TWO STEPS FORWARD ONE STEP BACK

 

Bathtub Thunderbird is now finished and on the road or was.... headbolts were too long and hadn't quite nipped the gasket, who knew ? er, who checked ?...

 

...meanwhile the Martek GSXR is plodding along, lots of things nearly but not quite done. Had a tightness of budget and sprayed it satin black, not too happy with the result but may leave it that way now until it's finished. I have a want to write down each side in huge letters but I may get over that too, remember the Extreme Engineering Harris Magnum of about 15 years ago ? Had an interesting talk with Toddy (formerly of Martek) to find some more history on the bike and have been trying to get in touch with Keith Flint but so far with no success. It would be good to have some firm engine specs, the word is that he (KF) had a fair bit of engine work done after taking delivery but exact details are unknown.

POETS CORNER

 

Glasgow Al's XB32

 

"I was inspired to send you the most recent snap of my XB 32 progress after reading that kinda poetic

deviation piece which appeared in your blog. 

This bike f'kng hates me. It pisses me off at every opportunity, demands a skip load of cash outa my skinny wallet

constantly, refuses to start, pisses oil all over the joynt no matter how creative I get with making unique barriers of prevention and its 

slower than a six year old skateboarder but I love it like an ugly child.

So much in fact that I dont even need to ride it. I'm seldom more content than when sitting in my f'kd up auld chair just looking at it with a mug of tea in ma haun. lifes good"

THIS BIKE

 

 

I don't like the name Old Blu', why it is abbreviated ? if you leave a letter off but put a top tadpole its not really any shorter, still, it wasn't my doing and I think we're stuck with it..

Its had a busy year, the front wheel bearings are shagged, the fork seals don't leak any more so guess is they are empty and the left pot smokes like a Peaky Blinder but its still my best thing. Plans were made for a full stripdown and rebuild with girder front end, different wheels, motor etc but i just shouldn't.

 

I will have a look inside and mend its disease, tickle up the front end and alter the inlet manifold so the carb doesn't eat your trousers then its back for 2014, I would like, just a little, front brake though.

So I have a girder and wheels off a '38 T80 along with a doing pre-unit with big jugs 4 plugs and chrome Monoblocs, gearbox, tank, seat and other stuff but i need a frame, got anything for me ? 650 Pre Unit rigid or S/arm, modified or not.... tri650@live.co.uk

CAPTAIN FINGERBANG

 

Short stories of affairs of the heart (and Bantam ownership) by Dave Bevan.

 

......"my transport is an old motorcycle

beyond archaic

not to mention legality

which has worse brakes than either of the push bikes

and is only marginally quicker

and also sheds parts,

shakes them loose

some kamikaze mission of self destruction

which is perhaps down to the weight of years bearing down upon

or a very tangible indictment of a British motorcycle industry

which shook itself out of existence years previous ?

but i refuse to let it kill itself

with my impatient hands

and half-wits skill

i can just about keep that knackered mare on the road,

if not quite legal.

 

One of these days

one of these things will most likely kill

and/or maim me

and the few folks who know and/or care

will shake their heads, saying

well, you know, he had it coming....

and they'll be right

and they'll be missing the point

entirely."

 

Buy it for someone you love this Christmas. Catch Dave at Happy Going Nowhere

 

NEVER ENDING 1100S

 

Two more up for the chop this/next week. '96 WP 13,000 miles mostly standard. '90 M 1216 Big CC motor, good spec but don't know exactly 'till i split it, 40mm Mikuni Flatslides, Dyna, Aftermarket cam and front oil coolers with breather set up, carbon guard, anodised forks, JMC drag arm, polished hoops blah blah. Come on, who's going to be first to ask if i'm breaking the Porker ?

DQ3

 

Dirtquake 3. Kings Lynn. Saturday 19th July 2014. Race your chopper, 7 months to go, no excuses.

 

Photo, Gareth Buddo.

STEAM PUNKS

 

Colin came and bought a box of rusty Velocette parts yesterday. I would have thought he was taking on a a bit of a task but turns out he (with help from his family) built all these... although he did point out he only "rebuilt" the little one at the end !

