Tiger 110 Motor Nailed

Got the motor pretty well finished today, still a few bits to get such as the external rocker oil drains and their bolts, there's also a few other fixings that need getting but they should all be available from Cliff at Ace Classics.

The mag looks the nuttz sitting on there, notice the Beezer extended nut/bolt in the lower position. Why Triumph never did this is a mystery, BSA owned Triumph since the early fifties but they seemed to go out of their way to ensure the two brands didn't cross fertilise.

This shot gives a better idea of what a bastard it is to get to the bottom nut, even more so if the motor is in the frame with the primary chaincases and rear engine plates in position.

These pictures were taken immediately after the top end went on so there's still a fair bit of cleaning up to do before it's ready to go in.

Triumph Tiger 110 Dynamo Hum

Picked up the dynamo for the T110 after Chip had worked his magic. This is the home of the Prince of Darkness' glow worm farm, they're all in there, locked up at the moment just waiting for the chance to get out and light up the world.................or not!

There's no doubting it will work as well as it did in '54 but they must have ate more carrots back then!

Chip can recondition or supply dynamos outright, give him a ring if you need life putting back in your Lucas.

BSA A10 Road Racer For Sale

Andy has decided to sell his A10 race bike, specced as follows;

710cc, nourish crank , nissan pistons , 5 speed box, newby belt drive , 

modified twin carb heads 
gold star type brakes / wheels - crank sensing electronic ignition and lots of other bits

Cheap I reckon at GBP 3500

It's also on his blog with details on how to reach him.

More on the Kurrent King Of Kool

After posting that killer rigid Triumph a few days ago I just knew that one pic was not going to satisfy. Shrew left a comment saying that he thought it was in Japan, so that was a good place to start, an e-mail was sent to Docklands Speed Shop and Shinya was good enough to reply, saying that it was in fact built by Tride Motorcycles out of Tokyo. Ryoji has now posted some more pics of this quality ride.

Get yerself over there and check out more of the quality Triumph builds coming out of Ryoji's shop, Docklands and a host of other builders in Japan that are setting new standards. 

Lovely little touch of detail, chamfering the silencers in a race stylee.

Thanks Ryoji

Lucas K2F Mag...................NEATO!!!!

No point in running any old Brit that's fitted with a magneto, unless there's some history behind the mag itself. It's no good spinning one by hand and being happy because it throws a spark, it's got to be capable of doing that a few thousand times a minute when it's hot! On the bags containing condensors supplied as spares by The Prince of Darkness himself it states that they have a shelf life of 10 years!

So it was off to see Chip to get the mag and dynamo sorted out, firstly because that's what he does, secondly he's a long time mate and thirdly because the A7 started first kick, good enough credentials there then.

Here's the mag shortly after delivery, solid but somewhat tired and in need of Dr. Chip's love and attention. 

Anybody that's followed this drivel over the last couple of years may of noticed that detail plays a part in the way we operate around here. But, a mags a mag right? a self contained provider of sparks and pretty well sorted for that back in the day, not a lot you can do with it. Well the name of this Tiger 110 is Newgate's Knocker, so let's do it black with bling.

The body went off to the powder coaters and the small detail parts went off to the platers, in the mean time Chip polished up the few natural brass parts. This is the reunion after the various vacations were completed and the bits are ready for some serious Spark City partying.

Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing, in bitchin' black, the finished article.

It ain't a competition mag but the red label looks tougher and it'll fool thems that don't know, and thems that do know probably won't speak any way! 

 If you need a mag that requires reconditioning, and want this treatment, any colour you like give Chip a ring on the number at the top left of the page. If you need a mag for your project and don't have one, why piss about getting a second hand one of the bay, he can supply reconditioned units outright as well.

Triton...............With A Twist

Not the usual Triton treatment, got Geoff to uncover this the other day.

Running a Commando crank, 10 stud 750 top end and a five speed cluster in a rigid shell,

it's got all the right bits to make it go, but keeps it hidden under touring clothes.

T110........Another Piece Of The Puzzle In Place

Another bit drops into place, scored this original battery carrier from Steve at the Strathbran Speed Shop. Still solid after 60 years it only needs a bit of straightening here and there and a lick of paint and it's good to go. The two slots in the bottom plate pick up on the two threaded bosses cast into the top of a long primary case, if you've ever wondered what the two bosses are for.

T110 Seat Springs On & Nearly Finished

Got the spring perches made and ready to go on. The pan was drilled at the positions marked out the other day, after checking the centres were at 8 inches to match the bottom mounts. The 3/8" studs were turned and threaded 5/16" to suit the bosses and then assembled through the pan.

The bosses were then tacked in place using a MIG welder to hold their position and angle, and will be TIGged for the finished weld. Then the excess will be cut from the top bosses as leaving it on may compromise the comfort.

Lower bosses on and the springs in place, may go for shorter springs come the final reckoning, probably get a pair made by Alberta Springs anyway. These cheap and cheerful springs from abroad are exactly that, the fixing eyes are not concentric and the end surfaces are never flat!

Bloooze Summit...............Epic!

Stevie looks bang on it !

Probably The Nicest Triumph I've Seen This Year

Blatantly stolen from Bit Monkey's blog this has got to be the sweetest pre-unit I've seen for ages. Absolutely nails the look I've been ranting about, if Triumph had of been making factory customs in the early fifties then this is it. Who's is it ?, where is it ? don't know but I do know I want to see more of it!

Wes, Keepin' It Real In 2012

This arrived today from Wes at Four Aces, all profits go to the race effort for this year's assault on the salt. Wes is out there doin' it every year, not just talking about it, but pointing the front wheel at the distant horizon and giving his ol' Trumpet the full benefit.

Show ya support for one of the good guys and order yerself this one year only tee HERE

Getting Ready For Spring

Sticking with the ol' use what Big Ed Turner provided principle, the standard perches were always gonna be pressed into service. Had to get some 3/8" UNF screwed rod to transfer the position to the seat pan, tried 10mm studding but it's too big! Less than 0.5mm up and it's too much, that's accurate 3/8" bore tube they're using there.

Locking the rods with nuts either side set the position fair and square, and fixed the length equally. Marking the seat pan was plain sailing after that.

???BRITISH IRONSMITHS???

All this speedo action of late, I really should consider changing the name of this ol' Blogaroony!

Following my plea the other week looking for one of these, Chris left a comment saying that he had one that he took off an early Bantam.  After searchin' through the accumulated shed detritus he's finally found it, and here it is, just what the doctor ordered. I've spoken to the guy who rebuilds 'em and it's not a problem to fit an 85MPH dial to it (although the red numbers on a grey face is no longer available.) and re-calibrate it to suit a Trumpet gearbox drive. The bodies on these are alloy so it will polish up quite nicely thank you!

Thanks Chris!

TriBSA up for sale

Paul has put is 650 TriBSA up for sale, running a recently rebuilt 1951 iron head 6T motor in a '59 Super Rocket frame, it's all there and road legal. He's looking for 4 grand so if you fancy it give him a ring on 07535978262

Matchless G80RR

Well the good lady's gone and done it again, she's looking at stuff on Facebook using her I phone and says I like this and shows me a picture of a Matchless. Instant double take, "Lordy that is nice!" says I, and took the phone for a better look.

Turns out to be a Matchless G80RR, a factory built flat tracker from (I think) 1957, never heard of it! and after Googling it up, neither have many other people, information is very limited. There may have been 20 built or possibly 50, but what a thing of beauty it is.

This bike was restored by Yoshi and the boys at The Garage Company and seems to have a lot of  what are probably correct factory parts still on it.

If anybody knows anything about these rare beasts I'd love to hear about it.

