What Have You Being Doing With Your Non-triumph Today?

It's great having you on board as a member, @Martine! I really enjoy your posts and your forum presence. It definitely is fun to share the fun with the like-minded on this forum. I also appreciate that you went the extra mile to figure out how to post those Norton videos! I've not yet gotten to that level of techie-ness. How did you go about it it?

What H-D does HH ride? And what sort of H-D-related business does your brother-in-law have? I'm just curious and if you prefer not to share, no worries. My handsome husband says I sometimes ask too many questions.

 

Thanks for sharing that Norton story. Sometimes it's only in hindsight that some things become funny! Sounds like he was a good friend with many neat stories. I'm sorry for your loss.

 

Thanks, Sandi T. I've enjoyed the forum so far though I may have spent way too much time reading the joke thread when I should have been doing other things . And you know I've enjoyed your great posts about sunny AZ.

HH rides an '06 Softail Deluxe. When I met him he had his Norton and a Honda Sabre V45, which is the bike I first learned to ride (I have no hope of being able to ride the Norton). His '76 Bonneville had taken a hiatus but came back to him later and happily recently welcomed my 2020 T100 to the garage. Like others have said, nice to have a choice of riding styles.

My BIL installs lighting (anything electric really, but mainly lighting) on HDs in WA and travels to shows and does it on the road, too. He also cuts them to pieces and rebuilds them to suit himself for fun. Last time we saw him in GA he was towing a new camp trailer from WA by way of NH with a highly modified Heritage. Will post a pic later of one of his builds with a suicide clutch.

I searched the forum for how to post a video after getting error messages of the files I was trying to upload being too large even after I'd compressed them. Yea forum! I found "Possible To Post A Video Segment? Discussion in 'Triumph General Discussion' started by Thripster, Sep 18, 2020." It says to post it to YouTube first...which was another first for me! Like I've told you before, I don't do any other social media (gasp!) so this has been a bit of an adventure learning some terminology and techniques (like PM, uploading, etc.). Glad I found the best forum out there!

 

Wow, that’s some cc’s to make 100HP....... I understand why you went down the Torque route with your mods. You have invested a lot of time and money to make your bike “ your” bike. I get that. And they do look right for where you live with your speed limits and road types. Over here we have different road set ups and my favourite roads go way out into the countryside. I think you would be amazed at the widths of country lanes and the style of riding that goes on. ..... Some good and some outright heart stoppingly mad. We are lucky where we live as the roads are not heavily policed. The police forces tend to rely on speed cameras rather than patrols. But that does lull you into a false sense of security...As for riding one in Tucson, we are lucky if we ever get out of the village .....! But if we ever get out of this place who knows..!

 

I should think it's pretty safe to say that 'the forum' is glad that you found it!

@Martine, can I ask you, please, a (kind of) personal question regarding a statement in your post above? You say, quote, "I have no hope of being able to ride the Norton". This really intrigues me as it immediately begs the obvious question - "WHY?"

You're clearly VERY capable of riding a motorcycle - though I can't, at present, recall exactly which Triumph you own - so, fundamentally and self-evidently, you have the ability to ride the Commando ........ you can read that as either a statement or a question, I suppose. So, is the 'no hope' that you express self-imposed; a constraint imposed by HH; a condition in the wedding vows - Commando chastity, perhaps?

Seriously, I'd guess either HH says 'no' or you say 'no thanks'. Now, IF it's the latter, I'd wager you're "afraid you'll damage the motorcycle-love-of-his-life" or maybe it's "too big/heavy/powerfu/tall for me" which would be interesting as it's lighter and MUCH less powerful than the Sabre you used as a learner bike! Granted, the 1970/71 Commando is going to have a noticeably higher seat height and will carry its weight appreciably higher than the V45 ... OH, and it'll have the shifter on the "wrong" side! ....but, as a riding machine it will handle much better, respond to steering input more easily and be an INFINITELY more engaging experience (trust me on this!) than, arguably, ANY bike you've ridden to date!! So I implore you - nay, urge you - go speak to HH and ask if he'll teach you to ride the Commando. Once you've tried and mastered a proper, old fashioned Brit. twin - especially the Commando - you'll have passed a milestone of understanding of where 'modern' bikes came from and why 'old and British' is an accolade not an admonition; a compliment not a curse and an achievement not an ambition!

