Beaulieu Autojumble, some 25-years ago, and Jaguar XK rare parts specialist Tom Kent was prowling the stalls on the lookout for something different. He’d had a love affair for British bikes for as long as he could remember and always thought that a Triumph would be the perfect stablemate for his 1955 Jaguar XK140 open two-seater. But which one to choose?
Tom is about as fussy as they come. Not for him the run-of-the-mill mismatch; it would be something of interest or nothing at all. He had not been in a hurry and had already spent time on fruitless journeys. But this time there was a sniff in the air. His uncanny knack of unearthing bikes and parts that most would just write off as junk, was starting to itch. It led him to an unsavoury looking pile of Triumph bits that could even be a complete machine. He sat for a while familiarising himself with a sturdy frame, lumps of mechanical components and various pieces of bashed and bent tinware, and what paint that did remain, appeared to be a shade of gold. The only accessory seemed to be a single Rodark D-shaped pannier, made by Craven.
He’d struck up a conversation with the stall-holder, who confirmed that the bike had been off the road for years, way before the advent of computerized registration. But he did have the original, buff cardboard logbook that confirmed it to be a 1958 Thunderbird, with the colour box marked as bronze gold. All Tom had to do was agree a price.
Bu hikaye The Classic MotorCycle dergisinin August 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Classic MotorCycle dergisinin August 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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.