For those who like old Motorcycles.

[PatB]

Mention of BSA Rocket 3s reminds me of this, and singing along to it live, with a zillion other very drunk and amiably rowdy bikers, at the Bulldog Bash almost 30 years ago .

[phil_sutters]

I started another thread for old motorcycles, without checking that there wasn't one already. I have started to pull the plug on the new one and suggested that the few initial contributors move their photos over here. Apologies to anyone who had shown their interest over on the other thread.

Here are my initial really old ones.

Muriel is my mother, Elsie my grandmother, Lizzie her mother and the others Elsie's brother and sisters.

Edited August 20, 2017 by phil_sutters

[petethemole]

Another Douglas; my Grandad George, Grandma Temperance and in the sidecar my Dad Ron aged two (left) and his two older sisters Lily and Nellie, 1920.

 

[Owd Bob]

Loving these old bike pics' although i no nowt about bikes with engines. Heres  a few more modern ones i have seen at shows.

 

 

I do remember these though from my Secondary Mod' School days, most of the older 5th year lads had these  'Yammy fizzes' in the mid' 1970's.

[BernardTPM]

A couple of photos of my paternal Grandfather (and Grandmother in one) on his motorcycle and sidecar combination. I believe the photos date from the 1930s (he died in 1938), but I don't know what the machine is:

 

 

[rockershovel]

Based on the lining and JAP engine, your grandfather's bike might be a Sunbeam, but there's little to go by.

 

The blue Triumph could well be a Tiger 90 or 3TA, complete with the unpopular "bathtub" fairing!

[The Blue Streak]

Might have posted this elsewhere.

My 72 Norton Commando Interstate with a later Mk2a 850 fitted, big bore pipes - primary's and reverse cones, megacycle cam, mikuni carb, Electronic Ignition, vernier adjusted Iso's, Rearset Pegs, Custom built billet alloy triple clamps, Katana dual disc front end and calipers with braided lines and Bandit Master Cylinder, GSX forks, akront rims and stainless spokes, a real mix and match carefully chosen to make the brakes look like they might have been factory to those less familiar with Nortons.

 

It went like stink (especially back in the days when you could freely buy Avgas) and stopped pretty good too with the Suzuki brakes .Stopping being very un - Commando like,  the drums used to be alright back in the day when you could get proper asbestos shoes, but the single NVT Discs fitted later by the factory were woeful)

 

 

I'll try post some better pictures later if I CBA

Edited August 21, 2017 by The Blue Streak

[rockershovel]

Vintage grass track, Ugley

 

 

 

[Coppercap]

The blue Triumph could well be a Tiger 90 or 3TA, complete with the unpopular "bathtub" fairing!

 

It's not the 'bathtub' as such, it's the later 'half-bathtub'. (Still unpopular, but the original was truly ugly!)  

[runs as required]

... .Stopping being very un - Commando like,  the drums used to be alright back in the day when you could get proper asbestos shoes,

Yes, I worked in such an asbestos factory during the school and university holidays.in those days from aged 16 until .21-22.

 

Ferodo brake-linings paid well at Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, I worked in the long shed where the skilled machining shop 'girls' had to grind off the excess asbestos brakelining bonded onto the shoes down to the metal of the shoe.  The dust was so thick that you could not see further down the shop than two or three of the big hanging tungsten pendant light fittings.

Strange how no one sussed it being a killer until other of Turners' factories became notorious about a decade or so later. Ferodo were always proud of their brake-lining technology having derived from the old boots used on levers to brake the descending waggons on the Peak Forest plateway down to Bugsworth basin on the Peak Forest Canal.

 

dh

[2mmMark]

Might have posted this elsewhere.

My 72 Norton Commando Interstate with a later Mk2a 850 fitted, big bore pipes - primary's and reverse cones, megacycle cam, mikuni carb, Electronic Ignition, vernier adjusted Iso's, Rearset Pegs, Custom built billet alloy triple clamps, Katana dual disc front end and calipers with braided lines and Bandit Master Cylinder, GSX forks, akront rims and stainless spokes, a real mix and match carefully chosen to make the brakes look like they might have been factory to those less familiar with Nortons.

