The embarrassing throwback pictures of your/our/my bikes & me

Back in the oily jean donkey jacket days. Must have been about 1980 in Maldon Essex, England

Different bike Cab, my first Bonnie was a nearly new Harris Bonnie in ‘86. I didn’t get the TSS until later, about ‘94 I think.

TSS was even cooler, much faster than the T140, had great fun harassing ‘better’ Japanese bikes on the TSS.

Fast Eddie said:

Different bike Cab, my first Bonnie was a nearly new Harris Bonnie in ‘86. I didn’t get the TSS until later, about ‘94 I think.

TSS was even cooler, much faster than the T140, had great fun harassing ‘better’ Japanese bikes on the TSS.

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Ah, ok. I did think the head looked different but wasn't sure as I'm only viewing on my phone. The wheels should have given it away though...

As I am somewhat photo phobic, there are few photos of me back in the old days. All I can offer is one I put up elsewhere on this Forum.




The year was 1964. The Atlas is the same I own now. The girl is long gone.

Too bad we cannot see more of the bike, ...... or more leg.

Slick

First foray into (legal) competition, Hoghton Tower sprint, around ‘89 I think. I’d turned a hard tailed Tribsa chop into a sprint bike (well sort of) and put all the hot engine internals in it out of a Triton I was rebuilding.
My mate shoehorned a 580cc 4 valve CCM engine into a Rickman Zundap chassis!
It was quite difficult to keep the front wheel on the floor of the CCM, but he had a better race weekend than me!



I got the Triton finished some time later and raced that, and broke it in half...

How about 1981 at a rally somewhere. Still riding the same bike.

Go on then. 1973 ish. Not my bike but I bought an 850 Interstate about 6 months later. I have known the owner of that bike since we were about 3 years old, we had both got out of our respective gardens and met on the end of my road. We were soon both marched back to our respective homes dragged by the ears. 60 ish years later we both still own the same bikes we bought back then and still live within 1/2 a mile of where that picture was taken. The more things change the more they stay the same.

My Harris Bonnie outside the Newton Abbot factory sometime in the late ‘80s. This bike was caned mercilessly and (more or less) stood up to it well. Wonder where it is now...


The TSS from post #22, probably around ‘96 whilst touring in France (whoever said TSSs were unreliable):

1996. Wasn't that about a month ago?
Only saw one of those bikes back in the day.

This was in 1968 when I was 14 years old.
I'm on my '48 Matchless G80. This was bike number 5 or six starting with a 57 Norton ES2 when I was 12. I traded my Sears riding saddle for the Norton, straight trade.
Next was a near new C200 Honda 90 which I traded the Norton straight across for. The Norton was lovely but my parents would not allow me to ride it very far afield. It was purchased in pieces and the assumption was it would never run.
My brother and I had it together and running in one week. Then the Parental clamps went on.
With the reliable but gutless little Honda the clamps came off . They allowed me to sneak down gravel roads to the bush trails that went on forever. I pretty much wore that bike out in the trails, then sold it.
Next was an S90, the OHC bike ( 8.5 HP vs 6.5 for the C200!)
Then I restored a ceased up and worn out Suzuki 80 (paid $15 for it), rode it for awhile and sold it on.
Yamaha Twin jet 100 was next. All the while I was working on the Matchless G80 basketcase as the little Japanese bikes were pretty lame compared with a big 500. Somewhere in that time frame I had a 51 Indian 1300 as well . Didn't care for it much, it was like a tractor.

We are Canadian so we ride in the snow eh!



Just realized the aforementioned red C200 and the blue S90 are both in the photo, sold to the fellows in the photo.
The C200 was now burning some oil so it went cheap! A free can of STP and decal was included.

The lads in '82. Me on the pink thing

The rake looks good on the red one.... I always had a soft spot for the reasonably long low ones.... Gives them a doing business aura.

jbruney said:

The rake looks good on the red one.... I always had a soft spot for the reasonably long low ones.... Gives them a doing business aura.

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Yep, those were standard bonnie forks in a Bunt frame. Wasn't a bad cruiser but no good for scratchin' on the twisty stuff!

So here is the beginning of my affliction with Norton"s Disease - 1973 or thereabouts. I swapped my Husqvarna 360 Sportsman with a bad bottom end to a buddy for his Commando - he had made a " chopper " out of it by merely putting in really long stanchions and promptly ran into the back of a car with it . Fortunately the long forks absorbed all the energy and the headstock was undamaged.
I rebuilt it with Dunstall goodies - fairing , exhaust, rear sets and Tomaselli clip ons. I made the tank and seat from scratch out of fiberglass over a male mold carved out of a styrofoam billet .

Good looking bike.... Never been good with glass myself.

Hi, just visited my Mum 90 years young. claims my love of motorbikes is her fault due to this photo Summer 1960. she had her uncle prop up the old bike for me in the holidays.

Also from 1975 my genuine 63 Rocket Gold Star, which I sold for peanuts in 77

still looking for photos.

have a good day

Martin

Lockdown prep tidying up unearthed an old ‘Classic Racer’ magazine with this pic in it.
Good job I never claimed to be a ‘tidy’ rider...!

Happier days...

But.....but that's some young guy isn't it?

jbruney said:

But.....but that's some young guy isn't it?

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Well... it’s someone 21 years younger than he is now...!

Pic is Mallory Park, 1999.

Jerry Doe said:

Back in the oily jean donkey jacket days. Must have been about 1980 in Maldon Essex, England

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There are still Commandos running up Fambridge/Spital Road/Market Hill