GIVE 'EM A UNIFORM

 

We haven't had much to do with Traffic Wardens in Ryedale but the Pattaweyos are out in force now. The lady who gave me this colourful little bag with a "Failure to display a tax disc" notice in it hounds the citizens of Pickering daily. This is North Yorkshire, you can park where you like its a birthright and look under the seat at the back of the oil tank woman.

 I also got a £35 parking ticket...

1972 IRONHEAD SPORTSTER

 

Great project. '72 matching numbers. Not registered in UK but comes with import certificate so just MOT and register with DVLA. Looks all good and sound, kick only, turns over with good compression. £2,000 (firm). Can organise delivery within UK. tri650@live.co.uk  SOLD

ROLAND'S MODELS

 

From my friend Roland in France.

 

"FOR SALE this little bike or similar. Each models are hand made, so different. Made in stainless steel, alloy, brass, bronze. Around 40 hours of work (if i can tell that like that ) if interested, mail me to discuss at : roland.trividic@gmail.com "

 

Surely beats the crap little bikes made from copper wire and a spark plug currently available in all the "Christmas shops" (and car boot sales from January !)

RAYSONS EXHAUSTS

 

 

 

Ben Hardman took over the business of Raysons (Formerly Unibend) in Rochdale two years ago and makes one off exhausts for just about any motorcycle. He has family links to Unity Equipe and his father Ray raced successfully in the UK Classic Bike championship. Great to see a young guy carrying on a family tradition and if you want anything from a fishtail for a vintage autocycle to a race system for a Triton this is the place to be. Check out Raysons business page on Facebook here 

 

Ray is currently looking for some scrap Triumph 650/750 unit crankcases and barrels to make a jig, if you can help please contact him via Facebook.

PARK AND RIDE

Kris Meeke looks for a parking place in Donegal Town.

17" ASTRALITES

 

5.5" J rear, 3.5"J front x 17". Excellent condition, rolled edge, only ever had these wets fitted. I did a lot of chasing to get these chickens so they won't come cheap but if you love them as much as me you will be happy to part with your wedge. £650 the pair, post anywhere. tri650@live.co.uk  SOLD

GUY'S RGS

 

Guy does all my blasting and powder coating here in Malton, this is his RGS replica finished last week.

21" CHOPPER FRONT WHEEL + HURST AIRHEART BRAKE FOR SALE

 

Original '70s custom hub laced with polished stainless steel spokes to new steel rim powder coated gloss black. Full Hurst Airheart front brake set up, was used with this wheel. £200 each. Post Worldwide tri650@live.co.uk BRAKE SOLD

AMAL CARB SALE

 

Pre-Monobloc, chromed body with brass slide and fittings. Stamped 10MD DW 9603 and M90 M9D. 1" bore and 1.25" id where it fits over inlet stub. SOLD

Pair of R928 Concentric chrome bodies, no slides. 1" bore.

R930 Concentric, was on my green chop (Triumph 650) a lot of work has gone into this carb to make it run A1. Complete with finned top, gauze bellmouth and twistgrip/cable. SOLD

All for sale apart from Monoblocs in top photo, can post Worldwide tri650@live.co.uk 

JOHN MCLEAN'S GSXR1100

 

 Always immaculately prepared and maintained John's home built bike ran a best of 8.39 this year. Its come a long way since he and his dad first went to Santa Pod 7 years ago.

 

Bottom two photos by Dave Manning.

 

ASTRALITE WHEEL

 

Chris has this NOS 5.5" x 17" Astralite for sale. Contact him at Tribgwinn@hotmail.co.uk

SHIT TO SHINY

 

In July 2011 Brian bought this T100 off me, he just sent me an update !

BACK TO SCHOOL

 

Last Friday Chris, Guy and i had a day at Pete Boast's Flat Track training school. Everyone who's ever been has told us how good it is and we were not disappointed. Proper individual tuition from proper blokes. The bikes are 230cc CCMs, quite quick enough for the indoor venue and pretty much bomb proof. Our man was Tris Palmer, British Superstock and Superbike rider " i gave up Motocross at 15 'cos my shoulders kept coming out", one tutor for 3 pupils, i doubt if you would get that kind of attention anywhere else.

