T’is the weekend and it’s time to hare down the A23 to the seaside. The pebbly beach fronted promenade is the place to be seen and Madeira Drive the strip to drag up and down. How low are those ‘bars?
April 24, 2014
nasopharyngitis.
*Normal service to this blog will resume momentarily; in the meantime enjoy this Triumph Thruxton ‘strip art’.
I’ve got a bleedin’ cold with a runny nose, stuffy heid and volcanic sneezin’!
April 23, 2014
Saint Geordie
The twenty third of April is the feast of the Roman soldier George who was martyred on this day in the fourth century. Typically shown defeating a dragon atop a white steed with maiden beyond his veneration is celebrated in many countries for his virtue. The English flag is his banner: a red vertical cross on white. Itself forming the very foundation for the Union Flag (Jack).
Here is a Triumph Bonneville used as a modern ride leaning into one of the many corners of a latter day dragon: the Dragons Tail at Deals Gap in North Carolina, an 11 mile stretch of Route 129 with over 300 corners.
April 22, 2014
“You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!”
Classic line in a classic British film from 1969. Caine is marvelous as Charlie Croker the gold bullion theft ring-leader. The car chase is in the top 3 of chases (Bullitt, The Blues Brothers?). The alpine and Turin scenery sublime.
It was on the telly last evening in unedited wide screen format. Fabulous! It just so happens the scene where they blew more than the bloody doors off was filmed in Crystal Palace Park in south London. I first learned to ride a motorcycle in that park back in 1996. A Suzuki 125.
April 21, 2014
Road by Instruments
Yesterdays jaunt was certainly a good ‘feather-winded’ trip to loosen overwintering riding skills as well as the bikes awakening leg-stretching. One electrical fault from a hibernating gremlin who had decided to sabotage the negative wire at the fuse. A quick roadside repair and an engine fires up again.
TALE OF THE GREMLINS
This is the tale of the Gremlins
Told by the P.R.U.
The incredible tale of the Gremlins
But believe me, you slobs, it’s true.
When you’re seven miles up in the heavens,
(That’s a hell of a lonely spot)
And it’s fifty degrees below zero
Which isn’t exactly hot.
When you’re frozen blue like your Spitfire
And you’re scared a Mosquito pink,
When you’re thousands of miles from nowhere
And there’s nothing below but the drink
It’s then you will see the Gremlins,
Green and gamboge and gold,
Male and female and neuter
Gremlins both young and old.
It’s no good trying to dodge them,
The lessons you learned on the Link
Won’t help you evade a Gremlin,
Though you boost and you dive and you fink.
White ones will wiggle your wingtips,
Male ones will muddle your maps,
Green ones will guzzle your Glycol,
Females will flutter your flaps.
Pink ones will perch on your perspex,
And dance pirouettes on your prop;
There’s a spherical, middle-aged Gremlin
who’ll spin on your stick like a top.
They’ll freeze up your camera shutters,
They’ll bite through your aileron wires,
They’ll bend and they’ll break and they’ll batter,
They’ll insert toasting forks in your tyres.
That is the tale of the Gremlins,
Told by the P.R.U.,
(P)retty (R)uddy (U)nlikely to many
But fact, none the less, to the few.
April 20, 2014
Diner Destination
Perfect spring weather allowed a good spin on the bikes, up through Lake County and back along the North Shore. Lunch stop in Zion for some delicious blueberry pancake’s with sausage links on the side.
Washed down with endless fresh coffee.
Sunny? Oh yes! It was a sunglasses sky aloft…warm air blew through my unzippered jacket vents.
April 19, 2014
Window Shopping
A couple gaze adoringly at a possible new two-up ride. The shiny moto peers back at them coolly knowing they’ll undoubtedly make the purchase. This magazine cover has the typical B&W with color printing of the time for uncomplicated presentation. Nearly newspaper like.
April 18, 2014
Bert Piddock is the man!
I need me this instruction manual for the reassembly…. A step-by-step photographic explanation of the strip-down and bolt-together of this diminutive power plant.
April 17, 2014
TBT: Throwback Thursday
Here’s the Bonnie fresh from its engine refit back in ’10. All splendid in its original Gulf color’s, drum front brake, upright bars and just a couple of dozen new miles on the Smiths clocks.
April 16, 2014
‘Enery Ford’s assembly-line idea sounds like a good ‘un
The factory line at Triumphs Hinckley plant is a stark contrast to my meager basement Cub rebuild. The stocked production process can spit out an engine every 85 seconds and, when under full throttle, a motorcycle every 2 minutes 25 seconds….
I need me a blue polo-shirt and khaki trousers..
‘Ave you got a torque wrench Bob?
April 15, 2014
More engine parts
Laid out on manilla sheet. Here’s the timing side and gearbox innards placed apart like some dissection tableau. More akin to a jigsaw now. I need to read up on the correct order of reassembly.
April 14, 2014
A Head Case
All parts present & correct. Best way to get ready for component assembly. Lay it all out in exploded view fashion. Here’s the cylinder head and barrel: including rockers, valves, piston, covers, studs bolts and gaskets. New valves, machined head and rebored barrel. Internal combustion here we come!
April 13, 2014
Blowin’ Cobwebs
I decided to bring the Bonnie out of hibernation today. Well a little paw around the block and stretch if the kegs down to the Lake. I did have to fit a new battery carrier too. And some gremlins had decided to take residence over the brutal winter in its electrics. A main lead from The battery had a hidden wire disconnect. Once that was sorted she fired right up a settled quickly into a heart beat.
The fog enveloped the lakefront in atmospheric style.
She ran like a champ. A few dropped gears, but I had the wrong boots on to engage stoutly. I do need to change gear oil though.
Like yesterdays image; but better, ‘cos it’s mine!
Roll on Spring!
April 12, 2014
Into the mist…
Even from behind the old ponies look fab! This is a Royal Signal Corps steed, ready for the off. Spirited stunts anyone?
April 11, 2014
Winged Matchless
After yesterdays ‘EM’ I was kindly sent this image from Bill in Carlisle UK of this superlative Matchless G50. The Walmsley set-up puts it way above the rest…built from the ground up by Lancastrian Fred Walmsley they’ll take any vintage racer worth his mettle to a chequered finish. $50k and one could be yours!
