Plymouth. Celebrating the 120th anniversary of Triumph 1902-2022.

Hi Les,

I intend to come down from Cardiff for this – I enjoy a decently long day ride.

Does anybody wish to join me en route? I’ll be riding via M4, M5, Devon Expressway, arriving Lee Mill for the ride out at 11:00 hrs.

Les – see you there (hopefully)…

In 1967 I had never sat on a Triumph but I was a Motorcyclist and learning fast. I wAs a civilian student in HMS Thunderer, many old tatty bikes. We all learned a great deal about mending them but the shocking eye-opener was how good the AMC two stroke was at troublefree travel. A bit later I tried a Triumph 500 and it too was better than the so called enthusiasts for exotica would allow. They never crossed Dartmoor let alone ran up to Bath in the day as I did. But the killer was Honda Twin, brakes and rpm, no drama. Our factories were terrible. Everyone wanted a BMC Minivan far cheaper than a bike.

Now I languish in hospital. Thinking of what decent bike I will buy once mended, won’t be Triumph. But I am pleased to read of riding from Cardiff, not of bikes brought by van.

Old bike people have devised a strange artificial world in which reality is suppressed. It was not till I owned my Guzzis that I felt bikes did me much good. Too flimsy in design. Amazing the public would buy them new.

Completely out of the blue my kidneys went on strike, they are essential, I kept fainting and falling. Not cancer, not yet solved the why. But I will alter my life a bit, less nostalgia, more modern riding, I may buy a V11 Guzzi.

Going back to when Tridents were new they were very unusual. I was given a go on a t160 and it was a strikingly good ride. He expanded it via Hyde kit and nothing could touch it. Very exciting on wet road. The Kawasaki z1 was the only other brute. Nobody could afford an Italian of which 3 were interesting. BMW stood alone.

I also rode a Yamaha 350LC, now that was fun, not heavy expensive. More what was wanted.

Taken all round my Honda 325 of 1972 is a very fine bike.

Life was fun in 1982 also: 17 yr old came to work on KH250, 3 cylinders 17mpg… L plates. Then he drove County towing brakeless 40 ft trailer, say 20 tons total for which held licence aged 16. He was very good with that outfit but not considered fit on a bike. Civil servants and politicians not a clue. The Elsie was a treat in comparison. Then my brother decided to buy 175 Honda but not considered safe to ride it. But boy of 19 kills several with HGV for which he has ticket but no feel.

Going back to 1970s I only once saw an MV, knew the odd Ducati and Laverda. But gradually came to realise Guzzi was far tougher. I have worn out 6 tyres for zero replaced mechanism or electrics. I bought a plate carrying the filter externally to make changes quick easy. It is evil if ridden hard away uphill in 1st when you go for 2nd but otherwise faultless. The T3 is ordinary, 1000s has 40mm carburettors and goes very high rpm, makes main road traffic disappear, but not quite equal Honda VFR but far more animal. Half price of Commando, unbreakable.

I applaud your dedication to one of the world’s oldest motorcycle marques. They ought to know a thing or two by now! After all, Ducati was an electronics company before Allied bombing made them start all over again, Laverda only built small commuter bikes until some Brits suggested otherwise, Kawasaki are ship builders, etc…

I’m intrigued by your stating that yours is “…evil if ridden hard away uphill in 1st…”. Torque reaction to blame…?

No, the gap from 1st to 2nd is wide and primary reduction is 1.235 so like a vintage car it needs a double de clutch on shut throttle but we have indexing lever and no means to slow the engine shaft. The upper ratios are close enough for a quick click. BMW is worse as no primary reduction. The traditional big reduction primary means most bike gears carry small rotating inertia and change ratio sweetly.

It is best ridden gently into 2nd early on at low rpm. Gives most bikes a good run at speed.

I have been provoked, noticed daylight beneath front wheel as I levelled with something reptilian from traffic lights, tough brute!

