View Full Version : Very OT -- for the Motorcycle Guys
Honu-Hugger
03-08-2006, 10:12
They're going eBay crazy for this one:
1967 BSA Spitfire Mk III (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ebay.com%3A80%2Fsearch%2Fse arch.dll%3Fcgiurl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fcgi.ebay.co m%252Fws%252F%26fkr%3D1%26from%3DR8%26satitle%3D46 18058228%26category0%3D%26fvi%3D1&item=4618058228)
I was interested and willing to bid up to $6K, it is exactly like the one I rode in college. This morning my wife asked if I was sure I didn't want it...I told her the memories of British bikes are always much fonder than the actual experience (oil leaks, hard starting, Lucas electrics, etc.) :D.
I can see this going for over 10K if the right people are interested. $300miles! Restored. NICE.
JoeFriday
03-08-2006, 10:31
those britbikes are really sweet.. I once passed up a deal on a Triumph and I've regretted it ever since.. I was into sportbikes at the time.. now, as I've lost the desire to go fast and hard into corners, I've been looking a lot closer at the classic bikes
wlewisiii
03-08-2006, 10:42
Brett, the current production Triumphs are very nice bikes. There's a dealer in town here - a former Triumph racer namer Lyle Sharer. Perhaps we should go out there the next time your down?
William
(Lusting in my heart for a new Triumph Thruxton)
I like top-end Ducati's, BMW's, the MV Augusta America, and Moto Guzzi!
JoeFriday
03-08-2006, 11:10
they're nice, William.. but not quite the same thing.. I considered buying a new Triumph about 6 years ago.. just never fell in love with the upgraded machine.. much like the new VW Beetle is a vast improvement over the original.. but I'd much rather drive my old '74 Sun Bug if I still had it
FrankG.. did you ever see the ill-fated Bimota V-Due? it was a 500cc 2-stroke street-legal superbike that quickly was recalled due to fuel injection problems.. drop-dead gorgeous and quick as hell.. but $22k and unreliable.. I wanted one soooooo bad
wlewisiii
03-08-2006, 11:12
I can understand. He does restore the old bikes too. I should take you there to see some of those sometime. Very good work.
William
JoeFriday
03-08-2006, 11:29
that sounds good.. maybe a few photo ops. should I bring the supermodels?
That's a nice bike, reminds me a bit of the Spanish motorcycle industry glory, the mighty Montesa Impala (http://www.montesaweb.com/ang/historia06.htm)
Thats nice over $10K too...It reminds me of a Honda 350 Twin I my brother had...I would like to have my first motorcycle back. A 1974 Yamaha DT250 enduro. Very streetable but would also go great in the woods.
smiling gecko
03-08-2006, 11:50
...aaaarrrgghhh - lucas electronics aka "prince of darkness" electronics - i have very ambivalent memories of my last brit bike, a bsa victor 441...
...still, if i could afford it - i would love to have a vincent black shadow - .a '55 series 'd' ...despite heavy steering, occasionally quirky handling and adrenalin-attack/inducing brakes - riding one briefly was one of the two most memorable vehicular experiences i've ever had...still waitng for a ride in a mc-claren f-1.
...the vincent black shadow had the most straight-forward, accurate and precise chain adjustment i have ever encountered...a gorgeous, big, honkin' five inch speedo that topped out at 150mph...rear mono-shock...used the engine as part of it's frame...and an had exhaust note that was more about power than noise.
...i think i can still smell gas on my thumbs from priming those darn amal carbs
on my '58 or '59 (?) bonneville...i guess i'm still not entirely cured...
kenneth
_______________________________
"...patience and shuffle the cards..." miguel cervantes
grantray
03-08-2006, 11:52
Actually, the v-due issue was bad mapping. Alan Cathcart told me a wealthy enthusiast bought the remaining examples after Bimota tanked, again, and now those bikes are demons. When he told me they're like riding my 250 Aprilia Cup, (since drowned in the storm), but with twice the power, my eyes momentarily popped out of their sockets.
