Green white triumph, 67, CL, Annapolis

[chuck peterson]

If I could get one triumph, Id go here...especially with the rebirth

https://annapolis.craigslist.org/mcy/5876500802.html

[JJ]

If I could get one triumph, Id go here...especially with the rebirth

https://annapolis.craigslist.org/mcy/5876500802.html

Love vintage, Meriden Triumphs from 1967-1970!!   Would like to get another one someday.  This was my last one:

1970 T100C Trophy 500 - - wish I still had this one up here in Vortex Land!!




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[chuck peterson]

so sweet

[Devildog]

And the puddle of oil on the floor confirms it is all original.

[Mr Pootle]

And the puddle of oil on the floor confirms it is all original.

Good old British engineering. If you go to the National Motorbike Museum near Birmingham you'll see that every bike has a drip tray beneath it. My wife was delighted when I got rid of the Velocette and replaced it with the Guzzi. The cat could have its litter tray back.

[JJ]

And the puddle of oil on the floor confirms it is all original.

When you own a British bike, they weep some oil....("It's what they do!") - - and part of the charm!! 

[oldbike54]

When you own a British bike, they weep some oil....("It's what they do!") - - and part of the charm!! 

 Just marking their spot .

 Dusty

[britman]

I truly enjoy the old British iron and there have been a number of them past through the garage.  They have a smell after a good run that is a mixture of hot aluminum and gear oil that no other bike has, and yes they will no doubt mark their territory with a few drops of oil.  I have also found they change the drip location frequently just to mess with the mind of their owners.  My 64 TR6R is a keeper, I brought it back from sitting in an open shed for years after the PO dumped it from being rear ended in a parking lot.  Just always remember when firing up early British which side the shifter and brake are on, seen a few faces in panic stomping on that shift lever trying to stop the bike...........

[Rough Edge racing]

 As some of you know I have several vintage Triumph race bikes...46 years I started riding on 650 triumphs and over the years had several...I also had a bevel drive 750 Ducati, Guzzi Lemans 1 and a few Harleys. So I was aware there were better and worse bikes than Triumphs.
  16 years ago I sold my old Brit bikes and got into hot rods and Jeeps...That didn't last and i got a 84 950 Guzzi and did a cafe thing on it..Sold it to a friend and bought a 97 Buell....that was three years ago...
 I had a pile of Triumph parts, some rare items like a genuine Routt 750 kit, special cams...I put together a 70 Triumph using a modified Yamaha FRZ600 front end.
 The end result was a fine running modified Triumph with more power,a nicer ride and handling than stock ....All is good, not exactly...I would get on the Buell and experience modern sport bike performance with a lot less vibration...getting back on the Triumph it felt like something I no longer cared to ride...I sold it....I still have enough parts to build another one............
  Triumph engines assembled with care do not leak oil..

   

[Bill Hagan]

I truly enjoy the old British iron and there have been a number of them past through the garage. 

****

I like the nose shot of the Italian iron in your driveway, too.   

Bill

[Lannis]

  Triumph engines assembled with care do not leak oil..

   

That's true, and also true of BSAs and Nortons.    My Norton MkIII '75 leaks NO oil, either while running or sitting.    A friend of mine finished a SS1000 ride at my house on a wet-frame BSA one night; he pulled it straight into my shop and cut it off, and not one drop of oil came off of it, all night.  And yes, the tank was still full of oil ....

The problem is that they weren't very carefully assembled at the factory, usually.   Once they've been sorted out, there's no reason for them to drip .....

Lannis

[britman]

I like the nose shot of the Italian iron in your driveway, too.   

Bill

Thanks Bill, that is the Wife's car, a 2013 Abarth.  According to her it is most favorite mode of transportation she has ever owned in her 66 years.  She will going in to get a brand new knee shortly as a post Christmas present, I tried to talk her into trading it on something more practical with an automatic transmission.  You would have thought I hit her bad knee with a sledge hammer, I believe I would go before the Fiat.  I will be driving it during her recovery and she will in my Tacoma when she is able to get behind the wheel again.  I will say the damn little thing is pretty quick in sport mode with the ESC turned off, some carbon deposits with be eliminated and the turbo charger really tested during my rein..........

