Triumph Bonneville Bobber Launch Party....!

Welcome to my 50th post!  When I started four years ago, I had no idea how long or how much I would end up writing.  I just knew that I had thoughts, ideas and dreams that I wanted to take to paper (the virtual kind) for the sake of prosperity.  A lot has changed since then;  I have moved, found a good job and gotten married.  The bikes have changed as well,  moving from some Japanese bikes to an all British stable (and one German car).  I am very happy with things and have high hopes for the future!  Throughout 2017 I will have some long overdue updates;  Even though there may be long gaps between posts sometimes, there are always things going on in the background.

It seems appropriate that the topic of a 50th post should be about a party.  Not just any party, but a Triumph party!

I was invited to the launch of the Triumph Bonneville Bobber event last Friday at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum.  This was on the merit of having purchased a new bike from my local dealer a few years ago, however it is still nice to be asked out! 

It was a very well planned event, everyone got a free drink and trays of hors d'ourves were available to guests.  I always love seeing new bikes and for me the street scrambler and T120 Bonneville (in red and silver) were the stars of the show.  Triumph clearly have an ear to the ground and a keen eye on the budding custom scene of the last few years.  My beloved Scrambler was due for an upgrade after a decade, especially with Ducati and Yamaha throwing their hats in that arena.  The bike fits the bill nicely, I won't go into technical detail here but from what I have read the bike is a winner.

I do grow tired of the drab, matte paint schemes. Where is all the glorious two tone paint?  Thankfully on the T120 it is abundant and stunning from every angle.  This to me is the true measure of Triumph's success. Showing us all that can be whilst remembering all that was.  

As for the Bobber that all the fuss was about?  It was nice, but didn't really excite me although the crowd certainly loved it and I suppose that is the most important thing.   I will let the pictures do the talking for me...

An old friend met me at the gate.

There was no expense spared with the 2017 catalog, very high quality  glossy paper was used. 

Who doesn't love Snoopy?  This would look great on a gas tank...

Quite a pleasant paint scheme up close

Triumph has a new Bobber, apparently. 

Easily the most beautiful bike in the room...

The Triumph bus parked behind the main stage

The Bonneville Black.  It certainly delivers what it promises!

And again

Fortunately I didn't need this to escape the venue!

Beautiful from every angle. 

Until Next time!

Firth Motorcycles 1951 Catalogue!

I have managed to source several vintage Firth Motorcycle catalogues (all from the same owner!) which I will share on the blog as I get them scanned and edited.

These to me, are a fascinating snapshot of life many moons ago and also a great way to identify mystery aftermarket parts.  

Just for fun I have included a link to an inflation calculator so you can convert 'then' prices to 'now' money.

Inflation calculator

A 350cc Matchless single would run you $5,160.45 in 2016, good value for money and about what you would pay for a new Royal Enfield Bullet.

Enjoy!

Matchless by Reputation!

So you've decided to buy a basket case.

 You have soul stirringly romantic notions of taking a rusted heap and watching it rise, phoenix like from the ashes.

It is a daunting task, with dizzying highs and sometimes painful lows.  Your free time will evaporate as will your extra cash.

There are few things however that are as satisfying and provide such a strong sense of accomplishment.

Let me show you what I dragged home.

The photos don't tell the whole story as there was quite a bit more buried in boxes and other items.  

Here is the the rough breakdown:

2x Frames (one single downtube, one duplex cradle frame)

2x Carbs  (one monobloc and another, much older Amal)

3 x wheels (2 rears and a front)

2 x Oil Tanks (vastly different shapes)

3 x Toolboxes 

2.5 Engines

2 Front Mudguards

2 Rear Mudguards

1 gas Tank

4 x center stands

2x sidestands

1.5 Gearboxes

3 x Lucas headlights (2 were scrap)

1 x BSA lightning seat

2 x sets of rear shocks

1 x steering damper

1.5 front ends

0.5x wiring harness

3x coils 

Loads of nuts and bolts, frame mountings, odds and ends that I am still going through! 

I confess that I knew very little about Matchless other than the company history before I took this on.  It was evident that I was going to need help and lots of it.   Unlike Triumph and BSA,  AMC motorcycles are a little bit trickier in regards to identifying parts and part numbers.  All the vintage parts books and manuals are available for free online, however I found them challenging to decipher. 

The best solution was to join the owner's club, http://www.jampot.com/default.asp 

They have excellent resources as well as frame identification service, if you are a member you pay five pounds for the service.  Interestingly enough, Matchless and AJS don't have matching numbers as Triumphs do.  The frames, engines and gearboxes all have different numbers!  If you want to ensure that you have a matching unit (as it left the factory) there is a dating officer who can research factory records and provide a report.  

As I typed in the digits I quietly hoped that one of these bikes was a G11;  This was the last bike my father rode in England.   

Drumroll please...

Category	Frame No	Engine No	Gearbox No	Year	Model	Other Information
Road	A27XXX	(hidden)		1955	55/20	Engine No., Dispatch date, Test date, Dealer, Testers name

Category	Frame No	Engine No	Gearbox No	Year	Model	Other Information
Road	A7XXXX	(hidden)	(hidden)	1960	60/G12DL	Engine No., Gearbox No., Dispatch date, Dealer, Testers name

I wasn't surprised by the G12,  the duplex frame, oil tank and side covers looked to be from a later model (the last true Matchless product before the Norton merger)

After joining the Jampot forum, I was told by the gurus that my 2 engines (seen on the bench) were 500cc G9's  however the stamping on one was ground off and the other re stamped with strange numbers.  The experts reckoned that these were early circa 1951 or 1952.  That means the best of the the two will fit the 1955 frame, originally designated for the equivalent AJS model (20).

