[coloradobob]

Running with the fast group

Nearly 100 vintage motorcycles, older than 1985, went on a ride in the high country. It was cool and very white next to the road. I should have stopped to take pictures, but I was running with a very fast group of 25 diverse motorcycles and didn't want to stop. I scrubbed the tread of my Avon's right up to the sidewalls. My '73 Trident out-cornered Honda 750's, Kawasaki 2-stroke triples, BMW airheads, a 750 Ducati, and a bunch of something slow and blurry. I smeared a couple of turns that had traction sand from the recent snows. The Trident outpulled everyone on the hills at 9000 ft. There were several blind corners where the melting snow crossed the road and the brakes worked well enough to navigate through. Tom led us back down Left Hand Canyon on his 72 Triumph 500 thumper but the traffic was heavier and we behaved, sort of. Adrenaline, old bikes and beer made a chilly day a delight. Bob

 

[coloradobob]

Estes Park Colorado

I rode the TR7 up to Estes Park on a Friday. The Pirellis were very good in the switchbacks. So were the real brakes. The Elk were all over town with so much snow higher up. I took mostly the old road down next to the river instead of the newer one. Holiday weekend, almost no traffic. Lets ride!.. Bob

 

[coloradobob]

Ride/wrench/ride

I took the '73 TR7 for the first extended ride since installing the Tri-Spark ignition. The biggest difference is in the ease of starting. I need to kick much less forcefully now because the bike fires up in the first inch of travel. I rode up US 36 going to Estes Park with a newer Aprillia and was pleased with the acceleration in the passing zones, keeping even easily. At a photo op overlooking town, the side-stand snapped off and I caught the bike with my thigh just before it toppled into the '47 Indian (show winner), Aprillia, and Buell in a domino disaster. I fitted a spare kick-stand from my old '71 high frame with no trouble. I stretched the spring with one end in a vise and inserted 8 pennies and it popped right on the posts. I was very happy that the lug on the frame was not damaged. Good riding to everyone! Bob

 

[coloradobob]

Gtfoomw

I installed Italian 115db horns from Candlepower under the headlight on my '73 T150 where the zener used to attach. Birds chirp louder than the anemic antique original horns mounted facing the side. I might get deer off the road and side traffic to reconsider pulling out in front of me now. Bob

 

[coloradobob]

Bob - ok, where'd you get these? I put JCWhitney 120db dual Trumpet horns (WoLo brand - $53.99 + shipping) on my Harley's, and am a firm believer that loud horns are the 2nd most important safety feature on any bike after the brakes. They're cheap, good looking, and really loud..... More than a few times they've stopped deer in their tracks, as well as dogs, cats, squirrels - and unobservant cage drivers - the most dangerous animals of all.

BUT, cannot imagine them on my classic Triumphs..... so what do these look like, what did these cost and where did you get them???

"enquiring minds want to know...."

PS - as noted on my Bonnie thread, installed new Barnett clutch plates & springs yesterday. But it will be a week at least before I finally get to experience the power of my winter top-end rebuild...

Gator: I got my Fiamm dual horns from MAPcycle. My work bench is currently buried under a disassembled Corvair motor, and I don't see the receipt. My guess is that I paid similar to what you did. They look like a 3" Nautilus shell with a 2x2 plastic grille. I never felt safe with the original horn's sound level. Now it's IGNORE THIS!!!!!
I have Barnett clutches (springs and plates) on both my TR6 and TR7 and love their actuation, lack of drag at start-up, and reasonable pull effort. The only negatives I've heard were about Norton owners with fragile trannys.
When I built the Corvair years ago with a 1/2 race cam, I installed a fail-safe cam gear. Guess which part failed.

 

[coloradobob]

Dancing in the rain

4 riders including 2 Tridents, a Norton and a vintage Guzzi rode up the Cache la Poudre canyon on Father's Day. A dozen miles up the 56-mile-long canyon, the traffic thinned out considerably and we let the bikes run. The pavement was in very good condition after the snowiest winter in decades. My '73 Trident danced through the hundreds of curves gracefully and enthusiastically. It pulled hard at 3000-3500rpm in 5th, but it was really singing in 4th. Everyone pulled over and let us by; thank you courteous drivers! I was just happy to be the dance partner and let the T150 pick the speed and line. We turned around short of the summit due to threatening weather. Every green plant had a flower on it and the Bighorn sheep we saw were butting heads playfully. Going downhill, we again had an open road, and enjoyed the roaring river through the Narrows (it was louder than the bikes). We stopped by the Mishawaka Inn for beverages and food and waited for the thunderstorm to pass. The road was wet with a misty rain on the last 20 miles to the bottom of the canyon. I stopped in Laporte to refill with Shell premium and returned home over the 4 dams impounding Horsetooth reservoir. I was nearly dry by the time I got home, dry enough to have another cold beer. The sound of the twins is such a joy that I forget how wonderful the triple sounds. It's a bit growly at 3500, but the howl at 7000 is spine-tingling. That may not sound like a love song, but it most certainly is. The dance is even better. Bob

 

[coloradobob]

destiny

Bob - darn you. Every time I start to forget my deep longing for a Trident by drowning myself in other activities, and even a new dream Harley - there you go again waking it up to a roaring fire.

