Manned Torpedo: The Chariot. Controlled by British Commando frogmen these weapons were devised to seek and sink Axis shipping. Riding astride a warhead steering these pigs was for men of stern stuff. Hauling a Triumph Twin along a country road would be easy compared to this!
Bath time on Sunday night growing up I would play with my Britains torpedo, sinking boats and rubber ducks.
Solihull January 29 2016. The last Land Rover Defender rolled off the assembly line after 67 years of continuous production. The US have their Jeep and the British the ‘Landy’. Earlier Series’ models and latter day Defender utility vehicles have been used on farm and battlefield both. Slow, basic, rattly and draughty; it was a basic tool. I remember smaller grouped field trips sat in the rear bench seats of the LWB 12 seater.
Any color as long as it’s green with a cream roof… Desert or jungle expedition anyone?
The Pink Panther: effective desert carrier for the SAS.
December 1st and Yule is approaching so I’ll look for some seasonal items to post. This late forties ad promoting models that won trials competition should suffice for now.
Another wartime doll offering Lady Luck to this Indian motorcycle rider. Olive drab with perfect decades old patina for a nostalgic ride.
Fast Hauling? When you need a bit more oomph on the hill climb (or slant shooting) then light up a Camel cigarette. Clem Murdaugh certainly believes so. T for Throat cancer. T for Thrombosis.
there was plenty of eye candy at Motoblot. Each belonged to a dedicated owner who loves showing off their steed. Each washed to a mirror shine reflecting admirers faces in their perfectly designed curves. Each represents a history unto itself.
What was old now is new:
Indian. The new cruiser looks set for a haul along Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles. The old police bike would be a great ‘big road’ rider.
Kawasaki? Team Green knows about power – like this canny Eddie Lawson bicep is set for action.
The Purple People Eater: two stoke powerband terror of the seventies would scare the mane off a lion. The Mach IV
The bumblebee world traveller is the much desired BMW GS1000. Big legs for long distances.
A weary looking edge worn Beemer yearns for Barvarian strasse to plod along…
More fun than a barrel of baby sloth (look it up you’ll agree that’s a lot of fun!)
If you just so happen to be at the old banked racetrack in Montlhery France this weekend you could do a lot worse that go and see vintage racers haring around the velodrome. This years promotional poster is aptly graphic for a period event. Three color screen is just perfect! (Well a couple of other colors too) Red haired checker waver is suitably elegant.
“We make a living by what we get,
but we make a life by what we give.”
— Winston Churchill
A nice mile-worn Lewis Leathers jacket goes with a Triumph rider like cheese and pickle between slices of bread. Horiko on her immaculate ’48 Speed Twin and matching red accessories certainly looks the part. The Dominator jacket she’s wearing… £775.
At a vintage car show at Prospect Heights this evening amongst the Chevy’s, Fords, Oldsmobile’s and other American iron was this wartime utility vehicle. Willy’s 1/4 ton general purpose or ‘Jeep’. In olive drab green and all accessories to see you through the European theater it looked like a fun ride.
A Swiss Army vehicle ready for anything. Indeed it is considered as the first SUV.
When Men were Men. So what do you do with a fast light engined Triumph? You go out and race of course! That’s what Irishman Ernie Lyons did after the War. He took a GP500 and went to the Manx Grand Prix in ’46, with a sackful of high speed talent went on to win in heroic style, and wet conditions.
Not for the faint of heart even in perfect conditions. Apparently a longer touring mudguard was key to beating the conditions as well as Ernie’s undoubtable racing prowess. Look at that wet reflected road surface, slick.
What’s more remarkable is that the hale Mr Lyons is still going strong in Ireland at the grand age of 99. There’s a cheeky youthful sparkle in that eye that’s for sure.
Bill? Any more to add?
“A-squared P-squared”. A little more information on that GP engine. In a detuned state chugging along at 3000 rpm it originally provided rotation for the generators used to charge the batteries powering electrical equipment aboard the Lancaster bomber. The Lanc: Arthur “Bomber” Harris’ chosen tool of terror his ‘Shining Sword’. Its four Merlin engines and elegant form in flight making it one of the most successful bombers carrying Dambusting bouncing bombs, U-Boat pen penetrating Tallboys (also used on the Tirpitz) and many thousands of tons of munitions.
Watch Richard Todd as Guy Gibson in the classic Dambusters movie and you’ll get the picture!
Back to our subject at hand- the generator… Here’s a marvelous and ‘restricted’ cutaway drawing of the unit. Showing fuel tank, oil tank, cylinders, head, crank, generator … The working Gubbins.
…. I can hear ‘The Dambusters March’ playing in my head whilst typing this… Duuum dum DA dum dum DA dum dum…
As hostilities came to a conclusion in ’45 the world was looking for any semblance of normality and fast motorcycles was one such distraction. As all manufacturing had gone into wartime efforts there had to be somewhat of a reuse of surplus items. Triumph had created a lightweight twin engine for use in generators. This seemed like a good start.
The lightweight square barreled vertical layout could be rehomed in a frame ready for circuit, road; TT or race. Of course the engine geometry had been developed by Edward Turner in ’38 just prior to the outbreak and I’m sure the time spent during wartime tweaking this motor into a reliable power source would stand it in stead post war on the track and the road, eventually becoming the Bonneville.
The GP engine seen here shows its origins proudly with mounting bosses cast mid fin where the generator components were bolted on.
But it’s the moto we’re interested in… It has a tight geometry for quick steering, 19 inch rear wheel and 20 inch front, low seating stance for a good clip and an intended fast look.
Twist the throttle with intention and hold on. They were tough guys who rode these at speed for sure!
Thanks to regular comment contributor Bill in Cumbria who noticed Beck’s sitting atop a GP a couple of days ago; I thought we’d better look into it. They are getting rarer than hens teeth, having been raced hard and blown up. People are now turning to the square barrels used on the early fifties TR5’s (like the Fonz’s ride in Happy Days)
But what a cracker of a bike it is. I bet it belts out a heart thumping sound. And with an open primary the working mechanations are there for all to see.
There’s more of a human story to this bike which I will cover later… .. But as an important part of Triumph history this is a key model. I think Hinckley Triumph should come out with a smaller, but fast, 500 twin now, combine it with: commuter, racer off road motorcycle models. Get the young uns onto bikes!
Some recent unearthed family photos included a couple of gems with my grandparents. George and Muriel, posed with George’s work bike. He was an AA man who plied the roads of North Northumberland. He ran about on a BSA combination, very similar to the Norton he rode in North Africa during WWII. George’s Uncle Cuthbert looks on.
They lived at an old stone terraced cottage called Whitsun View in the middle of the small rural market village Wooler; that’s where I grew up; nestled in the foothills of the Cheviot. I’d love to take to the lanes on an old single between the Coquet and the Royal Tweed.
Here are a couple of images of the yellow AA motorcycle outfit as well as a shot of two ‘officers’ in full regalia on their steeds.
“To our Members we’re the Fourth emergency service”
Wartime Wonder – here’s the Norton in military guise: drab green, a stenciled registration, blackout headlight hood, and blackened chrome parts. Pure function to get through traffic for some messenger carrying “For Your Eyes” documents to some secret bunker war-room.
Period photograph of some uniformed bod atop the Norton. Per previous posts this is the moto grandpa George rode in North Africa as a Military Policeman. Good workhorse. Here’s a good link to a 16H owner with plenty of information on this model.
If anyone out there knows of a 16H in need of TLC; I’m interested!
geordiebiker.com 