What to do with the big pile of AMC goodness?  

I have started by separating the G12 from the G9,  something I am still not finished and frankly will probably never fully achieve.  This is due to the fact that many parts were shared among the different range.  That being said, I have managed to get all the major G12 components up in the rafters and put away for future restoration.  I will likely get to it in a few years after some other patiently waiting projects have been completed.  The G12 could use some fresh casings and the crankshaft needs some serious rust removal.  I am told that the 650cc engines were prone to blowing up as they tended to be abused in the day and did not receive proper maintenance.  I have a very kind friend who has offered me a set for postage (he has been working on these for 50 some odd years.).   I intend to put that bike back together to mostly original condition.  

The G9?  I have a frame, 1 complete motor and one parts motor.  I have 2 toolboxes and an oil tank.  

I have spare odds and ends in my garage that have been collecting dust.   I think I have found the blank canvas that I was looking for....

Heatwave!

Sorry for the delay in posts!  With public health warnings regarding the intense heat in Southern Ontario it has been difficult to get much work done in the garage.  I have certainly worked in worse heat and humidity, however I am not on a tight deadline and feel no need to wipe sweat from my brow!


As far as the Bridgestone goes,  I have gathered plenty of small pieces and will be making a visit to the powder coating shop early next week.


My barrels and cylinder head (s) are being soda blasted as we speak and I have a little pile of parcels containing NOS parts to open up.

While I am on this little mid week break,  I'd like to do a quick product review.  In May, I needed to do a little metal cutting that was on the fine side.  There was no way the angle grinder would cut it, so I needed another solution.   After cruising around the hardware store I found a rather neat Dremel (or Dremel equivalent as I have) kit.

\

This EZ lock system is quite small and at $24.99 for 5 discs I was skeptical.   I took a chance as I needed the job done that evening.  The loading of these is quite simple and quick and I have to say I was impressed by how long the discs lasted and by how well they cut through thick steel.  The other benefit is being able to cut curves and angles that would not be possible with a wider blade.  

Do yourself a favour though and wear safety glasses.  The sparks and tiny shards will fly up into your face.  

I also advise that you pause after a minute or so rather than cutting continuously.  My experience was that the discs tend to last longer this way.    I give it 4 out of 5 stars, 1 being lost for the price...$5.00 for a disc the size of a quarter seems a tad much.   Other than that gripe, it's a great tool to have in your arsenal and doesn't take up much space in your toolbox.  

That is it for today, stay cool, hydrated and ride safely! 

Another one gone...

The past weekend brought a rather odd and sad experience when I learned that a fellow Brit bike enthusiast had passed away.  The sad part is obvious of course, a man with a family and friends that loved him is no longer with us.  The odd part was that I didn't really know him, we only met once when I bought some parts from him.

Back in March, while cruising an online classified site I contacted a seller who had several interesting items for sale.  There was a Triumph wheel, an interesting headlight, some forks and tools, etc.  I didn't need all of it, but figured I would ask what he wanted for everything.  The seller responded with a very reasonable figure and arrangements were made for me to come down that weekend.  It was a pleasant weekend, no snow on the ground and quite sunny and warm for winter.  These types of deals and finds never seem to be in the city, only in the outer reaches.  Luckily for me I enjoy the chase, the adventure and the unknown.  On occasion I can even say that the journey itself was the sweetest part of the day. However, I digress.   I arrived at the house early in the afternoon and the seller met me at the door and shook my hand.  As he took me around, gathering up the pieces I had purchased, he revealed a cornucopia of old Brit Bikes and parts.  There was a gorgeous Tiger Cub, a beautiful BSA Goldstar, numerous twins and singles.  I sensed that he wasn't a well man and he mentioned health issues in passing.  I was asked what I did with the parts and I was honest about it;  I use them, sell them, trade them.  Truth is, I just love being around them.  Something I said must have struck a chord as he asked me what I was into.  I mentioned Triumph first, Matchless and BSA.  The Triumph stuff was off limits, but the Matchless gear was up for grabs.  I said I was interested and the seller stated it would be worth my while and to bring a bigger vehicle next time! That was fine with me, I told him to figure out what he wanted to sell, come up with a price and I would return at his convenience.  The call never came.  I casually sent an email to him, to see how he was doing and to let him know I was still interested.   The return email came from his widow who stated that he had passed in April after a brief battle with cancer.  It was mentioned that her son was handling all the items and that she remembered my visit.  I let her know that she could pass my details to her son, that if he was ready or when he could contact me.  

From the moment I responded to her I felt a strange sense of melancholy.  I couldn't put my finger on it, still can't.  I think it might have been that the man's passion was true to the very end.  On reflection, he must have been in tremendous discomfort when I came to visit.  Despite this devastating situation, he took the time to show me his work, his bikes, the collection that no doubt took a lifetime to build.  I wandered out to my garage and looked around, the shelves of items that were treasures to me, the stories that went with them.  Would they mean the same to someone else?  Would they be appreciated should something happen to me?  Will they live on for another generation to appreciate?  Perhaps I saw a future, more learned version of myself in him.  In the end, we can never own anything beautiful, merely be the curators until the next set of hands arrive for it.  I will share a picture I took of this gentleman's Cub that was taken with his permission.  It isn't much of a tribute, but it's all I have and I think it should be shared.