Scrambler; Thruxton, Speed Triple and a Bonneville: what beautiful models to admire.
November 4, 2011
It’s Easy on a Triumph – the further adventures!
November 3, 2011
Slap a Sloper
Whilst searching for the M21 outfit information I happened upon this item needing much TLC. It’s the earlier M33 ‘sloper’; the early thirties model with distinctive engine angle. About 6 hp thumping from the single pint sized jug just enough low end to haul around a chair. Suitable for the country lanes of England at the time for sure!
Here’s a happy owner on their BSA enjoying the delights of a countryside jaunt.
n.b. “slapping slopers” is a climbing move practised in the rounded but rough gritstone edges of the Peak District. Here’s a climber craggin’ on a Stanage Edge classic: Congo Corner HVS 5b stretching out on a long reach sloper. “Slap it youth!”
November 2, 2011
Pull a Chair up and have a sit down!
The combination wartime ride was the enlarged BSA single, the 600cc M21. Again my grandfather George Lawrie is seen atop this machine during traffic control and other MP duties in Egypt, through Tunisia and Libya. No doubt shadowing Monty’s Eighth Army as they chased Rommel ‘The Desert Fox’ back through El Alamein into Tunisia. Amongst his medals and cap badge is a cloth badge of the Jerboa, used as the Desert Rats insignia of the 7th Armoured.
Here’s a recently restored hack with sidecar trunk in lieu of the chair; also emblazoned with the AA (Automobile Association) emblem. George was an AA man both before and after the war, the roadside assistance skills being useful for MP work; and, indeed many AA men ended up in that branch of service.
October 31, 2011
The Cavalry’s here!
A truly evocative image of a mid-Twentieth Century cavalry. Here an army rears up on their new BSA M-20 motos heading into the fray! Wonderful artwork in the clean 30’s graphic vein.
October 30, 2011
George Lawrie and his BSA
My grandfather, George Lawrie (1909-1965) served in the Military Police during the Second World War; spending the duration mostly in North Africa. I recall from a very early age pictures of him in the desert on an old motorcycle. Some old photo albums of my Gran recently resurfaced and a photo of him astride an M20 was amongst them. Great Stuff!
It just so happens that there is similar early 40’s military spec M20 up for auction at nearby Glenview IL; part of a lifetimes collection by a chap called Lee Roy Hartung of automobile’s and motorcycle’s. Hartung specialized in interwar items including: Hendersons, Excelsiors, Harleys, Indians, Flying Merkel and a 1913 Pope. Outstanding selection of important bikes from the teens, twenties and thirties. I spied the BSA amongst them on the aution page; here are a few detail shots of it in splendid original patina.
Given the coffers, and space, I would try and get it running as-is, and enjoy its simple thumping ride as my grandfather would have.
October 30, 2011
The True Dedicated Ownership of a 40 year old British Bike
Well, I thought I’d get out for a spin with this beautiful autumn weather. Leaf colour, blue skies, a slight chill in the air.
A quiet road, sun behind me, all afternoon…
…until the old gal started hicking; I turned for home but only made it halfway through Highland Park… … Engine dead; a sort wait for a kind fella cycling with his sons, he went home to drive back with his Prius, we tried to jump the bike with his big motor battery; no luck. However Dean called back from a message I left, he’d be up in his Ford Ranger.
In the meantime I pushed the bike down to Bob’s Pantry so I could sit and wait. Just as the sun was setting over the Braeside Metra station Dean arrives and we tote the bike back to Evanston. Well that puts paid to this years riding; a strip down of the electrical sysem is in order, a new harness and hopefull all good to go for Spring 2012!
Loaded on the Ranger; lifesaver!
B.S.A. continues tomorrow!
October 29, 2011
BSA in Wartime
As mentioned in the Che piece a couple of days ago, the British motorcycle industry turned manufacturing over to military needs during the Second World War. As well as Norton and Matchless; B.S.A. (Birmingham Small Arms) were to create some trusty rides that saw action across the globe. The Small Heath works created the side valve 500cc single designated the M20, which became the model of choice by the armed services. At its height 1,000 machines were coming off the assembly line per week – over 126,000 manufactured overall; some still in service today. The M21, a ‘big brother’ 600cc used for sidecar work was also produced.
Ride like an Egyptian… … the telescopic forks confuse me somewhat, so if anyone can enlighten: they are typically fitted with girder forks.
Sturdy looking sidevalve motor:
Here’s a great link to the specifics of owning a wartime brit-iron:
It looks a smasher in olive green, a veritable two-wheeled Jeep!
October 29, 2011
Red and Silver
Shiny, shiny cafe’d oil-in-frame Bonnie. Red framed and chrome tanked as well as a comfy Corbin seat. Nicely detailed and crafted to be a real head turner!
October 28, 2011
¡Viva la Revolución!:
Here’s where a certain Norton motorcycle changed world affairs; in 1952 a young medical student Ernesto Guevara and his friend Alberto Granado travelled the length of South America witnessing the poverty, exploitation, and economoc extremes that changed the course of his life indefinitely. Their steed, a 1939 500cc model was named El Poderosa “The Mighty One”,
El Poderosa (copy)
Norton 16H 500cc Side Valve Single
The iconic Alberto Korda photograph ‘Guerrillero Heroico” of Che which became THE defining image of the Twentieth Century.
A wonderfully evocative movie “The Motorcycle Diaries” based on his autoboigraphical book of the same name, starring Gael García Bernal as Che and Rodrigo de la Serna as Alberto. A Norton featured as the third main character.
October 27, 2011
Triple Cool
What could be more hip than these three tootling about the set of The Great Escape on this German Rig. McQueen ‘Hilts’ driving; Garner ‘The Scrounger’ pillion and Coburn ‘Sedgwick’ sitting lazily in the chair. Director John Sturges looks on.
October 26, 2011
Apple Green, Rose Red and Triumph Orange
Looking into different variations of a warm orange colour scheme for my new tank: a fiery glow to show off the bike. It has been a staple tone for the Big T for over fifty years: from the first Bonnie; the X75 special in the seventies; through the nineties Hinckley triples to the modern naked sports bikes.
October 25, 2011
tic-toc
A timepiece bearing the Triumph logo as well as numerous timing, countdown, stopwatch, and alarm functions. Chunky like a James Bond chronograph..
..or something for the Interational traveller perhaps; complete with a second timezone.
Or a little more sophisticated; suits you sir?
October 24, 2011
The Sun Never Sets…
Around the World across the British Empire the Triumph was considered the chosen transporation for checking in on the locals. “How’s the bean crop coming on Carhurst?”
geordiebiker.com 