peashooters

LAB, you are an encylopedia! The only late Tiger i knew had the amal, and I remember going to the bike show up in Birmingham when I was on 125's and the Tiger on the stand impressed me. don't know much about Triumph History, but that would have been 1983? Who was making them then?
There was also a lovely 125 with clip ons etc, a Beta i think, I SO wanted one but have never seen one on the road or for sale since. Plus I am 25 years older and might look a bit big on it now! Happy days.

mcmarvelous said:

The only late Tiger i knew had the amal, and I remember going to the bike show up in Birmingham when I was on 125's and the Tiger on the stand impressed me. don't know much about Triumph History, but that would have been 1983? Who was making them then?

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The Meriden factory closed in 1983.

If you saw a Tiger with an Amal Mk2 on it that year, then it could have been a special display model and maybe was one of the intended production models for the 1984 season, which of course never was?

If any Tigers did leave the Meriden factory with a single Mk2 Amal, then I'd think they would be some of the very last models off the production line?

When (the recently deceased) Les Harris resumed production from 1985-89 only the Amal Mk "1-1/2" carbs (Mk1 with the Mk2 plunger choke mechanism) were used.

Your depth of knowledge about this stuff also astounds me LAB. You are a motorbike historian.
What do you do in your spare time?

L.A.B

You do indeed have a great deal of knowledge. Are you in the owners club?
There are a few national rallies etc going on, I hope to attend the Donnington one so will look out for you and your Roadster, but there may be a few there!
Let's hope for some decent weather this year and my bike should be more reliable with the work done on it in the last 18 months, might get to test it's abilities a bit more.
I may change the tank and seat as I am a big guy and the roadster looks tiny when I am on it, and it runs out of petrol too soon. Maybe an interstate tank and a new seat or an alloy tank.

So who else is coming to Donington, I'll be there with my Seeley and my fetaherbed framed short stroke (still being tested) and probably a Rob North too

Donnington is over a few days i believe, so i will go up on the saturday or the Sunday, maybe get a pass from the boss for an overnighter?

If you are taking 3 bikes you must be trailering them? At least mine would get there that way!

hehe, yes, I'll be racing at the weekend.....come and say hello! I'll be there for the 3 days

Ill do that.

Cookie said:

Your depth of knowledge about this stuff also astounds me LAB. You are a motorbike historian.
What do you do in your spare time?

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Thanks Cookie, but I'm not sure I have much spare time that doesn't involve motorcycles-in one way or another?

mcmarvelous said:

L.A.B

You do indeed have a great deal of knowledge. Are you in the owners club?
There are a few national rallies etc going on, I hope to attend the Donnington one so will look out for you and your Roadster, but there may be a few there!

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Thanks...and yes, I am a member of the NOC, but I don't generally go to club events.

Like LAB I don't generally go to club events but due to family stuff clashes. However I've vowed to do at least the Sat or Sun at Donnington come rain or whatever! If anyone fancies a linkup and rideup I'm up for it. With what's planned for the weekend it can't be missed.

At risk of completely ruining this thread..............I intend going as well.

I have heard that it is going to be a Friday and Saturday event only now, as there has been some disquiet about a big car boot sale that is occuring next door to the site and some suspicious "concern" about traffic levels, with two events occuring simultaneously. I can confirm this if anybody wants to know for sure :?:

I think the Fri/Sat may be for the NOC, but the CRMC have the circuit for all 3 days, regs have been published, ACU approval etc. has been granted. We haven't heard otherwise, and after last years Donington meeting I know that the circuit were keen to gve the CRMC the weekend again.

I haven't managed to go to an event in a couple of years myself. All too often they coincide with work demands.
I think the Clubman show in San Jose is coming up before long and I would like to attend that, although I doubt my bike will be ready at the tate I'm going.

I tend to have similar problems with time and family/work commitments. Somehow i missed al the shows locally last year through working on the Sunday or the beast was dead in the garage.
I keep meaning to get to the local branch to pay my subs but the last 3 meets have involved heavy ice, then heavy snow and the last one work struck again.
Biking by it's nature is a solo thing but it's nice to meet kindred souls. I had a Harley for a couple of years and the whole HOG thing both impressed me and put me off!
Must be me being grumpy!

I know there are some Norton owners in the San Mateo area but I have not met any. The East Bay and South Bay also have some according to the local Norton club newsletter. I sent in my dues but haven't made a meeting at all. They have had a couple of events since I've had my bike but not when I had free time.
I'll have to be satisfied with the few minutes I spent after work yesterday making a little progress on my coil bracket. The weather has not been condusive to a lot of garage time lately, but this weekend should be good.
At this point with the dismal economic news I'm just glad to have a job to go to.

Dismal times indess Cookie.

I was going to sell the beast last year but relented when I had it up and running after the re-wire and new ignition. That said i have had 4 calls this year to ask if it is for sale, and 3 of them from Europe. The ad was last in one of the comics in Oct 08 and the fall in the pound here in the uk has made bikes for sale here cheap to the Euro zone. In MCN there was an article about even modern stuff going abroad.
In the late 80's and nineties a lot of Brit bikes were being brought back and the exchange rate was giving dealers a profit. Even in a poor economy someone will do well.
A big reason I bought the Commando was the Hinckley Triumph triple I had went from £4800 to 2995 in the 2 years i had it, great bike but the Norton has cost me about £1000 in bits and bobs plus repairs/improvements and I would get most of that back if i sold it, so an old bike is the way to go in these tough times.
Want something bigger now for pillion use (I an 18st and tall so a pillion doesn't have much room) so maybe try and get an older Harley tourer or that wacky BMW1200c tourer thing, mayeb a Honda valkyire thin (F6c?) .Maybe a guzzi cali? Something a bit different.
Where are all the older Harleys? papers always have up to 10 year old stuff, but the 80's and 90's stuff seems to have dissapeared!

At other times I'd suggest buying one in the states and shipping it over. Things are so wacky now I'm not sure if that would pay. We do have a large number of bikes over here.

I do like the Valks, my friend North West (real name) has one and loves it.
For a deal on a powerful touring bike that's used it is hard to beat a Goldwing.
Try riding one and see. You can just do a major service on the average early Goldwing and easily get 140,000 miles out of the engine and drive train.

I'm not a big Harley fan as over here they are as common as a Chevy which takes some of the interest out of it for me.

I must be getting to the age for a Goldie, and the back seat looks appealing for my good lady! I would like to have a look at the BMW 1200c as they are very different but a bit underpowered.
The F6 looks fun, and I would be tempted by a Japanese v twin but they copy harley and that always stops me! The F6 and the Goldwing are the Factories doing there own thing, Like a V-max. All the VTX, intruders things are well built etc but they are too Harley like.
Big dissapointment at the excel show with the Triumph 1600, looks exactly like my old superglide. It will sell, but not to me.

The Clubman show in San Jose Ca. is March 28/29.

For British bike events the BSA club of Northern Ca. is probbaly the most active. Generaly all brands of British bikes are ok except for spicific events.

Ken g.

One of the guys at work tried the BMW model I think you mean. He liked it but sold it after dumping it. There sure are lots to choose from these days!

I'm looking forward to the Clubman show, I don't see anything making me miss it this year. I just wish I felt more prosperous as there are bound to be bikes and parts that I'd love to have.

Thanks for the tip on the BSA guys, I know there is a lot of British bike cross pollination around here. I've never owned a BSA myself, just a few various Nortons and Matchless products, but I've always liked them. Not too long ago somebody had a BSA 500cc single engine for sale on Craigslist.