 

[Rough Edge racing]

That's true, and also true of BSAs and Nortons.    My Norton MkIII '75 leaks NO oil, either while running or sitting.    A friend of mine finished a SS1000 ride at my house on a wet-frame BSA one night; he pulled it straight into my shop and cut it off, and not one drop of oil came off of it, all night.  And yes, the tank was still full of oil ....

The problem is that they weren't very carefully assembled at the factory, usually.   Once they've been sorted out, there's no reason for them to drip .....

Lannis

  One thing I have noticed about vintage Brit Bikes is the rider who runs the engine at moderate speeds until it's warmed up has less chance of oil leaks and less trouble overall...I cringe at guys who fire up a cold engine and rev it up and blast off...I always warm up the race bikes before handing them off to the rider..

[Lannis]

  One thing I have noticed about vintage Brit Bikes is the rider who runs the engine at moderate speeds until it's warmed up has less chance of oil leaks and less trouble overall...I cringe at guys who fire up a cold engine and rev it up and blast off...I always warm up the race bikes before handing them off to the rider..

Yep, precisely.   "Mechanical Sympathy" is important with these old bikes.   You can run them hard, but you don't want to thrash them while cold, you don't want to keep pushing them in slow traffic in boiling weather ... and it helps if YOU'RE the one that has to tear it down again if you abuse it.   

If you "listen" to what it's telling you, you can run them hard like they were meant to be run  and they'll be fine.

Lannis

[oldbike54]

 Yamabond .

 Dusty

[Rough Edge racing]

  Common source of leaks in the pushrod tube seals. There are many threads on Brit Bike about tube seal crush and heads distorted from too much crush......
   The only gaskets I use is the head gasket. I've used a variety of modern sealers but seem to gravitate to Loctite 518 aerobic sealer  for the race bike because it's easier to remove during inspection tear downs..I also use it on street bikes...But I believe any of the modern sealers will work fine when applied correctly...
 The transmission sprocket on four speeds is another potential leak....A thin bead of #518 around the sprocket where the securing nut seats stops the tranny oil seeping...And on the tranny inner cover the pivot pin for the shifter quadrent extends through the case weeps gear oil eventually...And on the later T140's oil can seep out from the inner head bolts...And the breather may drip......All can be fixed by a patient hobbyist mechanic...The leaky primary cover fix is the extra thick gasket...
 After a longer sporty ride I like to wipe down the engine ....They sweat like a horse...
 There are many bikes better than a vintage Triumph but not one of them is better at being a Triumph...

[JJ]

This is one gorgeous motorcycle!!  I want another one!! :1:




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[Arizona Wayne]

So all you old Trumpet guys don't mind kick starting your sweet bikes every time?

[JJ]

So all you old Trumpet guys don't mind kick starting your sweet bikes every time?

Not at all - - and all part of the charm.  A well sorted Triumph should start on the first or second kick...all the time!

My '70 T100C Trophy 500 was a one-kick bike - - even with the legendary "stink-finger" tickle AMAL carbs!!

I amazed a couple of 20 years olds one time at Cruise Night with this feature!!  They could not believe it!!! :1:

[Lannis]

So all you old Trumpet guys don't mind kick starting your sweet bikes every time?

I kick-started all my bikes out of necessity for many a year, and out of desire for many others.

Old Brits start on the first or second kick; if they don't, they're broken and need to be fixed.

Kind of like "What would happen if the Internet went away?" or "What if you didn't have a cell phone?"

Well, we'd be right back where we were in .... 1990.   Age of New Red Sandstone or the Mesozoic or something ...