JoeFriday
03-08-2006, 11:58
grantray, you know Alan Cathcart? I believe I saw him once at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI
and kenneth.. you rode a Black Shadow? man, I must have been hanging out with the wrong crowd for most of my life
smiling gecko
03-08-2006, 12:18
...brett, i just got lucky...started talking to the guy and offered to take some photos & hinted i would LOVE to ride one some day....he said yes - and i blinked and gulped - i left him my m4-2, m6 & camera bag & took off for about half an hour...i was riding bmw 'r' bikes then (a r65 w/ "toaster tank") ...i guess he liked the stripe of my cameras & motorcycle...wish i had exchanged info & kept in touch...
Ce n'est pas rien...it was really something.
take care, kenneth
_____________________________________
"...patience and shuffle the cards..." miguel cervantes
I like [...] Moto Guzzi!
You might like my bike then, Frank:
http://www.richcutler.mistral.co.uk/guzzi/LeMans.htm
(PS - the photos are just snaps: one day I'll take some proper ones of it!)
Honu-Hugger
03-08-2006, 12:33
Seeing this auction of course instantly brought back fond memories, and then as I seriously considered bidding the rest of the memories came back as well (temperamental starting, oil leaks, Lucas, Whitworth fasteners) :).
Owning my Spitfire was like being in a relationship with a beautiful psycho -- it could be heaven or it could be hell. The bike did get me out of a speeding ticket; two policemen on motorcycles pulled me over and after I dismounted and walked towards them they both walked right past me and starting looking over the bike. They asked me all sorts of questions about it and it was then I realized that motorcycle police are just as bike-crazy as the rest of us :D! After we were through talking bikes they gave me a verbal warning -- they said to take it out of town when I wanted to get on the gas!
SteveM(PA)
03-08-2006, 12:39
The closest I've ever gotten to a Vincent is Richard Thompson on the radio. Here is my Brit bike, '69 Raleigh DL1, it has dragless dynohub lighting (bright!), leather mudflap, leather brakes (!). It had a "CLA" about 10 years ago, and I rode it all through college in Philly, and to my first few city jobs. I've even ridden it a few times in a tuxedo on some Academy of Music events (I'm a singer). It has a new proper english saddle bag and leather grips installed since this crappy digi/luminous picture. A more comfy bicycle, there's never been (although I guess the recumbents are nice). My ex would never allow me to have a motorcycle, but I'm looking around for one now. :)
amateriat
03-08-2006, 12:48
Well, I'll possibly cause a lot of tooth-gnashing by passing this along:
http://worksengineering.com/
I like passing by there every once in a while and hanging out - I only discovered it a few months back when I was cycling home after a freelance gig. Cool shop, cooler crew of people who really know their bikes. Speaking of Black Shadows, my first visit there introduced me to a drop-dead mint Shadow that instantly floored me (had a nice chat with the owner)...never saw one in-the-metal before. There were several Beezers in various states of repair/restoration, including what I believe was a '70 Lightning that had seen better years, but supposedly ran okay (if you can deal with the classic "Beezer vibe").
Of course, there's this Lightning there now:
http://worksengineering.com/
But the machine I couldn't stop straddling while there was one which I snorted at in my relatively callow youth, and apparently is still there, priced around $4k:
http://worksengineering.com/bikeforsale4.html
This is the reason I stick to pedal-powered exotics (which cost enough).
- Barrett (so Guzzi, sono buoni!)
Honu-Hugger
03-08-2006, 13:05
Barrett,
My next trip to NY may be with a one-way plane ticket and a visit to this shop! On second thought, would I really want to ride a BSA across country? Probably...
Argh, no biking this year. Have to save for next years vacation and after I have had new pistons fitted into my Moto Morini 500s and installed a 6speed gearbox from a 3 1/2 since we couldn't get spareparts for the 5speed it blew the big end on the first outing :-(
The 6speed box is great fun, the gear lever is now on the right and you move it up to shift down and the rear brake is on the left. I have to have a sprocket (?) made to compensate for the shorter transmission.
I've repaced the original magnesium aloy wheels with Borani VA spoke wheels and the front disk brakes against a double duplex (?) drumbrake.
