I’m giving up my period looking Dunlops and plumping for a pair a sleek new Michelins. Pilots to be precise. Mounted to new alloy rims laced with shiny stainless steel spokes. These are gonna stick to the roads like clarts on my Doc Martens…
One of the oldest trademarks is the Michelin Man also known as Bibendum (from Horace’s Odes “Nunc est Bibendum!” – Now is the time to drink! Originally with cigar in mouth wearing pince-nez, he reminds me a bit like The cartoonist Giles’ grandma…
For the benefit of Mr Bike
A show held in a fortnight in Scotland’s Lanark.
The Triumph crowd will all be there , Norton owners, BSA’s what a lark.
A few Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha will compete with Hondas for the fair oh what a jumble.
In this way Mr B will challenge the world.
Call Agnes’s on the telephone
To assure you sellers have a home to sell your bike.
And of course this is year twenty four
for jumbles of the two wheeled sort for parts you’ll like.
Opposite the racecourse on the seventy three Mr B flies through heated hall and restaurant.
And at Lawries and Symington mart this gathering is held.
The gathering is on the floor
Through the agricultural center doors way out back
Bob McIntrye race will demonstrate,
That old bikes can circulate around a track.
Organized by the SCRMC limited
A splendid time is guaranteed in June
But Sunday the Seventh haggis and chips are topping the bill.
(Acknowledgements to Lennon/McCartney)
A two word noun that has been declared to be the most beautiful in the English language. Its phonoaesthetic quality was heralded by Edgar Allen Poe as a word whose sound (euphonic) is more sonorous than its meaning.
Well I need to get my act together soon as the Cub nears assembly completion and needs to escape from its confines through a metaphorical Cellar Door…
The single seat for the Cub needed some new padding. The foam under a clean original cover was starting to fossilize. I took said cover and seat pan to the local fabric and upholstery shop Vogue Fabrics and has some fresh plump foam trimmed to size. 
I like the special saw knife used to cut the blocks of foam. Once home I reclipped the piping edged cover back over its new filling and a perch to rest my tush is done.
Contemplating a small fairing for the front of the Bonnie… Starting to look at options.. This Emgo/Acme type is a basic headlight mounted item.
The geometry may be a little high. But I can lower the light mounting ears a bit. This 750 is acting as a handy mock-up for me.
This, below, however would be the right direction! Fixed to the main frame and classic shape.
As the imminent departure from the basement workshop of the Cub approaches I’ll need to start looking for something else to keep me ‘out of trouble’.
A Norton Commando was one of the first motorbikes I can remember. To me it embodies the free spirit of two-wheel’d travel. Black with gold pinstriping…
Do I dare make an offer? I’d better check with the missus…
Been a rainy day here in Chicago so I spend the better side of the day down in the basement workshop. TV was on with Josh Randall and Rowdy Yates keeping me company whilst I worked on the exhaust pipe and rocker cover oil line routing. It’s a tight fit with the oil ‘bag’ mounted a little proud to ensure the lower engine lubrication hoses don’t kink.
Another pipe with a different bend fits much better.
It’ll give the bike a nice trials line.
New exhaust pipe arrived today. There will be some pipe bending needed still to get it around the oil tank and rear frame tube… These homebuilt trials machines all run into fitting snags…
Nevertheless we’re onto the home stretch I believe!
Putting plans into action for the next Bonnie upgrade. The standard steel rims add a lot of unsparing weight to the bike and as was done in ‘the day’ I’m going to get hold of some hubs and lace ’em to alloy rims then shod the new lighter wheel with modern rubber.
Old motorcycles are great: they have character, every ride is an adventure, you learn a lot about mechanics, a deep connection to history, other riders always talk to you about your ride, kids wave from the backseat of cars, they sound like a deep resonant music, smell as a aged machine with miles under its tires, air through its feathers, you learn what your level of patience can be…
But…. A new Speed Triple would be just marvelous!
Marvelous! Push button, no nonsense twist ‘n’ ride….
Pennies accepted to fill the piggy bank!
Like a three dimensional jigsaw puzzle a collection of parts sits waiting for a spanner handed Triumph nut to cobble them together into its sum.
The Triumph Cub reached an important hurdle today and we leapt it with style. Fenders (mudguards) attached with relative ease, the front with nice tight clearance that a trials should have, and the rear trimmed down item giving a suitable tail to the proceedings. The tank and seat are just placed on for rough setup but achieve a classic balance to the project.
Lookin’ like a real bike!
I went to pick up my tank and fenders today. One is one, two is two, green grow the rushes oh! Can’t wait to get ’em back on the Cub. Sherwood trails here we come; as long as I don’t have to wear tights! 
A British Racing Green color scheme looks like the way to go… Silver mudguards, blackened frame and a verdant tank. 
It fits with the grassy slopes the tires grip to ascend and descend… 
Golden logo glimmers in the sunlight…
Some go for the white fenders. Here this leading link fork has a Greeves air to the proceedings.
Green frame a little too much.
This older fixed frame is a nice balance.
geordiebiker.com 