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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
