You gotta be dedicated to the marque with this one… A strong arm of Triumph. Good detailing and logo definition though. Skulls and roses with flame give it a fiery show. Me I’ll keep the logo on the jacket.
August 27, 2013
Best Foot Forward
An interesting magazine advert with the outline of a shoe framing a couple of collegiate fellas looking at a Triumph Tiger Cub. “It’ll be a hoot to thump around on; the gals will surely be impressed; sweet independence!”
The ideal starter bike, nimble, smart appearance (it was the Baby Bonnie) and fuel efficient. Here’s the real deal a fifteen year old Tom Foote on his ’59 Cub in ’63 with his friend Jim. Happy Campers both.
Half a century later they recreate their youth. Same bike too!
August 24, 2013
It’s a busy busy world
One of my favorite books as a young kid was Richard Scarry’s illustrated sort books. They all involved animals as people in all traditional ethnic roles. Cats, dogs, foxes, worms, rabbits, pigs and usually a large lumbering bear. So when I found this vintage photograph it reminded me of his world made real.
It seems bears have good balance. And for a reminder of his loose illustrative style. Lively, chaotic, family, work, food: Busy.
And here’s a fox on a motorcycle. Reynard seems like a better rider than Ursa…
I learned about the wide wide world in this book…
August 8, 2013
Keepin’ Calm
Wartime morale poster that was rediscovered in secondhand bookshop Barter Books at the old railway station in Alnwick Northumberland has seen it spread across the globe as a modern day inspiration an motivational meme. Here its given the Triumph treatment…
… As a side note the original Ministry of Information posters printed in the hundreds of thousands were seen as somewhat divisive and patronizing by the working classes as a rallying war cry from the upper classes, of whom the civil servants were seen to be. Remember the Great War was a fresh memory being merely two decades previous to the outbreak in ’39.
July 30, 2013
Oil Drop Man and his Gal
ESSO not only had the tiger symbol but this cute couple each with a quiff shaped head of a golden oil drop.
Looks like they had fun on two wheels also!
“Happy Go Lively”
This company goes back to Rockefeller and his wealth machine Standard Oil (ess oh being the phonetic initials) Now known as Exxon in the US. They worked on future users with Playmobil toys, here a gas station complete with pumps, canopy and vehicles…
I like to look at some older images, and here is a Triumph ready for a top-up.
Perhaps the Oil Drop mans gal is called Ethel.
July 22, 2013
“This bike has a story”
A branding is the essence of a company’s presence in the publics psyche and how it is communicated. Triumph aren’t just about a motorcycle or a logo with swoosh, but it’s also the story behind its name, the history, the icons connected to it, its performance, its recognition. Here’s a promotional piece by a great branding master Mike Salisbury of the British marque and one of the most recognizable riders who welcomed being seen and racing on a Triumph.
We’ve been watching Mad Men
July 16, 2013
Air & Gas
For the chemist:
2C8H18 + 25O2 ~> 16CO2 + 18H2O
For the engineer:
Yup, a beat-up old Amal 376 Monobloc that will become the fuel air mixer for the Tiger Cub. It’ll have to be stripped, intricately cleaned, new jets, seals and hopefully get the appropriate giddy-up for the wee project.
Parts listed on the ubiquitous exploded diagram.
July 10, 2013
Chequered Flag
A winning marque! The Triumphs swoosh logo within its distinctive triangular patent badge.
June 28, 2013
Fact Card
Back when I were lad we didn’t have computers and mobile devices for information. If you wanted to find something out you went to the library . not with Google Wikipedia and whatnot it’s all at our fingertips, or even voice with an iphone or my nexus. Well, back then someone had a smart idea of creating collectible data cards on all manner of things, the natural world (4,000 cards in all!), recipes and of course motorcycles. You’d start off with a couple of dozen glossy colour printed index cards and a plastic card holder and clear cover, then before long, well month by month, with subscription from Atlas, you’d have a wealth of data enviable with your marras.
The front of the fiche was a picture with year and country of origin. The back listed specifications and typical performance. Ah halcyon days pre interweb!
Now the panini stickers were another thing from the schoolyard! “Swap you my Peter Shilton for your Kevin Keegan”.
Nice hair Kev!
June 9, 2013
Designer Duo
A photoshoot of the missus, moto and me! Taking the classic portrait of Charles & Ray Eames sitting atop a Velocette as inspiration.
No pipe though…
…fun stuff!
May 29, 2013
Patriotic Nose Art
Warbirds of the past growled down on their enemies with snarling teeth. As well as the smilin’ gals back home giving leggy support to the airmen on their lengthy missions.
Bombs Away!
May 13, 2013
A drag
In past days when smoking was more widespread one thing that was a bonus with each packet of tabs was cigarette cards. They came in broad ranging themes including motorcycles. Here’s a few from one mid century collection featuring our favorite make…
A close up of an early model on a Lambert & Butler.
Miniature print art collection? You can nearly smell the tobacco on the card stock. Of course it was the icons of the day who kept smoking a popular past time… Cool fellas indeed on the silver screen but known for their two-wheeled interest.
Hey! There was even a fag named after our titular marque…
Got a light pal!
May 10, 2013
Holy Triumph Robin!
POW! Found one at last! The Original TV series Batman, Adam West here seen riding a Triumph Bonneville. Bat Bike…
Quite the look! However I think a dark blue/black would have been a better color to go with the flowing cape.
Nanananananananananananananananananana……BATMAN!
May 6, 2013
A Heron Badge
Nottingham England, a well known logo emblazoned on the head tube of the many bicycle models offered over the years by Raleigh. Named after the original street the first bikes were manufactured on they went to the far corners of the world as efficient transportation.
The ‘R’ is a very recognizable icon seen on Roadsters, Choppers, Grifters, racers, mountain bikes, folders, trikes and 3-speeds galore. I’ve done thousands of mikes on Raleigh’s from my first racer (see blog entry a few days ago) to a mountain bike I commuted in London on, and toured Ireland with. Good bikes!
April 8, 2013
The Watchmaker
The wee Tiger Cub engine sure is cute: indeed after getting around the burly 650 Bonnie lump this is a thing of delicate precision. A pocket watch rather than a grandfather clock. I’m looking forward to exploring the guts of its inner workings: the single piston and supporting parts; an incorporated gearbox with four geared meshing and the tac-tic of the rocker arms as they open and close both inlet and exhaust valves. Var nigh simple engineering perfection.
Of course the finely drafted exploded views from the essential parts manual help one find a way around the mechanics. Like a Greys Anatomy for the bike in question.
I hope I can scrounge up the parts to get this little ticker working again!
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