Random Snaps

Started by Puritan, 09 December 2011, 03:04:18

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Gambini

Nice cycle. I´m also a pasionate of old stuff.

Well, we do not agree in motorbike tastes though. While as I really like england bikes like that one and ancient motorbikes in general, there´s a limit for what "I like to admire" and "I´d like to have". The perfect bike for me is an old one, probably from late 60´s or mid 70´s and with all the easiness and functionality of modern bikes. Yes, because IMO motorcycles reached their golden age 40 years ago. There´s nothing a new bike can offer that one of those beast could not.
In the other hand, older bikes weren´t still reliable, versatile and easy to use.

High Treason

Yeah, that's my best cycle, I have a few more, one of them has parrafin lamps fitted, which means I can't ride into garages at night to buy tobacco anymore. The one in my snap is an unknown brand, it's built of BSA All-weather parts but was probably another brand like New Hudson.

As for motorcycles, heh, I like doing things the hard way and this is no exception, plus, a top speed of 50-55MPH is bound to annoy my friend every time he has to wait for me. I don't think all old bikes were unreliable though, two of my friends own modern scooters - they say they are happy with 125cc and see no reason to go further, at least they are responsible instead of flying down the road on their face :D - made between 2006 and 2008 and both of them have broken down at least 3 times this year due to problems with the annoying computer circuits that they can't fix themselves (even if they could, they wouldn't, wheras I prefer to fix things myself.) buts I've never heard of an old M20 motorcycle breaking down every ten miles, probably because there's almost no electronics to go wrong, in fact there's hardly anything to go wrong on board, they're basically just an engine (469cc 4-Stroke single cylinder side-valve, sounds like a proper motorbike should - cast iron block of course), some wheels (made out of steel because that's what wheels should be made of) and some leather.

A lot of people seem to really like motorcycles from the 60's/70's, a guy I know owned one (can't remember what, he wouldn't let me see it) but he never rode it, he kept it in his shed and started it once a year, what a waste, he sold it in the end. In England, most people seem to go crazy for the Norton Commando (Introduced in 1967), even I like it, but I still prefer things prior to 1940. There's an old saying with the English that we've long since forgotten, which was that you can't beat British engineering and given that this stuff is still running, I'm inclined to agree - then again, I'm English, so I would say that ;)

For reference, a Norton Commando made in 1970;
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Gambini

In case you didn´t understand me: I meant bikes prior 60-70 are less reliable than bikes from 60-70. I like that Norton Commando, just as i like the Triumph Bonneville and Thruxton. But again, If i´d had to buy one I´d buy a japanese or Italian model from those times because IMO they were unbeatable in almost every aspect (japanese, mostly) and they have the shifting lever and rear brake pedal in the correct side (plus, their bolts and screws use the metrical system). I don´t like modern bikes either. Most likely because, as you, i like to fix things myself and modern vehicles come with all that electronic shit I can´t stick my hands on. That bike of the picture has been completely rebuilt by me, mechanics, paint, polishing, ring ratios, welding, etc.

But yeah, english bikes were far superior than their american counterparts (heavier, slower, uglier).

What do you think about those new Classic Sport models that are being sold by Triumph and Ducati? With the times that run, and my tight schedule, I would not mind to have one of those. Classic feel, brand new stuff = no worries.

Puritan

#18
Quote from: Gambini on  24 February 2012, 02:03:27
hehe nothing like taking for a ride an old bike that runs like new.  :)

What did they do to it exactly?


Oh my...a complete engine overhaul. I'm not familiar with the english terms for these technical issues.
But the cylinders have been made slightly bigger. It's now about 1060 cc. New pistons of course. New valves.
New camshaft chain. New clutch.
In addition to that I've replaced most frame fittings.
The gas tank had a small damage. this is now fixed and painted.
Both front fork tubes are new.
New stuffing and cover for the seat.


Later on this season I will replace the rear shock absorbers, front brake discs/pads.
And maybe some new cable wiring and switches here and there. :)


I bought this bike back in 1993 and I never had ( or tried) any bike that beats this one when it comes to " joy-factor" and how easy it is to ride.
I fell deeply in love with this particular model when it first came out back in 1982. At that time I didn't have any money to buy one, so I did hang around places where bikers were gathering just to have a look at this lovely bike  :P   ;D
I found out that it was only imported 35 of them to my country so you can imagine how difficult it was for me to find one in the early 90's when I had enough money to buy one.
By pure luck a stumbled across one that was stored in a backyard under a tarpaulin.
I knocked on the door and asked if the bike was for sale. And the guy said that he was looking for a Kawasaki 1300 cc. If he finds one he will sell me the LTD.
Then I told him that I knew about a 1300 cc for sale.
In short; He sold me his LTD in order to get money enough to buy this 1300 cc  ;D


I've attached an image of a bike that is exactly the same as mine.
Next year mine will look something like this:



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Bitter words mean little to me. Autumn winds will blow right through me
And someday in the mist of time, when they asked me if I knew you
I'd smile and say you were a friend of mine, and the sadness would be lifted from my eyes
Oh when I'm old and wise

Gambini

Classic bike with rebored cylinders and its own anecdote of how you got it: total win  :)

I remember your bike, though. You showed it at DNR a few times too, It´s beautiful.