'Just do it' might be an appropriate injunction?

 

Thanks, @Adie P, those are some seriously encouraging words and I love how you explained the possibilities. Everything you said about "old and British" is what HH schooled me on from the beginning and is surely what's behind his love of that bike. He's offered every bike to me so it's definitely not that he won't share! But a couple of months ago I'd explained to @joe mc donald in my newbie thread: "That's my husband's Norton which I've ridden only two-up with him. Not that he wouldn't share but first I've no chance at all of kick starting it, and even if he started it for me I couldn't pull the clutch lever, and if I managed to overcome that somehow, I'd have to learn to shift with my right foot." Not that I couldn't learn the shifting but the bike is tall and I'm not an agile enough rider to overcome that and pulling that clutch is a humdinger (maybe it's adjustable but never explored that). I'm thrilled to be on my T100 and when I'm not riding I love reading about the bikes...like this article which has great Triumph mentions and made me want to try them all:
https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/motorcycles/g2309/best-motorcycle-buys/

That Sabre was a super comfortable bike and easy to ride, but then what did I know since it was the only one I'd tried at the time? I rode it only enough to know that I wanted/needed to get my own bike. I've not ridden his HD because I find it to be just too big for my comfort. I know that deftness on a bike isn't necessarily size dependent given we watched the eye-wateringly talented, small-statured Hardly Angels years ago ride huge HDs in astonishingly slow, tight dance moves; and my BIL is three inches shorter than me (I'm 5-feet 5-inches) yet more than manages any HD. HH and BIL started riding when they were 7 and 9, so their bike experience and mileage are crazy, and I'm sure that describes many people on this forum from the sounds of it.

I guess the bottom line is that the "no hope" is, as you suggested, "self-imposed" after all. The next new thing for me will be dirt bike riding. Who knows, maybe that will lead to a Scrambler...
Ride safe.

 

I certainly know what you mean about spending too much time reading the joke forum, Martine. I find I spend a lot of time on the forum in general! Glad to know you enjoy my AZ posts. I'm enjoying your posts, too.

I've always liked the Softail Deluxe model. There's something so iconic about its retro vibe. I was really surprised to learn that Harley pulled it from their model offerings as of this year. I'm hopeful that it will be back again at some point. I've never owned that particular Harley model but test rode a 2018 when the demo truck came through Tucson and I really enjoyed riding it.

If you're BIL has ever been a vendor at the Laughlin River Run I'm sure I've seen him. That's a rally that my husband and I attended every year from 2012 until they cancelled it in 2020. The primary lighting vendor I always remember seeing because we stayed at the hotel where it was based was by the Golden Nugget. Wouldn't it be a small world if that was your BIL?! I look forward to seeing some photos of his builds, particularly the one with the suicide shifter that you mentioned.

I don't do any other social media besides this forum, either, so have learned a lot of new things by being on here. As I think you've found, folks are happy to help and offer advice not only about bikes but about things that are forum and tech related. I'll have to get on YouTube and find out how to post a video on YouTube. I'm sure there are lots of YouTube videos on how to do that!

As Adie P mentioned in another post, the forum is glad that you've found it...and us!

 

Hey @Martine ! Thanks for the response and the very reasoned explanation. I'd still very much urge you to take up HH's offer for you to ride that Commando. If you can get a decent feel for the weight and height of the bike for a few minutes before taking the plunge, ALL will be well. Honestly, I wouldn't lie to you.

