An old airbrushed promo shot of a Tiger Cub looking light and speedy with a streamlined form akin to its big brother 650 twin Bonneville. Black and silver with the grey-blue background look timeless fifties.
December 11, 2013
Here kitty…
Another view of the Kit Cat Cub. The timing side this time and some more details in evidence. Open frame with the oil taken by the main down tube. Nice skinny big hoop on the front and doughty shoe out back with plenty of travel on those rear shocks. No seat? Of course trials are carried out standing up. I’m ticking my way through the factory parts manual and the list of parts still to acquire seems to be growing! Yes it’s a pocket watch of a moto but the inner workings are still complex…
December 10, 2013
Blue Trial
The Top Cat Cub as built by Charles who otherwise specializes in BSA “Otters” a special oil in framed B40 lightened and set up for pre 65 observed trials. www.bsaotter.com
A great resource for other off road shenanigans.
Like this blue frame article though. It uses an Electrex ignition which is probably the way I’ll go with my Cubby.
December 9, 2013
Leicestershire Trials
During research for a suitable ignition system for the Cub restoration I navigate the Boyer Bransden website. They’re known for a broad range of electronic ignitions for vintage points and distributor motorcycles and cars. In their gallery I spied a nice trials Cub owned by Julie from Leicestershire.
There are some good details I can hopefully use on my restoration. It’s a nifty looking machine.
December 8, 2013
Mr Mojo Risin’
” There are things known
and there are things unknown
and in between are the doors.”
Jim Morrison 1943-1971
The Lizard King would have been 70 today; His poetical lyrics from the late sixties gave voice to a generation of disillusioned youth.
However a downward spiral of booze and drugs ended in a small apartment down by the Seine.
He did own a motorcycle though: a CL77 305cc Honda Scrambler.
It was appropriately painted amphibian green with Californian pin striping like some Con Dutch special.
The Scrambler model really is a nice looking moto still today. The high pipes give it an urban adventurer appearance.
December 7, 2013
“Honey! Let’s go for a spin!”
Wall of Death! Pillion here sits across the handle bars with no hands as the captain of the near vertical centrifugal escapade takes his steed up to the perimeter advertising banner. Round and round she goes! This is a Two-Wheeled skill that requires years of practice including setting up and breaking down the wooden walls. Confidence inspiring pairing here!
December 6, 2013
Fit for a prince
We had Prince Wills recently seated ably aboard a Daytona at the Motorcycle Live show a few days ago… Here’s more in the British fold with him trying a Metisse special.
Looks like he needs one for the Royal Estate.
Here’s a classic shot of our man McQueen showing how to handle one of these machines. Air below you and dirt below that.
One item presented to The Duke of Cambridge was a sit-on motorbike for wee Prince Geordie for when he gains a few more pounds and finds his feet. This is all good for the promotion of two wheeled mobility in Blighty!
December 5, 2013
Freedom
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the Triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
Nelson Mandela (1918 -2013)
December 4, 2013
Oh Yes!
British bulldog fronted UK insurance company Churchill has jug-eared actor Martin Clunes haring around the English countryside with the company’s titular mascot as passenger in a sky blue Triumph combination.
Clues we know as Doc Martin as well as one ‘arf of Men Behaving Badly.
December 3, 2013
The Color of Munny
Actress, model and animal fur activist is a Triumph owner and rider. She fits her leathers very well and looks quite smart on this black Bonneville. It’s Olivia Munn.
This is post 1,000….
December 2, 2013
Kate can go pillion!
Last weekend had the Motorcycle Live show in Birmingham. A two wheeled extravaganza where all the makes were on show with the latest and greatest models. There was also an attendance from VIP HRH Wills Cambridge.
He took time to visit the Best of British Triumph stand seeing if the current Daytona moto. “Suits you sir?”
December 1, 2013
Fast & Furious
At the relatively young age of 40 actor Paul Walker was killed in a car crash in the early hours of Li’s Angeles. He’s know as the main protagonist in the road racing action movies of this posts title. Alongside the likes of Vin Diesel he would hammer around the streets of various cities in high HP cars.
He began as a qualified marine biologist maintaining that passion whilst tagging Great White sharks on survey expedition; he was also a humanitarian traveling to earthquake hit areas such as Haiti and Chile. And, like his character Brian O’Conner, could hand a car with talent.
But I found an appropriate moto themed image of well dressed Walker with matching black Bonneville taken from a French men’s fashion magazine. God Speed indeed…
November 30, 2013
Workbench
I finally built myself a workbench to sort out tools and give me a decent platform to wrench on the cub project – as well as other house tasks too. Handy dandy pegboard to mount the tool selection for ease of selection. The basement has become my man-cave! Still a fair bit of organizing yet but it will develop as I work with it.
November 29, 2013
From First to Last
We did Pierce Brosnan so let’s leap to Daniel Craig’s Bond. A more real Bond, with guts, foibles, honor, grit and of course a couple of PERFECT Aston Martins. In Casino Royale he speeds about in the superlative DBS V12 the second generation DBS with sublime looks and a lion of an engine.
From the front grill lines harking back to the DB5 to the clean form of pure speed it is one if my all time favorite cars.
In the latest outing we have the classic Bond car return. The drive across Rannoch Moor and down Glencoe to the titular Bond scottish seat of Skyfall is a great image with a dour sky mirrored by that classic silver gray car.
November 28, 2013
Swooping flight
We may as well continue this Jane’s Bond series! Next on the list is the broody Timothy Dalton he could run, jump, swim and wear a tux like the best of ’em.
However what we’re here for is the Aston Martin vehicle he uses to appropriate car chase effect with tire spikes and side mounted snow skis.
Its a mid eighties model V8 Vantage Volante in British Racing Green. Styling from the ‘Lagonda marque factory is still in its 80’s midlife crisis look; but it was flippin’ fast! Not my cup of tea in looks but at least our agent is driving around in it… The Bond outing was The Living Daylights.
“Just taking the Aston out for a spin, Q”.
“Be careful 007, it’s just had a fresh coat of paint”.
