Motorcycle General Discussion

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Out on the salt, so close yet so far. Wishing them all the best. It will be be great to see the Bonneville put back into Triumph.

[Curtis RutterParticipant @curtisrutter61973]

Ahhhh bikes, my true passion!

Ride a Honda Pan European for work, have an SV650 Minitwin Spec track/racebike, and the trusty commuter Yamaha YP 250R.

Used to Have a Triumph Daytona 675 which I loved and gutted I had to get rid of it a few years back! Looking forward to next year as going to get something new, possibly FJR but not decided yet 🤔

[RannsachairParticipant @rannsachair]

My interest in engineering was triggered by rebuilding old bikes with my father, almost 40 years later we are both still doing it! Currently still have 1954 and 1956 Matchless G3LS's, 1969 T120 Triumph, 1972 BMW R75/5, 1991 trident 900 and a 1992 Trophy 900.

My garage does not quite have the character of Bert Munro's shed, but it does have an ML7:

[SpurryParticipant @spurry]

That Bonneville looks very tidy, it's the same colours as the one I bought in 1968. Is it the bike's original number plate (Irish?) as I thought the silver mudguards were a US spec.

You don't mention the maroon one, is that a 3TA or 5TA?

Pete

[RannsachairParticipant @rannsachair]

Posted by Spurry on 29/10/2016 22:57:07:

That Bonneville looks very tidy, it's the same colours as the one I bought in 1968. Is it the bike's original number plate (Irish?) as I thought the silver mudguards were a US spec.

You don't mention the maroon one, is that a 3TA or 5TA?

Pete

It should be original colours, for a UK spec olympic flame and silver. Mainly original bar high flow oil pump, electronic ignition and an inline spin on oil filter. Yes its the original Irish registration.

The 5TA I bought when I was 16 and ran it for about 30 years, always felt it was physically small for me ( am 6' 3" tall) so the T120 replaced it. The 5TA was smoother and very reliable.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Beautiful pile of bikes there. I always thought 68-69 was the ultimate Bonneville. Best looking bike ever, well one of them.

[RannsachairParticipant @rannsachair]

Posted by Hopper on 29/10/2016 23:59:21:

Beautiful pile of bikes there. I always thought 68-69 was the ultimate Bonneville. Best looking bike ever, well one of them.

Thanks, is the prettiest and the one that comes in the house for the winter!

[RannsachairParticipant @rannsachair]

I have had a few modern bikes too, but not needed to make parts for them

 

Edited By Rannsachair on 30/10/2016 00:30:06

[John OlsenParticipant @johnolsen79199]

Bob Rogerson said:

Take a look at my albums, there are some bike photo,s and restoration stuff in there. I'm currently working on an interesting project using castings rescued from a well known British Manufacturer at the time it shut down.

This makes me think back a bit…back in about 1971 or so some mates and I went to a motorcycle show here in New Zealand. On the BSA Triumph stand was a complete display of their new line up of bikes for that year, including both the BSA and Triumph versions of their new 350 twin. I think they were to be called the Bandit and the Fury, I forget which way around. The two bikes looked complete and ready to ride…although of course being at a show they might only have been dummy cases with nothing inside. Shortly afterwards the money ran out and they dropped those two models. I have always wondered what happened to those two show bikes. It would seem unlikely that they would have shipped them back to the UK, although maybe they would have gone to be shown in Australia. I know that if I had been the importer and I had them in my possession at the time they were dropped, I would have done my utmost to hang onto them as something that would one day be a rarity.

I did later own a Triumph Blazer SS of that year, and I suspect that this was probably the one that came in for the show. This was with the new frame with the oil inside, taper roller steering head and needle rollers in the swing arm. That model was also dropped and the one I owned was the only one of its type I ever saw at the time, although I did see one much later that had come in from the states, but with the small front brake. Mine had the twin leading shoe that was a bit small for the triples that year, although it was excellent on a 250 single. It was a lovely bike to ride, when everything was working.

John

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by Rannsachair on 30/10/2016 00:20:43:

I have had a few modern bikes too, but not needed to make parts for them

Edited By Rannsachair on 30/10/2016 00:30:06

You will once that rear bevel drive gets a few miles on it. Bit of heavy tooling needed made up for them to change the bearings.

Glad to see I am not the only one who keeps a motorbike in the kitchen over winter. First time I rolled my Norton Atlas into the kitchen when I lived in Montana, the domestic authorities were a bit grumbly. But once I threw a spare bed sheet over it "to keep the dirt and grime from your kitchen off it" things went quiet, real quiet.

