– this clean example of Honda’s long serving early powerhouse was parked outside my office yesterday. 1980 CB750K DOHC – it’s an immaculate restoration looking cleaner than a fresh off the floor model.
June 21, 2020
Paw Broon
Early memories are being shown by my father how to accomplish dexterous tasks such as repairing a flat, wiring a plug, hammering a nail or drilling a hole. It gave me the confident enthusiasm to take on tasks needing a mechanical ken or practical gumption.
April 13, 2020
Bunting
– benchtop engineering. If you think you have trouble working from home with a cat draped over your keyboard, imagine one on your work surfaces chasing bolts and washers about.
November 7, 2019
Mail Order
Catalog Time | As the seasons change and cold weather starts closing its chill grip then the mail piles up with catalogues. Today the JC Peterman one arrived, the cover has a nicely illustrated winter scene.
September 23, 2019
Ads
39 Years Ago | Recently my family acquired a stack of old Classic Bike magazines from the Eighties. A few made it back to the States from our recent trip to Scotland. Here’s a typical classified back page where information on parts, repair, sales were a key part of vintage motorcycle restoration and maintenance. Remember this is a generation before the all seeing and doing InterWeb. The monthly magazines were essential reading for the enthusiast.
September 19, 2019
One Third Italian
Mini in Red | my cousins project is coming along a treat. Classic Mini in rally colours here showing off the Sir Alec Issigonis inspired engineering to achieve compactness before it was chic.
August 14, 2019
No. 9
Grunge Band HQ | just signed a lease for a garage space for the bikes. Instead of the subterranean offering which sometimes gets a tad dank I will now have an above ground secure space off an alley. It’s securely tucked away from prying eyes.
April 28, 2019
Orange Crush
Marmalade | Ongoing tweaking and fettling of the old Bonnie saw fruition today. New headlight and front indicators working; standard pegs and ‘normal’ bars will get me back on the road vintage style in no time. Kicked over and purred along nicely.
April 7, 2019
I am the Light
Illuminating | Off-season project for the Bonnie. Replacing the headlight to clean-up electrics and lighting. The cafe look has gone with the low bars and rear-sets replaced by more standard fare.
March 13, 2019
Note
Car Boot Sale | a note seen last weekend at one of the numerous ‘flea markets’ in the UK. Typically the tables are loaded with cheap offerings from peoples house emptying efforts, but here someone was using the opportunity to locate something… I probably have these in a box of spares from my own Cub rebuild but the cost to ship ’em back to blighty would outweigh their cost of picking the items up locally.
February 2, 2019
Groundhog Day
One Two Three – here we are in midwinter and the riding season is months away. A plan needs to be put in place to get each of my Triumph ready for their particular outing requirements. The Cub to take to some off road trails in Wisconsin; the Bonneville for some local riding and vintage shows; and the Tiger for long stretches of American highways and backwaters.
January 21, 2019
Homeless
Bill’s new project – forlorn in the corner of some prefab garage sits a worse for wear Triumph chopper. Plenty of mid seventies elbow grease to revive its mechanical working from storage decrepitude… Mr Ferry, ready for a money pit?
January 6, 2019
Do or Do Not… there is no Try
Resolute – It is typical of the New Year for us to put on the mask of Janus and look back at what we achieved (or not) the previous year and thus look forward to the coming twelve months and make a determination of what we want to achieve. Usually in an effort to better ourselves; and, in a way, make this time we have count. Me? I’m not a big one for ‘resolutions’ but it’s fun to think of things that you would like to try and do. A list you ask? Well, here goes:
- Write/Illustrate a children’s book.
- Ride the Triumph Tiger more.
- Sketch more.
- Ride the Lake Michigan loop.
- Fettle the Bonneville for occasional vintage runs.
- Get the Cub out onto some off-road shenanigans.
December 26, 2018
26th
Boxing Day – traditionally the day after Xmas when servants, postmen and errand boys received a gift of gratitude from the household. This item here would be a good boxed offering: a still-in-crate 1957 Triumph TRW 500cc side valve (flathead) military motorcycle.
October 6, 2018
MI Motos
Gilmore Car Museum – Hickory Corner, Michigan. One barn at the excellent automobile museum here in south west Michigan held a good selection of two-wheeled delights. From barn- fresh Harley Flathead to a polished to the nines Vincent Black Shadow. It was a good collection covering a century of motorcycling. One of The Fonz’s Triumph TR5 was there too; as well as an immaculate ’59 T120 Bonneville and a gutsy looking Indian hill climber.
