Tuesday 31 January 2012

GENTLEMEN LETS BROADEN OUR MINDS


New issues of Dice and Greasy Kulture arrived today. These are not just magazines they are a public service, bibles to style, fulfillment and a better life. They are also packet of Lights and pint of Peroni cheap and when you've had a cough and a piss they will still be there.
Buy them and open new doors. It may be grey and shite outside but between the covers is sunlight and warmth and Dr Glory. I would buy Dice just for Dr Glory.
They will make you smile, feel good and give you inspiration to dress better and ride your bike more. I know you think like me 'cos your'e reading this.
Do some mousing yer and yer and do it now.
* Note i have no affiliation with either publication just love and admiration.

Sunday 29 January 2012

NAKED NEW BETTY



Not to much to do but a fair bit to learn.
Giving names to bikes is so gay.

Saturday 28 January 2012

GORDON'S ALIVE


Number plate, kill button and hopefully some tyres from Newark tomorrow and no flash Flash is ready to explore the universe.
Monday update. I bought a kill switch at Newark then found one in a box at work today, also bought stick on number plate letters from the shop in Malton and a pair of tyres off Ebay. Still it was only 180 mile sround trip ...

Friday 27 January 2012

Mr McBLUE SKY




The latest bundle of photos from Wayne of Murray Customs, a Scotsman living the good life in sunny Western Australia. I cant stop looking at that sky....

Thursday 26 January 2012

WORKSHOP MASTERCHEF

Take some anodised bolts that you dont like the colour of, a tin cup, £2 worth of Caustic Soda crystals from the local shop and some pliers.
Mix about 1 part soda to 3 parts cold water in the tin, stir it up, chuck the bolts in then fish them out with the pliers after about 3 minutes taking care not to breath the fumes. Wash them off and there you go. Tasteful bolts.
Or you can try getting it off with the polishing wheel which will take ages, burn your fingers and you will probably loose at least one bolt as it gets ripped out of your grip and spat under the bench.




Dont ask about the blue bottle.

VICTORY WHEELERS



Victory Wheelers 35th South Coast Internationals
8-11th June 2012
Pylewell Park, Lymington, Hampshire

Full details here

Wednesday 25 January 2012

CLASS OF '91



Can you remember what won the Custom Chrome Worlds Shiniest Groke bike of the year award a couple of years ago ? thought not, but everyone remembers the Blat, Bulldog Bash 1991, pics from BSH.

Tuesday 24 January 2012

ARSE FIRST. REVERSE HEAD TRIUMPHS


If you Google reverse head Triumphs you will come up with various internet experts spouting their knowledge on forums and telling you that it doesn't work, they run hot, they burn exhaust valves out, you cant ride in the wet etc etc. I have built and ridden two without problems so make your own choice of who to believe. Sorry if that sounds a bit harsh but people whose only mechanical knowledge comes from sitting in front of a screen then claim to be an expert piss me off.
There is no logical reason for doing it but the general opinion is that drag racers did it first to get a kind of ram effect for the carbs although when they continued to build them reversed with blowers it was more a case of there being more room at the front of the engine for the supercharger and the motor could stay as far back as possible in the frame to aid weight transfer. Whatever they look the tits and that's all we are bothered about here.
I quite often get asked how to do it so here are the basics. before you start you have to get things straight in your mind as to what is going to happen, the crank will rotate as normal and the pistons will go up and down the same as before, they do not know you have altered the flow of the mixture into and out of the combustion chambers.
First off you have to consider the camshafts, on most early engines they are the same profile and are also symmetrical so can be left as they are. If you have a unit motor with points or an early pre-unit with distributor you may have to think it out a bit further, basically the cam at the exhaust side will now be your inlet and vice-verse. I have plenty of info on all Triumph cams so if you are in doubt get in touch.
By far the easiest motor to use is a pre-unit 8 stud with magneto ignition. The ignition has a wasted spark so no problems there, the piston valve cut outs are same back and front and barrels are also symmetrical so can be left as is. Just take the head off and put it on backwards. If you have a 9 stud set up you will need to turn the barrels round also, possibly the pistons as well if they have larger cutouts for the inlet valves.
Next job will be to re-time the cams, as they run at half the crank speed you need to dial them in at 90 degrees from the original marks. This is a pretty basic statement as it will depend on the cams you are using but with mild (say standard Thunderbird) cams it will get you going. One problem you will find straight away is that the number of teeth on the cam wheels is not divisible by 4 so unless you start filing or using offset key ways you cannot get the timing to be exactly 90 degrees from stock. In practice i timed both engines (a 500 unit and a 650 pre-unit) to run with half a tooth of advance on each cam, they both ran fine so i left it at that.
Exhausts are dead easy to make as there are almost no bends. Carburetion is trial and error, on the 500 i had the standard manifold and Concentric which luckily fitted between the frame tubes, on the gold bike i made up an angled manifold with a Monobloc which was probably more useable, it ran without problems even in pouring rain. The only issue was condensation and icing on the longer inlet.
The only real problems you will have are from people who havent a bloody clue what has gone on ! Messing with heads will mess with heads, the ones who think they understand will want to know how you have altered the gearbox to stop the bike running backwards...



