Hairy Bikers and Other Petrol Heads

[Dangerous Davies]

Nick
This firm is probably too far away from you but they do include a price list for common jobs ie sludge trap strip, clean and reassemble.
Matt‘s machine shop Abercynon, South Wales.


I have no connection with them other than being a satisfied customer.

HTH

Dave

 

[Flaxfield]

I know a few of the boys at Matts. All good types.

Staying with Wales, what about SRM in Aberystwyth?
I used to know them when they were in Cardiff and had a few bits and bobs from them when the moved to Aberystwyth. Again, decent guys with an excellent reputation.

Both 'shop' have guys who ride what they build and they don't hang around when they do..

Rob

 

[SimonT]

AVG has isolated the link to mattsmachinesshop as it is a dangerous web page. I didn't click it but it tried to access my computer. Can it be deleted and cleaned up please. Now to do another complete scan!

 

[adrian]

AVG has isolated the link to mattsmachinesshop as it is a dangerous web page. I didn't click it but it tried to access my computer. Can it be deleted and cleaned up please. Now to do another complete scan!

Strange, I accessed it fine. Google and others seem to clear it only Norton seems to complain.

 

[Nick Dunhill]

Yes, unfortunately I have been done.

There seems to be a cluster of good machine shops for classic Triumphs in Wales. The SRM guy metaphorically rolled his eyes when I mentioned the builder I'd used in my email. They'd had a few of his engines through. I picked the guy in Cov as he had had a cancellation and could fit me in at the end of Aug, and the engine would only be away for 3 weeks. So that's 72 weeks fewer than my X75 engine has been away for reconditioning, but that's another tale.

At least the 2300 I paid included an engine that I hope can be made good (it has matching cases too). Complete but unrestored 2nd hand classic Triumph engines fetch around 1500 to 1700 on ebay.

 

[Eastsidepilot]

Nick,
I used to strip 'em, get everything re conditioned or parts replaced and do the rebuild myself then I only had myself to blame for leaks and failures but guess you don't have the time nowadays mate.

 

[Osgood]

Rare sighting of a Hairy Biker above.

 

[Nick Dunhill]

Eyup Col.
I used to strip engines too back in the day. My enthusiasm was greater than my engine building talents though! My workshop is equipped for making very small things, but not large ones (I don't have a big vise) and I don't have any Triumph engine special tools anymore. Best to get someone who does have the tools and years of experience to sort it out. My wife says the days of putting cylinder heads and oily crankcases in our oven are over, especially the fancy new one!

 

[simond]

My days of using the kitchen for anything “techie” came to an abrupt halt in our first, rented house, where I dropped a fairly large piece of 3mm thick brass on the vinyl floor, after heating it to annealing temperature….

Times move on, there are two 3D printers in the utility room, and PD Loco is in the lounge.

 

[Eastsidepilot]

Rare sighting of a Hairy Biker above.

You really mean "He had hair, then !"

 

[simond]

You really mean "He had hair, then !"

Didn’t we all…?

 

[Peter Cross]

Wet sumping ?

From experience that just pumps out onto the rear tyre.

 

[Nick Dunhill]

Surprisingly it doesn't wet sump at all. Even when laid up in mid winter.

 

[Brian McKenzie]

View attachment 267637

Way back in the mid 1970's I drove a tour coach on a six-week circuit of Europe (as far as Istanbul) - without a driving licence _ as one could get away with in those early EU disorganised administration days.

Later, when other opportunities arose (ski trips etc) I decided to go for a Class 1 PSV (double-decker with manual gearbox) via a driving school in Nottingham. But no way would a UK driving instructor allow a colonial to pass a licence at first test!

But I was OK second time around. One had to change up and then down again through all gears between each lamp post, and reverse around a corner with no more than a shoe width between rear wheels and the kerb. It was necessary to find and halt at bus stops - on an unknown bus route - when the bell sounded. But tellingly, I was directed down a road with a low overhead rail bridge - to see if I'd try to go through!

(I had the licence for three years unused, but then authority would not renew it. Still have the big red lapel button with number.)

-Brian McK.

 

[Flaxfield]

Myself and No.1 son took the Triumphs out for a spin around the Wye Valley, Usk, Abergavenny area yesterday. Unfortunately, it's not possible to do the length of the Wye Valley due to work being carried out but we were out for around five hours. The Bonnie had the occasional cough and fart, which I put down to a bit of rubbish in the float bowl of one of the carbs, so that's a job to be attended to.
Generally though, the Bonnie went well and it was a really good day. Tom's Street 400 was faultless and is proving to be a really good buy. He's a good, steady rider and has settled down really well, as has his new back tyre ( which he was 'exploring' at times )

We paused at a bridge on one of the back roads out of Tintern. Some forty odd years ago, I paused here on what was one of my first, if not the first solo run on my newly acquired 1974 500/4, which was my first 'big bike' after passing my test. Sadly, I can not yet find the photo taken of the 500 all those years ago but we replicated it yesterday with the Triumphs, with Tom's 400 parked in the same spot.





I'm really enjoying having the chance to do these runs with him. I count myself as very lucky.

Rob