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.
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?
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:
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.
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.
Eight Years Ago – I took the rebuilt Bonnie out for a spin along Lake Shore Drive. A happy broad grinned memory. Parked-up at the Adler Planetarium I snapped a photo with the Chicago skyline beyond. It sported Gulf colors, original wheels and brakes and upright bars and footpegs. Well, I had evolved from there. A larger British tank in Mango Tango orange; rear-sets and ace bars; alloy wheels with modern rubber tires; and a disc brake front end. Where will it go from here? Time will tell!
Chopper Wednesday – stretched and wrung out: these Brit iron have been chopped into next week. Including a rosy red hardtail Trident with double decker headlight and stepped king and queen seat, as well as a ape hangered Bonnie with taller than an elephants eye sissy bar seat with quilt buttoned saddlework. The Norton in the lower right frame could be restored to original fairly easily but you’d be brave to keep the flamed tank.
Easy Rider? Sure ask Captain America for directions!
Repair – here’s Dean picking up his ’69 Bonneville after some minor restoration from the spill back in May. All fettled and running fine. Ed Zender looks on explaining the work carried out. The workshop is busy and all lifts have projects parked upon them.
Eye Candy – a trip up to Morries Place in Ringwood let’s me enjoy a grand collection of old motorcycles. Ed Zender is always a good craic and there’s sure to be something I haven’t seen before. I’ll be posting more bikes through this week.
Beware the Ides of March- located at 7922 State St Midvale Utah lies the overburdened establishment known as Caesar’s Motorcycle Empire. Local character Caesar Boswell was connected with Draper Widowmaker Hillclimb and was a source of parts and information on many makes of bike. It’s like an Aladdin’s Cave for two-wheeled aficionados.
Skeletal Remains – like some machine archaeology the bare bones of a Trident frame and accessory components hint at a fully assembled and running motorcycle. Fossil remnants of a T-Rex giant lizard displayed through the interior spaces of a museum are only a cursory attempt at the frightening might they must have been. Likewise this assemblage of rolling chassis need fleshed-out to achieve brutal speed along a roadway.
Ran when parked – however if it was parked in a damp chicken coop then it’s probably too far gone to fulfill the dream, and empty the coffers, of a restorer. Better just wipe ’em down with an oily rag and prop ’em against the wall as a warning to those who set their sights too high…
Use your Loaf – here is what I would call a “nippin’ clean” example of a Triumph Trident. Immaculate from head to toe with what I believe is a well proportioned look complete with the idiosyncratic “bread bin” tank.
Historical note: the first commercially produced sliced bread was July 7th 1928.
D’ya like that? – Fred Dibnah, steeplejack: after a BBC documentary in the late 70’s he became the face and voice of a fading British hands-on industrial past. A lofty career starting in the repair of, and later felling, the chimneys of the Lancashire cotton mills. His interests broadened to the technology of Victorian steam power, both for machining and traction. It would come to no surprise then that one of his first modes of transport was a 1927 350cc AJS motorcycle that he purchased for 21 guineas. One of his first major jobs was to gild the weather vanes on Bolton parish church. He later claimed that he only got it because he turned up to give an estimate on this motorcycle, to which the vicar took a shine. Behind him is his beloved steamroller ‘Betsy’ named after his mother. He received an MBE from The Queen in 2003 just before he died.
Assembly Required- an object is the sum of its parts. This Knolled Project is laid out on a blue tarpaulin ready for a component check. Looks to be fairly complete with some items requiring finishing or cleaned up. One of my favorite kinds of jigsaw!
