Sunday, June 30, 2013

Back in Black...

This will be a brief post, not much new to report as I have spent the long weekend relaxing.  Most of it anyway, I plan on spending tomorrow in the garage! 

I have to give the powder coating shop I use credit.  When I dropped my parts off the other day, I was concerned about the fact that I couldn't completely strip them down.  I attacked the frame, swing arm and center stand with sandblasting, stripper, scraper, wire brush, wire brush attachment and sandpaper...it still wasn't 100% clean.   Somehow,  we still ended up with this!


This is hands down the best work these guys have done for me in the last 2 years.   The next lot will be sent in early this week, a list consisting of the headlight, fork ears and taillight.  The next steps involve doing some home zinc plating (more on that later) and reassembling the frame and ancillaries.  Then we are looking at a fork rebuild and cleaning up the hubs and wheels.  I also plan on tackling the engine this week.

I am hoping that some of my parts suppliers get back to me with some quotes, so I can order what I need.  

Changing (ahem) Gears for a moment, I recently heard from a fellow who purchased an earlier member of my stable.  I have bought and sold many bikes over the years, some to fix up and others well, just because. 

I will confess I feel sadness when I see an old bike in a field or in a shed abandoned.  I want to find the inner jewel, give it purpose again, re-purpose it....anything but leave it to rust and neglect.  One day I will rundown the list of beasts I have dragged home, I have started a mental compilation and the list is rather long to say the least!

This '74Kawasaki KE175 was one of the 'rescue' bikes.  It was passed around a good friend's neighborhood, seemingly stopping for a while in each backyard.  Usually someone's wife would make a fuss, then off it would get pushed to a new home a couple doors away.   When my friend got it, he took it with him to the country, didn't want it and of course, sold it to me.  I thought it had great potential as a street tracker, more than anything I really just didn't want it to go to waste.






The bike sat in my garage for a while and I had no direct plans to sell it.  While surfing the classifieds I found someone looking for one to restore as it was his first foray into cycling.  We emailed back and forth for a while and eventually he came to collect her.  Above you see a rather sad state of affairs.  

Below, as she is today;



With Sam's permission, I share these shots with you.  I want to commend him for doing such a fantastic job at giving this old girl the chance she deserved!  I especially love the tank, great colour and wonderful period decals.  It is always delightful to see restorations come to fruition and enjoyed as originally intended.  

Sam, I wish you and the Kawi many happy years together!  You deserve it....



Thursday, June 27, 2013

All the World Wide Web's a stage...

It's rather difficult to believe that we once lived in a world without the internet.  Who would have thought 20 or 30 years ago we could reach in our pockets, pull out a device and have the world at our fingertips?

It's staggering to think that we are more technologically forward than they were on Star Trek.  Most of Dr. McCoy's equipment could be replaced by various apps now!

When I started on my 2 wheeled journey, most of my knowledge came from a wonderful set of books issued in the late 1970's.  

Simply titled  'The World of Motorcycles: an illustrated Encyclopedia' these volumes can still be found on many library shelves and in personal collections .  This was a fantastic introduction to bikes that covered many marques in depth and explained how the various parts of bikes operated.  I am very pleased to see these are widely available on Ebay for reasonable prices.  This seller seems to have the whole set, in addition to 'The Complete Encyclopedia of The World's Motorcycles'

This is a very thick alphabetical tome that is incredibly useful for learning about various Marques.  I was fortunate enough to have one given to me by my father when he went to the National Motorcycle Museum in England.

http://stores.ebay.ca/GrassyLakeBooks/Motorcycle-Books-/_i.html?_fsub=2236064012

(I am in no way affiliated with this seller I am merely posting what I found)

While I would dream of bikes and read about them, I longed for the day when I would be a part of that world and have a machine of my own.  That day came a couple of decades (and some change) ago when I was working odd jobs in high school.  That summer was a rough one for employment, the recession had hit many industries in my town hard and student work was scarce.  I worked with an employment agency who set me up with various temporary assignments;  everything from digging holes, working in garden centers to helping erect circus tents.  It was at this last job that I started a conversation with a young man scraping up the cash to buy a sticker (this is a yearly tag purchased for one's licence plate in Ontario) for his Mustang.

