Another blog re-emerges from the fallout.

Chas is resurrecting his blog with a Sporty build.
Check him out HERE

Harleys? We Don't Need No Steenkin' Harleys!

This was published in this week's Harley dealer newspaper and as a poster to honour the work put in by the H-D fellahs at the sharp end of the business. Maybe they should have gone to a more bike orientated ad agency, or need to sack the proof reader.

That there is Gary Scott on a T120!!!!

Get Ya Nuts Out........................

Don't know if I've posted this before but the pleasure of selecting new, clean Cycle Thread nuts and bolts out of a drawer when putting stuff together is a joy. After trying various suppliers, I now only use these people for plated stuff, their quality, speed of delivery and price can't be beaten.

NOOKYS NUTS

Thunder From Down Under

Sidecar Speedway

Can't pretend to know anything about it myself! Mossy sent these pics over from The Great Southern Land, taken by his pal John Davey at a Vintage Speedway event I guess.

A quick search on Google revealed that these 180 bhp, methanol burning, brakeless monsters are still competing in a few countries around the world but predominantly in Oz.

There are, I'm sure, a lot out there who find it sacrilegious to do this to a Vincent but here at BIW we reckon it's what they were made for! 

Hinckley Triumph.....................CRIKEY!!!!!

Haven't really got to grips with the new bike that is Triumph yet, there are a lot about and by all accounts they are good at what they do, and they are British, but....well......you know.

Came across this and the specs are somewhat eye opening

Specifications:

Engine: 1200 cc 270 degree crank 101 mm bore 74.3 mm stroke

104 rear wheel HP 91 ft. lbs. torque @ 4700 rpm

Frame and swing arm 4130 Chrome molly

Gearing 520 chain 17 front 45 rear

Wheel base 55.5 inches - adjustable to 57.5 inches

Steering head angle 24.5 degrees

Front suspension modified (lengthened) Yamaha R6 43 mm 3 way adjustable cartridge forks Billet triple clamps with 1 mm to 7 mm offsets

Rear suspension Penske 3 way adjustable mono-shock

Ground clearance 10.5 inches

Seat height 31.5 inches

Front wheel Performance Machine forged aluminum 19 x 3.00 Maxxis DTR 130

Rear wheel Performance Machine forged aluminum 19 x 3.50 Maxxis DTR 150

Front brakes - 2 - Beringer 6 piston Aerotec calipers with Suzuki K4 298 mm rotors

Rear brake - Beringer 2 piston floating Caliper A&A Racing 10.5 inch rotor

Wet weight (2.4 gallons gas, oil and battery) 351 lbs.

As I said in the header Crikey! over 100 brake from any British twin however big is a rare beast.

AMAL Home Of The Good And The Free

There's not much available nowadays that is free and still worth having. 

This catalogue is just that though, not exactly free as you've got to pay postage, but the book itself is gratis. Containing details on all ranges of post war carbs right up to the Mk II concentric, there's also the standard settings for just about every AMAL equipped bike since 1940. It's just got to be worth owning for the price.

CHECK IT OUT

Bible Bashin'

Birthday coming up? No? Then you should really treat yourself to this book if nobody else will. Harry Woolridge worked at Meriden fom 1953 until they turned the lights out for the last time. Big Ted Turner is well known for not allowing factory support of a British or European racing effort, not so in the States where the Trophy received continual development and improvement throughout the fifties and early sixties . Linked to names like Bud Ekins and the King of Cool Steve McQueen, the TR6 absolutely dominated the US desert racing scene for close on a decade.

The information and changes given about Trophies and pre-unit twins in general is immense and as it's first hand information, from memory and unrivalled access to factory records can be taken as gospel.

Available on the Bay between 22 and 35 pounds new it's a must have.

Today's the day...............all change!!!!!

....or "Beware Greeks bearing gifts"

Pic from The Daily Telegraph site.

Driving the car, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, Transport Minister Mike Penning MP, in the front passenger seat, and Rt Hon Greg Knight MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group in a 1914 Rolls Royce Alpine Eagle  

November 18th it is then, the day that vehicles in Britain that are pre-1960 no longer require a yearly MOT (safety inspection). Not wanting to be a Killjoy over this, historically governments are not in the habit of giving nowt for nowt. Rather than try to explain the reasons behind this move, here is a copy of David Milward's article from The Daily Telegraph site posted in May this year.

The changes, which will come into force on November 18, will apply to cars the estimated 162,000 cars still on the road which were built before 1960.

Despite their age ministers believe that the loving care bestowed on the cars by their owners mean that they in a better state of repair than more modern vehicles.

It is estimated that two thirds of the cars travel less than 500 miles a year and have a lower accident rate than the national average.

The decision to scrap the compulsory MoT follows the Government’s “red tape” challenge, aimed at scrapping thousands of rules deemed to be unnecessary and outdated.

“Owners of classic cars and motorbikes tend to be enthusiasts who maintain their vehicles well,” said Mike Penning, the roads minister.

“They don't need to be told to look after them, they're out there in all weathers checking the condition of the engine, tyres and bodywork.”

However owners of the cars will still be obliged to ensure their cars are in a roadworthy condition, Mr Penning added.

Greg Knight, who chairs the all-party Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group. welcomed the announcement.

“I am delighted by this announcement. Accidents involving historic vehicles are extremely

rare and the majority of owners are meticulous in keeping their vehicles in good condition. “Having to have an annual MOT test for a vehicle which may only travel a few hundred miles in a year was costlyand absurd.”

However there has been some opposition to the changes. Nigel Case, owner of the Classic Car Club, described the move as ridiculous.