Some 10 years ago I fitted a, bah - here my english is lacking, windshield from a Ducati 900ss to it. Very sleek and sporty.
Ah, to hell, the weather is bad anyways and I'll get over the summer driving my Mini Convertible, it's nearly as read as the Morini :-)
Edit:
Alan Cathcart? The name rings a bell but I can't sort it out.
grantray
03-08-2006, 13:06
Yeah, that place is by McCarren Park. There are certain places I don't go to, for financial reasons; and vintage Italian cafe racer shops, along with rare book and vintage camera stores, is one of them.
Here's a little tit for tat, Barret- been to the vintage camera store on Manhattan Ave. recently? Nice little selection of Canon, Nikon, Ikon, and Voigltander rangefinders in there right now. And a few Russian 'finders as well...
-grant
Yes, places to avoid include the shop where my younger brother once learned his trade.
See why (http://www.lohrig-koelle.de/)
JoeFriday
03-08-2006, 13:22
somehow this thread reminds me of an article I read in a cycle rag many years ago, about the Iron Butt Rally.. anybody ever hear of it?
http://www.ironbuttrally.com/IBR/default.cfm
JoeFriday
03-08-2006, 13:27
I've probably shown you all this before, but here's the last bike I owned (http://www.geocities.com/skipatro1/).. a modern classic '85 Honda Interceptor.. it was the handling bike I ever had, and just the right size for cruising around town.. photos were taken a week before I sold it
somehow this thread reminds me of an article I read in a cycle rag many years ago, about the Iron Butt Rally.. anybody ever hear of it?
1000 miles a day for 11 days? No way with my bike! On a sunny day I may get from Troy to New York without the help of a trailer :)
Honu-Hugger
03-08-2006, 13:29
somehow this thread reminds me of an article I read in a cycle rag many years ago, about the Iron Butt Rally.. anybody ever hear of it?
http://www.ironbuttrally.com/IBR/default.cfm
I'm a member; have applied twice to do the rally but have not yet been accepted. I've done a few of their other rides (1000 miles in 24 hours, 1500 miles in 24 hours, and 3000 miles in 48 hours), it's fun if you're interested in that sort of riding. I've always liked to leave before dawn and ride into the night anyway so it suits me well.
Byuphoto
03-08-2006, 13:50
My first bike was a '65 trumpet that i rebuilt in mt living room. Then I got a '77 Low Rider with my re-enlistment bonus and when it was stolen I got an '81 low rider. My current rebuild projact is a '73 H-D Servi-car 45 CI and completely original except for the rear box and the seat covering
Oh dear, now you've gone and done it!
Up till now I've been over the moon with a nice new Suzi 650 'V' twin with the half pointy bit on the front, semi rear set pegs n clip ons (SV650S in the UK). I've even been happy running it in........... until now...... , man I had a proper T140V Bonnie that went from zero to an ton in a bang and odd noises followed by severe power loss, yup it blew up but thats another story for another time. But thats not it, it was incredible fun (to kick start is yet another story for yet another time) to ride, incredible low center of gravity that you could hurtle round the outside of any modern sprts bike on traffic roundabouts (traffic circles to some US bods) and assuming you did not fall off on the oil that you were dumping either from the crank cases or the breather (yeah right!) pipe you looked really cool.
And that it, it had character, many faults (even more in the wet) but when it went well it was sheer joy.
Oddly the single most irritable aspect of my old Bonnie was that the seat was stitched, great idea until it rains and the seat foam filled up. You could have several sunny dry days and get off the bonnie with a soggy bum (not due to medical condition honest)
Did I mention I use a Leica and a Bessa L?
I'll get my coat......
Note: new bike was instead of a new 75 Cron. Thats it off to read the tealeaves
Ahhhhh finally! Thanks Rick for mentioning HD---wouldn't have been a real MotorCycle thread without it! :-) :-)
Paul
amateriat
03-08-2006, 14:08
Yeah, that place is by McCarren Park. There are certain places I don't go to, for financial reasons; and vintage Italian cafe racer shops, along with rare book and vintage camera stores, is one of them.