I am not sure how we got on the topic or how the deal came about;  I just know that by the end of the night, I agreed to surrender my days pay in exchange for a  Yamaha, sight unseen.  I guess my desperation to own a bike must have taken over!

The next day, I took the bus down to the other end of town and laid eyes on a very sad machine.  This didn't dull my enthusiasm unsurprisingly.  The Yamaha turned out to be a 1982 Maxim 400, one of the ugliest things I have ever seen on two wheels.  It was as far from a shiny Bonneville as one could imagine, but it was a start.  Truthfully, I was hoping it was a 70's XS650, at least that Looked British.

As this was the pre-digital era, I don't have an actual snapshot to share.  I do my best to avoid reposting content from other sites, this time I had no choice.


Mine never looked this clean, by the way.  It had shoddy tires, a ripped seat, electrical problems and scandalous amounts of rust!  When I think about it, the bike wasn't that old at the time, it must have had a tremendously hard life.

I parted with my hard earned $75.00 and hoped for the best. I was told a new battery and fresh gas was all  that was required to get it going again.  If memory serves, a friends mother with a truck got the bike home in exchange for a day's worth of yard work.  I can't complain, she threw in a helmet as well.  It was a snowmobile helmet that was ill fitting, but what the hell.

I had no manual or real resources to assist me; At least I knew how to get gas and buy a battery!  I left the items in the backyard with the bike and looked for any tools that might help with the long afternoon of work ahead.

While in the house, I heard a loud roar and ran to the alleyway behind our yard.  This was just in time to see my dad hop on and take off down the road!  This was his first ride since selling his Matchess G11 back in 1960.  After showing me a few pointers, I set off....what a thrill that first ride was!

Stopping  the first time was somewhat less enthralling....I hit a fence.

While I could not afford insurance and a plate, my adventures were restricted to the alleways.  I began to  spend a lot of time thinking about how I could make this machine less ugly.  The Mad Max styling was truly putrid, it had to go.  The big issue?  I had no idea who to see or where to go for help.

If then was now, I could visit a plethora of excellent websites to get ideas, technical help and buy custom parts.  Back then it was trial and error.  Don't even ask me about my first attempt to make a new seat cover...

Recently I was having a conversation with a respected Triumph parts dealer who claims he avoids forums like 'The Plague'.  Too much misinformation, ignorant people and dangerous advice.  I see his point, he comes from the old school and many people online are just guessing it seems or prescribing technical advice from long memory.


One of the things I will do from time to time on this blog is debunk myths and try out various products and applications.  This will hopefully save some of you from purchasing tonics, sprays and other concoctions that will collect dust on your shelf for years to come.  Never mind the wasted time and effort.

This time around I will focus on chrome removal.  When I examined the rear mudguard on the Dual Twin, I realized that even cleaned up it would be an eyesore.  Too much scarring from rust and spots that had rusted right through.  Chrome shops are not as common in Canada as they used to be.  There has been significant changes to environmental law that has made the practice very, very restrictive.  The chrome shops that will actually take motorcycle parts are very expensive and nowhere near me.  This same legislation has prohibited the sale of many excellent products that one has to cross the border to attain now.  That is a story for another day, however.

After spending some time surfing around, I found a variety of methods to strip chrome chemically.  Muriatic acid and Easy Off oven spray were popular ones.  The acid can be found at home depot or anywhere that services or sells swimming pool supplies.  I decided to use the easy off method, primarily because I had it on hand!

Here is a before, shot taken after 2 days of being coated in Oven Cleaner:




And the After being rinsed clean: 



Myth Debunked!  As you can see, the chrome is still present on the mudguard.  Oven Cleaner will NOT remove chrome, however it is excellent for cleaning grease and gunk, even some paint off of things like frames and center stands.   If you do use it for this purpose, wear a mask and do not do it in a contained area, the fumes can be very harsh.

On The Bridgestone front, I dropped the frame and various pieces off for black powder coat.  I should have pictures very soon as I am picking them up tomorrow morning.   