Lannis

[Arizona Wayne]

I'm glad you guys claim to be able to 1 kick your old Triumphs.   I had a friend that had a 750 triple of which I couldn't get it to start and I never saw him start it on 1 kick.    Back in the `70s he bought a new 650 Bonneville at the factory and toured around England before having it shipped to the US.  But I guess compared to you guys he didn't know the secret sequence it took to always start his Triumphs on 1 kick.

[lrutt]

I'd be glad to have anyone stop by and I'll prove both my Trumpets (70 Tiger, 71 Trophy) will start first kick. They may set for 3 months between rides but ALWAYS start first kick.

The Commando is at most 2 kicks but they are much harder kicks.

As for oil leaks, they might mist some but no real drips. They are marvelous old bikes, all original. Only motor work was on the Commando to replace a stud between cylinder and head. Otherwise all original, including points etc. No electronics on these old gals except the Zener.

In the last 25 years, the ONLY bike that has left me stranded was my 06 Triumph when the igniter crapped the bed. None of the others have ever left me hi and dri.

[Rough Edge racing]

 I don't need a seat or a fuel tank for the one kick start 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTXV4kzFIeI

[Lannis]

I'm glad you guys claim to be able to 1 kick your old Triumphs.   I had a friend that had a 750 triple of which I couldn't get it to start and I never saw him start it on 1 kick.    Back in the `70s he bought a new 650 Bonneville at the factory and toured around England before having it shipped to the US.  But I guess compared to you guys he didn't know the secret sequence it took to always start his Triumphs on 1 kick.

It's no secret.   There's a different sequence for old singles, but for twins, it's easy.

1.  Make sure your engine has good compression.   (That eliminates about 1/3 of them since most people have no idea what kind of compression they have in their engine cylinders.)

2.  Make sure your engine has a strong spark, on time.   (That eliminates another 1/4 of them since people neglect the ignition components, assuming they will just work forever.   And the great majority of people have no idea of the condition of their battery, since they don't own a battery load tester.)

3.  Make sure your engine is flowing fuel properly.  (This eliminates most of the rest, since many people don't clean up their carburetors after letting them sit for the months that is the fate of most old Brits.)

After the above, a simple flooding of the carburetor to get some raw gas into the intake gets it primed.  (And if you see someone "pumping" the tickler on the Amal, that means he thinks that the plunger is some sort of "pump", and that he actually has no idea how his carburetor works).

"Contact", kick it, and off you go.   No reason not to, and it's no secret, just a bit of prep ....

That's cold starting.   Hot starting is generally crack the throttle the least bit and one kick, but you need to know how "hot" it still is.

I don't blame people for not wanting to know all this just to ride their bike.   But for those who want to ride these old bikes, yet don't care to know how to make them go, it just makes the ones who CAN start their bikes in one or two kicks look like voodoo doctors, and that's fine by me .... !

Lannis

[mgmark]

In my mind, that is what a motorcycle looks like!
I used to own a '74 T150 triple, and I could start it one kick if it had been riddin in the past week or so, two or three if had been sitting a while. It comes down to knowing the secret combination of choke, enricheners, leverage, a strong leg, setting your jaw angle just right.....
Mark

I'm glad you guys claim to be able to 1 kick your old Triumphs.   I had a friend that had a 750 triple of which I couldn't get it to start and I never saw him start it on 1 kick.    Back in the `70s he bought a new 650 Bonneville at the factory and toured around England before having it shipped to the US.  But I guess compared to you guys he didn't know the secret sequence it took to always start his Triumphs on 1 kick.

[britman]

It's no secret.   There's a different sequence for old singles, but for twins, it's easy.

1.  Make sure your engine has good compression.   (That eliminates about 1/3 of them since most people have no idea what kind of compression they have in their engine cylinders.)

2.  Make sure your engine has a strong spark, on time.   (That eliminates another 1/4 of them since people neglect the ignition components, assuming they will just work forever.   And the great majority of people have no idea of the condition of their battery, since they don't own a battery load tester.)

