Watch this Space: a new project is afoot.
April 3, 2013
Moving Global Health Forward
Riders for Health is an international social enterprise. They manage and maintain vehicles for health-focused partners in sub-Saharan Africa. An expertise in transport management enables health workers to deliver vital health care to rural communities on a reliable and cost-effective basis. http://www.riders.org
Riders for Health manages over 1,400 motorcycles, ambulances and other four-wheel vehicles used in the delivery of health care in seven countries across Africa.
Their Vision: world in which health care reaches everyone, everywhere.
Their Mission: to make the ‘last mile’ the most important mile in health care delivery: creating, showing and sharing the solutions for achieving truly equitable health care.
Mobilizing Health Workers: There are not enough health workers to provide vital services to communities across rural Africa. However, with Riders for Health’s managed transport systems, outreach health workers can increase their productivity and coverage.
The majority of health professionals mobilized by Riders in Africa are outreach health workers, who are responsible for traveling to rural communities and providing services such as health education, disease surveillance, immunizations, maternal and child health services and HIV counselling.
Often the most effective form of transport for these health workers is the motorcycle which is cheaper to run than a four-wheeled vehicle and can cover more challenging terrain.
Riders has 20 years’ experience managing and maintaining motorcycles used by outreach health workers and understands the challenges they face. We understand how critical their role is and how important it is that they can reach their communities regularly and predictably.
An estimated 2.9 million extra people each year have interactions with health workers due to the health worker having a Riders-managed motorcycle.
Excerpts from RFH website. This is truly a worthwhile cause that has been carefully thought out in effective execution allowing many to be reached by a few. And that could make a difference for some.
April 2, 2013
Tee Short (as a Geordie would say)
T-Shirt sketch. Nice fluid scribble of a Beeza twin pre-unit engine. The three lobed timing side cover is very distinctive. Hand written notes list the essential engine components: piston, sparkplugs, carbs, exhaust etc. This top is one of Red Torpedo’s offerings, they make garb for motorcyclists; also used by the likes of road racers & mechanics like Guy Martin.
April 1, 2013
Cat on a Triumph…
First day of the fourth: a kool cat tries to look the part on a Bonnie. Tiger? Well a Cub anyways!
Kitty Racer.
March 31, 2013
Back on the Road
A winter project complete! Well it’ll never be complete, ever! But that is the ‘enjoyment’ of owning an old Brit Iron Moto. Took ‘er out for a shake-down and found the new stopper working very well; no fade; a nice feel with my typical couple of fingers feather braking. Still a little electrical gremlin to chase out of the chassis; they like to hibernate in Triumphs stored in dark dry garages! Nevertheless, the bike kicked over easily after sitting up for the winter. Should now get an early start this coming riding season.
March 30, 2013
New Front
A good couple of hours was spent this afternoon reattaching the front end to my bike. The ‘new’ triple tree was threaded back onto the frames head tube, making sure plenty of grease was slathered into the races. Then the fork stanchions slid back up the fork holders. Wheel mounted and a few more bolts tightened. That makes it sound easy but a few reassembly hurdles had to be surmounted.
Just the brake plumbing to finish, test drive double-check connections then the job’s a gud-un!
March 29, 2013
Ah le lapin: un cadeau!
When you need to be chased by a greyhound then dress in a white rabbit outfit hop on a sweet Triumph Bonnie and then go like a hare! Well it is easter and I’m sure the magicians top hat prop seemed like a good idea at the time.
Go ask Alice!
March 28, 2013
You can’t see the wood for the trees
My front end project nears its final lap! My triple tree was returned from the powdercoaters; the grotty item acquired from EBay was bead blasted then given a nice new glossy finish just like it would have looked like from the Midlands factory thirty some years ago. Couple of new bolts to purchase for the lower fork pinch then I can assemble… My easter weekend is fettled for spannerin’ !
Note to self: triple trees for disc brakes are wider than drum brakes…
March 27, 2013
A Commanding Performance
The Seven Fifty Norton Commando sure look like a nice machine; especially when it is adorned with the high scrambler pipes. The engine geometry, though a twin like the Meridan Moto it has a definite look of its own. Given a modern engineering makeover this ride can be an enjoyable vintage experience.
This example is from Zaps up in Minnesota. Interesting purple color. Me? I like the classic gloss black with gold logo and pinstripe.
March 26, 2013
Walking Away?
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.
March 25, 2013
Always stretch before or after rigorous exercise!
How low can you go! Stretched, long-legged, chopper with a Brit-twin engine. Looks “good” in profile but bet it steers like a bus. Straight desert roads heading off into the horizon.
The pipes look like they came straight from a church organ; and the seat a prayer stool. More tea vicar? Well, at least have some with scones lashed with cream!
March 24, 2013
In Detail
From the Triumph website:
Thruxton. The café racer. Reinvented.
Thruxton. Named after the race track where Triumph ruled the roost and inspired by the famous “Ton Up Boys” of the 60s. The Thruxton is Triumph’s sportiest classic, an authentic café racer delivering that unique Brit twin riding experience. Low rise bars, sporty riding position, aluminum-rimmed spoked wheels (18” front and 17” rear), megaphone style exhaust and a modern 865cc parallel-twin engine. It stirs the heart for those around at the time and for those who seek the classic sporty retro cool.
ENGINE: FUEL & IGNITION SYSTEM:
• Air-cooled, DOHC, 360º parallel twin
• Twin carburettors
• Capacity 865cc
• TPS and electric heaters
• Compression Ratio 10.2:1
• Ignition Digital – inductive type
• Bore/Stroke 90 x 68mm
TRANSMISSION: PERFORMANCE:
• Primary – Drive Gear
• Maximum Power 70PS (69bhp) at 7,250rpm
• Final Drive – X ring chain
• Maximum Torque 72Nm (53ft.lbf) at 5,750rpm
• Gearbox 5-speed
• measured at crankshaft to DIN 70020
• Clutch – Wet, multi-plate
DIMENSIONS: CYCLE PARTS:
• Length 2212mm (87.1in)
• Swingarm Twin-sided, tubular steel
• Width (Handlebars) 714mm (28.1in)
• Wheels
– Front, 36-spoke, 18 x 2.5in,
– Rear, 40-spoke, 17 x 3.5in
• Seat Height 790mm (31.1in)
• Tyres – Front R18 100/90, Rear R17 130/80
• Height 1170mm (46.1in)
• Suspension
– 41mm forks with adjustable preload,
– Rear – twin shocks, adjustable pre-load
• Weight (Dry) 205kg (451lb)
• Brakes
– Front, Single 320mm floating disc, 2 piston caliper, Rake/27º Trail/97mm
– Rear, Single 255mm disc, 2 piston caliper
• Fuel Tank Capacity 16 litres (4.2 gal US)
• Wheelbase 1477mm (58.1in)
March 23, 2013
Now where is that 3/8″ spanner?
I dream of one day having a workshop space with good light, a wall of easily reachable and cell organized tools, a raised work stand, a tough workbench, and a moto sitting aloft nee find tweaked, rebuilt, modified, wrenched or just plain looked-at. One day…
Here’s one of the mechanics stations down at Motoworks. Jealous? Me? Sure!
March 22, 2013
Take a seat
There was a line of stools at Motoworks along the counter; bolted down with peg footrests they gave the sweater/rider a motorcycle pew to plop their backside on. This Triumph one caught my interest. Love it!
March 21, 2013
Get t’kettle on wor kid!
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!
