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In Search of the Winnetka Cycle

24602 Views 16 Replies 12 Participants Last post by sarnali, Sep 9, 2003

37372

Discussion Starter · Sep 5, 2003

Terrific article - I had a blue/silver '65 Bonneville that I sold when I was drafted in '66, then bought a used '66 TR6 when I returned from the land of green t-shirts to go back to school. It's hard to believe how cool those bikes were back in the day - beautiful, fast, and (in my experience) pretty reliable (I did have a Lucas coil fail once). I'd love to have the opportunity to ride one again, but I'm afraid I'd be disappointed after riding modern scoots (currently an Aprilia RSVR and KTM Duke II). When I see an occasional TR from that period these days, they look tiny - times have sure changed.

Question - Why do the English drink warm beer? 'Cause they have Lucas refrigerators.

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F451

· #2 · Sep 6, 2003

I certainly enjoyed this article and hope for more of the same.

pated

· #3 · Sep 6, 2003

Great article MO. Walt is a class act.

sarnali

· #4 · Sep 6, 2003

Beautiful bikes, The attention to detail and quality of work show Walt to be a true craftsman.

Theres a special something about '60's and 70's era Euro-bikes and Sportsters that goes right to the heart.

I admire Japanese bikes for the technology they represent but they don't seem to grab me in the same way.

21726

· #5 · Sep 6, 2003

MO's best article of the year so far. More please!

35244

· #6 · Sep 6, 2003

Thank goodness for folks like this! A fine article.

The_Aerodynamic_Head

· #7 · Sep 6, 2003

Oh, sure. He's pretty good, but can he solve the voltage regulator problem on my VFR?

Can he fix the surging on my BMW?

No? Well, then The Head says he's a bum.

By the way, those Triumphs are very nice.

How would they compare to an accurately restored SV650? Or a classic, mint condition Concours?

33073

· #8 · Sep 6, 2003

Wow! Mr. Riddle should write a book.

Can I buy one of his bikes?

seruzawa

· #9 · Sep 8, 2003

He gives you good advice too. All you need to do is go through your Triumph's wiring harness with a crimping tool and recrimp all the connections. You should be able to leave that basket full of Zeners at home.

Now if he only had an answer to that oil consumption......

seruzawa

· #10 · Sep 8, 2003

Today, those old Triumphs wouldn't hold a candle performancewise. In another 40 years, when those 60's Triumphs are pushing 80 years old.... those Triumphs will be prized collectors items. The VFRs, SV650s and Concours (and most everything else built today) will be less than worthless piles of rust.

33129

· #11 · Sep 8, 2003

It sure was a breath of fresh are to see some old Triumphs. Has there ever been a better looking tank/logo combination? In terms of style, the new stuff from Triumph just isn't quite there. Thanks Walt, for saving these bits of history. BTW, that was a very kind treatment of the Lucas subject.

33129

· #12 · Sep 8, 2003

Make that a breath of fresh AIR!

RickZ

· #13 · Sep 8, 2003

Yes, it is a great article. Very well written. Brings back a lot of memories for me as well.

My only question is, what's up with the photography? Blurry focus, a reversed image, overexposures, underexposures, bad lighting choices (the shot of the 1911 HD shows no detail at all with the sun straight overhead). Worst of all, there are no close-ups of Walt's beautiful work. Walt hand builds a bike from scratch, and we see it from 20 feet away? How about some detail shots of the motors, etc.? A really great article, but the photography just doesn't do it justice.

I know you guys can do better than that.

sarnali

· #14 · Sep 8, 2003

I agree with you in principal, but I think the few VFR's and SV's and what not that people have kept around will have value just because they'll be so rare

I think in that case their technology will work against them, as simpler machines like flatties, pans, original Triumphs, airheads and that type of bike would be easier to keep running or fabricate parts for.

When we all switch to hydrogen powered bikes and cars these dinosaurs will be nothing but eye-candy anyway.

12217

· #15 · Sep 8, 2003

Yeah, but cleaning out the sludge trap in the hydrocarbon converter and replacing the stainless/ceramic coated water exhaust- to say nothing of what a pain in the ass it will be to keep up your regenerative braking system- will make you long for the days when your scoot was air cooled and needed nothing but an oil change & the odd set of friction pads.

...that is, if we're even allowed to own instead of leasing it from the local Green Motors outlet.

seruzawa

· #16 · Sep 9, 2003

Well, I've got a 30 year old Honda CB125 sitting in my garage. It certainly is a rare bike. It's also worth less than the cost of driving it to the scrap yard.

Unless you'd like to buy it from me for a "collector's item" price? Send a check for $2000 and it's yours!

sarnali

· #17 · Sep 9, 2003

Re: WOW A CB 125!!

The check's in the mail buddy

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