Here's a little tit for tat, Barret- been to the vintage camera store on Manhattan Ave. recently? Nice little selection of Canon, Nikon, Ikon, and Voigltander rangefinders in there right now. And a few Russian 'finders as well...
Oh, but do I feel your pain.
Yep, I swing by Albert's from time to time (great collection, priced just a tad high IMO...but he's got the rent to deal with). Last time I poked my head in there I had one of my Hexar RFs in tow; he gave me a hard time about buying a camera from a company "that stole Leica's lens mount". Somehow, explaining that the patent on that mount had expired didn't seem to cut much ice with him. Knowing him as well as I do, I declined to push the matter further. :eek:
- Barrett
Byuphoto
03-08-2006, 14:12
Ahhhhh finally! Thanks Rick for mentioning HD---wouldn't have been a real MotorCycle thread without it! :-) :-)
Paul
Yep, and if they want to talk about iron butt, I drove that 77 Low rider from San Diego, Ca. to N La. in a 3 day marathon and then in '81 i drove from here to Sturgis, SD only stopping for gas.
You might like my bike then, Frank:
http://www.richcutler.mistral.co.uk/guzzi/LeMans.htm
(PS - the photos are just snaps: one day I'll take some proper ones of it!)
OH YEAH! :)
Ahhhhh finally! Thanks Rick for mentioning HD---wouldn't have been a real MotorCycle thread without it! :-) :-)
Paul
Can't beat the sound of a good Vee twin, not like these multi pot modern mental revving mega bombs, although I do prefer the 90 degree V of the Duke.
I guess it's that un definable thing called character that sets them apart, a Duke is more than a HD with short forks but they share the V.
Anyone want a new Suzi? Apart from me :)
My father restores bikes in his garden shed.
see here (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Minitar1/Bikes/Matchless39500.jpg) (1945 Matcless G80L 500cc single)
here (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Minitar1/Bikes/BSA2.jpg) (1939 BSA)
here (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Minitar1/Bikes/AJS.jpg) (1961 AJS Model 14 250cc)
and here (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Minitar1/Bikes/NortonDominator.jpg) (1961 Norton Dominator 88 Deluxe)
Now it's a real motorcycle thread. ;)
He has two other Matchlesses but they weren't out the day I took these.
So, Rich C, are you at wildguzzi.com? Seems I remember your bike. Mine's a 77.
Taffer, for the sake of Barcelona's pride, I have a Bultaco Metralla Mk2 Kit America in my garage, with a TSS fairing. Also a Frontera.
And we even have Morini risers here-my wife had a 3 1/2 and a 500 Sport-she still misses the 350, though. She was riding one in Putney, VT when we met Carlton Palmer, he of many Vincents. I have a photo ofa Vincent with a lot of Lightning bits in my gallery.
Back on topic-a Spitfire is supposed to be one of the more temperamental BSAs ever. Are you going to get it?
Honu-Hugger
03-08-2006, 14:29
My father restores bikes in his garden shed.
see here (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Minitar1/Bikes/Matchless39500.jpg) (1945 Matcless G80L 500cc single)
here (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Minitar1/Bikes/BSA2.jpg) (1939 BSA)
here (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Minitar1/Bikes/AJS.jpg) (1961 AJS Model 14 250cc)
and here (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Minitar1/Bikes/NortonDominator.jpg) (1961 Norton Dominator 88 Deluxe)
Now it's a real motorcycle thread. ;)
He has two other Matchlesses but they weren't out the day I took these.
Just one word...Wow! (What a collection)
Thank you for the pics!
Byuphoto
03-08-2006, 14:34
MY '77 is the gray one, the '81 is the one in front of my nephews shop . I don;t have any photos of the police servi-car as it is still in the rebuild stage,
grantray
03-08-2006, 14:37
Oh, but do I feel your pain.
Yep, I swing by Albert's from time to time (great collection, priced just a tad high IMO...but he's got the rent to deal with). Last time I poked my head in there I had one of my Hexar RFs in tow; he gave me a hard time about buying a camera from a company "that stole Leica's lens mount". Somehow, explaining that the patent on that mount had expired didn't seem to cut much ice with him. Knowing him as well as I do, I declined to push the matter further. :eek:
- Barrett
If he does so again, remind him that Leica used the Zeiss formula for they're early asph lenses. That should get a smirk out of him!
