The hefty 60 tooth sprocket finally came free! I had been cajoling it with WD40, heat and careful spannerin’. However the last four bolts (of eight) defeated this softly softly catch ‘e method so I drilled ’em out and yanked the cog free then gripped the stud ends and brutishly twisted them oot…
There was also a spacer behind the sprocket which no doubt is used to keep the chain line away from the wide rim and tire. But it’s a good solid wheel ready to clart on wi’.
Grunting, swearing, wrenching, hammering, gripping, sweating. That was me this evening dismantling the forks from the donor cub. Well, its finally down to its constituent parts: triple tree, stanchion, damping rods, springs, bushes, pinch bolts and dribblings of old stinky oil. To keep the goal in sight here’s a couple if Cub images. I need these visual mantras to keep me on task…
This Tiger may leave a few scratches and bites along the way but I’ll have ‘er purring by the end.
Today the wheels were released from their tight hold in the frame. The front one was also stripped of its oxide adorned rim. I cut the 40 spokes so the hub was quickly freed allowing it to be subsequently serviced and eventually rebuilt it with a more appropriate 21″ alloy rim (its standard 19″ is small for trials geometry). There was some very stubborn bolts that needed plenty of grunt behind the spanner but eventually surrendered their rusty bite!
Looking forward to the lacing, truing and reshodding of the front wheel.
A pleasant surprise this afternoon after my midday swim: the postie had dropped of a box, fairly hefty too. My parts search is slowly coming to fruition; and today a plump find arrived. A complete clutch and gearbox for the project. It is in fairly good condition too, but naught a wipe down with oil, renew cush rubbers, new cork on the plates can’t restore to full service. I’m excited!
Now a barrel, cylinder head, tappets and then it’ll be a step-back to evaluate what seals, bearings, bolts, odds, ends and machine work I’ll need for the engine rebuild.
A smile appears: and, as the song says “the future’s so bright I gotta wear shades!”.
The rider and his steed: the weekend was indeed lovely weather to be on the roads. Sunny skies abounding. I’m a lucky chap to be able to take my restored Triumph out on days like this. Not too hot or too cold – I could have just ridden on and on.
Here to miles & miles ahead this year!
The matching case components, crankcase, inner timing and outer cover come together like a fine swiss pocket watch. Each holds a different layer if workings that release the wound-up energies from the engine combustions.
The surface still has a rough oxidation; I’m only going to bring it back to a cleaner smooth grey patina. I don’t want a buffed mirror finish; just a day-to-day working bike look.
Finally managed to blow the winters cobwebs out of my hair. The bike kicked into life straight away and the new front brake worked a treat. The road along the lake wasn’t too busy so managed to open it up at a few stretches
A couple of glitches in the lighting seem to be de rigueur when coming out of a winter layup; it must have been an overwintering gremlin taking refuge in the headlight shell.
The Mountain Cub is a machine that looks at home in a rural setting. A patina of agricultural use, knobbly wheels ready for a nearby green lane into the fields and woods of countryside waiting to be explored. Fill up the true peanut-sized tank, kick ‘er over and rev the diminutive single into action and off you go! This image is a better inspiration for my rebuild than some shiny concours special needing spit ‘n’ polish and a mirror finish. I like the grubbiness of a farmhand who has just cleared out the midden and is off to milk the cows.
It’s just you, bike and nature; the sky above, the ground below…
There is a satisfying appearance to the twin high pipe set up on this early 70’s Tiger. It’s a classic bike looking ready for vintage adventure. Indeed this is the model Ted Simon took around the world and recorded his travels in the excellent ‘Jupiters Travels’.
Go on! The road is out there waiting for you!
During the autopsy of the engine I’m getting to know the expected innards and their expected workings and their mechanical interactions. The cams turning rotational energies into linear to open and close the breathing valves up above. A worm gear spinning an eccentric pin to drive an oil pump piston. The other end of the worm drive spins the distributor getting a signal to separate ignition parts and subsequent spark to the cylinder. Then at the other end after the clutch, the main shaft and lay shaft of gears to allow for alternate gearing to ensure correct power gets to the rear drive wheel. A could of other controls interacting with the gearbox being a pawled kick starter and sneck pinned shifting mechanism to shift those aforementioned gears. All fairly straight forward and neatly contained in the engine cases.
Can you rub your belly while scratching your head?
At the weekend when picking up the cub I had a spoach around the sellers workshop. He had a nicely organized garage set up with areas for working on different projects: another Tiger Cub, a Bultaco. There was even a flat track 650 hiding under a tarp. Shelves were lined with boxed and sorted spares, the rafters were draped in exhaust pipes and a daylit window offered good light.
Back in town another ‘collectors’ trove was introduced to us. This time the hoarding was more in evidence. Numerous British bikes, mostly BSA’s but a couple of Ariel’s in the corner, were lined up in grand sequence: a 40’s military M20, an A10, A65, B40. On his worktop stood a mostly complete 350 Beeza; free’d cylinders, new fluids, and it’ll be a runner in original patina. Smashing!
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!
Don’t turn your back on the bike! Here’s a lady rider with a bobb’d chopp’d, ape’d & defender’d Triumph moto.
Nicely composed image, subject and portrait of a bike and its owner.
Nowt like a good cuppa when yer get ‘ome from work. Image behind me is a poster picked up at Motoworks last evening; it’s an image of Larry Fletcher’s Triton complete with lovely lass.
All I need is a chocolate digestive to dunk in then I’m set!
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