I also received several gently used missing items in the post:


Not pictured are the new bars and new top yoke.  Things are moving!  




Monday, June 24, 2013

Zen and the art of mental motorcycle maintenance

For a bike enthusiast, there is no better feeling in the world than firing up your machine and hitting the open road.  A beautiful blue sky above you, a smooth road below with the odd twist and turn;  The sun beating down and that refreshing breeze on your face....I could go on, but many of you know the pleasure I am referring to.  It's what we look forward to all winter and live for in the summer.

For a bike enthusiast, there is probably no worse fate then losing touch with that elation, or feeling that you are.

  Until recently that is exactly what I thought was happening to me.  I would go out for a ride on Katie (my Triumph Scrambler,  The origins of that name to be revealed later) and things just didn't feel right.  

Four years into our relationship, I found this strange.  I have always looked after her and she in turn, has always looked after me.  We are a team, we have a partnership that I pray will remain unbroken until I lack the physical skills to ride her.   When I would take a turn, it felt unnatural.  I chalked that up to fresh Tourance tires that were of a higher quality than the Trailwings I had grown accustomed to.

 I kept finding it hard to get comfortable when I rode, I shifted around and couldn't settle.  Even after various adjustments things weren't working.  I figured this must be due to weight I gained in the cooler months waiting for spring.  Going down hills felt uncomfortable and I tensed up far too much.  Perhaps I was soft from not commuting 60km daily to work and back anymore.  Nothing was coming together and I was growing quietly despondent.  

What was the cause of all of this?

To answer, I need to give a little background.  2012 was a banner year for me, for all the wrong reasons.  It started in January, when I was let go from my new job.  This new job was a mistake to start with and a move I should have never made.  Having been in my previous position for 4 years and in another role 3 years prior to that, I was sheltered from the reality of the economic climate.  These days, it is foolish to leave a steady gig unless you have something truly amazing being offered to you.  

After this setback I searched for work and came close to getting a few decent positions with established firms, but no offers. I had always been successful in interviews previously and been able to inspire confidence in potential employers.

  It was a harsh wake up call that affected many areas of my life and my outlook.  A variety of other negative events followed suit, including the cancellation of my wedding and  having to cash in my savings.  To make matters worse, as bills added up I took a couple of low paying jobs just to get by.  There is nothing wrong with hard work and doing what's needed to support your family; That is unless your Motorcycle is severely damaged in the parking lot of said crappy job.

Just after Labour day, a truly dreadful woman decided to back into my parked bike and cause $3500.00 worth of damage.  My last vestige of enjoyment was gone indefinitely.  My heart sank when they drove Katie away to the dealership not knowing when I would see her again.  Summer became fall, which became winter.  With 2013 around the corner I was hoping for the tide to turn back in my favour.

   Thankfully some of the seeds I planted at the end of 2012 were beginning to bear fruit, albeit slowly.  
I was happier, as was the family but it wasn't quite where it needed to be.  While frustrated, I focused on the present and used what was at hand to make things work.  

 In the last few weeks the missing parts of the puzzle finally presented themselves and have now been pieced together.   I realized this when I was riding Katie around running errands.  It wasn't a glamorous route, quite the contrary.....it was a journey we had made together many times before.  As I rode down the hill, I felt myself smile, I felt relaxed again, everything was familiar and right.  The old team was back together again, stronger, wiser and more versatile than before. 

It had nothing to do with Katie, she was never the problem;  it was all me.  The whole time. 

There is nothing that is more an extension of oneself as a motorcycle.  When tense, the bike handles accordingly.  In a relaxed state, the bike breezes along carelessly also.  Every movement, thought, action, mood is reflected in the way one rides.  

After this realization of my own behavior, I found myself wondering how many riders have been hurt or worse because they were in the wrong mental state.  The most experienced rider in the world could have a bad day at the office or be suffering from depression.  One missed reaction, one poor judgement is all it takes to close the curtain for the last time.  There are times when a ride can be the most therapeutic thing in the world and make everything seem better.  As riders, we are vulnerable on the best of days in the best of conditions.  We have no control of the actions that others take, only our own.    

