Old Paint

[Tim CooperParticipant @timcooper90034]

I was doing some painting this afternoon and needed a dark blue. I found a tin of Airfix 13 Gloss. Surprisingly on given a good stir it was reconstituted and used without problems.

I don't know when I bought the Tinlet but it must be before I was married so that's over 50 years.

Tim

[Tim CooperParticipant @timcooper90034]

[Tim CooperParticipant @timcooper90034]

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

The very same paint is on this bike, brush painted when I was in my mid teens 50 years ago. I'm sure I still have it!

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Rocket ship, Richard…although not as edgy as the 500 if memory serves (not that ever rode one).

Went on the back of my mates RD250 once and that felt mega rapid, but it was easily outpaced with my T160 on the road (with just a twist of the throttle).

Ashley

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

This particular range of Kawasakis, produced through the 70s, were rightly known as widowmakers, for good reason. The power band was very narrow and the power almost kicked in as if you were using a switch. It switched off just as dramatically as well, which could be frightening if you were adjusting revs in the middle of the corner! Coupled with that the handling was shocking so the overall package was quite a handful and not for the feint hearted.

I once borrowed a friends 250 two stroke Suzuki of the same period with similar characteristics and the first time I went round a roundabout with it I had to go round again because I couldn't get the thing to come upright for the exit!

The RD250 and 400 were a little bit more civilised but I often think the two stroke only really came of age when the LC250, "Elsie", came on the scene. They were really nice bikes.

I've always been a four stroke fan myself!

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

Posted by Richard Simpson on 09/07/2023 23:13:14:

…………..a friends 250 two stroke Suzuki of the same period with similar characteristics and the first time I went round a roundabout with it I had to go round again because I couldn't get the thing to come upright for the exit!………………

 

Handling problems were not only with 2 strokes. I had a very worn pre unit Bonneville which really didn't want to corner at all. This feature gave rise to the Triton Special.

I actually liked the RD400 which in the lower gears wheelied as soon as it hit the power band. Sadly I never rode a Kawasaki triple. As a daily ride my Suzuki 3 cylinder was better.

 

Edited By Chris E on 10/07/2023 08:48:05

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Ah…all those 3 cylinder designs…we won’t see their like again.

Another mate had the 500 two-stroke twin Suzuki, and that was a nice bike. (Gt500?)Big enough, comfy seat, reasonable turn of speed, torque-y engine. Lovely burble sound from the zorts.

Ashley

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Posted by Chris E on 10/07/2023 08:47:30:

Posted by Richard Simpson on 09/07/2023 23:13:14:

…………..a friends 250 two stroke Suzuki of the same period with similar characteristics and the first time I went round a roundabout with it I had to go round again because I couldn't get the thing to come upright for the exit!………………

Handling problems were not only with 2 strokes. I had a very worn pre unit Bonneville which really didn't want to corner at all. This feature gave rise to the Triton Special.

I actually liked the RD400 which in the lower gears wheelied as soon as it hit the power band. Sadly I never rode a Kawasaki triple. As a daily ride my Suzuki 3 cylinder was better.

Edited By Chris E on 10/07/2023 08:48:05

I bet you wish you still had the pre-unit Bonnie!

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

Times change.

When I had the Bonneville (late 60's – early 70's) it was just a cheap old bike & nobody especially wanted them. I also had a Rocket Gold Star and a Bonneville engined Triton + many others not now considered desirable classics. They were just cheap tatty motor cycles with an awful lot of stripped threads in the covers and oil stains everywhere they went. We were always on the lookout for bikes that we could buy cheaply, run for a little while & then sell for a small profit.

Financially I obviously wish that I stll had them but as motorcycles I much preferred later bikes.

Edited By Chris E on 13/07/2023 10:43:26

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Its nice to have a nut and bolt restoration bike from that era but, even then, what a lot of people don't realise is that these bikes still leaked oil even when brand new as a result of the way they were designed.

The pre unit Bonnie though is quite a collectors peice as it was only built for a year or two before they switched to the unit construction engine. Another classic example of collectors pushing values up way beyond what the machine actually justifies simply because of rarity. I've also never quite worked out why the Bonnie was so much more popular than the rest of the range when it was almost identical in cycle parts and engine to bikes such as the Thunderbird etc. The only difference really being the twin carbs.

Collectors seem to mess up many markets from classic bikes to model railways and I guess its never going to change.

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

Having owned lots of old British bikes with Amal carbs I would always go with the single carb model – T110 rather than T120 in this case. Balancing worn out twin old Amals is/was impossible – for me anyway. An 850 Commando I had later had such a strong suck that it could wear out carbs in less than 10,000mls.

Japanese bikes with horizontally split crank cases were a vast improvement for oil leaks and they were much better at oil seals and gaskets. Pity about their early tyres.

Also agree about collectors. Collectible value and real world desirability/rideability have so little in common.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

I never realised we had a mini middle life Hell's Angels chapter aboard the forum!

While I can see the attraction, bikes have never really appealed to me personally. Everyone I know who has bought one has fallen off it at some stage with varying injurious effects. I prefer four wheels which, when you stop, the vehicle doesn't tend to fall over. Bikers are incredibly vulnerable.

Our most scary experience involving a bike was when one broadsided our car in the French Alps when on holiday and caved in the side. A very unpleasant experience for all concerned including the rider who suffered a broken shoulder and wrist. He baled out just before he hit but his helmet left a sobering dent in the door. Being foreigners, the Gendarmerie favoured automatically blaming me but the guy came round a mountain corner too fast as we were joining the road and couldn't stop in time. His two mates following him claimed to be witnesses but in fact didn't come into view until after he had hit us. In the end I wasn't prosecuted but it was a bad experience.We returned to the UK as foot passengers on the ferry and the car came back on a trailer. It was repaired but was never the same and the distortion just ate tyres. Fortunately it was an employer's lease car.

Colin

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

Colin

Each to his own as you said elsewhere.

Most of my most memorable moments have been doing something less than totally safe.

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Another member of the chapter here! The oldest of my bike fleet, 1973 Tiger 750.

Chris

Edit: Don't mention the silencers, fitted by the previous owner, Raygun lookalikes on a twin, sacrilege!

Edited By Chris Fellows on 13/07/2023 22:14:34

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Yes, bikes are not for me but I've had some hairy moments sailing!

Colin

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Forgot to say I love my triples as well. Started with a Yamaha XS850 followed by four Triumphs including the 2003 Thunderbird Sport that I've still got.

Since retiring I can't find much time to ride my bikes!

Chris

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Posted by Chris Fellows on 13/07/2023 22:00:23:

Another member of the chapter here! The oldest of my bike fleet, 1973 Tiger 750.

Chris

Edit: Don't mention the silencers, fitted by the previous owner, Raygun lookalikes on a twin, sacrilege!

Edited By Chris Fellows on 13/07/2023 22:14:34

Lovely Triumph but I must admit the ray guns do look a little odd on a twin!

[Nigel NorthwoodParticipant @nigelnorthwood17509]

Had a few bikes but this is still my favourite. Another 12 months and it'll be 25yrs old, all but one in my possession. No problems with the paint

Edited By Nigel Northwood on 14/07/2023 19:15:25

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Another fan of a big 'V' twin! There is something very pleasing to the eye when it is across the frame and the two exhausts come out of the front on either side. Much better than the Harley arrangement with both pipes on one side.

I fell in love with this one:

[Author]

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