My friend Ray has a sweet '70 he won't sell me; GPZ has one that's just a bit more of a restore job than I want, and when I try to get one sent me by another Rat, it's sold.....

But in my heart, I know I'll find one when the time is right......

The right bike will find you. These old bikes are like stray dogs that show up on your doorstep needing care and feeding. Bob

 

[coloradobob]

Ahhhhh. Another one not meant to be. Sold a few weeks ago, $4,500.00.

Has another '72 rolling chassis, matching numbers, but I'm not sure I'm up for all of that it would take to do such a restore.

Thanks for looking out for me, Jazz.

Someday........

NOW, let's let this thread get back to it's main purpose and kill the hijack!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1974...les&hash=item3f0ad06043#vi-contentgigamovesId
These always seem to be in Illinois or some other spot 1000 miles away. There have been a few fly there and ride it home quality bikes, but I'd much rather ride before buying. I much prefer the later Tridents with a disc brake and a 5-speed. Bob

 

[coloradobob]

NO Rain No Rain NO rain

Today I will be finishing up replacing the front brakes and installing progressive springs on my 68 T120R getting her in tip top shape for the 550 mile ride I will be joining in on with ColoradoBob and a host of others. I am so looking forward to this weekend...it will take us through some incredibly beautiful areas of Colorful Colarado and across the Snowy Range in Wyoming...It appears there will be 43 or more vintage bikes of all makes making the run....and the weather is forecasted to be freakin awesome too!!!! See you Saturday ColoradoBob...

Bob

Did anybody mention last years' hail storm between Granby and Walden? I missed last year, doing the circle tour around Lake Michigan (very highly recommended if you take the county roads). This year is the 22nd annual. I might take the '72 TR6 now that my hand doesn't go numb with new isolastic handlebar mounts. Bob

 

[coloradobob]

Good ride Good friends Good weather Good bikes

http://phantomcanyonchapteramca.webs.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=11825281
We did the 600-mile 2011 Riverside Wyoming ride this weekend. Near perfect temperatures, blue sky, lots of old (and a couple new)Brit-bikes, fascinating (frequently hilarious) campfire conversation, and no mechanical problems made the long ride an absolute pleasure. I was very pleased with the '72 TR6 running strong until I got passed by a '52 Vincent on the long uphill pulls into the wind. It wasn't just once that he blew by us either. It weighs about the same as the Triumph with over 1000cc's of V-twin power. Your Bonne sounded sweet as usual Bob T, as did Al's Beezer and Ed's Atlas. Bob

 

[coloradobob]

Riding on Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain N'tl Park

I dodged the daily thundershowers riding into Rocky Mountain National Park by getting an early morning start. The pavement was excellent on Trail Ridge road. I kept the revs up for smoother running at 12,000 ft+ in 20 mph weekend traffic. It was not difficult to find gaps in the traffic by timing my picture stops, then ride the '73 Trident at cruising speed until the next tourist. No hail, no snow, and no rain made a pleasant but cool ride. The old T150 started 1st kick at every stop at high altitude. I lost the other riders in Estes Park. They did not want to ride up into the rain clouds. The only wet pavement was from the waterfalls of snow melt running down to and across the road in a few spots by the old ski area. There's still a ribbon of snow to make it worth hiking up for one more ski run. RMNP has the most snow in 30 years but much has melted and wild flowers are all in bloom. The elk are up high, with herds of 30+ to be seen on the tundra- COOL! The bulls' antlers are still in velvet. Bob

 

[coloradobob]

I did the same thing 68TR6R on my 68 T120R before I did the 600 mile Phantom Canyon Ride this past weekend....yes it is nice to have a responsive front end no doubt. I went with progressive springs and did a blend of 20W and 30W fork oil...call it 25W...hahaha I was very pleased...and yes ColoradoBob, as I was cruising around 80-85 mph on some of the uphill pulls that damn 52 Vincent just cruised by and put distance between me and him. Nice to see the Vincent just cruising along at 100 mph++.

Bob

Jim blames "the Triumphs" passing his '52 Vincent for him running it wide open and blowing by us. He said he is bored out to 1230 and runs another tooth on the front sprocket. Here's the evil beast without the blur at 100mph+. He said he had his chin on the tank. Bob

 

[coloradobob]

Gotta love it!

