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nab301 said :-
72 mpg is economical motorcycle territory !, The only issue locally for me is petrol (and more so diesel which I don't use) is heading to 2022 prices , over €2 euro per litre...
Nigel
19/03/2026 17:02:10 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Diesel was £169.9 Nidge. That's got to be around 2€ I would think.
Glad I ain't got the Beemer anymore although to be honest we don't do that many miles anyway. I'm just keeping my tanks brimmed just incase.
19/03/2026 17:25:58 UTC
Glyn said :-
I was reading again Ian’s account of how he gets up onto the outfit with his gammy knee. With my knee I find it only possible to mount the Triumph from the left hand side, whilst it resides on its side stand. The reason is that I can’t lift the right leg high enough to clear the saddle whilst holding the bike upright. The right knee is the one that received the replacement joint 11 weeks ago. For some reason I find it so unnatural to mount from the right hand side that I won’t even try. Time for a “step through” do you think?
29/03/2026 21:02:08 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
I can't think of why you would mount a solo from the right Glyn, unless there's restricted access of course. I can do it even on the raised STrom but then again I could hunt geese with a net.
30/03/2026 09:23:09 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
"Time for a “step through” do you think? " I thought that while I was waiting for my replacement hip so bought a scoot. One of the worst decisions I've ever made as documented in these pages some time ago. That's the only bike I've fallen over with in the shed and been pinned to the deck, fortunately managing to squirm my way out otherwise I'd have been there till Electra realised her morning coffee hadn't arrived.
Don't do it. I'd still recommend looking at an outfit. A lovely Triumph one on FB.....
I'm similar in that I need the (solo) bike on the side stand to mount but that's more the worry in the back of my mind that the whole plot may tip over to the right if I catch the seat awkwardly. Never used to be a problem when I was in my 20s (or indeed 40s). I always make sure I have a prop stand on my bikes even if I have to make it myself.
30/03/2026 10:12:33 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
This one:
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=2621244144926636&set=pcb.10163053136898067...
30/03/2026 12:09:01 UTC
Glyn said :-
I put the mighty Trumper on Fleabay for £2750. The response was amazing with hundreds of views and dozens of watchers after just one day. The first chap to turn up couldn’t resist it and money changed hands within a fairly short time. It seems rare that I have something so sought after. There have been several messages saying that if it goes wrong, contact them. It was maybe undervalued by me. I think I should be looking for more Mk1 Speed Triples but they are rare these days, perhaps that’s the reason for the popularity.
07/04/2026 18:05:52 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Excellent result. I'm quite surprised it went for so much - as you say, maybe people are starting to appreciate the Triumphs. I really liked my Tiger 955i especially the engine.
08/04/2026 10:13:26 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I know and understand you do this for the pleasure Glyn - but did you make any profit? Even if you did if you calculated your hourly rate you wouldn't be making a killing. It's a lovely bike and I'm not surprised it went so swiftly. Well done you.
08/04/2026 10:45:07 UTC
Glyn said :-
I never calculate my hourly rate Ren, but I nearly always make a profit without that involved. The Triumph cost me £1600 at the end of proceedings so there is £1k there. The most notable loss was the Yamaha Dragstar that had a faulty gearbox ( the vendor failed to mention this). Even doing it myself I lost about £500 overall but did ride it for 600 miles. I made a good gains on the Honda 125, the ZZR1100 ( loved that bike), the CCM, the Deville and the Diversion. The TZR is worth about £2k more than it’s cost me but I expect to lose a few hundred on the Suzuki Intruder. Next project? Well I’m into negotiations with a local widow on the purchase of her late husbands 1983 Mercedes S class 380 SEL which has sat in an air conditioned garage for 20 years. It has a 3.5ltr V8. And covered only 37k miles. Am I getting over confident here?
08/04/2026 19:02:57 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Regarding the S Class. Firstly do you have the space? Secondly it's worth remembering car parts tend to be heavier than bike parts - is the knee up to it? Otherwise GO FOR IT! If it keeps you entertained and you're having fun where's the problem?
