Bikes I've Owned

Things a bit slack up here as I am off sick again with this undiagnosed thing and the weather is so foul I cannot get out at all. So I thought I would post some pics of the bikes I've owned. Some are my own pics but I've had to trawl the internet for some others, hope I've not trodden on too many toes vis a vis copyright; still it is not for pecuniary gain so perhaps I will not be clapped in irons and shipped to Australia, ooh that sounds rather good actually.

This was the first embarrassing bike my parents got for me.

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After much tantrums, screaming, scowling, foot stamping, door slammings and I hate you's they relented and consigned the second hand Tina to the scrappy and let me have my first proper bike. £260 quid on the drip got me.A brand new Triumph Trailblazer 250cc
I really loved it, Dad hated the oil on his drive. To be honest it was horribly unreliable, a bugger to start and was often in a pile of bits in the garage. Rebuilt a gearbox one new years eve instead of going out on the lash. Triumph warranties were parts only then and couldn't afford to have The Bee fix it in their workshops.


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Think I bought this for about £30 and sold it for £50. Wish I had kept it now it was a cracker, even leakier than the Triumph but a sweet little bike.

Still think they look lovely now.










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Reed Titan Honda 351. The one shown is not mine but mine was almost the same but all black.
Ended up in hospital after drinking Colt 45 and thinking I could still ride my bike. Lesson well learnt, could so easily have been fatal for either me or someone I hit. The sandstone wall came off best, bike was trashed Think a mate rebuilt it in later years but there were lumps of engine casing missing.


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Don't remember much about this un, Just a doer upper I sold on

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Had a break for a few years whilst being married and the likes but came back on this Honda. Love the lines of this bike even today but it was horribly unreliable. Chocolate camshafts, very dodgy electronics. Still, it got me to Spain where my Niece and Nephew had to sit on it. Loved the way it rode and my first shaft drive experience didn't put me off em.

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This Yam is a nice looking bike, it was comfy and the shaft was OK, (I hate oiling chains). It is my last shafty to date but I don't rule em out.

I had two accidents on this, one hit and run meant the bike needed rebuilding and the other put me in intensive care for a month and the bike in the scrappy. Sure it was jinxed. Got to Italy on it but had to rush back half way through hols as my Mum became terminally ill.
Not happy memories of this un.
When I first got it I went to the pub and Peter Brierley looked at the reg and said the three letters (CFY) stood for C$%T of a F%$£%&"G YAMAHA; and it was






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Can't really remember the order I got the next lot in but they were all after the Yam and I had up to seven at any one time.
Nice little CB 175, bit rare twin carb version. Sold it to a friends daughter and she still showers it with love and affection I think

This 750 was a good bike. Dead reliable, comfy, fastish for it's day. Had a nice Holiday in Cornwall and it never missed a beat. Used it to commute to Tamworth and sold it for more than I paid.

Had a 400 x 4 Kwacker and cannot find a pic of one. Very boring bike but did the job I spose. Just didn't light my fire.










Perhaps the Kwacker was faster, handled better, stopped quicker and was more reliable (moot point) but these little Hondas had soul. Just loved mine and wished I had still got it.












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Another £50 find in a garage.  Bloke wanted a Daytona but saw it leaking oil in the showroom and changed his mind when he saw the Honda next to it. He used it to commute to Uni some way away so wanted reliability. If it had been the Daytona I might not of got it for £50. It had been laid up for over 10 years; put in some fresh fuel borrowed a battery of another bike and it fired up on the kick start so changed the oil and ran it for a few years. It was a good little bike, sold it to a mate who sold it on and the bloke ran it out of oil or something and blew it up big time.

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This isn' mine as mine was missing the bathtubs Had the Nacelle and the testicle slicer on the tank and was this colour.
Cracking little bike and one I really wish I'd kept. Engine was so smooth and powerful for a little un. Edward Turners best twin I reckon.



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Still got this Beeza; in bits now being slowly restored, need to get on the case. Got it as it is the same model (only a Beeza) as my first real bike.
Nice bike to ride; Boyer electronic ignition got rid of most of the Triumph problems starting. Dad long gone so no moans about the oil on the drive.Not a drop under it there.