Puritan

Yeah, thanks mate  :)
I think the both of us have the predilection for japanese bikes!
I've been riding bikes since the 70's and I've experienced that almost all the other brands is suffering from bad  quality, maybe except from BMW.
Sorrry mates, but English, Italian, Russian and American bikes weren't good enough.


Having said that, I know that HD built a better version from 1985. ( HD engines from 'birth' to 94' was pure crap).
My opinion: BMW has to be crowned as the 'bike of the century' regarding 'how long a bike would last' competition.
Bitter words mean little to me. Autumn winds will blow right through me
And someday in the mist of time, when they asked me if I knew you
I'd smile and say you were a friend of mine, and the sadness would be lifted from my eyes
Oh when I'm old and wise

Gambini

Well, although I really love bikes, my experience comes mostly from reading and staring. I never owned big bikes, i rode a couple that some friends or workmates lended to me but that´s not the same. When I got the seniority to get the big bore motorbike license (and the financial stability to afford one) I had already more important things to look after. So my dream have been postponed for more than ten years.

About brands and origins. Yeah, japanese bikes have been kicking all other brands in the ass since the 70´s. Their tecnology, engineering and metal quality have been decades ahead of time. Not for nothing most european brands gone bankrupt (althrough recovered later by asian capitals). I don´t agree about BMW though. They are overly expensive and have subpar power/displacement ratio, and even so after buying one you still have to keep spending lots of money in their maintenance, because they require qualified manpower to be taken care. I admire though that it seems one of the very few brands that go their own way about engine and frame layout, but hell! they are ugly.

HD has been stuck doing the same bike for 100 years? the only innovative thing they did was that VROD and it was co-worked with Porsche. Those are some lovely bikes but it´s like they´re stuck in time.

Forge

funny. HD has alot of japanese parts (electronics, suspension, carburetor, etc). they got a bad rep back in the late 60's early 70's (same as the american auto industry of that time). The demand for their product was on a dramatic rise so they figured they could mass produce as cheap as possible. Quality went to shit which caused everyone to start buying japanese for reliability. HD doesn't have the bad quality issues it used to have, but they're still underpowered compared to their japanese counterparts

I'm not a bike enthusiast, but i agree with Gambini that HD's haven't changed their look in decades
Take it down to the beach with a hammer and pound sand up your ass

High Treason

I'm bored, here's one of my other bicycles before it got the kerosene lamps;

The 1953 Raleigh-made BSA in the background is no longer mine, so you're focusing on the older (1927-1937) Raleigh Tourist in the foreground, this will give you an idea of the size of these things as the 50's cycle was just a tiny bit bigger than a modern commuter bicycle, so as you can see, the Tourist is huge (as is my other bike, the one I pictured some days ago) and it runs on 28" wheels, very smooth ride.


Come to think of it, I don't have that saddle anymore, that came off a Hercules long before I bought the bike, I still have every part I ever removed (even a broken cone I took off the front axle) but I've been using a Brooks B66 for some time as that was the saddle that was fitted according to the Raleigh catalog from the time.
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Puritan

Cool  8)
You should consider opening a local museum.


Btw: what are they weights?
I remember when I was a kid we used to borrow bicycles from the elders around my community and they were heavy...I mean really heavy  :o
Bitter words mean little to me. Autumn winds will blow right through me
And someday in the mist of time, when they asked me if I knew you
I'd smile and say you were a friend of mine, and the sadness would be lifted from my eyes
Oh when I'm old and wise

Mister Sinister


I've finally bought myself a guitar!  ;D
And the first song I've played was In The Aeroplane Over The Sea :)
Gadji beri bimba clandridi
Lauli lonni cadori gadjam
A bim beri glassala glandride
E glassala tuffm

I zimbra!

High Treason

@Puritan; Museum? Nah, we have the transport museum for that and nobody ever goes there, they aren't maintained at all though, which irritates me. The weights I do not know exactly, but "really heavy" would seem about right, they weigh a lot more than the steel mountain bike I used to have.

@Mister Sinister; Now there's an instrument I could never play, I tried several times but to no avail, I can only play instruments that have keys and even then, it all sounds like 80's Synth-Pop.
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MSandt

Bought me a used car about a week ago, Chrysler Neon 2.0. Photo taken today:



"Whatever their future, at the dawn of their lives, men seek a noble vision of man's nature and of life's potential." -Howard Roark

Forge

Has the local pedestrian traffic been warned?  :)
Take it down to the beach with a hammer and pound sand up your ass

Puritan

Bitter words mean little to me. Autumn winds will blow right through me
And someday in the mist of time, when they asked me if I knew you
I'd smile and say you were a friend of mine, and the sadness would be lifted from my eyes
Oh when I'm old and wise