-grant
My father restores bikes in his garden shed.
see here (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Minitar1/Bikes/Matchless39500.jpg) (1945 Matcless G80L 500cc single)
here (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Minitar1/Bikes/BSA2.jpg) (1939 BSA)
here (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Minitar1/Bikes/AJS.jpg) (1961 AJS Model 14 250cc)
and here (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Minitar1/Bikes/NortonDominator.jpg) (1961 Norton Dominator 88 Deluxe)
Now it's a real motorcycle thread. ;)
He has two other Matchlesses but they weren't out the day I took these.
Brilliant! thanks for the links, I see that some still carry the old road tax disc, no longer needed for old stuff. Well done.
Cheers!
Brilliant! thanks for the links, I see that some still carry the old road tax disc, no longer needed for old stuff. Well done.
Cheers!
You still require the disc, but you don't have to pay for it.
tedwhite
03-08-2006, 16:57
Golly, this RFF is littered with motorcyclists! Including myself. I production road-raced Triumphs in the 60's in the bay area. I rode Triumphs and Bultacos (TSS & Metralla) for Monroe Motors on Valencia Street in SF, and Yamahas for Al Fergoda Yamaha on Market Street (two stroke 305 was plenty fast but the bike handled like the frame was made out of PVC pipe). When I wasn't racing I photographed the races for Cycle World magazine (using, of all things, a Rolleicord, as it was the only camera I had).
You might want to google the Kawasaki W650, a retro bike only brought into the states in 2000 and 2001. Looks exactly like either (your choice) the Triumph bonnie or the BSA 650.
Vertical twin with bevel cam drive. I bought one at once when they were introduced and rode it for two years. What got me was that those clever Japanese folks had even got the exhaust note spot on.
In the last ten years I've owned a Ninja 500 (very underated bike and a great bike in the twisties, once you get rid of those OEM Exedra tires); a Honda F3, a Suizuki VX 800, a Suzuki DR350SE, a Suzuki Bandit 600, a Suzuki SV650 (V-twin engine from heaven) and an 100cc Kawasaki Eddie Lawson Replica.
But I've fallen on hard times; only bike I've got currently is a 1975 two-stroke Hodaka 100cc Road Toad that I bought new. Nice cow trail bike, but that's it. Carry cameras in an over-the-shoulder courier bag to minimize shock. Of course, when I fall off and land on the courier bag, all bets are off.
Currently working on a friend to sell me his Suzuki DR650SE.
Cheers
Ted
Favourite Japanese bikes: the classic Honda CB750-4 (early years), Kawasaki 900, Suzuki GS1150.
The 2 stroke Kawasaki 350, 500, and 750's were insane.
tedwhite
03-08-2006, 17:14
Frank, check your PM's.
Good choice of fav's. I found the Kawasaki 900 flat scary.
So, Rich C, are you at wildguzzi.com? Seems I remember your bike. Mine's a 77.
Sometimes - I usually hang out at the Guzzi Exchange Forum (http://morini.com.au/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=1), as the Aussies all seem to ride really old Guzzis like mine!
There's a mechanic over here who tunes Guzzis, and has supercharged his 850T (very tidy conversion - it looks tatty and standard until he smokes the tyre!). I'm seriously thinking of getting him to supercharge my lemon!!
Not keen on BSA A65's though - used to own a '73 lightning in the late 1980s. Horrible thing. I had to wear waterproofs to keep the oil off me! It vibrated so badly ("they all do that, sir!") owing to its (standard) high-compression pistons that my hands would go white and blotchy and eventually become so numb that they'd slip off the bars!! And the trail of parts that used to fall off!!