 My day started with being told by Steve Plater that i sat on a bike like a "right lazy bastard" and ended with him dragging the same bike off me after going for a gap that didn't exist. Loads of bike time, all on the loose on ever increasing track lengths until being sent out 4 bikes at a time full track.

 A totally brilliant day, my back, legs and head still ache but in a rather satisfying way..

 Get all the info here then do it !

SALVAGE HUNTERS

 

After a tip off and intro from Justin, Drew and T (me n' Alioli) did a 12 hour door to door trip to Hampshire yesterday to buy this lot from the garage of a deceased practising jumbler. There is a bit of everything, two Norton 88 motors, two 250 Velocette GTP engines and boxes (thanks Walt for the info), Triumph T80 Girder, wheels and mudguards, ZB cases, 500 Speed Twin barrels and head, rigid Triumph gearbox, dolls head and laydown Norton gearboxes, magnetos, carbs, dynamos, Altette horns.....and more, lots more (this means I don't know what it is) most of it pre-war.

  Its going to be a fun week.

*Salvage Hunters, Quest Channel 9.00om Monday night but repeated plenty throughout the week. Unmissable.

*Alioli drove all the way to save my broken back for a day at Pete Boast's flat track school tomorrow. Seems to have done the trick. She's a good girl.

THE TUESDAY TRITON PAINTJOB

 

I once sold a car to a blind man who ran his hands over the bodywork and pointed out what parts needed attention, his driver went in the house and had a cup of tea, he said he knew nothing about cars.

THE CHOP by ED OXLEY

Nimbus Ed's new masterpiece.
 I am having problems with Vimeo vids, if at first it shows a different film just refresh the page and it should work. Please let me know if it doesnt.

JUMBLEBUDDIES

The best things by far about having a blog are the friends you make as a result. Almost every time i go to Newark Autojumble i am asked by someone if i am Pete Stansfield, not even sure how they know what i look like but whether i am buying or selling i end up in conversation with someone who knows whats going on at my workshop.
  Yesterday as i got out of the van, exchanged good mornings and had a moan about the price of tea with the people on the next stall it soon became apparent that Andy and his friends Jim and Sal followed EtR and also have their own blog at Benchdonkees.com turns out we had all been at Sideburn's events and have a mutual appreciation of Marrakesh as well as the usual shed full of unfinished projects.
  Around midmorning i was presented with a cup of the super expensive tea by Dave Bevan and his lovely lady (i am so crap with names, sorry). Daves poetry and Bantam adventures have been the subject of posts on here and on Guys GKM over the past couple of years and Dave's Gardening/Skating/Stinkwheel exploits live in a corner of Blogworld called Happy Going Nowhere We always seem to go to the same places but at different times so it was great to finally meet up.
 The Trip Out's own Estelle, Loggy and John came by shortly after, having bought a fireplace, psychedelic oil tank and a stuffed squirrel (if you know them you won't even question the truth in that) . Hit the Estelle tag below, again people i met as a direct result of her pipe smoking on this blog back in 2010. The same girl put a status on FB last week saying she was shy and self conscious, yes dear.
 
 All of this reminds me i must get round to making a new blog list, definitely do it next week.,,,

FREAK OR UNIQUE

 

JAP/AJS/HD/NORTON/ENFIELD

chopper/board track/custom whatever. Opinions are split. Make your own mind up, maybe even buy it on UK eBay now.

 

Its nothing to do with me...

TRIUMPH SPRINTER FOR SALE

 

Chris (same Triton Chris from Tuesday) also has his Triumph Sprint/Drag rolling chassis for sale. Pukka frame, plates take Pre-Unit 650 and Norton box. £2,500. mail hembus@hotmail.co.uk

THE CAT'S PAJAMAS

 



Tomcat from Laimont in NE France sent me details of his GSXR11. 8 years in the making so far, it will be worth it TC.