My philosophy is simple.  Healthy mind, healthy spirit, healthy body =  Healthy riding.  

From now on, I plan on thinking about this state of mind before I embark on a journey.  I will ask myself if it feels right and not be ashamed to take a pass if need be.  Riding should always be freeing, pleasurable and never, ever forced. 

 With that thought, I hope all of you have an  amazing summer filled with epic adventure and untold beauty.

Look out for one another and always be safe and well.
Next post:  Internet Myths debunked! 








Friday, June 21, 2013

They just don't make 'em like that anymore...

Working on old bikes sometimes puts me in an interesting state of mind.  I often work to older music (bands like The Pretty Things and some of The Nuggets albums in particular) and muse about the secrets these machines could tell if only they had the words!  Sometimes I watch movies on my little DVD player in the garage that also reflect the era.   One of the discs I often play from the 1960's is Bronson.

No, I don't mean Charles Bronson, though he was pretty epic in his own fashion.  I am talking about a series that few people remember today called 'Then Came Bronson' that ran from 1969-1970 on NBC.

The series revolved around the adventures of Jim Bronson (Michael Parks), who quits his day job as a reporter and takes to the open road on his Sportster After the suicide of his best friend (early appearance on TV by Martin Sheen).

Each week Bronson would take on a different job, making enough money to eat, sleep and get to his next stop on the road.  Steve McQueen stated that the reason he made 'On Any Sunday' was because Biker films of the era had set motorcycling back about "300 Years".   TCB was produced half a year before Easy Rider in a period  when the films McQueen loathed were on every Drive In screen across America.  There were no violent beatings, drugs, 'Old Ladies' or leather vests to be found here.  It was just about a man, making his way, working hard, making friends and even finding love on occasion.  If it poured rain, he rode.  If his bike broke down, he wrenched it.  It truly was a story of the human spirit and reflected a time when one could run free, when one could pick up work without 3 different interview phases and a plethora of university degrees.

Parks brought a tremendous amount to the role and actually sang the theme song.  Filmgoers nowadays would most likely recognize him from his work in several Tarantino films such as Kill Bill.  He played Bronson as an intense loner, with a desire to take the high road, both morally and figuratively.

I had read about the series many years ago in passing and it always seemed interesting.  It was only a couple years ago that I found it on DVD.  It has never been officially released, but if you want it, it's out there.

Sadly, TCB only lasted one season.  Perhaps viewers had a negative view of motorcyclists or conversely, preferred a motorcyclist to be something other than a thoughtful man on a more gentle path.  To me this defines the charm of Bronson.  He is very much a complete character who runs into real issues and encounters other real characters.  Each episode was different, not always with a clean or happy ending and the list of guest stars was quite impressive.

More often than not it feels like someone is telling these stories, like a trusted mentor or an Uncle rather than watching a TV show.   With the wasteland that television has become these days, it would be nice to see something like TCB make a resurgence to balance out Sons Of Anarchy.

The best online resource for the series can be found here, I highly recommend it to anyone interested!

http://jimbronson.com/


In other news, a package arrived in the mail containing this;



I love NOS stuff.  Here we have fork seals, swingarm bushings, wiring harness, speedo and coils (in the box).

It's amazing to think that these have sat all this time, waiting for an opportunity to be put to use.  I love the Japanese writing on the box and the fact these parts are still sealed in Bridgestone labeled bags.

I am not building a show bike or doing a concourse restoration but I strive for  period Authenticity where possible.   Being able to get these pieces, especially for these prices is a real boon.  Something tells me there will be more Bridgestones in my future along with the British machinery.....I need a bigger garage!

I will end this post with one of the songs I was listening to earlier today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3qJ-KPlt4M



Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Tanks for the memories.....

Not a terribly long post today, more of a quick update!

I picked my tank up from the powder coating shop today and was pleasantly surprised.  Here is a shot of what the tank looked like when I brought it home:


The ravages of time and Canadian weather can clearly be seen here. Brutal pitting and even some peeling in places.  I sandblasted as much off the tank as I could.  It is clean as a whistle inside and is very solid, no holes or cracks anywhere.  In other words it was far too good to scrap. Also, these things are not in abundance to any degree.  Used ones suffer from the same issues and NOS ones are like hen's teeth.