It got a bit too hot once. I was riding through town, and someone shouted "Oi mate - your bike's on fire". When I looked down, sure enough, the engine's blazing away. I leapt off just before the petrol pipes burnt through, depositing a gallon or so of petrol on to the flames. The only postive thing I have to say about that bike is that despite being engulfed in flames, it survived as there's so little plastic - a new seat, wiring and a respray sorted it out (I dread to think what a modern bike looks like after a fire!). Anyway, that was the last straw, and I sold it.
amateriat
03-08-2006, 18:05
Rich, you're a better man than I am. :eek:
- Barrett
amateriat
03-08-2006, 18:47
Barrett,
My next trip to NY may be with a one-way plane ticket and a visit to this shop! On second thought, would I really want to ride a BSA across country? Probably...
Depends on that particular BSA. If it was a Rocket 3 or the like, maybe (I wanted a Triumph Trident something awful back then...now it might be a Speed Triple). Watching a garden-variety Beezer at idle struck fear into me...I had a lot of dental fillings to lose, and at the time didn't have a witty girlfriend who'd threaten to kiil me if I didn't take her for a ride on one. :D
But, crouching between a Lightning and Thunderbolt at that shop, it struck me that these bikes had, for for one thing, the essential look a real motorcycle should have, which can't be easily duplicated/faked (though many have tried). Obviously depends somewhat on when one was born, among other things, but it was fun to watch people of all ages stop and stare at these machines.
- Barrett (who really, really hopes they don't get hold of a mint, orange-silver-mist BMW R90S)
Honu-Hugger
03-08-2006, 21:10
Favourite Japanese bikes: the classic Honda CB750-4 (early years), Kawasaki 900, Suzuki GS1150.
The 2 stroke Kawasaki 350, 500, and 750's were insane.
A Kawasaki 500 triple pulled alongside and challenged me while on my Spitfire. We were both heading onto the freeway entrance ramp and much to my surprise (and likely his as well) the Spitfire beat the Kawasaki -- that was a good day :).
I don't know why the bike bug has bitten me again, especially in the middle of winter, but I'm looking at a couple of other BSA's even though I should know better having once owned one. Another strong contender is a BMW R100S that I have been negotiating with the owner on, and I'm always tempted by the Moto-Guzzi Centauro (and LeMans). Thank God my wife is tolerant...:)
FrankS---first bike I ever owned was a Kaw Z1-B--bought a brand new 1975 leftover---beautiful red.
Talk about a Jeckyll-and-Hyde personality!
Paul
I don't know why the bike bug has bitten me again, especially in the middle of winter ..
I've used the Suzuki GS450L coffee-grinder through a couple of winters. And provided you've got the right clothing, it's big fun to be out there in the fresh air. It certainly beats riding through rain!
Only bad thing was that the salt used to de-ice the roads ate away at the aluminium, leaving large white blobs on the engine shells. The thing looks horrid now.
What I did let pass though, years and years ago, was a Cagiva Freccia. I was at the garage picking up the Suzuki after a repair when I saw it for sale. A very fast 125cc two stroker. Could have bought it.. wouldn't have been very practical, but it looked really good..
Taffer, for the sake of Barcelona's pride, I have a Bultaco Metralla Mk2 Kit America in my garage, with a TSS fairing. Also a Frontera.
Phew ! Been checking around, there seems to be quite a tradition for those Spanish bikes in the US. You're only lacking a Derbi now ;)
Frank, I suspect you know quite a bit about Guzzis-so I guess you like the lot, eh?
I guess I shouldn't be surprised to see that so many people here are into esoteric motorcycles. But I was kinda surprised so have to make my own confesion. I used to be a completely terminal euro bike nut. I owned a BMW R80/7 that I converted to big del orto carbs and did a bunch of performance stuff to before I decided to go big and bought a 1980 Ducati 900ss with campagnolo wheels, 40mm del ortos, open conti pipes, the whole bit including the glass bevel drive gear cover. Boy did my neighbors hate me and it sure made the chopper pilots turn their heads as it had that open throated big twin roar. Wish I still had the thing, except that I'd be dead by now. I used to ride with a guy who had an 850 Le Mans and we'd switch bikes now and then. That was a wonderful machine, too. If I ever got another bike now I'd probably go for something classic and not full race. Maybe an R69 or a big british thumper. Too bad I can't afford a BSA Goldstar or something. Cameras sure are cheap by comparison! But then, I don't own any Leicas.
