Swarfega! – working on old motorcycles can be filthy work. I always find myself with oil ingrained hands even after a minor fuss of the bike. When doing the sprocket there was two chains to deal with, a road crud encrusted underside, some aluminum filings, and general grubbiness.
February 21, 2017
Hacky Dorty
February 19, 2017
Sunny Excursion
Rather terrific weather today. Though a chill in the air under motion, the sun was warm with a crisp light and the roads clear. Taking back road that offered more than a few stretches, to let the newly geared engine stretch its legs, I can confidently announce that there’s a hefty bit more grunt in the parallel twin. She lowped along comfortable at 60 with more to spare.
February 18, 2017
May days in February
Climate Change – with an unseasonable warm-up over this February weekend, where the mid sixties are being reached, I’ve had to work this last week in getting the Bonnie ready for at least one days riding. I’ve changed the front sprocket from a 19 tooth to a 21 so I can squeeze a little more speed out of the engine. The work necessitated removing the clutch and making alterations to a sprocket access hole in the back of the primary case. I’ll show that work in a blog post later this week. I put in new clutch friction plates for renewed ‘bite’, and installed a new clutch basket as the current one had notches in the tang grooves.
February 17, 2017
Try Triumph
Three Twins and a Triple – let’s close the week off with this clutch of Hinckley goodies. The new cafe 900 Street Cup in bumblebee yellow striping and black engine cases certainly looked the part. A pearly tanked Speed Triple sitting like a repose cat ready to strike its prey. ‘Hard tail’ Bobber sits low and purposeful (I felt a bit cramped on it) ready to customize with a catalogue full of eye candy. Finally the sublime Thruxton in ‘Go-Faster’ red: I could look at this all day…
For some reason I didn’t take any photos of the Tigers… the 800 seems to be the most practical bike out there.
February 16, 2017
Twin
Big Opposing Twins – whether from Springfield MA, Milwaukee WI, Berlin Germany, or Mandello del Lario in Italy; these beauties all have a pair of cylinders in flat or vee form, longitudinal or transverse. But, the all make good power and each have individualistic looks, sounds, and heritage. Dang! This is all good stuff! Current motorcycle models on offer make the prospective owners spoilt for choice.
February 14, 2017
❤️
L❤️VE IS – gazing adoringly at the sublime lines of classic British motorcycle engines. They are the pulsing heart of these machines; the very cardiac cycle of an industries history. These examples were beautiful examples of their marque on display at the motorcycle show.
February 13, 2017
Bullet
Built like a Gun – or so their advertising header says. Now from the sub-continent, these classic singles look like they hark from the fifties; but with modern day build. Some polished models with pinstripe details, others in olive drab military garb. The single-minded cafe racer Continental GT certainly looked that part too. All still have their kick-starts as standard too!
February 11, 2017
International Motorcycle Show
On Display – plenty of new motorcycle models to ogle over, swing a leg over, and consider as real-world rides. The vast acres of Rosemont Convention Center contained the shiny, colorful products of the two-wheeled industry. Obviously Triumph was well represented, but we also enjoyed the models from Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, and the Big Kawasakis. Indian Vee-Twins; Royal Enfield singles; Guzzi’s and Ducatis; and the sumptuous Teutonic BMW’s. A splendid collection of vintage cycles, as well as the usual polishes, sunglasses and patches. I’ll spend the coming week posting the show offerings (we don’t need to look at the Moto-chatchkis.)
The Thruxton is a gorgeous bike, but I think I’m a bit tall for it. The larger GS styled bikes are more my going.
Oh yeah! They had complimentary tattoo’s too.
February 7, 2017
Soc
Smart and Savvy – some suited gent about town looking the part on his perfectly clean spanking new Triumph Tiger Cub. Tweed jacket, thin black tie and vee-neck, drainpipe trews and black suede ‘brothel creepers’. The Moto is an ideal tool to tootle around with the crew.
February 4, 2017
Scarab
Bug Cub – like some emerald carapaced bug, the wee trials bike was brought out into the chill February air. I took it around a parking lot to let the engine and gearbox ‘stretch their legs’.
February 1, 2017
Links
Back on the Chain Gang – as Chrissie Hynde sang back in ’82. I’m giving the Bonnie’s drive chain a good cleaning: degreasing, oiling, scrubbing, lubricating. Making sure the rollers and pins are supple to power the back wheel.
January 30, 2017
If you wanna be the best, and if you wanna beat the rest!
Record Breakers – Last September 539 bikers broke the world record for the longest ever parade of Triumph motorcycles. Their entry fees went into a fund set up by a 29-year-old woman who has had a series of brain tumours since she was four.
Jessica Simpkin’s charity at the Children’s Brain Tumour Research Centre at Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre. has now raised more than £31,000 for further research into children’s brain tumours, their early diagnosis and new treatments. The event was organised by Staffordshire Triumph and closed a section of the A617 in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. Mostly newer Hinckley models were represented, however some older Meriden bikes were seen in the caravan too.
Jessica’s mother said: “There were lots of different people from all walks of life with problems themselves and they all came together that day, it was fantastic.”
January 29, 2017
Globetrotter
Like some latter day Ted Simon of Jupiters Travels fame, Kane Avellano arrived back to South Shields last week – a day shy of his 24th birthday following an epic 32,000 miles global journey.
He set off last May and in the eight months since visited 35 countries over six continents
“I had the chance to discover what the world really has to offer, to meet many different people along the way and explore their cultures, religions and behaviours, while having an incredible time.”
As well as the experience of the circumnavigation he also took the journey as to raise awareness and sponsorship funds for the children’s charity UNICEF.
January 28, 2017
GB
Swiss Watch – slushy roads in Central Europe for some laden travelled passing through neutral Switzerland. The Moto is ’64 registered Bonnie, a very early unit engine. With the Gallic and Helvetic license plates in the background this is probably Geneva.
January 25, 2017
Forty Six
GO!!!!!! The Doctor taking his Moto GP Yamaha around a blistering corner at full tilt. With 7 Championship wins Valentino Rossi is up there with the best of ’em, if not actually on top of the pile. I’m 46 today that’s why I’m posting the Italians image…
geordiebiker.com 