I then went to step two, wet sanding almost down to the copper layer, to smooth out as much as I could:


At this point the tank was much improved, however you can still see many of the scars left from the pitted rust.  I use a local powder Coating shop I found in the phone book a couple years ago.  I gave them a try with a Triumph frame initially and have been going to them ever since.  The fellow I deal with was astounded by how solid the tank was considering the age of it.  I picked a nice silver for the tank as it will go well with the blue flake I have chosen for the fork lowers, toolbox, headlight, etc.  He let me know that he could do a nice think coat that would cover the worst markings.  I rolled the dice and while it isn't perfect, I am quite pleased!

Before I show that, I managed to salvage the original knee pads.  I swear by Autoglym rubber and vinyl care, it makes the worst, most worn out material look new or damned near close.


I borrowed the badges off of the Sport 90 to see how everything would come together, along with one of the tank caps I found in my newly acquired box of spares.  The end result?


Hard to believe that less than two weeks ago this was sitting in a barn unloved!  I am very excited by this little bike and can't wait to see it finished, moreover, I am very excited to see my wife learn how to ride on it.

I am diligently getting everything else ready to send off, the little frame is a bit of a headache, however.  Lots of little crevices where I can't fit the wire brush in.  My goal is to drop all the black items off by next Thursday and pick them up early the following week.  I want to start on the engine, get the head off, clean the carbs, etc.  I have ordered some items from Kevin at Scrambler Cycle, from his stock of parts bikes. 

His inventory can be found here: http://www.scramblercycle.com/bsparts.html

He is a friendly guy and has great prices as well.  Here is the current list of all the bits and pieces en route to me from different sources.

-Used front fender
-side  covers
-headlight rim and headlight
-top yoke
-handlebars (the hurricane ones on the bike were bent as it turned out)
NOS Parts: fork seals, coils, wiring harness and speedo (Now I will have a spare)

I have a massive list that I sent to to Richard at http://www.bridgestonemotorcycleparts.com/ 

I let him know that he can certainly take his time or even separate everything into several suborders.  

I attempted to save the rear shocks and while they work fine, the pitting was far too deep to conceal.  I happen to have a spare set of shocks that I will likely fit on.  With the roads being what they are around here, stiffer suspension would be more beneficial, as long as it does not spoil the look of the bike.  

That is pretty much it for today, stay tuned for more!

Monday, June 17, 2013

Icons Revealed!

This is a motorcycle blog, pure and simple.  So what does an interview on CNN with a TV actor have to do with bikes?

If we are talking about Henry Winkler, then it has an awful lot to do with them.  If you are like me and grew up in the 70's and 80's, then you remember Happy Days.  More specifically you remember the Fonz, the Triumph riding epitome of cool who was part Lone Ranger and part Marlon Brando.  For many of us, the character of Fonzie put motorcycles in our sights and exposed us to a way of life.

To me, I always appreciated the code that the character followed to the letter.  He was confident and loyal, a great friend and fierce enemy.  He was revered for his fighting prowess, so much so that he rarely had to resort to violence to solve a crisis. His mechanical skills were legendary and  he was like candy to females.

Most importantly, the Fonz rode.  His bike was a part of him, to the degree that it was in his apartment during the winter. (and yes, my own beloved Triumph stayed in my living room in the harsher months at my old house) These are all things to be respected and admired when you are a pre-teen!

Except, I still admire them.  I can watch old episodes of Happy Days over and over again.  A debt is owed to Henry Winkler, who brought the Fonz to life and made the show a true sensation.  I owe him a debt for another reason, but I will get to that in a moment.

George Stroumboulopoulos (or 'Strombo' as he is mercifully referred to more often) is a well known Canadian interviewer who recently joined CNN's Friday night time slot.  I was fortunate enough to see his debut show, at least the part when he interviewed Henry Winkler.  A portion of that can be found here:

http://strombo.blogs.cnn.com/2013/06/13/henry-winkler-i-dont-know-how-to-ride-a-motorcycle/



It's true.  Henry Winkler cannot ride a motorcycle.  At all. period.  He is apparently unable to manipulate the controls and lacks the correct co-ordination.  Does that diminish anything for me? Not at all.

