I forgot to post this last year when all of the Diamond Jubilation hullaballoo was going on… well here it is: the original silver celebration Triumph. A limited edition red, white (well silver really) and blue seven fifty Bonnie. That’s Ma’am as in jam, not as in farm… or so they say!
“I should like to be a horse” Elizabeth Windsor
By THERESA WINSLOW Staff Writer
Published January 11, 2004,
The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
It’s a good thing Frank Deihl is retired.Otherwise, he wouldn’t have enough time for work.
The Gambrills god of the British motorcycle toils for “only” 60 to 70 hours a week in a basement workshop that’s so crammed with machinery, bikes and parts that there’s little room to walk around. Gas tanks hang from the wall, exhaust pipes dangle from the ceiling, and there are cardboard boxes in every direction full of parts for repairs.
And that’s just the start.
A barn behind his home – complete with the dust and oily smell of an old garage – holds even more parts and about 30 more bikes, all waiting for Mr. Deihl to lovingly restore them to their former glory. Any cycle junkie could get lost in Mr. Deihl’s work space for years, but everything he’s accumulated in an almost 40-year career in bike repair is carefully cataloged. “This is what happens when your hobby goes out of control,” joked Mr. Deihl, glancing around his digs last week. The 63-year-old doesn’t have any other hobbies, though he said he’s tried them all. Motorcycles keep him more than fulfilled. The British bikes he loves were made by three companies: BSA, Triumph and Norton, and had their heyday in the ’50s and ’60s. Mr. Deihl still gets a thrill when he revs one up for the first time after hours of repair work. “It’s absolutely great,” he said. “It’s the same rush I got when I was 18 – but even more now. It’s even better. Everytime you do one, you learn a little more.” Terry Parker, a Montgomery County resident who organizes an annual event called British Bike Day, said Mr. Deihl knows plenty already. The two men met about 15 years ago through their shared interest in the motorcycles. “He’s like a god when it comes to BSAs and Triumphs,” Mr. Parker said. “Everyone knows Frank. Frank knows everything. He’s done it all. He’s raced. He’ll do whatever you ask and do it with a personal touch. He’s a legend.”
Bikes in the blood
The way Mr. Deihl sees it, he was born into bikes. His father owned several, and he got his first one at 16. But it wasn’t British. That came two years later. He wanted a faster ride, and in those days, British bikes were a lot speedier, he said. He never looked back.
Mr. Deihl said he has nothing against other motorcycle makes and newer bikes, he just prefers the vintage British models because they’re fun to ride and tinker with. Since they weren’t made with computerized machinery, each one has its own personality and challenges, he said. A grandfather of nine, Mr. Deihl got his first motorcycle job at a Wheaton shop in 1965. He stayed there five years before switching to Heyser Cycle in Laurel, where he worked until “retirement” three years ago. His vast inventory was accumulated over his long career. He still goes to shows and travels to England periodically for new stock, but he got a lot of his supplies when British bikes fell out of favor in the late ’60s and ’70s. That was when people became enamored of Japanese motorcycles, and British bike supplies could be bought inexpensively, he said. Mr. Deihl says he likes working on his own, but hates the fact that he’s so busy he has no time to work on personal projects. Mr. Deihl said a lot of his customers grew up with British bikes and might be trying to recapture a bit of their youth by riding them now. A few minutes after he spoke, he started a bike parked just outside his workshop. It had a distinctive sound, faster than the blat of a Harley and a bit higher pitched. “When you get used to it, you can tell which bike pulls up by the sounds it makes,” he said. The power made the ground rumble, and the more Mr. Deihl opened it up, the wider the grin grew on his face. Customer Bobby Gordon of Virginia had the same expression as he looked at a British bike calender while Mr. Deihl went to get a part. Mr. Gordon drove more than 3 hours with a friend and fellow biker, Andrew Brown, to get to the workshop. Mr. Gordon does this several times a year, relishing his visits to swap stories and get supplies for his own bike collection. “(Mr. Deihl) has everything we need or, if he doesn’t have it, he knows where to get it,” Mr. Gordon said. “He’s such a decent guy.”
