Other Interesting Vehicles in the Stable?

[summerinmaine]

Here's the 1969 Triumph T120R, the iconic Bonneville:















Iconic bike has become as much "puffery" as "supermodel" but I feel safe using the term here. Not much to say except that I got it cheap because of the seriously non-original paint scheme and colored tank badge. Similar to the Velo (and Vincent, tho there's not one of those in my stable dammit).

And "got it cheap" is a recurring theme with me. I look for great things that are out of favor with the ?ber-collectors, and hence have had more fun toys than I could otherwise afford.

There's a side cover missing, due to the typical vibration issues, but it shows how I virtually always fit a decent oil filter to every bike I own. The greatest single thing you can do to keep these old beauties on the road.

[69S4]

Looks in better nick than the last Bonnie I had contact with:



Pic was taken back in the early 70's somewhere in Greece. The guy wielding the spanner
is my friend from NJ. The bike was a loaner from Triumph as his new Trident had broken down on the 5 mile trip
home from the dealers and had gone back to the factory for repairs. It was then stuck there due to a workers sit in!

The list of things that broke or fell off got longer and longer and he returned the bike with two carrier bags
full of bits.

I had a Yamaha XS650 for the same trip. Faults - none. Says it all really.

Actually, the Trident did redeem itself when he eventually got it back and completed a number of Trans Euro trips
over the next few years with only minor problems.

[ripley]

Jon's Seven is really breathtaking; love the skinny tires with steel rims & hubcaps, lovely colour also. Ross's Elite/Elan pair's so great, too. During my Elan S2 rebuild, I'm driving something from the same era but much more heavier (even with 200 bhp, no chance to follow an Elan, I hope for my future!).
Fred

[69S4]

I'm not too hot on Porsches but that looks like a 911S. The guy in the previous pic attacking the Triumph with a wrench went on to buy one a few years later - at the same time as I bought my Elan.

We then spent a few years doing weekend trips etc with them rather than the bikes. Lovely car; much more relaxing to drive than the Lotus as well as more reliable but boy was it expensive to buy bits for!

[niceolcars]

"but boy was it expensive to buy bits for!"

[cabc26b]

I can attest to P-car parts being expensive , ditto on the body work required when you don't pay attention to the diabolical handling -

Latest "Kennel" occupants along with the Elan's -

71 Porsche 911E
66 Airstream Caravel
59 Elva (incoming)

the kennel''s small so there is a fair amount of shuffling that goes on.

[summerinmaine]

Another iconic bike, my 1971 Norton Commando 750 Roadster:









Again, I'm comfortable with the "iconic" appellation since the Commando is credited by many as the first "SuperBike" (tho IMHO that title should go to the Vincent Rapide/Black Shadow/Black Lightning, except the very low production numbers keep it in the "specials" class, I guess). It was apparently named "BOTY" for a number of years in a row (by Psycho World IIRC).

Anyway, the pics are just post resto, and she's seen a fair number of miles since then. And yes, those are genuine Dunstall Decibels and Borrani flanged alloys (and not just Akronts). A Corbin Gunfighter seat compliments the bike's looks much better than the stock brick.

[adigra]

Oh wow, that Commando is beautiful!

P.S. the first "superbike" surely was the Brough Superior.

Adi

[69S4]

That's two great bikes. 69 is supposed to be the best year for Bonnies - the peak of development etc just before the oil-in-frame versions came along complete with free step ladder to help you to get on it. The late 60's low seat ones seem to command a premium - over here at least.

The Commando looks fabulous. I've always had a soft spot for them (and as you can probably tell from my previous posts I'm not a Brit bike fan) since I saw one of the original green fastback models at my local dealers back when they were new. I was riding a Lambretta scooter at the time and the contrast couldn't have been greater.

A couple of years later when I was in the market for a big bike I seriously considered one of the new Interstate models - big tank, more power, no vibration etc. The main bearing fiasco with them ended that dream and by the time Norton had sorted it out I'd gone Japanese.

The Trident / Bonnie problems referred to in my previous post finished any thoughts I might have had about buying a Triumph. The final nail was when my brother tried for about six months to buy one of the new 350cc Bandit / Fury's without success. They were always coming "next month". He eventually gave up and bought a Suzuki.

[summerinmaine]

Oh wow, that Commando is beautiful!

P.S. the first "superbike" surely was the Brough Superior.

Adi

Perhaps, but see my comment about low production numbers. I think that the title "SuperBike" came about in recognition of superlative performance available to the everyman, and not just the elite.

Thanks for all the nice comments about the bikes. I skipped one in my chronological recitation (the 85%er) for reasons I'll explain later. Next up, the 1973 2002Tii (with more description, as pics don't do it justice).

[summerinmaine]

But c'mon guys! I want a chance to drool over (and learn about) other folks' beauties.

My thatnks to those who are keeping this thread alive.

[summerinmaine]

That's two great bikes. 69 is supposed to be the best year for Bonnies - the peak of development etc just before the oil-in-frame versions came along complete with free step ladder to help you to get on it. The late 60's low seat ones seem to command a premium - over here at least.

That's one of the reasons I chose a 69. It also has a 2LS front brake, so for the first time the braking power matched the performance. The 1970 was virtually unchanged, except for paint scheme, and then 1971 ushered in the OIF abomination.

As to re-sale, I might have mentioned that I've usually chosen bikes that would be disdained by the "investment" types, so that I could get the mechanical benefits without paying the premium (or even the normal) price. For example, my Venom has a few issues that would confound a collector. Thus, I only paid $1000 for it (thats $$ and not ??, and yes, it ran at least when I bought it).

[ripley]

@Stuart: "We then spent a few years doing weekend trips etc with them" - we too, together with a friend who has a little '65 Alpine A110 (and who persuaded me to buy a nimble plastic lightweight instead of a heavy german lorry...)

[69S4]

Ripley, - Alpine 110's - another one for my fantasy garage! I really must put together a (wheel) "tracks of my years" list - both two wheels as well as four. Mind you, some of the stuff that might have made the list on looks alone have not survived the experience of actually trying them.

That's one of the reasons I chose a 69. It also has a 2LS front brake, so for the first time the braking power matched the performance. The 1970 was virtually unchanged, except for paint scheme, and then 1971 ushered in the OIF abomination.

Yours is the earlier version with the linkage rather than the later version where the cable did a push/pull on the two arms. I've not tried that, nor the version on the Commando but I was quite disappointed with the later version. I'd been used to the 2LS brake that the Japs used on everything in the 60's (front and rear on my CB77 Honda!) and compared to that the Triumph brake needed much higher lever pressure. I've heard it said that the operating arms on the hub weren't long enough.

The early Jap disc brakes were hardly an improvement though. Their not working in the rain problem took years to fix and it was probably not until I bought a Guzzi in the late 70's that I had good wet weather brakes.

My Kawasaki 500 has the 2LS drum brake and my XS2 Yamaha has the std single disc (that still doesn't work in the rain) and they both work just as I remember them - something that with current traffic levels in the south of England can be a cause for concern at times.

[summerinmaine]

Stuart,

I like the cable run on the 69 better than on the 70; it looks more sanitary. Though I've not tried Japanese 2LS brakes from that era (when they were fresh, the only bike I could afford was a Hodaka Ace 100), I had my wheels and brakes set up by a specialist here in California. They insist that with careful preparation and attention to detail, the Triumph 2LS brake is the equal of any production brake short of disk brakes.

ps. Ditto about the A110! Never had the opportunity to drive one, but have seen them race.