NEC visit

[Jaws]

Only 4 halls nowadays..
When I started going it was halls 2 to 12.. Now it is just 2, 3, 3a and 4

First off a bit of spleen venting

Had words on the Triumph stand which further confirmed the company makes Honda look like a caring parent..
Never come across such a pass the buck penny pinching firm in all my life..
And a visit to the owners club further confirmed what a shite company it is... Dedicated trumpet owners all saying the same sort of thing
Good(ish) bikes but nothing behind them... fur hat no knickers as my nan used to say
They have had two great things happen in their entire history

One was by accident and one by design.
They produced the mid 60's Bonny which even I will accept is an icon

Steve McQueen liked them

They have done sod all else.. Even their current engines are still based on 1970s Yamaha castings (XS750)

Any way........
Moving on and stopping whinging..............

Treated my self to a replacement helmet.. A Shoei GT Air
£250. Reduced from £350

Picked out my Christmas pressy from Darrell and he paid for them.
A new pair of shorty boots

Got new blue tooth coms set..There are about 6 of us doing Italy and we all wanted the same units..
Went for the Scala Packtalk one.. Can interconnect up to 8 units and have a stated range of 2km ( 1.2miles ), so realistically probably about 3 or 400 yards.. Which is good enough
After some pretty hard haggling we got them down to £155 ( rrp is £210 and most places do them for about £165 upwards )

A gallon of Autoglym 'shampoo and conditioner' for £20 ( cheaper on fleabay at £17.50 but plus £6 post )

And a new fold up loading ramp .. I have two.. One is only any good for push bikes it is so flimsy, and the other, although I made it from ally, is so heavy over engineered I could use it to lift up a Challenger 2 tank !
The new one only weighs about 10 lbs is is good for 350lb load

 

[Deleted member 29692]

I've got a GT Air. £250 is a great price.

 

[Monty2]

Couldn't agree more with you on Triumph, which is why I've stuck with Honda for the last 14 years - currently riding a Crosstourer - which is great for touring Europe on. You trip to Italy sounds good, when are you going?

 

[tonyidle]

They produced the mid 60's Bonny which even I will accept is an icon

Maybe but back in the day any lingering temptation was rapidly destroyed when I discovered both pistons went up and down together.

 

[Jaws]

Couldn't agree more with you on Triumph, which is why I've stuck with Honda for the last 14 years - currently riding a Crosstourer - which is great for touring Europe on. You trip to Italy sounds good, when are you going?

Usually it is a blat down to Mori ( near the north end of lake Garda ) , 5 days of hearty partying, then a blat back
This year it is different

Gonna take two weeks

Down to Mori via the Timmelsjoch pass ( two days riding . I used to do it in a day but with a group it always takes longer ).. Stay at the Treffen for two days. Pack up on third day and head west.. Italian and then French Riviera .. Take in Monty Carlo before heading home via Avignon and Montelimar

Its about 2500 mile round trip averaging 250 or so miles a day...
'Course.. what is planned and what will happen are proly nothing alike !!

Maybe but back in the day any lingering temptation was rapidly destroyed when I discovered both pistons went up and down together.

Yes..early example of what came be known as the big bang configuration

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[Raybreck]

Well !! Is the Thetford Bash on with the bikes ? I just hope all is well with your health and this great rally happens 2018. Merry Xmas
Ray

 

[Jaws]

Well !! Is the Thetford Bash on with the bikes ? I just hope all is well with your health and this great rally happens 2018. Merry Xmas
Ray

Oh yes !!!!
In fact I am gonna announce it and start taking bookings on December 1st

 

[hilldweller]

And a visit to the owners club further confirmed what a shite company it is..

Says the proud owner of a brand new Triumph.

So what prompted this outburst, has it let you down ?

I am gutted, my ticket is still glued to the wall, a DIY plumbing disaster meant I could not turn my back on the job and go ( usual things, seized up bits, previous bodged jobs, no luck at all ).

Then yesterday, bulb goes in bedroom. Fit new LED bulb, nothing. So I start stripping out wiring only to find it OK, new bulk cattled !

 

[Jaws]

So I start stripping out wiring only to find it OK, new bulk cattled !

Ah the joys !!!!! LOL!!!
That is always the problem with us techy bods.. Never ever try the simple things first !!!

Re Trumpet

No mate.. Has not let me down at all, in fact in general I am VERY pleased with the bike.. Other dealings with the firm have brought to light an abysmal customer facing service and the fact they penny pinch at every opportunity
It really is a god awful firm to deal with

 

[RowleyBirkinQC]

You're not exactly selling them to me, by the sounds of it even KTM are better!

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[Raybreck]

Oh yes !!!!
In fact I am gonna announce it and start taking bookings on December 1st

Great I’ll look forward to it.
Ray

 

[hilldweller]

they penny pinch at every opportunity

So what's new ? It's the way of the 21st century. People cost and must be replaced by robots or distant cheap people at all costs.