Beautiful bikes
Talk about putting your work on a pedestal. At Staples Corner Liquors in Gambrills, about a mile from Mr. Deihl’s workshop, one of the main attractions has nothing whatsoever to do with spirits. Sitting on top of two separate wine displays are vintage Triumphs, a purple one from 1971 and a red and white model from 1967. And, of course, Mr. Deihl restored both of them. “People come in here just to look at them,” said Bill Stevens, who works part time at the store. “They’re beautiful bikes. They don’t make ’em like that anymore.” The bikes are the property of store owner John Fisher, who first met the soft-spoken Mr. Deihl about 15 years ago. Mr. Deihl came into the store occasionally when it first opened and Mr. Fisher noticed him pull up on a British bike. It just so happened that Mr. Fisher had one languishing in his garage and asked Mr. Deihl to get it running again. Two days later, Mr. Fisher called Mr. Deihl and told him to fully restore it. Mr. Fisher didn’t have room at his own house for the bike, so it ended up at the store. At first, he kept it in back, but about five years ago, he decided to put it on display. The second bike came three years later – and Mr. Fisher wouldn’t mind more. “It’s good advertising,” he said. “(Mr. Deihl’s) a craftsman. He really is. He does beautiful work.” For his part, Mr. Deihl is flattered that the bikes are on display. (But then he smiles and admits that he’d really be pleased if the bikes were ridden.) “They really should be out,” he said. “Today’s motorcycles are much better (made) than the old ones, but these are fun bikes.” Mr. Fisher used to ride, but said that after bypass surgery he prefers not to chance taking a spill on the road. “I’m just content to look at them,” he said. A few minutes later, he adds, “Did you go in the barn? My God! There’s a lifetime in there!”
For more information about Mr. Deihl and his work, call him at 843-520-0542 or go to his Web site,
http://www.franksclassiccycle.com
Copyright © 2004
The Capital, Annapolis, MD
The bright, and crisp, January daylight glistened off this Ford truck. The 4×4 extended cab Ranger. In fire-engine red too! I’d tote about in that…
Las Vega again; this time a successful jump by the extremely talented Robbie Maddison, Red Bull stunt rider supreme. One New Year show was his leap of the Vegas facsimile of the Parisienne Arc de Triomphe. A long tall ramp gave him the perfect trajectory, and a ski jump landing let him down fairly gently. Just a dislocated thumb on landing was all he suffered; but I bet the adrenaline kept any discomfort at bay.
Another landmark, another city: this time London and Tower Bridge. Here the stunt rider leaps AND backflips over an open bridge deck. I remember my motorcycle commute in London crossing this bridge twice a day, but not like this! Sometimes the deck would be raised to allow ships to pass, the the first across were the motorbikes: couriers, commuters all, haring over an empty road.
Let’s all see a jump into the New Year a lot more safely than our old friend Bob Craig ‘Evel’ Knievel. His Sin City leap over the Caesars Palace fountain on New Years Eve in 1967 though launching his celebrity it landed him in a months coma…
You be careful out there folks!
As long as I can remember I’ve always had a fascination with maps and plans. Understanding the ‘lay of the land’ so to speak. A map tells you not only where you are but also what is around you. An Interweb search has recovered this factory plan of Triumph Meriden. In it you can see a fabrication and assembly process from raw materials, through machining, enameling, through to assembly and on to testing and despatch. The repair shop is also there; so aftercare is within the factory. You can easily stroll the hallways smelling the oily swarf emu bating from the machine shops, fresh rubber tiles being mounted to finely tuned wheels and the first grunts of the bikes as they receive their life giving kicks by the testers.
“The miracle, or the power, that elevates the few is to be found in their industry, application, and perseverance under the prompting of a brave, determined spirit.”
Mark Twain 1835-1910
The ‘other’ motorcycle manufacturer that spanned the globe was BSA, who indeed at one point exceeded Triumph in the output of bikes. Birmingham Small Arms of course started as rifle makers before expanding into bicycles and finally ending up as The Worlds Best Motorcycle. Here are some great historical images if their factory on Armoury Road at Small Heath near Birmingham.
