First bike

Bought this as soon as I was old enough. It was and still, is the best bike ever. It was better than every other 250, every other KH, every other Kawasaki, better than everything else except perhaps, your first bike.

BSA Fury

Life is full of things that you really ought to have done and BSA should have built this. The grey framed bike is at NMM and the black one here.

Patinated

Pipe insulation

Had I got the Bultaco forks before the frame was derusted and painted, I would have had proper stops welded on. But sometimes you act first and then see what you should have been done. Pipe insulation works well and is now done more tidly.

Finished 348

Can't tell the difference from the earlier post? Good, whilst I wouldn't knock anyone who does a total restoration, I like my bikes to show their age. And the most important thing is that it works. Still needs shocks, silencer and a front mudguard bracket but money's tight.

Napier Deltic

Removed the animated gif 'cause it made the page hang.

Just found this at driverchris and more at Wikepedia.  My father-in-law worked on the Deltic diesel engine whilst an apprentice at Napier.  He remembers them having some spectacular failures during bench testing and suggested that it proved too expensive to productionise, however Wikepedia indicates that it had a long production life.

Loud? pardon?

And this was the third.  So loud it hurt.  John Williams made some replica exhausts, but it wasn't any quieter.  It wasn't that fast, despite the reputation, but the way it held its speed through the corners was remarkable.  Recall that the vibration at maximum revs would blow the bulbs, so it wasn't easy to ride at night.

T140 = oil leaks

This was the second bike I owned. Didn't know much about maintenance but soon learned to replace the base gasget.  Quickly learned that it made no difference and grew to accept it for the way it was.

The Ride Journal

Just got this from here, The Ride. Great illustrations, great writing.  And it even smells great.

Wall of Death II

Wall of Death

Don't ever turn down a chance to see this. Couldn't get any good pics whilst these guys were riding but it's a fantastic spectacle. When they come upto the wire the bikes are less than an arms length for your face. It's like being run over, without the pain.

How much?

This is also stunning. Beautiful mix of 70's and carbon fibre, etc. But can't help thinking that at that price they will mostly be used for display.

Light weight dural box frame girder

Don't know what it is, or who built it but this 50cc racer (also at Stafford) is just fantastic.

Where does this bit go?

Went to the Stafford show in Oct. A few days before I had fitted Bultaco forks to the 348. They should have been a direct fit but didn't. I just assembled them as delivered hoping that it would all become clear. Couldn't tighten the headset and it was clear that the locknut was in the wrong place. I didn't get a chance to sort it properly before the show but finding a mid 70's Sherpa in the competition hall showed how it should be done.

RC30, Brands Hatch 1989

After a bit of a tangle with a Volvo - he was going too slow, myself too fast - so we both fulfilled our stereotypes, the RC needed some repairs and a repaint. I really didn't want the regular Honda red, white and blue but I'm not sure what made me do this. I still like the effect but wouldn't want to be seen riding something like that again.

Stripdown

This took about an hour. If one could earn a living pulling bikes apart?

Montesa 348

Looked like this when I bought it, but non runner.

On the bench

Everything starts or finishes here. Its what a workshop's for. This one was only for a short while and now it runs great, for a bike that's 35 years old.