HERE'S A BEAUTY OF A TRIUMPH

[Wild Will]

$5,400 in upgade parts and some labour:

http://www.bellacorse.com/silverstone.htm

[Sir Limpsalot]

Very nice. Tastefully done. The fuel tank is an almost exact replica of the ones fitted to the "works" Thruxton models of the bygone era. They were hand made by a chap called Don Woodward, held over five imperial gallons and would see the Bonnie through a two hour stint at the Thruxton endurance races or three laps of the Isle of Man.

Oh, now I've gone all misty eyed, damnit!

Cheers,
Si.

PS. A bit of a bargain surely? Take the price of a stock Bonnie, add the upgrades and you're still under the price of a regular Jap sports missile. With the added bonus of being able to create just what you want.

[jamming]

That's beautiful and its all bolt on parts. A coupla weekends and a checkbook would get you one. With a 7700$ MSRP on the new Bonnie and another $5400 on top of that, I agree with SI, thats a smoking hot deal.

[SV Andy]

Sweeeeet.

[Gord]

Very nice indeed. I am really becoming convinced that Triumph owners aren't bonkers! :058::pftroest:

[Donson]

I WANT IT!!!

[Deans BMW]

Will, I sent that link to chris.

[Nail24]

Nice post production beauty Will. This is natural beauty. This Bonneville sold on ebay this weekend for 11k. It has 600 miles total and has had all seals another components that might deteriorate with age replaced. I cried because I could break out the checkbook for this piece of history.


http://i4.ebayimg.com/03/i/001/2f/36/bdd4_12.JPG

[Deans BMW]

Wow, Bubba, what a beauty.

[Wild Will]

Mr Mayor, looks like a '69. I've enjoyed two '70 models. There is nothing more beautiful on 2 wheels. Not even the celebrated 916 icon. But eleven large is a lot of geld for a bike that should be kept indoors except for special occasions. I mean, a ride on the Bonney is fun, but it's ride is nothing to compare with a modern bike. Now one of the new Bonney's with all that sentimental Brit jewelry on board, well, a guy could have some fun with that.

Eleven grand! It's the most beautiful restoration I've seen, no doubt. It's missing the rubber tank pads!

Recall all the crap we had to deal with though? The leaks, the scant oil in the primary drive? The weekly balancing of the carb slides? No matter; that bike was my holy grail once upon a time. Now, pragmatism forces common sense.

But if I had Dean's Texas Trust Fund....

[Nail24]

My 1973 Tiger vibrated so much that it cracked the tube steel front fender supports within the first 150 miles. No parts because the Brits were always on strike over something. Tis wonderful to dream and reminisce.:)

[Bob Hancock]

You and I sure are attracted to the same look, Will. Love that cafe racer. Reference the '69, I recently rode a beautiful '68. Guy who owned it said it wouldn't ride the same as the one I rode in college. It didn't. What a shame. Been jaded by modern. Still beautiful though.

[Wild Will]

You and I sure are attracted to the same look, Will. Love that cafe racer. Reference the '69, I recently rode a beautiful '68. Guy who owned it said it wouldn't ride the same as the one I rode in college. It didn't. What a shame. Been jaded by modern. Still beautiful though.

That's the problem, Bob; as we attain our rightful place as 'elder moto gurus', we realize it's about the ride, not merely the wonderful esthetics. That's why I state with truth that the Vincent is an evil handling thing with no brakes and a hinged frame. Nirvana is an R6 or ANY of its ilk on a race track. Oh, would that I could ride one without an IV drip of morphine.

No, at a certain point, the suspension becomes the feature of the ride. Having decent roads to enjoy also helps. That Ohlins-suspended air cooled Ducati you have is one of the epitome motos in my book. Comes close to the old school cafe bikes that are heart breakingly beautiful, and almost as painfully difficult to see in the flesh, so to speak.

[DarthRider]

To compare a Vincent to an R6 is to totally miss the point...of both machines.
Many musicians greatly prefer the sound of a tube amp. Should one say those are not as good as the latest digital?
Model As to Corvettes?
P-51s to F-16s?
Of course not, different horses for different courses.

[Wild Will]

My point was only that the RIDE is what's become more important than the LOOK. I love Vincents; I just don't want to ride them at this point. No problem, though, because I wouldn't spend the required money to won one. My good friend George, RIP Bro, had a Black Shadow and we used to play with it on the back roads. It was a handful, as one would expect.

I stand by my statement, and agree with what you wrote too.

[DarthRider]

I'm not a mind reader, Wild Will O' the West!
What you said was, "That's why I state with truth that the Vincent is an evil handling thing with no brakes and a hinged frame."

I've ridden two Vincents, but one was a raced-out 500cc single Comet road racer, so that one doesn't count.
The other, as I've stated before with truth, was a perfectly set-up Black Shadow that ran, handled & stopped like a perfectly set-up Commando. This was on the back roads of our Hill Country, so it got a pretty good test. Considering it was a 50-something model, it had decent brakes, spirited performance, accurate steering and responsive handling.
It wasn't an R6, but then neither is an R6 a Vincent.
Maybe you should have ridden a different Vincent...