“Scrapping the MoT on any car is pretty daft,” he said.

Just gotta wait and see.

Brit Survivor Chop - ****** FOR SALE ******

Built back in '83 this 500 Ajay has spent the last 20 or more years on a pretty big shelf in a house. That's why the timing side outshines the drive side, couldn't get 'round to dusting it ya see.

Motor turns over well and there is a strong spark but otherwise it will need recomissioning before it sees the road again.

Offers in the region of £2,000

Drop a mail to the addy at the top left corner if it floats ya boat and ya wanna buy a slice of character.

Searchin' for information

Been searching for a dimensioned diagram of a standard rigid frame for quite a while now. Came across this on a Triumph parts list CD, gotta be the best I've seen as it's the only one I've seen, anybody got any links to anything showing more detail?

The real deal on a reel.

First saw this on Paul's Show and Go site.

Gotta be some of the best original footage I've ever seen, some of the bikes at the drags somewhere around the middle certainly hit the spot. Well worth grabbin' a beer and watchin' the full half hour.

The Way We Were

Nice! 

Snapshots of the British chopper scene in Hazel Grove Village, Cheshire, from the late 60's and early 70's. Song is 'My Generation' by the Who (as if you didn't know!) Easy Rider was the catalyst that inspired the chopper scene in England. The most popular bike to chop was the Triumph 500 or 650, and the frame of choice was the 'sprung hub'. As more and more American films and magazines featuring custom bike trends started to reach our shores, we built things like stretched frames, goosenecks, springers, ect. We had to build them as you couldn't buy the stuff! 74 c.i. Harley's were beyond reach for most with their cost, and lack of availibility, so Triumphs were the bikes of choice. Riding time was short in the North of England, so when there was nice weather in the summer, you rode the crap out of them and rebuilt and modified them (plus added more chrome) every winter. Hope this brings back memories for some.

Original Wassell ?????

Back in the late fifties, early sixties before Sochiro gave the world the Honda 50, Britain had a load of second division manufacturers knocking out cheap, get to work utility two strokes. Mostly utilising small Villiers engines, names like Norman, DOT, Excelsior, Francis Barnett, James and Ambassador are now almost forgotten by most people. They were all small time players who built up bikes using out sourced components.

Listed as a 1959 - '62 Ambassador tank, check out the A on the badge, I have just scored it for thirty quid. Purely because it looks very much like a Wassell to me and Ambassador were never a big enough concern to make their own tanks so odds are they bought them in.............from Wassell, we'll have to wait and see.

Barnsley Shaun Back As Bold As Ever

After running into some weird sort of grief with his old blog Bobbed To The Bone, which somehow got taken down by the "powers that be" Shaun is coming out of his corner swinging with a new blog, Down and Out Choppers. Ya just know it's gonna contain some great builds and his unique northern take on the English language! so do yaselves a favour and get on it.

HOW DO THEY DO THAT..?

Attention was drawn to Wes White's Trophy Desert Sled, as featured  on CHOP CULT  a while ago.

As the article says, a 1968 Trophy motor, but with a mag ???

Can't figure out how it's been done.

Better pics would be a bonus, but the outer case looks flawless. Even an aftermarket kit would still necessitate major surgery on the crankcase half.

Britax

Straight out of the old Pride & Clark advert in the back of the Motorcycle Mechanics,

can't say I'd ever heard of one let alone seen one.

Had to be done for a Tenner, looks more like it's been in a shed rather than pukka NOS,

gotta be late fifties, early sixties.

Now, where's that Goldie hiding.................................?

Withdraw your bid or get on it!!!!!!

If you're bidding on this, and if you are you'll recognise it, be aware that it has been modified to fit a pre=Duplex Swinging Arm frame. It will not fit a standard rigid front section anymore. If on the other hand you have such a frame in original order and you would prefer  a Trumpet that is more as Nature intended then Get On It!!!  Two days to go.

Twenty Seven..............Not Out!

Bike mags seem to come and go over the years, but GKM just carries on getting, well, not only better but validating it's position as the publication by which all others are judged. Guy has pulled out another cracker, featuring CRO Custom's Pan on the cover, this is a dream boat of a bike showing just how well standard parts can be massaged and utilised to form a whole that is grater than the parts. 

Grab yerself a copy HERE

WARNING THIS PUBLICATION CAN BECOME ADDICTIVE

More Slick Licks From Otto's Gun

Good to see Otto is keeping his hand in before he starts on the Ton Ten metalwork.

The T140 stuff above are now all mounted and running on a real neat and simple 750 Bonneville Cafe Racer, one of the nicer variations on the oil in frame theme that I've seen.

The badges here speak for them selves, don't know the bike but I've spoken to the bloke that's puttin' it together and it promises to be special.

WIPAC S179

This bad boy arrived today, scored off of the bay (as if you hadn't guessed) for half the price of a Taiwanese imitation, although I don't think they do a knock off of this particular light...... yet!

Listed in the very brief description as for a C15, I don't reckon it is 250 AJS/Matchless seems to ring a distant bell but that's not a definite. If anybody knows for sure please let me know.

The description didn't say it was NOS but it's hard to believe it's spent much time fitted to a bike, this is how it arrived with no attempt to clean it up, no signs of rust on the back plate and not a hint of fading in the lens.

Easy to imagine that it was designed by the same guy that did the WIPAC Sabrina posted on here a little while ago, all fifties starship dreaming style. They seemed to be far more adventurous in their designs over at Wico-Pacy than their compatriots over at Lucas.