An Englishman in England

[TechNoir]

Hello folks I have just joined the AMCA and so thought I should introduce myself on the forum.

I have been a member of the VMCC for a few years but I have recently acquired an American bike that needs some TLC and so I figure that you guys might be the best to answer my questions and also you may be interested in both my recent acquisition and also my other bikes.

Currently I have 5 bikes as follows in order of age (oldest first)

1920 Harley Davidson "F" - project bike

1938 Triumph 5T Speed Twin (1939 model but first registered in Oct 38)

1959 Matchless G3C - project bike, this was going to be this winters project but has been pushed down the list by the HD

1997 Honda XR400

2003 Yamaha FZS 600

I mention the last 2 more "modern" bikes because they are both what can be described as "modern classics" Both are milestone bikes in their own right and in 20 or 30 years time they will be regarded as classics much the same as the above Harley or Triumph are now.

I will be starting the HD project soon so will post some updates in the relevant board as and when

Cheers, TechNoir.

[Jim]

Hello! Welcome and hope you have great luck with the H-D. Any pictures?? They area always appreciated!

[Steve Slocombe]

Dear TechNoir, nice collection! You may not know it but you are now a member of the European Chapter of the AMCA, with 320 members in 18 countries and mostly American bikes. Send me your Email address outside this forum if you would like our free newsletter. You can see back numbers and pictures at www.amca-europe.eu. Our next International Meet is 27-29 May in Raalte, Netherlands.

[TechNoir]

Thanks all.

Jim I will put up some pictures soon.

Steve I have sent a private message.

[TechNoir]

Hello folks, as requested here a a few pictures. I have not bothered with the Fazer, its much like any other Fazer and I doubt anyone is interested in it. I dont think anyone will be too interested in the XR either although I have put a couple of pics up because I mentioned it in my intro and it did start out as a project.

XR400 before & after







Matchless G3 project. Its a "C" engine but an LS chassis. I will build it in a pre-65 Trials style to match the engine because I like the look of the G3C.




38/9 Triumph before and after (before pic is just the frame & forks, I don’t have any before pics of all the parts together)







1920 Harley as I got it.



My intention with this bike is to just re-assemble it with only essential repairs or replacements (such as bearings, rubber items or anything that is broken/missing).

I am not going to re-finish it.

It is pretty much all there so I am hoping that it should be straightforward.

[Jim]

Thanks for posting the pictures!! The H-D looks like a plastic model kit from Monogram! HAHA Your Triumph looks SUPER! You do some nice work!! Great projects!

[TechNoir]

Re An Englishman in England

Thanks for posting the pictures!! The H-D looks like a plastic model kit from Monogram! HAHA Your Triumph looks SUPER! You do some nice work!! Great projects!

Thanks for the compliment Jim. I am hoping the HD will be easier than the Triumph.

The Triumph was a basket case that was incomplete and with a lot of the missing parts were 1 or 2 year only items so it took me ages to get everything together and finish it.

[billpedalino]

Welcome TechNoir....

That Triumph is stunning !!!!

As for your other bikes, they resemble the 'piles' I lovingly refer to as my current (ongoing) 'projects'. True beauty only appreciated by guys like us. Surely, you're a man after my own heart! Given the job you did on the Triumph, I'm sure each and every one of them will turn out to be equally spectacular.

To coin a tired, old phrase, Best regards to our colleagues on the other side of the pond!

[TechNoir]

Thanks for the words Bill. I will try and put a few pictures up in the Bike Build section as the HD comes together. At the moment I am mostly engaged in pre-Christmas stuff but I hope to get some time over my Christmas break to make a start so i will post on progress in the new year.

Dont expect the HD to look anything like the Triumph though, that was a full restoration, I want to try to preserve the HD. I will get it together to a useable condition and only then decide if I want to address anything cosmetically.

[Jim]

The HD pile looks pretty good from what I can tell... I think it will look great in that "distressed" look too. Looks like a fun and very interesting build for sure. I look forward to the BIKE BUILD page when you start it.

[ChrisLewis]

Hi
Chris also from England, just North of Portsmouth, currently running a 1927 J model, and re building a 1949 Korea war WLA, along with running a modern breakout.
Nice to see the Triumph, good job, Here we go "I used to have one back in the day", traded a 250cc Yamaha YDS7, for 650 triumph as soon as I past my test, (It was slower !!!) Happy days, I could fix them back then, unlike the modern day machines.
If you need a hand in locating parts or people then give me a call I will help if I can, or at least set you on to somebody who knows his friends aunties ex boyfriend who knows of a old boy that still builds gearboxes, you know how that works !, certainly improves geography locating parts or people.

Chris
chris@cssurvey.co.uk
Tel : 07967561743

[TechNoir]

Hello Chris, thanks for the message and offer of assistance. I will bear it in mind if I get stuck with anything. I am up in Yorkshire so not too close to your Manor.

As you might be able to tell from my small collection of bikes, I am not biased towards a particular style, era, make or model, bikes on my wish list range from Veteran Blackburns to Mk1 Fireblades. That said, as I get older I seem to be looking at older bikes more so I am looking forward to getting the HD up and running. I think it might be an interesting ride given that it only has a feeble rear brake. The 5T's brakes are bad enough and they are 18 years more advanced and there are double the number of them.

[ChrisLewis]

Hello Chris, thanks for the message and offer of assistance. I will bear it in mind if I get stuck with anything. I am up in Yorkshire so not too close to your Manor.

As you might be able to tell from my small collection of bikes, I am not biased towards a particular style, era, make or model, bikes on my wish list range from Veteran Blackburns to Mk1 Fireblades. That said, as I get older I seem to be looking at older bikes more so I am looking forward to getting the HD up and running. I think it might be an interesting ride given that it only has a feeble rear brake. The 5T's brakes are bad enough and they are 18 years more advanced and there are double the number of them.

Blimey - well up Country !

If possible could you point out this brake thing !, I have a drum on the rear wheel but no one with any sense would refer to it as a brake, fortunately they do not go fast enough to require anything better (assuming you have at least 25 yards to stop in !
Please post some progress photographs.

Chris

[TechNoir]

Re An Englishman in England

If possible could you point out this brake thing !, I have a drum on the rear wheel but no one with any sense would refer to it as a brake, fortunately they do not go fast enough to require anything better (assuming you have at least 25 yards to stop in !Chris

Ha ha. I think that most cars and bikes pre WWII have dubious brakes and pre 1930ish I believe that they are mostly decorative rather than functional.

My "F" came with a sidecar that weighs a ton and is not braked so there is no way that is getting bolted on the side.

Please post some progress photographs.Chris

I already am doing. I have a build thread as per this link and also a parallel thread going on caimag forum.

http://www.antiquemotorcycle.org/bbo...Harley-Model-F

[sprangerny]

TechNoir: looking thru your old posts - and ran across the photo of your '39 Speed Twin restoration! Very, very, very nice. I've now ridden my '48 5T over 750 miles since this past November. And enjoying it with guys in the AMCA locally in Daytona. Glad I purchased this bike. But wanted to show you a 'hybrid' build I did several years ago. Anything but a purist build . . . . took a junkyard 1969 250 Triumph and installed a 1969 BSA 441 motor (I know, I know) into the chassis as sort of a Cafe bike. Was fun to go thru every nut, bolt, spoke, seal, etc. and as a learning process - for someone new to bike building. 01.jpg03.jpgSM-TR25-BSA441-A.jpgSM-TR25-BSA441-B.jpg