I was on an energy supplier call centre today and said to the Scottish guy "thank goodness, I get to talk to someone I can understand". Last week I had enough of "goodness gracious me" TalkTalk advisers who performed perfectly but I had to have every other word repeated twice. And before the TT knockers gloat the problem was my call blocker blocking everything.

 

[Jaws]

So what's new ? It's the way of the 21st century. People cost and must be replaced by robots or distant cheap people at all costs.

I was on an energy supplier call centre today and said to the Scottish guy "thank goodness, I get to talk to someone I can understand". Last week I had enough of "goodness gracious me" TalkTalk advisers who performed perfectly but I had to have every other word repeated twice. And before the TT knockers gloat the problem was my call blocker blocking everything.

Firms penny pinch but do not rub it customers faces and try to blag the same pennies of said customers.. again in a very blatant, one might say amateurish, way !

( I am with talk talk too..
I have had techy issues, not their fault but line related.. had great service !

 

[tonyidle]

Usually it is a blat down to Mori ( near the north end of lake Garda ) , 5 days of hearty partying, then a blat back
This year it is different

Gonna take two weeks

Down to Mori via the Timmelsjoch pass ( two days riding . I used to do it in a day but with a group it always takes longer ).. Stay at the Treffen for two days. Pack up on third day and head west.. Italian and then French Riviera .. Take in Monty Carlo before heading home via Avignon and Montelimar

Its about 2500 mile round trip averaging 250 or so miles a day...
'Course.. what is planned and what will happen are proly nothing alike !!


Yes..early example of what came be known as the big bang configuration

Not quite - at least they fired on different strokes .

 

[Jaws]

Not quite - at least they fired on different strokes .

Never having owned or worked on the original trumpets ( in fact avoided like the plague ) I had no idea... thanks for the info

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[jockaneezer]

Not quite - at least they fired on different strokes .

I think my old 250 twin Honda G5 did the same ?

 

[tonyidle]

I think my old 250 twin Honda G5 did the same ?

Your Honda pistons were 180 degrees apart (one up, one down). The advantage of that system is vastly improved engine balance. The firing strokes are however uneven (which isn't relevant to the rider and has been shown to have an advantage for racing). The early Triumph system had evenly spaced firing strokes but the mudguards fell off and fuel and oil tanks split.

 

[tonyidle]

.

 

[olley]

I believe my Norton domi had 180 degree pistons, as for having less vibration? You must be joking. I remember waiting at the front at the lights when the front mudguard fell off.
Bit embarrassing pulling your bike on to its stand, so you could pick it up before anyone behind ran over it.

 

[injebreck99]

I believe my Norton domi had 180 degree pistons, as for having less vibration? You must be joking. I remember waiting at the front at the lights when the front mudguard fell off.
Bit embarrassing pulling your bike on to its stand, so you could pick it up before anyone behind ran over it.

My 1962 Norton 650SS vibrated like crazy, 1 hours riding then 2 hours putting/fixing bits back on again.
I was going to work in Norwich one morning, waiting at some traffic lights, sudden loud clang and horrendous exhaust noise, the R/H exhaust ring had vibrated undone and the front pipe fell on the road, HoHum.Everything lockwired after that.

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[TheTwoOfUs]

I think the T110 was a better looking bike than the Bonnie and the TR5 & 6 next.

 

[tonyidle]

I believe my Norton domi had 180 degree pistons, as for having less vibration? You must be joking. I remember waiting at the front at the lights when the front mudguard fell off.
Bit embarrassing pulling your bike on to its stand, so you could pick it up before anyone behind ran over it.

No it didn't:

 

[olley]

That picture is dated 2005 my domi was a 1956 or 7 Pre unit construction in a 59 wideline frame. As I never had it to bits, and I am trying to remember back 50 years, please forgive me for making a mistake.

Well even though you have the wrong crankshaft, it looks like you are correct. Another nail in my memory.
Broken Link Removed:

 

[Enword]

Most of the brit twin's, cranks were that configuration But the Bonni & Commando/Fast back, could sort out any Jap Twin of the day & several Honda CB 750, if it stayed together

 

[olley]

Gave a Honda 175 a race in 1968? He kept with me up to about 50-60mph.
I was on block release at Ipswich college and he was in the same class, he came to college nicely dressed because his motorbike didn't spew oil everywhere, unlike our UK bikes, and it had electric start.
Never catch on we said, jap scrap we said, dickheads the lot of us.

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[Silver-Fox]

Had words on the Triumph stand which further confirmed the company makes Honda look like a caring parent..

The owner is the same with his Building Company.
I have had dealings with trying to sort out issues my daughter had with her new built house