Punks birth can be traced back to New York in ’75 but when it arrived with a screech to the UK in Jubilee year it took on its Westwood appearance and McClaren musik with safety pinned, spike haired and tartan clad gusto! Our Louise Limb illustration takes the Silver Jubilee Triumph Bonneville special and adds an appropriate Vivienne rider.
Anarchy in the UK
Saw this listing on Craigslist today; the seller sure is having some fun with description…
Up for sale is this 1997 Triumph Adventurer 900 cc in line triple. It has two tires, a seat, and an engine filled with oil. All the stuff you would expect to find on a motorcycle. Plus it’s a Triumph, you know who rode a Triumph? Fonzie. You know what Fonzie is? Cool.
It has an after market speedometer as the factory unit broke, I have the factory one so you can add the two mileages together. It’s under 20k. It also has a two seats and a back rest that come with it. One solo seat that is on the bike and tells the world to ‘get lost, i ride alone.’ The other is for two passengers for the times you have to rely on owning a motorcycle to get into some poor girl’s pants. It has clubman bars. If you want to make this thing into a cafe racer, flip these over. Bam! Instantly leaning forward on a british bike. The pics make it look blue but it’s actually a bluish green color. Very classic looking and you’ll get compliments on the paint like you had something to do with it.
The carbs were rebuilt with new needles, emulsion tubes, and slide guides. The jets were upgraded to handle the additional air flow from the K&N pod filters. If adding a K&N filter to your car will increase horse power, you can only imagine what 3 would do. Plus they say K&N right on them, they’re awesome. You want them. I hardly blame you. The bike also has a new head light bulb. That’s a $3 value right there.
What’s the down side to owning this bike? Well, the right side fork seal is leaking. This just started, the parts are cheap and there are videos on you tube that show you how to do this. It looks to be some what a hassle but perhaps you’re the manly type that scoffs at this sort of chore. If so, this bike comes with the solo seat listed above. The other down side is everywhere you go some old guy will want to tell you about the 69 Bonneville he owned the summer he was dating Delores Hadley. She wasn’t that pretty, but she put out. I’ve heard this story a lot and I’ve determined that the bike gets a good deal of attention and that Delores got around. You’ll also have to hear from every guy on a harley that Triumphs are indeed nice bike, but just for them. I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or what. I’m not sure why they think I care.
Bike is in bolingbrook. Cash only. I’m not looking to trade for 2000 pocket knives or craigs list dental work.”
Yours for twenty three C-notes.
Harry Harrison wrote some great stories about the lighter side of galactic adventure. My favourite was the escapades of James Bolivar diGriz, Slippery Jim. Con man, thief, Corps antagonizer and darn good ducker and diver. HH passed today (87). I’ve chosen this Triumph special: it is a damn good ‘sorted’ machine worthy of a RAT! Big forks, brakes, air cooled and, I’m sure, hot cammed engine. My Bonnie dreams of bikes like this…
The craft stall that sold the CNC’d moto-motifs also had a ‘Trouble’ plate in Triumph style complete with swooping R. Some ingenious builder has adapted it to his new black Bonnie so you’d better watch out! As they say “If you go lookin’ for it…”
Our Lad from Lincolnshire, Guy Martin, is the warm face to road racing with his workman wit and no nonsense approach to his numerous interests. He made a much toiled top podium win at the Ulster GP held at Dundrod in Co. Antrim NI this last weekend. His Suzuki Superbike and ample talent saw breakneck top speeds in excess of 190 mph as well as an AVERAGE lap speed north of one ton and thirty.
Guy also races downhill mountain bikes, has a keen interest in the industrial past of Britain and holds down a job as lorry mechanic. Doesn’t mind getting his hands oily and is partial to a cup of tea (or ten).
Plate steel CNC cut into a Triumph graphic. (Computer Numerical Control)
An Amish store in Arcola (where a tasty slice of Shoe Fly Pie was enjoyed at The Dutch Kitchen) a wall was covered in a lunchbox collection to end all collections – amongst them was a Happy Days lunchbox with Heeey The Fonz and his Triumph… A hip place for your sarnies and flask.
We’re down here in southern Illinois visiting the Shawnee National Forest; picking some fixin’s for supper up at Arnold’s mart I spy this black-on-black Thruxton staring at its own shadow. The cup holder is a curious addition for this cafe inspired ride. “Cup of tea sir?”
BMW’s are known for their mile munching machines; none more so than the big GS Gelände Straße, the ubiquitous moto for the discerning passport filler. It carries rider and load; can roll over roughroads where potholes are the norm; and is a tough as old boots. With genes derived from the early bikes forged in the early Paris Dakar races it is a true companion for the miles. Sheepskin rugéd perch hints at this examples journeys. Again a Rockerbox meet moto.
The London Olympics has seen a phenomenal performance by cycling Team GB captained by the indefatigable Sir Chris Hoy and Vikki Pendleton. Golds Galore as well as other medals heaped upon their enormous talent. One of the races won by Chris was the Keirin, a fast sprint wound up over several laps behind a small motorized bike called a Derny. Offering a slipstream to allow huge gears to be pedaled at top speeds. In its western guise (keirin is a Japanese creation) a larger capacity bike was used; most often the workhorse Triumph Tiger. Seat adjusted for standing rider maximising a wind “shadow”, roll bar for bicycle touching at close range cycling, and away you go… Crank ’em both up!
Twin headlighted bikes have facial expression much like cars. After seeing the cycloptic models usually expected in older motos here are a few ogling examples…
Hondas mighty Fireblade, the CBR 900 which was a game changer in the early nineties has its freckled inlets either side of its glower.
A big bruiser stares meanly at oncoming traffic: The 2.4 liter monster-killer Triumph Rocket 3. Tarmac shredding power and a gaping basking shark cooling maw.
Everyone knows the bug-eyed Triumph Speed Triple, an alien from another galaxy… speed is measured in light-years (nearly)
And finally a friendly billed face, of course it’s Bazza’s Donald Duck face.
“Quack, quack”
The grey oily mechanicals are one part of a bike you can pour your eyes over; but it’s the shiny color that gives their bike visual life: Plenty of classic motos with their signature colour schemes were spied at the weekend. Let’s look at a few…
This Triumph hurricane and its fiery orange and yellow flash was surely eye-catching. That engine with three stacked mufflers strikes a strong sense of power.
Another beaut’ was this spiffing BSA C11, racing green livery and a comfy saddle ready for leafy B-roads. It’s little quarter litre single stotting it’s chatter off hedgerows.
One rarity in these parts is a cherry-pie Matchless. Dollop of cream and take her for an appetizing ride. Sweet!
Finally, and these images are making me hungry, this marmalade sandwich Trident. A golden orange flash swooping along the pearly tank hints at summer riding days.
A nice cafed Kawasaki W650 being toted for the Rockerbox meet. The truck bed itself had a smasher of a BMW boxer cafe too. It certainly gave the superslab trip something to ogle at!
Great silkscreen image for the rally’s promotion from ACE in Chicago. We saw several riders storming up I-94 yesterday heading to Milwaukee. The return leg in the rain had a a few groups taking shelter under overpasses and gas stations…
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