What is far more relevant to me is that Henry Winkler has a serious learning Disability. In his case, Dyslexia.  This is something he has battled with his whole life and has been very open about for many years.

Growing up with any learning disability is very difficult, I have been dealing with the trials and tribulations of Attention Deficit Disorder as far back as I can remember.  To this day it is a problem, though I have developed methods to deal with it.  I have a very limited short term memory; sometimes when I am using a  manual I have forgotten what I just read by the time I grab a wrench.  In the past, I would walk away from projects or enlist help because the frustration overwhelmed me.  I had been afraid to build an engine or do my own brakes as forgetting one part or step could have catastrophic results.

On some occasions, I have forgotten what someone has said to me almost instantly.  This has led to many difficult and awkward moments as one might imagine, especially with the opposite sex or at work.

In my youth I had been called slow, lazy, thoughtless, careless, stupid.  It could be very depressing and painful at times, leading me to withdraw from others.  I wanted to be liked and to fit in but that seemed to be a flight of fantasy.

When I was about nine or so, my mother told me that Fonzie was also learning Disabled.  She of course meant the actor who played him, but it made a huge impact on me. Suddenly,  I felt less alone, less alien.  I shared a kinship with the Fonz!  It wasn't so bad, being different and doing things the way I needed to.
One day I would have my own code and live by it.  I would also have my own motorcycle and embark on a life of intrigue and adventure.

Watching that interview, I felt a big piece of my past resurface.  I found myself appreciating Henry Winkler on an adult level.  He comes across as someone who is caring, thoughtful and very genuine. He has found great success and overcome a great many obstacles.  He spoke of how he always approaches someone he wants to meet regardless of where he is or when it is.  This was a lesson learned when he missed an opportunity to speak with Steve McQueen in the mid 70's.

I have done a great deal of interesting things in my life, I have been blessed with the courage to do the things I have wanted to do and I have met and known wonderful people.  My parents deserve much of the credit for that, there were certainly moments in my history where it could have all gone south.  I have to chalk a little of that up to the conversation my Mum and I had all those years ago.  While I haven't jumped a line of cars in the parking lot of Arnolds, I do own a beautiful Triumph and wear a leather jacket when I ride her.  Coincidence?  Perhaps.

There is a saying that goes 'you should never meet your heroes'.  I think in this case, whoever wrote that may be wrong.  You see, the Fonz is still a man to look up to and admire.  His hair might be grey and the leather jacket long since gone, However it is the man, not these things that maketh a legend.

I keep this in my garage on the shelf, here is a picture sitting astride my  '73 Triumph when it became a roller.

Humble Beginnings and Mysteries solved!

Happy Monday!

I am now deep in the throes of the Bridgestone restoration, focusing today on sandblasting and stripping the frame.  This for me is the most tedious job, especially when preparing for powdercoating.  Here is my progress up to this point:


The blasting cabinet I have access to is brilliant for small parts, however frames are a different story. I will say, this one has been easier than an OIF Triumph frame.  It is smaller, lighter and the paint doesn't seem as brutally thick.  Now home, I have applied Behr spray stripper which is effective but heinous in nature.

It burns the skin in seconds and will eat through plastic and rubber.  I will press on and hope to drop it off when I pick up my tank.  (I will follow up on this very soon) 

As for the seat, here are some preliminary shots of the progress I am making.

Here is what remained of the original foam.  You can see the rear part was chewed away, likely by barn rats.

Before

I cut out a piece of cardboard and lined it up with the remaining foam.

I used what I had to make a rough  template which has since been refined.

I hope to have the seat completed in the next week or so while I am waiting on powder coating and for this:

My Vinegar solution.  Anything rusted  that I reckon can  be saved goes in there.  A few days later , I wipe clean and neutralize in a baking soda bath.


I managed to figure out the origins of my smaller bike, turns out the engine was so dirty I completely missed the stamping on the motor.


