Retired garage owner Alex Taylor has often provided us with deliriously distressed,very original classic motorcycles – a typical example was the Francis-Barnett Seagull we sampled in TCM, March 2020. Unrestored cosmetically but well-sorted mechanically and electrically is Alex’s way. So by those standards his 1960 Triumph T100A Tiger 500cc unit twin is unusually tidy, visually. Just finding a bathtub 500cc Triumph that has complete panelling and an original engine – the numbers match on this one – can be quite a feat, as the tinware was often stripped off (especially in the US, where ‘stamped steel’ was anathema to macho young buyers), or the sports engine was often pulled out and rehoused for scrambling. But Alex has an unusually good network of contacts. He snared the 500 for £3000, and has spent another £4500 since.
He currently lives at the end of a gravelled drive reached from a rutted single track side-road leading from a narrow village lane, which are all prone to getting water-logged and muddy in the rainy season. So one reason for his buying a pair, 500cc and 350cc, of Triumph’s panelled C-Range unit twins chimed with part of the range’s original intention, ease of cleaning. US publicity had highlighted “conservative and intelligent weather protection.” Another reason related to the fact that Alex is not the tallest rider, so the 17inch wheels and 28.5 inch seat height were plus points.The 350lb weight, 10lb of which was from the panelling, didn’t hurt either; that was 35lb lighter than 1957’s pre-unit T100.
Sparks
Denne historien er fra January 2021-utgaven av The Classic MotorCycle.
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Denne historien er fra January 2021-utgaven av The Classic MotorCycle.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Runs should be fun
The club run is an integral part of the old motorcycle scene. During 2020, a variation on the usual theme emerged, enabling people to ride in the company of like-minded souls.
Hybrid chicken
BSA Bantams come in many forms, and the ability to interchange parts between different models permits an almost endless number of variants.
Green WITH ENVY
Life aboard a 1950s 350cc British single is perhaps as good and as uncomplicated as it can get.
Worth the wait
Captivated by sight of one as a small boy, finally our man has the chance to try an NSU Max.And a ‘Spezial’ one at that…
The Motorcycle: DESIGN, ART AND DESIRE
The concluding part of a two-part feature, in which the history of motorcycle evolution is examined and a new book’s author interviewed.
Cream rises
There were several ‘star performers’ at Bonhams’ winter sale, as the choice machines achieved huge sums.
The Giant of Provence
With so few events to report from, it’s time to look back over a spectacular French event and look forward to its hopeful resumption.
Store cupboard special
A big box of presents? Must be Christmas! More deliveries keep the project on track.
By 1929, CJP Dodson was a bona fide top level road racer, pretty much unbeatable on the sand, too.
The diminutive Charlie Dodson was the last man to win a TT, the 1928 Senior, on a ‘flat-tank’ machine, then the next year became the first (and only) winner of a TT on a saddle tank Sunbeam, as well as recording the last ever success in the Island for the Marston maker.
Cassandra the Canadian Commando
After landing a new job and with time on his hands, a young man in Vancouver decided to restore a British motorcycle considerably older than him.