50 years from now, do you think it would be accurate to say, "the R6 is an evil handling thing with no brakes and a hinged frame"?

That's the kind of comparison you're trying to make now. I get your point about your preference in motorcycles. What I don't get is why you try to tear down an iconic motorcycle from another era by making an irrelevant comparison to make that point...when it doesn't make it at all.

Surely you don't think anyone here is dumb enough to believe that 50 year old bikes, even perfect ones, will do the things the new ones do!?
If not, why throw rocks at the old ones? I'd think we should judge them for what they are, not what they are not.
But that's just me...

[Wild Will]

The first one to ID the country wins a date with Dangerous Dave!

Check these out: Oh, and the Black Shadow I rode in Norcal was an evil handling, brakeless Omigod machine meant for long, straight expanses. Just like the 60's Cycle World article says, and I agree. Moot point. I love modern engineering; when heeled over in a corner, I want top notch suspension and one finger braking!

http://www.mc24.no/article.php?articleID=950&categoryID=123

[JCsman]

Man oh man.

Eye candy galore in the link Will provided. I like this one. But there are a ton from classic to modern to cute (no, not girls).

http://www.mc24.no/getfile.php/Innhold/Klassisk/Motorsykkel/MAD%2007%20-%20utstilling%20Milano/73_moto_guzzi_mgs_01_corsa.jpg%20%281000x671%29.jp g

I'd guess the country as Mexico (to assure I do NOT win the prize).

[DarthRider]

The first one to ID the country wins a date with Dangerous Dave!

Check these out: Oh, and the Black Shadow I rode in Norcal was an evil handling, brakeless Omigod machine meant for long, straight expanses. Just like the 60's Cycle World article says, and I agree. Moot point. I love modern engineering; when heeled over in a corner, I want top notch suspension and one finger braking!

http://www.mc24.no/article.php?articleID=950&categoryID=123


Great images of some really cool motorcycles. That site is a "keeper"!

Will, I don't know what you're talking about here...I found no 60's CW article agreeing with your frequent silly pronouncements about Vincents? But, assuming there is one...so what? Funny how moto-scribes are so often either reviled as idiots or revered as geniuses, depending on whether they agree with our personal prejudices.
"Moot point"? Hardly...you seem to keep bringing it up again & again to beat on it yet once more in one thread or another.
If you could move past this obsession with comparing 50 year old motorcycles to current, near-state-of-the-art machines, you might find that no comparisons are required to judge any motorcycle's worth. Unless comparing bikes to decide on a purchase, comparisons are worth but little. Why not let the Vincent Black Shadow, and your R1200GS just stand on their own merit, unique & wonderful in totally different places & times? Both fine machines that don't require a "loser" to be a "winner".

We ran into an old WWII vet today at a building supply store...he had on a hat that identified him as such. A great old boy with a total sweetheart of a wife. Donson & I spent several delightful minutes talking with him, listening to a couple of his favorites stories, and sincerely thanking him for what he had done for us all, so long ago...when he was 18 years old.
Following your Vincent vs R1200GS logic, I suppose you would have had me tell him he was a worthless old POS because he couldn't handle a SAW like a 22 year old Marine...?

I ain't buying it bro...

[Sir Limpsalot]

We ran into an old WWII vet today at a building supply store...he had on a hat that identified him as such. A great old boy with a total sweetheart of a wife. Donson & I spent several delightful minutes talking with him, listening to a couple of his favorites stories, and sincerely thanking him for what he had done for us all, so long ago...when he was 18 years old.
Following your Vincent vs R1200GS logic, I suppose you would have had me tell him he was a worthless old POS because he couldn't handle a SAW like a 22 year old Marine...?


Actually, it's very easy to do that - without meaning to. A couple of years ago I was working in a Church car park and, while I worked, was chatting to the guy who owned the car I was repairing. A nice young(ish) chap.

An old gentleman got into his car, a Rover Metro (a small "city car" for those who've been fortunate enough never to have encountered one..) and began to leave. The gate was wide enough to got two Metro's through, side by side with room leftover, but the old boy was struggling to get it lined up and there was much revving of engine and slipping of clutch.

"Maybe your friend should think of giving up driving" I offered. "Yes" he replied "poor old Johnny, not the man he once was". Then he added thoughtfully "Seeing him now you'd never believe he flew Hurricanes all through the Battle of Britain.."

Not my proudest moment.

As you might expect, I would love to own a Vincent. A machine built to a human scale, with care by British craftsmen. I would derive great satisfaction from "caretaking" it before it got passed on to the next generation of enthusiasts.

30 years ago, when coincidentally I was about 30lb's lighter and had joints that actally bent, I would have loved to have owned an R6. Had such a thing been available then, I would have headed to Lydden or Brands with a light heart and a steely glint in my eye. Now, alas, if I folded myself into an R6 I would have but tears in my eyes.

No matter. I can see where both Dave and Will are coming from, and have enjoyed the discussion.

Enjoy your day, it could be your last.
Si.

[DarthRider]

Enjoy your day, it could be your last.
Si.

Thank you Sir Simon...you are a wise and good friend.:eusa_clap: