That could have been nasty...

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

20 years 5 months

Posts: 2,778

i wouldn't trust a brit bike to the paper shop
for just one instance the triumph boniville 1977 jubilee limited edition model of wich there were 1000 made
the trim paint on the wheels was peeling within months of being sold

As usual you talk about something you have no knowledge on.
Your experience of Triumph ownership must by definition be limited.
I see Japanese stuff too in some dreadful states of decay--it's all about storage in most cases.
Riden hard and put away wet, it doesn't matter who makes them.

So, you've never owned a British bike, can't ride anything of any size and your experience of motorcycling is riding a 125cc Honda and some 250's long ago before our glorious law-makers took even that limited pleasure away from you.
Yet you continue to give us here the breadth of your experiences.
If you detect a note of irritation in what I write when I refer to you, you are correct. I have serious issues with people who don't pass their test. Especially when like you, they profess expertise--and are quite verbal in their condemnation of other riders. Ones who I happen to know of and who know what they are doing.

I came upon a Jubilee Bonnie for sale not so long ago. You could buy a lot of 125's for what they were asking. Not hugely my choice, I never thought parallel twins were hugely exciting. The British bike industry did die, and they did make a lot of 'grey porridge' like bikes. The people who ran it under invested and the rest paid the price.
The British would never have built anything like my V4 Hondas, so there was obviously a R&D problem, but that doesn't make everything British bad, or for that matter everything japanese good--there have been some right dogs.

Member for

17 years 10 months

Posts: 877

wasn't that old a modern kawasaki sport tourer

Other than the wheels [mine are black] thats my bike!

I have only ever had Jap bikes,but i was tempted by a Norton Commando chop once if only the pennies had stretched a little bit farther.I would never dismiss a brit bike like most things it's how you treat it .

Getting back on topic with ZRX61's youtube clip. Cannot see the problem, by his own admission [he was there we were not] he had to catch up with the lead rider. There was a few bikes behind some of which would have stopped to help.It looked to me like a split second desiscion .It's all too easy to pontificate on what we would do in any given situation,we were not there don't know the road or the 'muppet' in question.

BTW ZRX61
nice video of a scenic ride

Member for

18 years 10 months

Posts: 4,796

Careful assembly, good quality gaskets & Wellseal sorted the ones that I fixed up. ;)

3Bond :) Altho if someone else has to go into the engine at a later date you may get some grief about how long it took them to remove the gaskets....

Member for

15 years 10 months

Posts: 1,311

but that doesn't make everything British bad, or for that matter everything japanese good--there have been some right dogs.

Too true Andy, the original Honda VF750 for instance, made Bike Of The Year when if first came out ('83/84? something like that), that was before the engines started falling to bits, it got so bad that Honda even honoured warranty work to the secondhand market out of the warranty period as the problems were well known & extreme.

I know all this because because a mate bought one, once he got it back (after a long time at the dealers) he couldn't wait to unload it quick enough, I rode it a dealers in Brighton for him to PX it for a GPZ900R (far more like it) by the time I got it there, it was showing signs of problems & couldn't ditch it fast enough!

Member for

18 years 10 months

Posts: 4,796

Getting back on topic with ZRX61's youtube clip. Cannot see the problem, by his own admission [he was there we were not] he had to catch up with the lead rider. There was a few bikes behind some of which would have stopped to help.It looked to me like a split second desiscion .It's all too easy to pontificate on what we would do in any given situation,we were not there don't know the road or the 'muppet' in question.

BTW ZRX61
nice video of a scenic ride

The 4 guys behind me stopped, but by the time I was 20ft past the guy who fell over he was already on his feet & had the bike up. In the time it would have taken me to pull over & park my bike, he already had his bike off to the side of the road.

Member for

18 years 10 months

Posts: 4,796

Too true Andy, the original Honda VF750 for instance, made Bike Of The Year when if first came out ('83/84? something like that), that was before the engines started falling to bits, it got so bad that Honda even honoured warranty work to the secondhand market out of the warranty period as the problems were well known & extreme.