[RannsachairParticipant @rannsachair]

Posted by Hopper on 30/10/2016 07:57:41:

You will once that rear bevel drive gets a few miles on it. Bit of heavy tooling needed made up for them to change the bearings.

Glad to see I am not the only one who keeps a motorbike in the kitchen over winter. First time I rolled my Norton Atlas into the kitchen when I lived in Montana, the domestic authorities were a bit grumbly. But once I threw a spare bed sheet over it "to keep the dirt and grime from your kitchen off it" things went quiet, real quiet.

I sold the R1100s a few years ago and bought a KTM after the power assisted linked brakes failed while going down a mountain road, scary experience and a costly repair.

she who must be obeyed has started decorating my Bonnie when it comes in for the winter!

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Rannsachair on 30/10/2016 00:19:36:

Posted by Hopper on 29/10/2016 23:59:21:

Beautiful pile of bikes there. I always thought 68-69 was the ultimate Bonneville. Best looking bike ever, well one of them.

Thanks, is the prettiest and the one that comes in the house for the winter!

I've seen plenty of indoor bikes before, but they were spread over kitchen tables in pieces.

You're a braver man than me to park a British bike on a wooden floor without a drip tray

Neil

[RannsachairParticipant @rannsachair]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 30/10/2016 09:22:53:

I've seen plenty of indoor bikes before, but they were spread over kitchen tables in pieces.

You're a braver man than me to park a British bike on a wooden floor without a drip tray

Neil

I think they are only as good as their last rebuild, I do have an oil leak that I am about to fix, but it's from the pushrod tubes and only leaks when the engine is running.

Engine casings in the oven is another story

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

A friend of mine used to keep two open crank stationary engines in his living room, he then had a conservatory and extension built, all was well when rally season started until he found he couldn't get the engines out through the door of the new extension so had to take them apart

Martin P

[JimmieSParticipant @jimmies]

Was the story of how a lad managed to build a BSA Fury in Old BIke mart a while back.

**LINK**

[Adrian GilesParticipant @adriangiles39248]

My son, before he built a shed, had EIGHT monkey bikes in his lounge! Fortunately SWMBO was at ease!

[Involute CurveParticipant @involutecurve]

I used to keep my bikes in the house however since me moved to the new house this is a no no.

But on the bright side in addition to a bigger workshop I now also have a man cave for me, my bikes, the dog, some loud music and or the stuff I want to watch on the box, I still see the missus on occasion……….

Edited By Involute Curve on 30/10/2016 13:33:36

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

A friend of mine persuaded his wife that the dishwasher would be ideal to clean his crank cases, it worked very well. A chap who ran one of Oxfords pubs kept his race bike in the bar for a while. Sadly the pub is now a branch of Richer Sounds.

Mike

[gavin eislerParticipant @gavineisler66495]

Ive mentioned this on the materials page, this brings me here with a posy shot of the bike.

Edited By gavin eisler on 31/10/2016 16:16:14

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by Rannsachair on 30/10/2016 10:15:00:….

…Engine casings in the oven is another story…

"What's that funny smell in house dear? It wasn't there before I went out to do the shopping. It smells like something burning."

Been there, done that, lucky to have any t-shirts at all.

[gavin eislerParticipant @gavineisler66495]

My missus knows R when she gets a wiff.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Heard someone interviewing Guy Martin down in Invercargill the other day, think he was at the motor bike museum.

Ian S C

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Posted by Michael Poole on 30/10/2016 14:21:24:

A friend of mine persuaded his wife that the dishwasher would be ideal to clean his crank cases, it worked very well. A chap who ran one of Oxfords pubs kept his race bike in the bar for a while. Sadly the pub is now a branch of Richer Sounds.

Mike

Over 40 years ago my mother returned home unexpectedly to find Velocette Venom crankcases in the bath. She didn't seem to understand my argument that if she'd come home as planned she'd never have known!

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Guy Martin is here to compete in the Burt Monro challenge, a time trial to the top of Bluff Hill, and at the weekend there is street racing in Invercargill. They had to change the rules a bit to allow for Guy's supercharged bike.

Ian S C

Edited By Ian S C on 24/11/2016 10:34:10

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

Posted by gavin eisler on 31/10/2016 16:15:33:

Ive mentioned this on the materials page, this brings me here with a posy shot of the bike.

Edited By gavin eisler on 31/10/2016 16:16:14

Nice bike!

Did you go to the cafe up the hill? Possibly the best cake stop in the entire country (and I've been to a few).

Rod

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