This is in fact a Sport 90 with Oil injection that was built in early 1966.  Now I have three projects built  in 1966 in the garage including Dad's Trophy.  I hope to get to this one sometime in late August.




Saturday, June 15, 2013

Treasure Trove!

As I posted yesterday, I was lucky enough to come across a nice haul of Bridgestone parts at the Paris rally.  It only came about because I happened to strike up a conversation with a fellow who had other Japanese parts.  As I say, 'If you don't ask, you don't get!'  Here is the breakdown of the haul.  I am hoping my newly found Bridgestone friends can help with some identification. Not shown are a very nice set of bars and a nice 90 tank I am stripping down.

Dual Twin Headlamp, Taillight and steering damper! the rest?






Wee piston! 


This definitely shaved a piece off of my budget, which is of course great news!  I am going to start making a new seat from this.. some marine vinyl and a dream! 



My reasons are two-fold.  First off, seat covers don't really exist for these and secondly, I've wanted to make my own seat for years. The old sewing machine has been dusted off and through trial and error I hope to have a lovely pleated seat.  I will document my progress here in the coming days...

Last bit of news today, I took the tank of the smaller Bridgestone and stripped the paint around the serial number.  Here is what I found, but have no clue what it means....Stay tuned! 


Friday, June 14, 2013

The Last time I saw Paris..........

Sunny skies, the smell of exhaust fumes in the air, rust all over my shorts!

Yes, I just returned from the annual CVMG rally in Paris Ontario.  My father and I always go on the first afternoon and leave the Saturday and Sunday to the masses.  It's easier to talk to the owners of the bikes and also the best time to snap up the first round of goods before they hit the ground.  In my case, I scored a box of  Bridgestone parts for the princely sum of $20.00!

This contained much of what I was missing, including the headlight, proper handlebars and much more.  I haven't gone through it all yet.  I also picked up another tank for $20.00 for the Sport 90.

Not much in the way of Triumph and Norton parts that we needed, though Dad got a good deal on some fresh pipes and bars for his '66 Trophy.

  I should mention that while I have been focusing on forgotten two strokes lately, Triumph is my brand.  It is emblazoned on my soul and to me defines the heart of motorcycling.  As time wears on, this is something that will become abundantly clear!  The truth is I love British motorcycles, BSA, Norton, Royal Enfield, Matchless etc.  They have always spoken to me and fascinated me from a young age.  Long before the internet and chain operated book stores, I would walk downtown to Book Villa (long since gone) and pay ridiculous money for an issue of Classic Bike.  They were pretty much the same price then as now, nearly $10.00 an issue.  I poured over the road tests, ads, articles and I kept every issue to this day.  It's a pleasure for me to see so many of these machines in person, every year there is something new and exciting!

 I will warn you,  this post is picture heavy for those of you who couldn't make it there today.

Every truck in the parking lot had a Honda for sale in the back.  This one  looked very fresh indeed!

A Lovely Royal Enfield with an Indian badged  engine.

PARTS!!

This BSA was very complete and will make an amazing project for someone, $800.00 with a blown motor is still a great buy.  I just hope it is kept original and not cut up.

My little Bridgestone haul

Racing. anyone?

Close up of  the Norton Race bike. It looked TT ready!

Captain America has found a new hobby.....

A nicely preserved Bonneville.





Psychedelia! 

A pair of TRW's 


My Friend Clayton was there with his stunning Ducati Cafe Racer.  At $4,000.00 I think it will find a new home rather quickly!



A mint Nimbus with sidecar.


The Rolls Royce of motorcycles:  Brough Superior.

A nicely turned out James Captain.

This Atlas truly turned heads..


This Indian was actually built in Toronto.  The company briefly had a plant on Mercer street which was just  torn down.




Moto Guzzi enjoying a bit of shade.

My Dad was very pleased to see this humble BSA Bantam.


This little Excelsior was tucked in the corner, very neat! 



This little 250 Trophy was resplendent in 60's paint. A winning buy for someone at  $1600 .00




A lovely and unmolested original Ducati Monza Junior.

The Fonz goes Racing!



This little Scrambler would benefit from a mild restore, frankly I would ride it as is!