The clutch? That's a diaphragm clutch in there and, whilst a tad heavier than most modern bike clutches, it's definitely not something that you'll need the grip of a gorilla to operate. Seat height? Well, I'd be lucky to make 5' 5" on a good day and with an inseam of, reallistically, about 29", yep, I grant you, it's a challenge, but I've got a Commando, too, and a T160 and they are tall with a capital T. If I can do it, so can you. But, all of life is a challenge when you're a short@rse and this won't be the worst!
The kickstarter? Yeah, OK, a bit of a worry for you .... but, be honest - you and I both know that HH will be happy to kick it over and start it for you; he can hold it upright while you get on and steady yourself and your nerves - then he can get on one of his other (lesser?) bikes to follow you down the street outside the house! The gear shift? Yeah, OK, again, a bit of a worry ..... first time ........ but, here's the deal - you hook it up into first (be prepared for the Britbike "CLUNK"); hold the clutch in; put your LEFT foot on the left pillion peg; release the clutch - nice and slow (if HH has hair, pretend you're stroking it lovingly! Seriously - it'll take your mind away from the needless, groundless 'fear' of letting that clutch out too quickly! ) and release the clutch lever carefully, slowly and gently until you feel yourself getting forward motion. Now, THIS is the moment that it will all make some zen-like sense. The clatter of tappets, the easy, lazy torque of a 750 twin, the glorious exhaust note waffling away behind you as you ease forward on a whiff of throttle and gain momentum. Don't worry about changing up just yet - bring it to a stop in first, clutch in and let that experience wash over you for a moment. YOU'VE DONE IT! And you can do it again, this time getting a bit more speed and another gear or, maybe two. The grin will be long lasting, the memory - perhaps forever.

Once you've ridden it, HH will wonder whether or not to let you in on the secret of easy kickstarting - after all, if you don't know that one, then you'll only get to take it out once he's started it for you! But, I have to say that I'm definitely getting the vibe that the only REAL barrier to you getting on that bike seems more like your personal reluctance - that self imposed 'no hope'? Not that it's all that important, of course. I just think that you have the opportunity of one of life's great motorcycling experiences and, as a motorcyclist, I'm sure you're aware of that. The only limit to riding that Norton is in your mind.

If HH says "go for it" then ........................

 

Good grief, this stuff makes me want to throw the computer sometimes Until yesterday I'd accessed the forum only on my phone so there have been a few mild challenges the last couple of days moving to the computer. And now I just spent 30 min trying to figure out how to get back into where I'd posted the videos on Youtube. When I did it the other evening it was surprisingly simple and I discovered that Youtube already knew who I was (?) without any passwords and so I just plunged ahead and uploaded. When I came back today to see exactly what couple of steps it'd taken to upload the videos (at the time it was a few obvious steps...I was lulled me into comfort), it wouldn't let me in and then it said it couldn't verify my authorization.... Those comments may belong better in the Rant section.

Happily getting back to bike stuff... Apparently I kind of understated BIL's talents and work on the bikes and overstated his height. As soon as I get some rebuild pics they'll be next post.

 

Thanks, @Adie P. Have to admit you are making me think...hmmm, what if...

 

@Sandi T, since you asked about my BIL and I said I'd post some about his work, here goes. While he does anything electrical, mainly lighting, for his business, he also mods for business and pleasure. He's been to LRR lots of times but he's a one-person gig.

Since he's 5-feet 1-inch tall, he makes a lot of changes to lower the bikes. This is a Heritage Softail with a Road King front end to lower and maintain suspension. The fender racks are taken from a bike from the '40's. He made the rear fender hinged like the old bikes and installed a tank shift suicide clutch for fun. And tons of changes to the motor for more HP and retro looks.



Here's his latest personal project.

The bike arrived a couple of weeks ago like this, shipped from NH to WA:


Then within hours of it arriving, he started disassembling to make changes:


New sub frame to drop the seat:


And mods to drop the front 2 inches coming with progressive cartridges and chrome lower sliders:


Much lower now, with bars with 17 inch pullback, and waiting to get the new seat covered:



I enjoy seeking to understand more about the bikes builds (putting this bit together got me looking more closely and asking a lot of questions) and understanding what makes them handle differently, but this is a bit too much sausage-making for me. Though like so many things, I find the more I understand what's behind the ride, the more I appreciate it. Ride safe.

 

Thanks for sharing these awesome photos, @Martine! I would bet that I've seen your BIL's booth and perhaps even spoken with him. Small world.

I love that first photo of the Heritage. The backdrop is perfect for the style of that bike. I'm sure at 5'1" tall you BIL has had to make a lot of mods over the years. But how cool that he knows how and is able to do just that! Fun progression of photos for that new project bike and it's great that you can watch it in action and ask questions and learn from it.