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Trumpet
My Tiger 750; had him 20 odd years and will never let him go. He is in need of fettling again and thinking of turning him into a Tiger Trail. I' not a stickler for originality and concourse bikes as you can probably see, "Ooh no Sidney, we should mark this one down because the mudguard bolts should be nickel plated not chrome for this year".
I once saw a 1000 BSA at classic bike show with all the engine internals polished and stuck on a pegboard by the side of the bike. Numpty! That is not a motorbike if the motor is on the outside!

When I first got him, on the way to the Dragon I think.

How he looks now. Think this is at the TT TOMCC meet.. He went on a TOGA do to Spa Francorchamps and never missed a beat. Think a footrest fell off though.







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Kwacker 900. lovely bike even if it did need 2 lanes of the motorway if over 120mph. The lady on the back was a lovely person who wanted to go on the Wirral Egg run once before she died from cancer. She had her wish and this is us starting off. Another keeper, finances decreed otherwise at the time though





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Trumpy:
Don't know why I started naming my Triumphs, none of the Jap things had names nor the 3TA The Trailblazer was the only female one and was usually called
F^*%$£*G start you F^*%$£*G Bitch
Trumpy has been to Spain and Portugal, commuted to London regularly, been to Scotland and done the TT/GP a few times. He's got a bit of a titty lip at the moment because of the next fellow but I've got some medicine for him if only I can get out and use up the tank of fuel in there, far too mean to pour it away.

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Tigger
Got him in May, Brilliant bike. Triumph have now sold me the best I have ever owned and the worst (Trailblazer).

If only they had invented electronic ignition in 1971 I might've voted the 400 Kwack the worst for outright lack of character





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Never owned one of these but can only dream. Def my dream bike.

Post Hospital

Just got back from Hosi after a battery of tests and procedures. First give sample through a posh funnel thingy into the sample jar, you do not get the funnel thingy in the NHS, then affix a tube in the arm and withdraw almost a whole armful of blood and squirt salt water back in. Then nursey pops back with a bottle of Lucosade and says drink that in 5 mins please.  Then back for the rest of the armfull  and salt thingy and drop trousering whilst I inject this horrible stuff that may sting a little into your kidney area. (STING! A LITTLE!) to excite your glands, phew! ooh er missus! Pain and excited glands! also not NHS treatment I suspect.
Then more funnel procedure. Followed by what sounded worrying like a gonadectomy but turned out was just a long injection that may make me go to the loo or make me throw up, niether happened until the next funnel procedure and then no throwing up, both preferable to having gonads removed though I must admit..
This was followed by the last bit of blood being taken salt water re-inserted; the nursey then cheerfully pointed out her strap thingy for putting on ones arm to get the veins up with the smiling vampires and draculas on.  a final funnel procedure and tea and biscuits, or a sandwich if I so wished. Nice tea served in a teapot on a tray with nice biscuits, again not NHS treatment I suspect.
See the Prof again on the 16th and with a bit of luck we may find out what is wrong and where we go from here.

Hospital

Right chaps.
Off to the hospital this morning for a battery of tests to try and pin down this undiagnosed illness.
Lets start with Wednesday first. I went back to work after 11 days off sick. 1st class travel down to London was ok, the breakfast was good and the train was only 10 mins late. Get into the office after rushing from Euston to find no sign of my first meeting. It's been cancelled but nobody thought to tell me. Of to second meeting in Farringdon early for a bit of pre-meeting discussion. They've moved offices but no problem good directions and not too far from Station. First thing to spot outside station is a topless bar, drinks £10 no extra to pay, bogof deal on drinks, think we'll give that a miss at 11:30 on a wednesday. I have worked with the senior architect before, he is a nice chap with a 250 Trophy but the more junior bloke a bit arsey.
Came home Thurs; after a free lunch at work. We had a lunchtime session with the GLA waste people describing Boris's plan to deal with waste in the Greater London area, sandwiches delicious. Nice chat with a chap in the first class lounge over a beer or two, again, on train, complimentary food nice and free gin always welcome, train smack on time so got connection back to Meols and Midget there to meet me only slightly miffed coz she'd missed the end of masterchef. She likes my train to be late and tries to will a points problem at Crewe so she can see end of program, no thoughts for me stuck on the underground for an extra half hour.
By the state of me now I really think I have gone back to work too early and should still be off but it is hard to just stay off just because basiclly I am tired. Seems wrong for a person of my age with the work ethic I have, It may be better if I had a diagnosis and that is what this morning with the professor is all about.
Tomorrow's jobs are to sort out Trumpy's undiagnosed misfire, bit of shopping , aged aunt and then pub. Daughter coming over so that is bound to cost. Sadly there will probably be no time for pottering around North Wales taking photo's to show all and sundry.