"69 Tiger" Yesterday I replaced the #3 slide with an anodized #3.5 slide and installed the stay up float. Moved the needle clip the middle, reset tappets, new plugs, leads and fuel and this morning took her out for a ride. What an amazing difference. Took it up to 85 MPH on the freeway and enjoyed every moment of hanging on for dear life! yeehaa! I love riding this old girl. Only one problem though. I think the front brake hub is out of round as the bike pulses badly when I apply the front brake. Hopefully I can machine it without striping the whole wheel.

silverfish

With your carburetor sorted, I hope your love and devotion will be returned many times over and for many years. How big is your smile? Bob

 

[coloradobob]

Highway ride

I do most of my riding in the mountain canyons. Yesterday's ride was a little different, taking highway 287 to Laramie Wyo, then Happy Jack road east to Cheyenne. Rick did a Kehin carb jet change at 8000 ft on his 72 BSA 650 with ambiguous results (he needed more OOMPH above 5000 rpm). I was running flat out on my '72 TR6 and Mike had his Beemer R100 running hard. We stopped at the rural "Bunkhouse Bar and Grill" and had some excellent Wyoming beef and a shot of whiskey that a local cowgirl pulled from the saddlebag of her horse. We got rained on a few times on the return and I was glad to have my helmet with a face shield. At speed, the big rain drops stung like hail. We stopped at my new garage for a beverage and Mike enjoyed a rain-free ride back to Longmont (35 miles). 200 miles, 2 oz oil, 55 mpg. Not bad for a bike with 120k+ miles. I got 65mpg on an easy ride to Boulder (140 mi total) on Saturday. It's good! We rode around Boulder "parade" style and I was next to a '35 Indian. WOW, that was cool!. Bob

 

[coloradobob]

Colorado ride video

http://www.usaprocyclingchallenge.com/stages/stage-2
Check out this video of a classic Colorado mountain ride.
Go to stage 2, video, play route. Bob

 

[coloradobob]

77 Bonne

http://fortcollins.craigslist.org/mcy/2571611111.html
Today, I looked at a non-running 77 Bonneville for $2800. It will probably sell near that price. It would be very tempting at $2000. The rundown: Title good. Old weather checked front tire, front brake good, brake fluid smells slightly bad.
Instruments look OK, headlight can chrome good as is chrome on fenders. Front forks have little damping. Broken blade on kill switch, 3 good 1 broken Lucas turn signals. No visible rust in tank. Original exhaust looks good. Engine looks like never apart. No signs of oil leaks but hard to tell 11 years after it ran. Pancake filters for Mikunis are cut into airbox to clear. No battery, wiring and rectifier, zener, flasher look original and OK. Seat and cover good, wire keeper is broken. Paint on tank is old. Throttle cables are frozen. Clutch cable OK. The engine felt right when I kicked it over. No parts are missing. New kick-start and footpeg rubbers, grommets too. I may go back and do a compression check and try to get it running. It'll take throttle cables to ride it.
Bob

 

[coloradobob]

Up to Ranger Lakes

I cranked down the springs on my clutch and order new Barnett friction plates from Moore's Cycle Center. On the phone, we agreed that the price was very good. Half way up the canyon, the traffic cleared and we let the bikes roll. James' 850 Norton is hard to keep up with and Ed's 750 Norton is running well. Rick took his Gold Wing because he's waiting on new jet needles for his BSA. We planned to do a 200 miler to Walden but turned around in the cold rain at 10,000ft at Ranger Lakes. On the return trip, traffic was very light and everyone moved over to let us pass. At a beverage break at the Mish (Mishawaka Inn), James said I had a rear wheel wobble that I then fixed by rebuilding an old wheel this week. It concerned me that I had pushed the bike really hard in the corners with a major handling problem. Oh well. The traffic in the lower canyon was heavier so we slowed it down most of the way home. It's probably good that we went only 140 miles. We're going to the British Conclave in Arvada Sunday, so the old bike is fit to go another 100+ this weekend. No trees were turning colors at high altitude even though it snowed this week enough to close Trail Ridge road. I hope for another month of good riding before this winter's planned maintenance. Bob

 

[coloradobob]

British Conclave

We rode down to Arvada to attend the Colorado Conclave of British cars and bikes. Rick took his Trident, his son on Rick's Bonneville, Ed on his Atlas, James rode in comfort on his Road King, Rick S on his Gold Wing, and me on my 72 TR6 after a late start with a flat tire. Phantom Canyon members Bob and Bill took 1st and 3rd prizes. Another member set a record at Bonneville and showed his 125 BSA. (the record was somewhat less than a ton). Bob

 

[coloradobob]

ride-in fly-in drive-in

We attended the Antique Aircraft Association's fly-in adjacent to our club meeting. The pilots were doing their version of wheelies by traversing the entire grass runway while on one wheel of their old tail-draggers. We're still waiting for the trees to change colors to schedule our last club ride of the year. Pilots, riders, and drivers discussed gasoline, fabrication, tires, certification, and other items of common interest. Bob

 

[coloradobob]

worn out ignition

I dropped the needles one knotch and installed one size larger low speed jets (#40's) in the Mikuni's I installed on my brothers Bitsa. I disassembled the AAU because it seemed to be sticking and not returning to retarded position at idle. After cleaning and polishing the pivot shaft, I reassembled the AAU with a light coat of white grease on the pivots and reinstalled it. Damn it. I pulled the threads out of the timing chest when I tightened the top pillon bolt that holds the timing plate in place. I found a thinner washer and gently tightened the plate in place and used the adjustment of the two points mount plates to set the timing. Mickey mouse set up. Too much slop between moving parts makes it hard to get a good setting.

I ended up replacing my points set-up with EI years ago because all the fasteners were shot. I wish I'd have known about the EI option in the early 80's when I sold the Nortons with similar problems. Bob