 

It went like stink (especially back in the days when you could freely buy Avgas) and stopped pretty good too with the Suzuki brakes .Stopping being very un - Commando like,  the drums used to be alright back in the day when you could get proper asbestos shoes, but the single NVT Discs fitted later by the factory were woeful)

 

norton com.jpg

 

I'll try post some better pictures later if I CBA

 

I know my Commandos and that's a very sensible list of improvements.  A lovely bike indeed.

 

I spent a lot similarly upgrading a BSA A65.  Got bored with it, sold it to my brother and bought a Laverda 750 SF3, which is the pretty much fully sorted parallel twin that the Commando ought to have been.  35 years later, I still have it.

 

Mark

[2mmMark]

Redditch 1955 or Madras 2002?

 

 

 

Rhubarb & Custard, the Russian recipe

 

 

Mark

Edited August 21, 2017 by 2mmMark

[The Blue Streak]

Yes, I worked in such an asbestos factory during the school and university holidays.in those days from aged 16 until .21-22.

 

Ferodo brake-linings paid well at Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, I worked in the long shed where the skilled machining shop 'girls' had to grind off the excess asbestos brakelining bonded onto the shoes down to the metal of the shoe.  The dust was so thick that you could not see further down the shop than two or three of the big hanging tungsten pendant light fittings.

Strange how no one sussed it being a killer until other of Turners' factories became notorious about a decade or so later. Ferodo were always proud of their brake-lining technology having derived from the old boots used on levers to brake the descending waggons on the Peak Forest plateway down to Bugsworth basin on the Peak Forest Canal.

 

dh

 

Amazing stuff Asbestos, had so many uses. Very Sad that it ultimately proved to be lethal for so many unsuspecting people.

 

I know my Commandos and that's a very sensible list of improvements.  A lovely bike indeed.

 

Mark

 

Thank you Mark.

The main thing with the commando's  as you'd be well aware, was that you needed to steer well away from boosting the compression too much, Norton made that mistake with the Combat. Originally My bike had a Dunstall 750 motor (actually 810) with alloy barrels etc and higher compression among other things, it was pretty wild, but ultimately blew apart in quite spectacular fashion, literally breaking the barrels in half horizontally right in the middle. That was the impetus (as well as the woeful brakes) that led to the rebuild as pictured.

As for your comments re your Laverda being the Parallel twin the Commando should/could have been. That's My thinking behind the TRX 850 Yamaha that I have owned for some years now.

Edited August 22, 2017 by The Blue Streak

[rockershovel]

I hadn't encountered the Yamaha TRX850 before, but I'm interested to note that it has a 270deg crank. Triumph's latest watercooled 900cc engine has the same concept, and it really changes the feel of the bike. It really is that much better than the previous aircooled engine; more usable performance from a lower state of tune.

[The Blue Streak]

I hadn't encountered the Yamaha TRX850 before, but I'm interested to note that it has a 270deg crank. Triumph's latest watercooled 900cc engine has the same concept, and it really changes the feel of the bike. It really is that much better than the previous aircooled engine; more usable performance from a lower state of tune.

 

Cosworth built Norton a 270 degree parallel twin back in the early/mid 70's. (Effectively 2 pots from their 3 litre V8)

But Dennis Poore didn't want to go with it, because it "didn't sound right" !!!!  (Later he went the rotary route instead. !)

 

If anything they (270 Parallel twins)  have a Sound very much like a 90 degree V twin Ducati with the right pipes and have beautiful creamy mid range grunt. TRX's even "borrowed some cues" from the Ducati Frame design.

 

Here's mine. (Crikey I just realised - it's 20 years old this year)

 

Edited August 22, 2017 by The Blue Streak

[PatB]

 

If anything they (270 Parallel twins)  have a Sound very much like a 90 degree V twin Ducati with the right pipes and have beautiful creamy mid range grunt. TRX's even "borrowed some cues" from the Ducati Frame design.