Nope, my name is steve. The guy that I used to ride with who had the Le Mans was named Max. We called him Mad Max of course. He move to Hawaii and offered me the chance to buy his bike. I still wish I had. This was in Davis CA around 1984. We used to go on the "Sunday Morning Ride" in Marin County. What a grand collection of esoterica!! The local sheriff's dept would have the paramedics out in force as there was always trauma. Totally irresponsible! But a lot of fun! My brother had a 1965 Triumph Trophy that we did the whole job on from repainting the frame to bottom end. It was beautiful but we'd spend sunday afternoons watching it "walk"around the garage while idling on its center stand. You never knew where it would wind up with that 360 degree crankshaft but it sure sounded grand!
Hey Frank, I always wanted one of the Hailwood Replicas but I never felt the need for better cornering. I have literally had my knee on the pavement at over 100 so I guess I never had the "kneed". Heh, heh. What bike did you have? God I'm glad I survived that period in my life!
My bikes:
1. New 1974 Yamaha DT250 put on 10,000 miles
2. New 1981 Suzuki 550T put on 60,000 miles, long distance touring.
3. Used 1985 Honda 750 Super Sport, bought it fixed it rode it once sold for twice the price.
4. Borrowed 1982 Yamaha xs750? for a trip from NC to Canada and back..
No use for a cycle these days, I carry too much junk around with me.
BJ Bignell
03-10-2006, 09:29
I saw a handsome Norton here in Liege this afternoon. Hopefully the pictures I took do it justice!
No use for a cycle these days, I carry too much junk around with me.
Get yourself one of these (http://www.imz-ural.com/gearup/). Slow, but with on demand drive to the third wheel, should get you through any sticky stuff...
Honu-Hugger
03-10-2006, 11:16
From a standing start and over 100 yards, I'd put money on my horse beating any motorbike ;)
Jenni
Jenni,
From one horse owner to another... save your money :D.
Honu-Hugger
03-10-2006, 11:36
This is what I'm reduced to during the winter months...there's a knob on the back that makes the pistons move. Winter's long here in the Rockies :).
This is what I'm reduced to during the winter months...there's a knob on the back that makes the pistons move. Winter's long here in the Rockies :).
Like I said, get one of these (http://www.imz-ural.com/downloads/movies.htm). No fear of snow...
Honu-Hugger
03-10-2006, 11:49
Ahh, but he's an arab. Can sprint at over 50 and hits it in a few seconds. And no wheel spin in mud ;) . Just hang on and grit your teeth :D .
Well, if you get to choose the track you might take her (Angelle Savoie on the Suzuki) :D. My "Witchy" is 3/4 Arabian - 1/4 Quarter-horse mix...she's my personal favorite but I never say that loud enough for the others to hear.
Honu-Hugger
03-10-2006, 12:04
Like I said, get one of these (http://www.imz-ural.com/downloads/movies.htm). No fear of snow...
Very cool Andy, and tempting. Maybe one of these days...(I've been fascinated with them whenever I see them at the Rallies).
Honu-Hugger
03-10-2006, 12:30
Yeah, yeah, I had a horse too. She was like a dog---followed me around everywhere---on our farms, that is. :)
The maintenance on motorcycles is a little easier :D.
The maintenance on motorcycles is a little easier :D.
This is very true... take a spanner to a stallion's nuts and see what happens...
Honu-Hugger
03-10-2006, 12:51
This is very true... take a spanner to a stallion's nuts and see what happens...
Thank you...I was looking for a good laugh this afternoon :D :D :D !!!
tedwhite
03-10-2006, 17:50
Andy, God bless you. I came home from a hard day managing the San Pedro House (a birding center in a riparian area) where all my volunteers screwed up the bookstore tally, broke into tears, wanted to resign for being such Klutzes, blah, blah. Finally got everyone off home in good spirits, headed for the nearest bar for some spirits of my own, and came home just now.
What I needed - a good belly laugh.
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