Off to the Horseshoe Pass

Trumpy fired up beautifully, not a hint of the surly grumpy Trumpy of Sunday. All three cylinders chimed in beautifully, forecast to brighten up after lunch so off to Horseshoe pass for a cuppa with the chaps.The long way round of course.

Here he is being fettled over the weekend. The result was a new battery and a light wallet.
Beautiful ride out to Ruthin and then over the Clocaenog forest road towands Cerrigydrudion. One old haunt of mine at Llanfihangel doesn't seem to be open any more, or is it? Can't decide.

Without wishing in any way to steal Richard Holts thunder from his excellent blog  http://thebridgeclub2011.blogspot.com this pub is on a river, so has a bridge.

 
 It had trout fishing round the back. It also served lovely food.
I seem to have been caught up in bridge mode today so further apologies to Richard but the triple crossover thingy near the Chainbridge at Llangollen should not be missed.

1 small road bridge, one large one and a railway bridge for steam trains

Small road bridge just in third arch from right.

One of Trumpy taking in the view.

Then off up the Horseshoe Pass. Lovely road can be a bit tricky on a sunny summer Sunday when all the knee down nutters come out.

This was when he started misbehaving again, down to two cylinders and splutter onto three when you do not want him to. 20 miles later filled him up with Shell V-Power and by the time I got home he is starting to chime in on three again some of the time. Do think it could be the bio-fuel content in the fuel that I put in in April has attracted some water into it, It is Hydroscopic so can do that, Further investigations to come at the weekend. Off to London on the train tomorrow and back on Thursday, all work but at least it is first class travel so full English in the morning and 2 lrg gins plus a meal on Thursday all free.

Tigger to Trumpy

What with Xmas on the horizon and all the expense that can bring I thought it better to lay up the Tiger and get the impending service done early next year. The Sprint can come out of temporary retirement and be pressed into service. Oh-er he had different ideas about that, that'll teach you to snub me for that shiny new boy he muttered to himself as the press on the starter produced 1 lazy revolution and some clicking. Plug in battery charger and get a cuppa. 2 hours later he reluctantly struggled into life so we whizzed off up the motorway and back down the A roads for about 30 miles. Lucky I didn't stop anywhere coz not a spark of life in it when I got back. £60 lighter and a new battery on charge over night and we are ready to go out with Tim and some other chaps for a run this morning. Tim on a 400 Yam Exup, two chaps on Can-am rotax trike thingummy jigs and a chap on a mint 1000 Honda Firegrate none of the latter three I knew. Didn't know people drove bikes that slow and we had soon lost them on the motorway and they didn't turn up at Broxton where they said they would. Trumpy still in a major strop despite having had a new battery was mainly running on two cylinders. Bloody naff fuel  I suspect as I had last put some in in April, filled up at Broxton and no improvement by the cuppa at the Raven. tootled around Shropshire for a bit and then headed home. Now the balance was more triple than twin and the twin bit only came in under 3k revs and then not all the time. When we stopped at Smithy's Chester Tim said you seem to have a triple again. Realised how easily one could lose a licence on this thing as I'm afraid I did see some highly illegal numbers on there that would have had the Midget bashing my helmet furiously.
Sorry no pics today too much frenzied riding need to chill again

No mud today my lovers on the back

Paraphrasing a song to start with that probably ages me a bit.
Went out pottering in the Clwydian Range today with my beloved. She is affectionately know as the midget being of the short persuasion. Only weighing 7 and a bit stone does not upset the handling of the Tiger too much either.