3.  Make sure your engine is flowing fuel properly.  (This eliminates most of the rest, since many people don't clean up their carburetors after letting them sit for the months that is the fate of most old Brits.)

After the above, a simple flooding of the carburetor to get some raw gas into the intake gets it primed.  (And if you see someone "pumping" the tickler on the Amal, that means he thinks that the plunger is some sort of "pump", and that he actually has no idea how his carburetor works).

"Contact", kick it, and off you go.   No reason not to, and it's no secret, just a bit of prep ....

That's cold starting.   Hot starting is generally crack the throttle the least bit and one kick, but you need to know how "hot" it still is.

I don't blame people for not wanting to know all this just to ride their bike.   But for those who want to ride these old bikes, yet don't care to know how to make them go, it just makes the ones who CAN start their bikes in one or two kicks look like voodoo doctors, and that's fine by me .... !

Lannis

That sums it up nicely Lannis.  I have owned numerous old British machines through the years, some pristine and others that only a Mother could love with compression equipilent to a skinny fashion model farting after a Mexican dinner.  I can only recall  one with a choke actually hooked up, and with a good tickle they all fired.  I have also found it is not a bad idea to pull in the clutch and give a couple of kicks to free the clutch plates if the bike has been sitting for awhile. 

Now if you really wanted to test your kicking leg, try a Matchless thumper.  This 55 was on the way to the landfill when I took the orphan home a few years back.  Forget the dog, that compession release becomes your best friend rather quickly.......


 

[azguzzirep]

When I was young(er)😊, I had a 1955 Thunderbird 650T. It started all the time easily, usually first kick. I don't remember it having points  but it did have a magneto.

Lights, or lack there of, were a constant problem. A dim headlight nearly got me into a bad accident one night.

[Lannis]

When I was young(er)😊, I had a 1955 Thunderbird 650T. It started all the time easily, usually first kick. I don't remember it having points  but it did have a magneto.

Lights, or lack there of, were a constant problem. A dim headlight nearly got me into a bad accident one night.

Yep, it's not all sunshine and roses, having an old Brit.   The magneto does have points in it, up under the end cap, which have to be kept clean and gapped like any other points, AND the magneto carbon pickups have to be kept in shape, and the commutator clean ... but when a mag is clean and the condenser good, and in time and the points gapped and clean, it'll throw a spark like a lightning bolt and start just about anything ....

The dim headlights are partly the Jurassic world of Six Volt Electrics, and partly old corroded connectors and grounds, not a lot you can do about that except upgrade ....

Lannis

[Lannis]

That sums it up nicely Lannis.  I have owned numerous old British machines through the years, some pristine and others that only a Mother could love with compression equipilent to a skinny fashion model farting after a Mexican dinner.  I can only recall  one with a choke actually hooked up, and with a good tickle they all fired.  I have also found it is not a bad idea to pull in the clutch and give a couple of kicks to free the clutch plates if the bike has been sitting for awhile. 

Now if you really wanted to test your kicking leg, try a Matchless thumper.  This 55 was on the way to the landfill when I took the orphan home a few years back.  Forget the dog, that compession release becomes your best friend rather quickly.......

Yes, you know it!

On a big single, you HAVE to use the compression release to start it, not just for convenience or comfort, but because it will almost never start otherwise.

This is my '55 M21 600cc single at a Guzzi lunch one Saturday.   Even though the compression on this 18 HP fireball is 4.9:1, you can stand on the kickstart lever and it won't go down ....



On any big single, you must use the kickstarter to bring the piston up near TDC on compression stroke, then pull in the compression release, use the kickstarter to ease the piston JUST over TDC, then let go the compression release, let the kickstarter back to the top of its throw, and give it the old "Slow Swinging Kick", and off she'll putter ....

I've watched people just keep bashing the kickstarter on these, with no knowledge of where the piston is in the cycle, and doing nothing but wearing themselves out and furthering the legend that old Brit singles are "Hard to Start" .....

Lannis