventry poring over a Mylar sheet taped to vast drawing boards. Examining with a keen eye over the top of a thick pair of hornrims, parts sent up from the development workshops. They occasionally make sure their Rotring drawing instruments are filled, tapping their briar pipes occasionally on the heel of their oxfords.
Posted in Maintenance, Motorcycle Art |
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October 17, 2012
…and if you’re going to go fast, you’ve got to be able to stop too! I’m slowly acquiring parts for the front end to set up a disc brake system. The conical drum brake standard to the ’72 T120R is okay for delicate slowing maneuvers but when you need to slam on the anchors then they’re more comical in reality, you always have to think ahead with traffic and have a potential run-off space – which you should do anyways when riding!
Basically as the front end of the late model 650 and it’s beefier 750 younger brother (the T140V or TR7) were much the same; all I have to do is swap out the fork lowers, add a caliper, hoses and brake lever with master cylinder, and change the wheel to a disc braked one. Well, the eBay searches have been going well, indeed some items are coming with extra stuff that I can flog off to pay for itself. Get some new seals, stainless hoses and stainless pistons then Bob’s yer uncle, the Bonnie will then ‘HALT’ on my two-fingered command!
With your feet on the air
And your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head’ll collapse
If there’s nothing in it
And then you’ll ask yourself
Where is my mind?
Posted in Maintenance, Music, Triumph Bonneville |
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October 16, 2012
Red Rocket…… The Triumph Sprint is a bike built on the 955cc sports triple motor but with a wee slant on comfort. Pack yer bags and take to the open road, whether blasting the ‘superslab’ or high-speed curvy lanes. Pop off the bags and take to the twisties; let the country airs flow through your cardinal feathers.
$3,200 on Craigslist today!
Posted in Travel, Triumph Motorcycle |
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October 15, 2012
I unearthed these pair of photos of one of the main pubs along Wooler High Street: a 17th century coaching inn. Though probably more than half a century apart they both highlight the appeals of group rides and drives. Both taken for a VCMM newsletter.
It would be splendid to have a new gathering of vintage ‘cycles lined up outside this country pub…
Posted in Vintage |
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October 14, 2012
Only 25cc’s more than my Bonnie, this Daytona reply-racer looks quick standing still. Here resplendent in team SC Caracchi ridden by Garry McCoy.
… his race bike defies gravity… just wind the engine up and watch ‘er go!
Posted in Racing, Triumph Motorcycle |
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October 13, 2012
A rainy day allows a few maintenance items to be addressed. Points sweetened, oil level checked and a sprint around a couple of blocks to warm the moto’s blood and blow out a few cobwebs. The throttle gives a firm grunt, brakes snap-to and movement both straight and cornering is supple. Hopefully another bright autumn day on roads yet lies ahead this year…
Posted in Maintenance, Triumph Bonneville |
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October 12, 2012
A couple of colourful brochure covers from nigh on fifty years ago. One promotes both the the worlds best AND the fastest. The No. 9 racer speeds out of the booklet like the Bonneville’s must have shot out of the showroom floors on any Monday after the Sunday racing. Clean graphics very evocative of the mid sixties. We’re watching the TV series called George Gently which is produced with a super sense of time (1964). And, to boot, based in Northumberland with Geordie accents aplenty.
Posted in 60's, Motorcycle Poster, Triumph Motorcycle |
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October 11, 2012
I saw this cagoule wearing moped rider screaming along Greenbay Road, and the image reminded me of the Charles Schultz great Charlie Brown. Perhaps as a grown man he’s given up his zig-zag bumblebee baseball shirt and taking to the blue anorak. Anyways if you have Chuck B. then you’ve got to have Snoopy and Woodstock… Here on their own pumpkin colored scooter.
Posted in Motorcycle Art |
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October 10, 2012
Magic!
The iconic, and highly desirable, v twin powerhouses are a sight to behold. The motorcycles motorcycle… So when two appear parked next to each other like a pair of prize pugilists, then it’s a sight to behold. The front one has the carefully updated front end utilizing a pair of disc brakes: appropriate for that bicep of a litre ‘gin.
“If you see Sid, tell ‘im!”
Posted in Vincent |
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October 8, 2012
There are forgotten corners of Northumbria where the odd craggy outcropping of sandstone reveals messages from the past. A Long forgotten civilization carved unusual circular patterns upon these rocks. All we see are the ‘Cup & Ring’ lithographs which we can but barely imagine their meaning: calendars, maps, ley-line directions? Well this one here can only mean one thing! Ride On and Ride Fast!
Posted in Motorcycle Art |
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October 7, 2012
This moto-geezer is quite the picture: he’s armoured in well worn leathers and that Venom Thruxton is a crackin’ beast of a bike. Clip ons, rear, sets and bum-stop on the seat all fronted by a big rounded plexi-glass fairing means business. I hope I’m haring along at speed when white haired…
Fact: the Venom was the first production motorcycle to average over 100 mph over a 24 hour period. A record still unsurpassed to this date for a 500cc bike. Cracking stuff!
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October 6, 2012
Colour: Reds, golds, yellows, browns, greens… yes it’s Fall here in Northern Illinois. A chilly ride out after a summer of warms spins. Nothing a few extra layers can’t handle.
Posted in Photography |
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October 5, 2012
After the sketch artwork a couple of days ago, here’s something with a little more refinement and proportion (though I still love the looseness of the Triumph ledger doodle!). Peter Hutton is the artist here and both the sepi and wash colour rendering add so much life to this technical illustration. The unfinished edges and handwritten manx history round out this visual treat.
Posted in 50's, Motorcycle Art, Norton |
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October 4, 2012
“Bond, James Bond”. The new spy novel starring our favourite spy was released earlier this year. Ian Fleming Publications commissioned Jeffrey Deaver to pen the latest secret agent adventure. The launch saw the author arrive at St. Pancras Station in a Bentley escorted by a leather clad Bond Girl atop a 1966 BSA Spitfire Mk IV, stunt woman, actress and model Chesca Miles was the rider; taking on a modern day persona of Fiona Volpe; Beeza riding babe of the Connery classic Thunderball. Further colour was added when a copy of the novel was delivered by a Commando abseiling from the Victorian iron latticework of the station arches.
Here’s a period advert of the BSA: an air of Jimmy B about it as was the way of selling moto’s of the time!
Posted in Book, BSA, Gals |
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October 3, 2012
More online searching for Triumph esoterica brought this up… a doodle watercoloured sketch of a Bonneville on page 17 of some ledger book. Nice quirky but detailed ink lines albeit a contorted angle of view.
Indeed Ledger Art is a form of visual narrative used by the Plains Indians from the mid nineteenth century on (itself an adaptation of Hide Painting though using available papers from large record keeping ledger books) Here’s a modern take on that with the use of horse power and Indian motorcycle horsepower…
Posted in Motorcycle Art |
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