Pottering involves finding a road that says "unsuitable for large vehicles" combined with a direction sign to a place with no vowels in it and riding round until the need for a cuppa raises it's head then setting sat-nav for Ponderosa ar some such place and following George's instructions. Is it just me who names their sat-nav or do others.
Looking through the photo's I find some pics from a previous potter around the Wirral, visiting some of my old haunts.

I can remember when this slipway led to a sandy beach, OK it was not the Copa- Cabana but a beach never the less. I also found what are marked up on Ordnance Survey maps as by-ways now closed off to protect the birds or seemingly to protect someones privacy. They do not block walkers cos they are a vociferous bunch but block trail riders and even horse riders in some cases.Rant rant.

 Beach what beach?
Midget had a very enjoyable time on the potter and wants to come again, hmmm!
Well the 6,000m service is due on the Tiger and what with the Xmas expenses coming up may have to leave that until the new year and swap over to the Sprint. Not as suitable for pottering as the Tiger as one has to give it some stick the get enough wind to lift some of the weight off my wrists, honestly officer! Plus it only has one seat at the mo to stop Midgets bashing me on the head when over 3 figures are reached.

Still in two minds whether to sell the Sprint but hate selling bikes and have regretted every one I have sold ever from the £30 Royal Enfield to the £2k Z9 I wish they were all still in my garage. Well mostly; I could possibly live without the Triumph Tina and Def the 900 Yam I thought was jinxed and ended up in the scrap yard with me in intensive care for a month. That would have needed room for about 15, not too much to ask is it?
Saturdays does not involve too much pottering, shopping to do, aged aunt to see, and various houshold chores to attend to followed by Pub.

Wales and Mud

Been out on the Tiger today and foolishly attempted a bit of green laning. To be fair I'd been told it is a very easy trail and it probably is but at the bottom of the mountain it was just too muddy for the tyres I had on. Cue big heap of Triumph and Griff in the mud.

Did not snap the full embarrassment  and thankfully no-one else there to video the pathetic struggling to get the bike. Managed it despite the slippy mud, not bad for a man of my age.

As you can see Tiger undamaged just a bit muddy.
Took the easy way round and still got to Moel Arthur then on to the Ponderosa for a well earnrd cuppa with the chaps.

Just a lovely sort of bike riding just pottering about these tiny roads, nary a soul about. No cars to not see you and no nutters on race reps to overestimate their skill levels. The Tiger keeps up with a lot of them and will even embarrass a few.

This one is for when there are two of us, apparently it gets a bit more severe down the mountain.
Bit stiff after picking the bike up but was a lovely day pottering.

Undiagnosed Illness

Right had this complaint now for nearly 2 years and cannot get a diagnosis off my Doc. He started off saying it is post viral fatigue but now says it shoulda got better in a couple of months. Since then I've had a battery of tests, bloods, liver function, pressures, heart rates, full body scan, brain scan, colonoscopy gland tests, et al. Nothing, all fuctioning perfectly well so what is causing this debilitating fatigue, pain, lethargy and cognitive disfunction?
Now he has sent me off to see some Professor bloke to se if he can fathom it out. Personally I think it is ME but what do I know. 

Well hello.
Griffs Triumphs may be about Triumphs or triumphs; there may even be a bit about a BSA if I leap into action this winter. It may also be about failures or even a rant about the unfairness of life. I am well on the way to being a grumpy old man. I was known as Victor at Uni after some TV show or other.
I have 3 Triumphs and the BSA in bits. I have a Meridan Tiger, off road at the mo but complete, a Hinckly Tiger 800 XC and an 04 Sprint RS.

The XC was bought brand new in May and has clocked up 8,000miles now, mostly on the road but a bit off as well. I got it over the Wayfarer and was quite pleased to do so on  the standard road tyres. It was reasonably dry.

 Hope to do a few more up in Wales but to be honest the XC is a bit heavy if you want to go much harder than this.