Somewhere in Belgium a motorcycle despatch rider delivers documents on his trusty Douglas.
Flat twin in pristine condition dated as 1914. It is a 500cc flat twin with about 3 1/2 ponies. Douglas provided 70,000 machines for the Great War many which probably ended up to their handlebars in mud.
European vintage esoterica, and a Honda Dream. As well a a healthy dose of Triumphs (oddly no Norton’s) these interesting models were risen (not hidden) at the weekends event. The Paul Smart Ducati, though a modern classic, is sugar to the eyes; a sunshine toned Gilera like a wind-up toy; the Teutonic cream framed Beemer; and the nicest peoples favorite in tomato red round off these world beating motos.
Union Tank: British through and through. Just needs a clear winding road ahead.
Great photo of yours truly and the Bonnie by photographer Andy Dussard during yesterdays ride.
A wagon full of motorcycles! Coventry in the sixties and some bystanders look on as Richardson’s delivery for the newest Triumphs from Meriden arrive. The lorry is a Leyland Albion Dodge (LAD) cab design.
A current offering on the online bidding site EBay is a ’65 Triumph Cub. The main photo shows a complete bike looking quite sharp. Big letters state the bike ‘needs some work’ and ‘ran when last in one piece’ also ‘mostly there…’ Well, for $1,750 starting price I would at least want a box of spanners and a workshop manual thrown in! It’s not as adventurous as my project with parts being scoured from all corners of The globe. Here’s another… $699.. More reasonable…
A kind of Throwback Thursday #TBT. Here a ’58, ’68, ’78, & 2008 make up the fore and aft, upper and lower quadrants of a Bonneville through the ages. The sum of the parts? Not here; each is strong enough on its own.
Evocative portrait of a Triumph Cub. Grassy lanes bordered by a beautifully crafted dry stone walling. You can hear the singles clatter echoing off gritstone hedge. Pennine Fells beckon the rider higher to wilder trails.
When I lived in London in the nineties part of my daily commute on either bicycle or motorbike was over Tower Bridge. An exciting section to speed over especially being at the front of the queue waiting for the bascules to be lowered. Indeed the one time I experienced a snowfall was on Tower Bridge.
My Pa dug out this old snap of me on my chopper bicycle. Not your common or garden Raleigh but an esoteric 5-Speed big chunk of a ride. Before I got my racer this was the mode of transport around Wooler. My trouser leg is tucked into my sock – Classic!
Nice adjusted set up for a gear change and foot peg for the left side of this Bonneville. Nicely backlit to accentuate the shapely timing cover and gearbox. An hourglass figure?
Norma Jean thinks so!
Here’s a Palestinian family evacuating from their home with a few meager possessions. Shelling continues and counter-attacking rockets blaze. Displacement the world over due to incompatible beliefs, want for entitled lands, demand for power over others …. We need more worlds for everybody and their respective peoples…
The weekend is here… An open weekend ‘road’ ahead…
Bike is off the road: repairing the clutch and putting new sump plug/filter in. Waiting for a couple of parts. So I’m busy with house projects…
Midsummer Mechanics: I need to strip the clutch due to slipping at higher revs. It comes down to modern oil being used: way to slippery for the old Triumph semi-wet primary case which shares oil with the crank. I need to degrease and decontaminate the friction plates. The first gear shift has been getting a bit notchy too; typical of grabby action. I have half a mind to pull the basket to get into the sprocket and up the size a tooth or two for a better top speed.
Wonderfully evocative photograph illuminates a couples youth as rider and pillion aboard a worthy steed: The Vincent. Home-fashioned leathers give a ‘we don’t care’ attitude – ‘ heck, we’re on a Superbike! But we do need to be clad for blighty roads and climate’. The image is labelled In & Aunty Corice. Fabulous!
Acknowledgements to Richard Thompson
geordiebiker.com 