BSA on the old brickwork.
A view down Armoury Road shows the proximity of the factory to the neighbouring terraced housing. The feathered B evident on the factory itself.
Factory workers line up for a bus, possibly just off shift or having just had a thirst quenching jar at the local pub.
Only a part of the factory remains, now used for the manufacture of air rifles, full circle for BSA it seems. Can this name see a fresh dawn of motorcycles? With able craftsmen like Larry Houghton of Lamb’s Engineering and his fantastic ‘Son of a Gun’ custom Beeza the future could look bright! A litre sized Lightning, a nimble 500cc Goldstar, a 750 dual use Hornet… Give the Hinckley crowd something to think about eh?
Triumph has arisen. From the lows of the seventies and near comatose eighties the Triumph story has entered a new stronger and healthier chapter in its historied name.
Meriden saw the workers fights for maintaining a motorcycle manufacturing heritage steeped in race victories, worldwide distribution, and a name to stand above the rest. However it was too little too late.
Like an ember hidden under the dead ashes of a hearth, the name Triumph wouldn’t die easily. A monument stands on the site of the old Meriden factory; now surrounded by a housing estate with roads named: Bonneville Way or Turner Drive.
But for the last quarter century the rebirth at Hinckley under the directorship of John Bloor the Triumph name has gone from strength to strength; even after a factory fire in 2002.
The new Hinckley plant is a glistening showcase of great British industry heading into another century of motorcycle greatness! Looking at the latest model line up of Trophy, Tiger, Daytona and Bonneville that is surely the case!
I’m proud my moto’s badge says “Triumph”.
Assembly Required: here are a few evocative shots of the Meriden factory line where the 750’s are being built. The last embers of a decades long industry. A tough time for the strong British manufacturers; cars and bikes alike.
Elbow grease and graft. Making products that go around the globe.
The day after Christmas is of course the observed holiday for tradesmen, service personnel and other workers of the world (well in some Commonwealth related countries). The day after that is all back to business for the grafters… Here are two nearly identical photos of a Triumph assembly line 3 decades apart; one lad is working on a 750 on a Meriden Co-op line, the other a beefy Thunderbird 1600 of more recent manufacture.
Factory life is an interesting aspect to review especially related to the British motorcycle industry. Next few days we’ll investigate.
How else would Santy get about his stables than on a red Triumph Bonneville?
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Murray Walker that is! His enthusiastic voice rang out the excitement of motorsports for decades. Two as well as four! Unless you can also count the 6 wheeled Elf Tyrell F1 cars! BBC reported today that the next Formula One season will be commentated by the lovely Suzi Perry who has been the voice for Auntie’s MotoGP for the last ten years. Well of course she is a two-wheeled MotoLady which includes a love of the old Triumph badged cycles.
Scrambler ma’am: the utility bike for the damp British roads.
A blast darn the Great Nort Road to the Ace Cafe for a cup o’ tea! A Speed Triple is tge steed to be seen on! White leathers match Moto well!
Bonnie Bonneville, a great choice for all! Big boots to fill giving voice to F1. Vintage Murray in the Janes Hunt days with Senna, Piquet and Mansell are legend!
¡Muy Buena! A shop spied by a work colleague, Emily, whilst on her honeymoon in Barcelona. With Sumptuous Gaudi architecture all around she managed to spot this Moto-store sign. A Triumph! I went to their website and was swooned by a new Kawasaki 800 sports bike in that special green. Www.qualitybike.com
Another great invention of the British Industrial Revolution was the steam locomotive: it’s power to connect and move materials, goods and people about the country. Here’s an early century photo of a train hauling some freshly manufactured Triumph outfits. This is a 0-6-0 Midland Johnson engine. One of the most widely made utility beasts of the late 19th -20th C. The last of these used into the 60’s; however none remain. Nevertheless British engineering at its best!
The latest iteration of the new model Tiger, an 800cc Moto ready for global action. Tall suspension, grand stance and rugged good looks; big cases tote adventurers goodies. This XC has ABS and a punchy triple engine, all rendered in a suitable drab green color scheme.
geordiebiker.com 