I know all this because because a mate bought one, once he got it back (after a long time at the dealers) he couldn't wait to unload it quick enough, I rode it a dealers in Brighton for him to PX it for a GPZ900R (far more like it) by the time I got it there, it was showing signs of problems & couldn't ditch it fast enough!

The problem with those engines is that H*nda didn't line-bore the cam housing in the heads so they ended up with oval holes which allowed the cams to float about a bit. They came out with a tool to prevent the cam float while you adjusted the valves.
To this day you can make VF owners twitch by mentioning "chocolate camshafts" :)

I put one that belonged to a friend in a ditch.... & amazed the same guy when I had to give him a ride someplace by pulling away on my Z900 at about 1200rpm (facing up hill), he was used to having to revs the knackers off the VF to get it to move.

Member for

15 years 10 months

Posts: 1,311

There was also an oiling problem with the con-rods if IIRC.

Got to say that I never owned a Honda & never wanted to either, saw a lot of cam chain & tensioner trouble back in the 80's.

Did repair an electronic ignition unit for a CBX 6 using components robbed from a CB250N unit once though, but that is a completely different story :D

Member for

18 years 10 months

Posts: 4,796


Got to say that I never owned a Honda & never wanted to either, saw a lot of cam chain & tensioner trouble back in the 80's.

They still have problems with that.. they STILL use the same design CCT in newer engines...

Member for

20 years 5 months

Posts: 2,778

Wow, you two boys are talking right in my front yard now.
My VF1100C's have all those issues--and more.
As recently as last night I had a potential customer on-line asking about VF750 engine rebuilding, he'd just bought one for restoration.
I actually love those bikes but my goodness they caused Honda some serious worries--nearly ruined the company.
I've got some really 'interesting' cam-shafts that I could show you. I think they actually are made out of chocolate--or even plasticine.
The line boring thing is true too.
The head layout is a work of art but will never replace the internal combustion engine if you know what I mean.
The first time I lifted a cam cover off I quickly replaced it and found more pressing tasks elsewhere.
I'd have a 750 tomorrow--but only because I'm the cussed sort who likes a mechanical challenge.

A.

Member for

13 years 11 months

Posts: 1,335

As usual you talk about something you have no knowledge on.
Your experience of Triumph ownership must by definition be limited.
I see Japanese stuff too in some dreadful states of decay--it's all about storage in most cases.
Riden hard and put away wet, it doesn't matter who makes them.

So, you've never owned a British bike, can't ride anything of any size and your experience of motorcycling is riding a 125cc Honda and some 250's long ago before our glorious law-makers took even that limited pleasure away from you.
Yet you continue to give us here the breadth of your experiences.
If you detect a note of irritation in what I write when I refer to you, you are correct. I have serious issues with people who don't pass their test. Especially when like you, they profess expertise--and are quite verbal in their condemnation of other riders. Ones who I happen to know of and who know what they are doing.

I came upon a Jubilee Bonnie for sale not so long ago. You could buy a lot of 125's for what they were asking. Not hugely my choice, I never thought parallel twins were hugely exciting. The British bike industry did die, and they did make a lot of 'grey porridge' like bikes. The people who ran it under invested and the rest paid the price.
The British would never have built anything like my V4 Hondas, so there was obviously a R&D problem, but that doesn't make everything British bad, or for that matter everything japanese good--there have been some right dogs.

brother owned a bonnevile and happily got rid for a good jap bike !!

Member for

20 years 5 months

Posts: 2,778

Well at least someone in the family passed his test.