Triumph..................Class on a Plate

‘Two nations separated by a common language.’  George Bernard Shaw.

Due to a slight misunderstanding between ourselves and Joe at Chopped Triumphs there are now two pairs of the bitchinest front plates in Christendom over here in England, and they are up for grabs.

These plates will fit dynamo type pre-unit Triumph 500s and 650s, they will of course fit the alternator type as well if you don't mind the hole, although alternator types (without the hole) are available.  The fit and finish is second to none and will pop straight on in place of the stock steel numbers. 

Price here in the UK is £100.00 per pair and that includes the postage in the UK.

If you want either of the two pairs available, get in early and claim your's by reserving a pair in the comments box, or take your chances and e-mail.

Smiths Chronometric Conundrum

With speedos occupying the ol' mind pretty often over the last week or so, I decided to dig this out of the shed. Don't intend to use it on the Newgate's Knocker project, that's getting a "D" type...... end of story!  The speedo above has been kicking around for 25 years and more, yet it was only about 6 months ago that I noticed there was something not quite right about it.  If you look carefully it's not or at least wasn't a speedo at all. Somebody, back in the mists of time, has put a speedo mechanism in a rev counter body. Why?..................who knows now, but there it is, maybe an old Cafe Racer thing to have two matching clocks, somebody came off and messed up the original body.

So the problem is now, what to do with it, it really needs stripping and the mechanism cleaning and overhauling if it's to be used., the three options that are available seem to be;

1. Just get it cleaned internally and run it as is.
2. Restore the body, new glass and needle and just clean up the dial that's on there.
3. Turn it into a Rev-U-Lator for future use or profit

I'm angling towards the second option at the moment, but nothing's decided yet.

Seat Pivot Tacked Up

Tacked the pivot attachment plate to the seat pan yesterday and offered her on up, really like the way it's turning out, both from the side and the top.

Mentioned the other day about setting the spring hangers at the same radius as the bottom spring mounts. Still reckon it's probably the correct way of going about it, but it pushes the spring almost off the back of the pan, and the stock support tubes on the frame are set at a pre-determined angle, so the top mount is pre-set. As you can see the springs need some support perches, but that's no big deal, should get away with it.

The Forgotten Triumph Twin

This 500 Side Valve TRW has just finished on the bay,although this one is set up for Trials, any of  these Twins seem to be getting scarce nowadays.

Never sold new to the public, just shy of 16,000 were sold to the armed services around the world between 1950 and 1964, before giving way to the B40 from BSA.

Seem to remember BIKE magazine having one as a project in the very early days, they were going to flat track it, can't remember seeing it finished though.

 This is a very early Army issue, 1948 pre nacelle example recently repatriated from the Middle- East

WIPAC Sabrina

Picked this up yesterday, always on the look out for the cooler alternative when it comes to rear lights, much like everybody else in this game I suppose. These ex-Bantam and other lightweight lamps have been hiding in plain sight, with their mix of Art Deco and Flash Gordon design features they scream fifties.

Generally overlooked as just a Bantam back light and of no use, they are disregarded. Taken in isolation and looked at for what it is, I reckon it's a winner and certainly ranks alongside the Miller/Vincent STOP, Spartos and 32 Ford lights that crop up over and over again.

Officially designated the WIPAC SO088 it was generally called the Sabrina after the young lady below, I'll let you figure out the reason why.

Seat Pivot In The Works

Got the preliminary work done on the nose pivot for the seat. Pretty stoked with the way the ring spanner idea worked out, far more stock looking than a piece of flat bent to shape, and stronger.

Still got to tack the attachment plate onto the seat pan and then start looking at getting the spring hangers nailed on there. Thinking that if the measurement between the centre of the pivot bar on the frame to the lower spring supports is the same as that between the nose pivot on the seat and the upper spring mounts, both ends of the spring will be at the same radius, gotta be better .............. ain't it?