It is interesting how few people, who think they are motor enthusiasts can drive. On a farm a student came for harvest, set to move large dung spreader behind ordinary crash box tractor. Not a clue. We used 5 speed Nuffield, 3 X 2 Ford, 8 Deere. With Ford and road trailer you needed high top, then low, but then middle high. Quite logically done – up to 6 then down to middle. Silent jerkfree. But woe if you got both neutrals at once, and don’t expect brakes to save you.

The Deere had 2 speed synchromesh but if you do wanted 8 from 7 it was not easy, 6 went with 8. My biggest was an Atkinson with 12 litre RR and Fuller 10 speed.

On You Tube is motor journalist with 3 litre Bentley, hilarious, useless. My father had one, left foot well apart from pedals, he could silently select any from any. I used to scare passengers in a Spridget by selecting 1st at 25mph, they expected the box to burst.

5 speed Trident box gives good clutchless changes from sensitive toe and eased throttle. Velo better into top and 1st than middle pair because middle spider delicate. Big dogs and some slop helps. When cold wet it is nice to ride with minimum of flurry, top mark to Quaife style dog box.

First photo from yesterday ‘s shindig – Mr John Young waxing lyrical about the 1976 Son of Sam (alongside) and the 1971 Daytona 8 triple.

And you were expecting lots of bike photos! (Don’t worry – there were c.120 of us on the ride in and more waiting at the venue so more photos to come of the gathering…)

Two things re Wilson box, I couldn’t get a Lanchester to climb a mound from standstill because fluid flywheel just held engine below needed torque. Also be careful with starting handle… Riley thought running over me would teach me lesson! It had very low 1st and centrifugal clutch. The clutches have bad features: aluminium cage thermal expansion to early slip or cracks to  bursting. Books tell not to dismantle box, but I did and afterwards had reverse which had lost its linings. Very impressed by Riley 12/4 but about Mini 850 performance. Proper engineering except end thrust in oil pump.

You have me at a disadvantage – I’ve never had to work on said boxes but simply enjoyed the normal driving of others’ vehicles with fluid flywheels. (Abnormal driving would arise from ownership or trade activities!) I’m guessing that the Lanchester you mention was an LD10…?

I think it more probably 14, circa 1950, like a 4 cylinder Conquest (Century) Daimler.

I also drove a jerkomatic Ford 3000, that had 13 speeds on single quadrant. Divided as 3 for road,. 10 for field. Many tractors have epicyclic boxes and change on the go, was a way of having 12 ratios on old 3 speed crash box, 4 epicyclic added.

A real Lanchester, product of Frederick was/is a wonderful thing. I am less sold on the BSAs.

My great great uncle had one when Surrey numbers were preceded by single letter P. He bought it, made a horseless carriage house with chauffeur flat, for his wife to use but she died. The car was still there when my father began motorcycling/motoring. My great aunt had a 10 but I think it a BSA.

Reverting to 1904, GK Churchward had cars demonstrated S of Swindon, much grumbling “That is not a hill it is a ruddy mountain.” He bought the Lanchester, as also Kipling, people had good advice but the majority didn’t think.

My maternal grandfather worked for a bicycle factory, was out on road when a motorcar came along, he knew what it was but jumped in the ditch till it had passed, he giggled aged about 75 when he told me. No more pedalling, he moved to workshop of hotel which ran a few Panhard & Levassor s. One morning in 1903 told to put down file, go out with George and learn driving as more P&Ls hired out than drivers. So PSV in a couple of hours, but the law only required ‘A competent man’. He made passengers walk downhill as brakes nbg. No fuss, horse had no brake either. He told me the best bikes had Vtwin of 8hp. I think he would approve my Guzzi.

I saw an Empire Star tolerating Saturday traffic recently.   Father had a Blue Star 350 which went well enough, but he was taken aback by its thirst when asked to carry pillion 100 miles during petrol rationing.   It also seized one Monday morning similar trip, ok after cooled a bit, but I often doubt cast iron and continuous hard work, with massive bits of fin carved away for pushrods.

Empire Star is a good bike – it morphed into the Goldie after Brooklands performance.

I doubt ANY 350cc or under will perform well two-up, particularly on mpg! And CI is OK if one doesn’t expect too much of heat rejection capability, i.e. plugger bikes not racy bikes.