Member for

19 years 1 month

Posts: 6,043


for just one instance the triumph boniville 1977 jubilee limited edition model of wich there were 1000 made

the trim paint on the wheels was peeling within months of being sold

Also available as the Bonneville ;)

Funny old thing...I bought a brand new Triumph Tigger 750 in 1978 and guess what - nothing fell off it and it didn't leak any oil

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv316/volvosmoker/Tiger7502.jpg

http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv316/volvosmoker/Tiger750.jpg

Thrashed her round for 3 years and she was ultra reliable.
We lost our Bike and Car industry more because of Inept managment/TU's and lack of investment etc (applies to all our industry really)

Oh and she sounded lovely :D

Member for

13 years 11 months

Posts: 1,335

The British would never have built anything like my V4 Hondas, so there was obviously a R&D problem, but that doesn't make everything British bad, or for that matter everything japanese good--there have been some right dogs.

again the fact the british industry went under when no others did would dispute it

in the 70's a friend had a garage with a scott flying squirrel with carbide headlamp , a brough superior and 4 other equal types

when his father died he asked for the number for the local scrap man !!

may be looked on as a travesty now but it said a lot about how they were valued back in the day !!

Member for

13 years 11 months

Posts: 1,335

Well at least someone in the family passed his test.

why do you presume that ??? because everyone who has passed a test is the ultimate rider ??

he actualy used it as an off road machine before going into the army and riding trials competitions for the royal artillereys trials team

Member for

20 years 5 months

Posts: 2,778

again the fact the british industry went under when no others did would dispute it

Whereas Italian, German and even American governments came to the aid of their motorcycle industries.
Here like much else, it was just allowed to die.

The Japanese did storm in with great designs. At a time when the british bike industry was already dieing.
But I'll reiterate, not all was bad--not all was good from any party.
Never mind, I've enjoyed all sorts over the years.

Member for

20 years 5 months

Posts: 2,778

why do you presume that ??? because everyone who has passed a test is the ultimate rider ??

No because the authorities--that's the law, that you're so keen on quoting to other riders on here uses the fact of passing a test as a mark of competence.

As I said before, people like you take endless advantage of what is for all intents and purposes a loophole in that law, to continue riding. Without showing the commitment to passing a test.
You also talk about people who you feel bring motorcycling into disrepute.
I actually feel that endless renewal of provisional licences has the same effect.

And the Bonneville is a strange choice for off road work.
What mods did he do to that..?

Member for

18 years 10 months

Posts: 4,796

Friend has one of the early 750's, it's been stood for years. He said to me a few months back "I need someone to pull the carbs, clean them out, reinstall them & get it running"

Ha! good luck with that! I worked on one of them once... NEVER again..

Member for

18 years 10 months

Posts: 4,796


The British would never have built anything like my V4 Hondas, so there was obviously a R&D problem, but that doesn't make everything British bad, or for that matter everything japanese good--there have been some right dogs.

Yamaha TX500's.... Kaw Z250's (mine snapped the crank in half), H*nda Wetdreams, Suzuki RE5's...

Member for

20 years 5 months

Posts: 2,778

Those RE5's go for telephone numbers now and they were complete sh*te back in the day.

I had a Super wetdream once ( a 250N--I don't normally admit it), it was close to being the laest exciting thing I've ever ridden.

I find with that Honda V4 the best thing to do is drop the engine out if you want to work in any comfort.
Is he in the US??
Carb spares are still available here from Silvers.

Member for

13 years 11 months

Posts: 1,335

No because the authorities--that's the law, that you're so keen on quoting to other riders on here uses the fact of passing a test as a mark of competence.

As I said before, people like you take endless advantage of what is for all intents and purposes a loophole in that law, to continue riding. Without showing the commitment to passing a test.
You also talk about people who you feel bring motorcycling into disrepute.
I actually feel that endless renewal of provisional licences has the same effect.

And the Bonneville is a strange choice for off road work.
What mods did he do to that..?

a test does not mean one rider is better than another !! all a test says is you rode to a ministry standard for one day !! it is not in any way a reflection of day to day habbits same as the car test ( that i passed first time ) it just says you drove to a passable standard for the hour during the test