January 5, 2013
A Moto-mechanics factory: Phil Vincent’s gaff at Stevenage Herts. These images show the rolling assembly line, yes each bike has its own platform, as it would be trundled around the Great North Road plant.
Apparently they would take each component and either machine it to a finer tolerance fit or take another component from the stock shelves. Truly high end motorcycles ready for fast work on the new motorways being branched through the nation post war.
The Rapide: 1000cc’s of Superbike. 150mph out of the factory.
Posted in 50's, Photography, Vincent |
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December 13, 2012
Now this is a lot better! Johnson Motors Inc. in California hauled around their two-wheeled wares nicely ensconced within the bed of a beautiful Chevy 3100 truck.
Lined up with motos ready to deliver to their Pasadena owners who are anxiously waiting to get out on the Pacific backdropped highways.
A period image from Catalina in ’56 shows these carriers had a classic Triumph white and blue color scheme. Smart Stuff!
Posted in 50's, Maintenance, Triumph Motorcycle |
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December 8, 2012
Here’s a lovely family photo from yesteryear. It’s my mother mother, Edie, sitting astride my Granda’s Norton. This was the family transport for many years; that’s three kids. One of which is propped on the silver and black pinstriped tank: my Uncle Dave. Taken during a summer during the early fifties a pyramid tent in the background denotes the seasonal camp down at Cresswell. I’ve ascertained that this is a 16H 500cc single Norton. Girder forks possibly put it in the 30’s or 40’s. this model was the platform for the wartime bike used worldwide by the British armed forces during WWII.
Posted in 50's, Norton, Photography |
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November 5, 2012
Unzipping an old moto, engine and chassis both, gives the restorer the first view of the road ahead. Will parts be useable with necessary cleaning and restoring or will a new replacement be needed? Our Speed Twin shows a veritable horror story when the internals are laid bare…
Primary and clutch are shot… though the aluminium cases look solid and serviceable. I bet it was a fun peek under the cylinder head and peering down the piston barrels into the heart of the twin. So remember kids if you ever want to abandon an old motorcycle distribute oil to the innards and cover the heck out of it with a protective layer of oil and put it away in a dark dry place away from prying eyes. Makes the discovery worthwhile…
The gas tank has seen better days and is past it’s useable life; probably only suitable as a wall ornament (in the garage or workshop of course). A nice included parcel rack could be cleaned, chromed and reused though.
After all of that discovery I think a cup of tea would be well deserved. The road ahead needs a bit of a head scratch before venturing onward…
Posted in 50's, Restoration, Triumph Motorcycle |
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November 4, 2012
A Rat bike reborn…
All over the world Triumph’s are still being unearthed from dusty sheds, oily tarpaulins, or aged cellars. Here is one such project from an Indian moto-forum where the owner, one Sanjay, based in Chennai, was gifted from a dear uncle. The photos show what 30-plus years in a basement off the monsoon airs of the Bay of Bengal can do. A complete looking bike but a LOT of work lies ahead. These were taken in 2009.
It’s got some rust issues. and may have some engine internals requiring a little more than basic machine work. However there is a worldwide network and supply chain of information available to these old gals’ restoration.
Ooh! To get my hands on something like this… It’s the Meccano builder in me; the lad who likes to take things apart; the biker who want to ride his very own machine… knowing every nut and bolt!
There’s a Speed Twin under there somewhere… a good soaking in oil, warm up the old Whitworth spanners and plenty of elbow grease… notebook, ziplock baggies, camera, and some helpful co-conspirators on the interweb or a local moto-group and the next several months or years are busied up!
…to be continued!
Posted in 50's, Restoration, Triumph Motorcycle |
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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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August 29, 2012
Nowadays bikes are sold with photography of the machines going like the clappers along ‘closed courses’ with ‘professional riders’. Back in yesteryear it was the job of the art department to illustrate the beautiful lines of the models with a technical steady line and smooth rendering airbrush skill. “Get out your t-square, warm up the French curves and sharpen yer pencils lads: the T120 Bonneville needs artwork prepared for next years Earls Court launch!”
Posted in 50's, Motorcycle Art, Triumph Motorcycle |
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June 8, 2012
…and put that ruddy gearbox back together. Tsk, tsk; the sheep out on t’fell are having a break whilst this Border Collie gets busy with moto-mechanics. This is a BSA B31 gearbox. “7/16″ Whiworth spanner please Shep!”
Posted in 50's, BSA, Maintenance |
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May 30, 2012
of the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club; Johnny Strabler, looking like he’s ready to rumble. “What are ya rebelling against Johnny?”… The Wild One
“Whaddya Got?”
Posted in 50's, Movie, Triumph Motorcycle |
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May 1, 2012
Rockabilly Rider: The Homewreckers front man Danny Dean takes his early rock music seriously, especially when sporting a greased pompadour to his rocker bike like this Triumph. You could take this puppy down for a rumble along Beale Street to Sun Studios for a session with your Gretsch, Double Base and Drum backed band of anti-establishment misfits.
Posted in 50's, Music, Triumph Motorcycle |
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April 13, 2012
Either a Prom or Debutante; either way this ’55 racing Triumph is a worthy suitor! Comes with floral bouquet and a shelf-load of trophies. If you look closer at this speed modified T100R, a “Special” Tiger; the handlebars are placed at the lower triple tree, the rear-sets at waaay back and no front brake. This velocity beast was owned by John Melniczuk, owner of J&M Enterprises. That 2 into 1 into 2 pipe setup looks smashing too.
Posted in 50's, Photography, Racing, Triumph Motorcycle |
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April 12, 2012
A tad claggy underfoot can lead to getting hampered in the muddy bottoms. Here some marra’s help out a Thunderbird rider when the clarts clog up the goings on. Howay lads put yer back intae it!
Posted in 50's, Photography |
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March 28, 2012
… A Norton Dominator. So smooth the lunchtime martini won’t spill a drop. In honor of the new series of Mad Men here’s a perfect ad from the late fifties with the slick suit wearing frock flowing denizens of the ‘golden’ post-war years looking on admirably.
Dick Whitman is waiting for the Bonnie about to appear on the scene in ’59…
Posted in 50's, Film and TV, Motorcycle Poster, Norton |
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February 27, 2012
Another Geordie (not a Tynesider but a George!); this time George Harrison. Growing up in Liverpool he would go to the local races, here seen atop a Triumph at the Aintree Racetrack in 1955. So he was 12 at the time, just before he discovered the guitar and joining ‘The Quarrymen’…
This may even have been the poster for this particular race meet, Saturday April 30th being in 1955. Beautiful clean graphics with golden text in mid-century font on black background.
It seems ’55 was an important year for Aintree, it was here later that year Stirling Moss won his first Grand Prix driving the powerful Mercedes Benz W196 pipping ‘El Maestro’ Juan Manuel Fangio into 2nd. Exciting Stuff! I’ll bet George Harrison was there too!
Posted in 50's, Cars, Motorcycle Poster, Music, Triumph Motorcycle |
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February 17, 2012
An old postcard from sometime in the fifties of the small town of Wooler in North Northumberland. Here a idyllic quiet scene along the High Street. This is where I grew up and have fond memories of the beautiful countryside around and the muckle Cheviot Hills behind. Well, a lone ‘driver’ of what looks like an AA combination is tooling along in this image, and my family have a strong suspicion that this is my grandfather George Lawrie; he was an AA Patrolman during that time and was one of the only ones in that corner of the country.
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