 

Weather not great so no Triumph riding. Using the time to work on the '81 Yamaha Enduro HH is putting together. Need gauges so off to the junkyard we went.

Ahh, HH never fails to bring me to the best places...

Things were great as soon as we walked in and saw this:

Despite looking everywhere, that appeared to be the only Brit bike on the premises...and we looked...

And looked... This place is about 3 acres of bikes in various states of disassembly, disorder, and decay with the occasional car mixed in.

We'd come for gauges for the Enduro, so we started on the dusty, crammed shelves inside this dark, cramped obstacle course of more piles of bikes and bike parts. HH was able to locate a tach on one set of shelves stacked with recovered gauges while I rambled about outside trying to stay a little warmer in the meager sun while trying to identify anything possibly British, Yamaha Enduro, or anything interesting... I found it all interesting.

I came inside to report and check on HH. He asked me to rummage on another set of shelves to try my luck in coming across a matching speedo while he went outside to look for the needle in a haystack, to see if he could find a partially intact '81 Enduro to scavenge the gauge mounting bracket.

I didn't really know the exact item to look for but he'd said to try to match the tach's mounting bolts. Using an engine block as a stool, I started to sort through a half dozen shelves partially obscured by a pile of miscellaneous parts...

EDIT: Scroll down for part two since I hit post earlier by accident and I just now discovered how to edit a post (not an option when using my phone)!

 

...hate it when I fat-finger and hit post prematurely! That's what I get for using my phone

 

This is my other ride...

South Jersey weather is erratic. In the winter we can get temps in the 60s one day and a couple days later a blizzard. We had a major snow storm a couple days ago and high temps in the 20s. Today it's about 50 degrees. My driveway is like an aircraft carrier. I have a snow blower, but it's pretty labor intensive. Hooked up a snow plow to my Deere. Worked great! Minutes instead of hours to clear the snow.

 

That place looks like "The walking dead" of motorcycles.

 

Part two: ... So I found a few likely suspects, including a wholly intact set including the mounting bracket; wasn't sure it was the right set but looked right to me.

I joined HH in the yard and mentioned I'd found a few likely gauges, including one that was the whole assembly with both gauges. Out of the piles of bike carcasses, he managed to identify a couple of the Enduros in various states of terribleness, unfortunately none with the bracket he was looking for still in place.



We finally made our way to the back field of the acres of derelict bikes and, as it had to be, in the very back of the back field by the pine trees, upside down, embedded in the dirt was an '81 Yamaha Enduro. The bracket and even the speedo were still intact!



HH calls out to me, "Well, I guess I need a 10mm socket." I couldn't help but laugh given all the jokes I'd seen on the forum about the much vaunted, often elusive, 10mm sockets! Don't ask me why we didn't bring one to begin with...maybe that's a look into how likely he thought it was we'd find the needle in the haystack?

So while I continue to look around (found a great scrambler style that I showed him when he came back), HH traipses back to the shop to get a 10mm. Returning 10 minutes later, he was laughing that the gauge set I'd mentioned I'd unearthed inside was, in fact, the exact set for our bike. So no need for the 10mm to unstall the part that'd been enjoying a weathered experience outside given that whole set had been sitting on the shelf inside for years.



Well, we'd had a good time picking our way through the junkyard and had talked a lot about what different bikes were. Had he looked earlier at the gauges I'd dug out, we may not have shared the time looking at everything in the yard. He does know how to show his wife a good time!

 

That junkyard looks amazing!

 

It looks amazing only to a certain kind of person...I'll leave it up to other forum members to come up with the applicable adjectives! Whatever those adjectives are, I'm included!

One of our social activities (I guess we might call it a date?) in the early days long before we were married was a visit to a car junkyard. HH and I spent hours walking through and looking at the vintage cars. Those were the days when you could still do that; don't know if there are still car junkyards that let you ramble and pull your own parts. The visit yesterday to the MC junkyard was a whole new level of grand.

 

We don't have anything like that here in Ireland. I could easily spend a day dandering around there. It's the gorgeous backdrop of those trees too. Bet it looks stunning in the fog