If you have ever done one send me a photo and some info and if you want to have a go get in touch at tri650@live.co.uk and i will help if i can although i am not a mechanic so no hard questions !

THE TUESDAY TRITON

Monday 23 January 2012

BLANDIT


'99 Bandit 1200, high miles but well looked after and runs like a Swiss watch. Very clean and tidy with a few glittery extras. Buy it now or breaking later this week.

ANGUS GOES FOR IT UNDER THE DUNLOP BRIDGE



Donnington 1991. Epic. Who doesnt love AC/DC ?

Sunday 22 January 2012

LEG OVER




Alex sent me these pics from about 5 years ago. He borrowed Ugly Betty for the day to take some photos for a calendar he was making but i never got to see the results until now. Witness the fitness.

COMMENTS

I have altered the option so anyone can now leave a comment to a post on here whether you are registered with Google or not. If you do not have a profile please sign your name. Thanks.

Saturday 21 January 2012

WRECKERS BALL


In a flash of genius Steve and Rob have come up with the "Bag On Yer 'ed Wreck Run". Scheduled for 2nd June. Everyone starts from somewhere round here rides up to the Lakes, camps, drinks some beer and rides home again. Nowt special there but you have to do it on a bike of less than 250cc which has cost less than £250 on the road ready to go. This could be the biggest laugh of the year.
Full details 'ere.

LOVELY BETTY






New recruit arrived this week. '86 Slabside GSXR1100, frame originally done for Jack Frost (Holeshot Racing) then raced by Craig Mallabone until it blew up in 2004. At that time i bought the remains of the 1340 engine which i ran in Ugly Betty. The bike was later used by Shane Wogan in Ireland with its current Wayne Little big block motor until a couple of years ago. Most of the parts in the current motor came from me at the time.
Having been stood for a while it needs a bit of a freshen up and a paint job but hopefully first outing should be at Kirkbride at the beginning of April. First job is to convert it back to right hand drive, Shane lost his right arm a few years back so operates everything with his left hand. He currently races a Turbo Hayabusa, competitively !

Friday 20 January 2012

ASTRALITES AND CLASSIC SPRINTER


Pair of 18" Astralites, later rolled edge type, dead straight with original anodising, great for Brit engined flat tracker.





Sprinter rolling chassis.'60s Honda forks, Tomaselli type adjustable levers, Triumph pre-unit rear wheel with Borrani WM3 18" rim and 4" Avon slick, Honda C50 front wheel with alloy flanged rim (unknown Make) and Avon tyre. Built from all new parts in late '60s and never used. Sell complete or split.
tri650@live.co.uk

Thursday 19 January 2012

FAMILIES

Phil's dad in 1953. Another man who appreciates the importance of shiny shoes.

Daughter Zac on Simon's Guzzi.

With chips Miss ?

Tuesday 17 January 2012

JAMES



My nephew James had a pretty big bike accident yesterday and is currently in Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney being put back together. Get well soon chap from everyone here.

THE TUESDAY TRITON




Tritons at Goodwood, thanks to Ollie for the photos.

Monday 16 January 2012

BLUE MONDAY

So here we are again, third Monday in January and the most depressing day of the year according to the media, except this time they might just be right.



and people who insist you to ship a heavy part to the Middle East when you have told them you wont, thats rubbish, people who complain when they buy something second hand for a second hand price but expect it to be like new, rubbish, parcel companies that insist Northern Ireland is outside the UK, rubbish, no one having any money because they have spent it on plastic shite for the kids at Christmas but "if you still have it next month i'll buy it then", thats rubbish, half a ton of salt on the road just because we might get a frost, rubbish too, it being another two and a half months before anything in the UK actually happens, rubbish and my Blog comments still not working properly. Guess what? Rubbish.
Roll on Triton Tuesday...Brilliant!

Sunday 15 January 2012

THE 9/16 ths



Jive break, Hot Rod Hayride 2010. Very late (or very early). Check out the blog

Comment help. I can see coments left on my blog but i cannot comment back, i can sometimes see comments on other blogs and sometimes comment back. Is it Google, my computer, blog layout, God hating on me ? anyone having the same trouble ? if so drop me a line tri650@live.co.uk
ta.

Saturday 14 January 2012

THE ADVENTURES OF BARRIE MCDERMOTT. Pt1

Leeds Rhinos '95 to '05, Big Barrie to those with respect, Fat Barrie to those without. Not the fittest man in Superleague but made up for it with determination and aggression.
Now head of youth development at Leeds and a sometime Sky Sports pundit who describes every tackle that leaves the ball handler conscious as fair.

Thursday 12 January 2012

ALIRALLI 2


Our Alioli on the Des Winks Trophy Rally at Wombleton airfield on a damp November in 1990. With Kate co-driving she went well before the gearbox tailshaft broke off late in the day.

Wednesday 11 January 2012

GORGEOUS GIRDERS




Just in today. Look to be based on an original set of girders (Norton?) rather than custom fabricated from scratch. Not cheap but you do want them ....