 

 

 

I suspect that the Ducatiesque sound has been the major motivation behind the mass production 270 twins, rather than any technical advantage it may offer.

[2mmMark]

Cosworth built Norton a 270 degree parallel twin back in the early/mid 70's. (Effectively 2 pots from their 3 litre V8)

But Dennis Poore didn't want to go with it, because it "didn't sound right" !!!!  (Later he went the rotary route instead. !)

 

If anything they (270 Parallel twins)  have a Sound very much like a 90 degree V twin Ducati with the right pipes and have beautiful creamy mid range grunt. TRX's even "borrowed some cues" from the Ducati Frame design.

 

Here's mine. (Crikey I just realised - it's 20 years old this year)

 

TRX.jpg

 

I've got a 1999 TDM which is now coming up for 62000 miles. Until I retired, it was my daily rider for my commute to work. Very underrated bikes in the UK but popular in Europe. 

 

All I've had to do is replace consumables and fit a stainless exhaust when the original one rotted.

 

From what I've read, Bob Trigg from Norton was asked by Yamaha to assist with the design of the bike.

 

Mark

[rockershovel]

I suspect that the Ducatiesque sound has been the major motivation behind the mass production 270 twins, rather than any technical advantage it may offer.

Not so. Triumph branded their new, watercooled 270deg crank engine "High Torque" for that reason. The new engine provides more usable, mid-range performance from less bhp, improving reliability and economy at the same time.

 

My 2013 Bonneville T100 feels quite a lot like a Meriden Triumph in that you do need to rev it to get anything out of it, the new 900cc engine is more like a Sportster - probably slower overall, but more usable and relaxed.

[rockershovel]

Vintage flat track, Buxton

 

 

 

Early 90s Sportster, 1970s 750cc Trackmaster Triumph, ex Hap Alzina 650cc BSA

[RANGERS]

Passed a 1930s-40s Vincent on the A1 near Stamford this morning, rattling along quite nicely at around 50mph, it looked every inch a classic.

[runs as required]

Vintage flat track, Buxton

IMG_4027.JPG

IMG_4028.JPG

Early 90s Sportster, 1970s 750cc Trackmaster Triumph, ex Hap Alzina 650cc BSA

Nothing changes! Just as wet and cold as ever up on those dark Peak moors.

Does anybody recall the Bolton 'Grand National' up on Belmont?

dh

[jcm@gwr]

I've only just got round to reading this thread,

nice pics of great bikes and good stories too.

 

I had a humble Honda C90, but upgraded it

with CD90 front forks, so it handled better,

just! Most of my mates had the Yam 'fizzie',

but one had a Garelli, that really went round

corners like it was on rails.

 

My Mother-in-Law used to be the receptionist

for Vincent, and dated one of their customers

for a couple of weeks, John Surtees!

 

If you are ever in Nicosia, Cyprus, you must

visit the Classic Motorcycle Museum. It is a

private museum (not state owned), open to

the public, and is filled with an amazing mix

of machines. Every one of the motorcycles

have been found on the island, including a 

unique MV Augusta, off-road bike!

[steve1]

Spotted this at Bridlington station a couple of years ago:

 

 

steve

 

[The Blue Streak]

Spotted this at Bridlington station a couple of years ago:

 

PIC_0354.jpg

 

steve

 

Rumour had it that you could balance a 50p piece on one of those Norton Wankel Rotary's when they were running, they were that smooth.

[N15class]

Hopefully this may be of interest to you all.

My Triumph T100T Daytona the twin carb higher compression 500. This was my bike from 17 until I sold it in my late twenties. Now wish I hadn't now it was so much fun to ride.

 

 

 

You'll notice that it has forks from a T140. The single leading shoe original was not really man enough to stop a 100+ mile a hour bike. This first was a bit hairy as it could lock up the front wheel. The 140 was heavier than the 500.