09/04/2026 07:53:49 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
I prefer the E class but the early S class are very nice.....it'll be a keeper.
Just sayin.
Upt.
09/04/2026 09:26:11 UTC
nab301 said :-
Glyn , It's a V8 petrol of course you want it , on second thoughts though while not really familiar with them , I'd imagine they're a bit of an oil tanker in the handling dept, presumably automatic and google suggests it's an all alloy engine , not sure how all that would fare after decades of lying idle ?
Nigel
09/04/2026 13:29:50 UTC
Glyn said :-
Good points Nigel. Considering its capacity it only has 150 hp so nowhere near a rocket ship making 0-60 in just under 10 seconds. It is in exceptional shape. However, it has an Achilles heel that is well known and documented. From 81-84 they used a simplex timing chain that was very fragile and the results were catastrophic in the event of failure that happened more often than Merc would like to admit. In late 83 they upgraded the chain to a duplex. Some cars were modified but most of the early ones were scrapped as a result of the chain breaking. What has this one got? I don’t know but the current owner is allowing me to remove a cam cover to find out. The early chains expired at anytime after 40,000 miles. So I’m estimating the cost of replacing the chain, 5 guides and tensioner if I buy it. This job is not for the faint hearted I’ve been assured, but I’m riding high at the moment , what could go wrong?
09/04/2026 18:11:13 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Timing up a V8 Merc with new components, oooo a real head scratcher, it might already have the better chain on of course. I would imagine it's a fit it once and check it 20 times sort of job. I think the last chain cam engine I timed was a Gardner 240. That was on an engine stand too.
We want pictures!
10/04/2026 11:25:01 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Oh yes....that was about 45 years ago. But you never lose it?
10/04/2026 11:26:58 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Just read that Lancashire lad Jeff Smith has died aged 91. Great motocross rider in his day. Ian will know but I think he was on the BSA and British teams.
Upt.
10/04/2026 12:34:26 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Yes, he started on Gold Stars when but a youth and went on to be world class on the unit singles especially the B50 motocross bike. I actually met him a couple of times as he used to come over to the UK and visit his old mechanic from those days, the late Fred Barlow. Fred ran a small bike shop in Tamworth specialising in Norton Commandos (which is how I knew him) and the BSAs which he could make go very well.
Jeff seemed like a very nice bloke and very approachable.
10/04/2026 12:41:56 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Re the Merc: I'm quite often tempted by cars but then I remember (a) I have nowhere to put one and (b) as Ren says, car parts are heavy and awkward and also require lying down underneath them. I was cured when I had a Triumph Stag as a daily driver in the late 1990s. Mid life crisis me? I did 70,000 miles in 5 years and had to replace, amongst other things, the engine (twice due to a foolish error I made), gearbox and differential. Not to mention multiple other parts. As I was using it as my only car, much of it for work, I had to pay people to do the heavy lifting so I wasn't without wheels, although I did borrow Electra's MG Maestro (which I'd donated to her) as backup. That was actually a very capable car despite the knockers.
The Stag was a lovely car but in the end it was only financially viable with the mileage allowance from work. I decided to move it on before it ruined me.
Stag and Maestro......
10/04/2026 13:01:07 UTC
nab301 said :-
All this reminiscing about timing chains and old Brit classic cars (Maestros and Stags )reminds me of the 10 yrs I spent in a motor factors way back , customers would come in looking for a service kit ( points , plugs , condenser, rocker cover gasket )" oh and better give me a timing chain , it's a bit noisy" ! I used to cut them from a large roll (standard 3/8 simplex or duplex)and supply a split link , (mercs I think had a different pitch) I only ever fitted one ( to a friends car) A Dolomite 1500 , so relatively easy.
More recently I realised that The Enfield primary duplex chain is just a std 3/8th and that purchasing a 5metre roll locally is cheaper than ordering a chain from a bike specialist ...
Nigel
10/04/2026 14:58:24 UTC
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