MessageI love it! Old 650 Triumph? What year? Do you still have it?
----- Original Message -----
From: Dennis
To: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, September 11, 2009 5:42 PM
Subject: [Nighthawk Lovers] Old motorcycle stories
When I was in the Air Force in the late 60's, I bought an old Triumph
motorcycle down on the Texas Gulf Coast where I was stationed (Port Lavaca to
those who know the area) . It was partly in a box. Some cowboys had put
nitro or some such in it and completely trashed the top end. At the time, we
were expecting our first child but that event was many months off and our
second bedroom was sitting largely unused.
Well, the motorcycle came inside. Tarps went down in the bedroom and a
complete cleaning part by part occurred in the kitchen. In those days, I
thought it was fun to take every little thing apart and clean the heck out of
it. It seemed to me that it was sure to run well if I did that <smile>. And
my wife was patient with me so long as I cleaned up.
In the end, I had most of it laid out on the bedroom floor all with military
precision.. And I'd just go in and stare at it - imagining when I have it
running and be able to ride it.
But, the baby came too soon and I didn't have the money to replace the
pistons, rework the valves and bore the cylinders. So, it was all reassembled
and boxed up and saved for another day.
That day came a year and a half later after I was out of the service and had
moved back to my home town, Long Beach, California. I finally got it all
together and it ran. It was never much to look at but it was my first project
of any size and I really loved that old bike.
I never did get the front brakes hooked up and I still have a gouge on my
right shin where, in a moment of inattention, I didn't see a truck stop in
front of me and when I did, I jammed on the back brakes and slid and slid and
was almost stopped - when I encountered the welded steel back bumper with my
shin - between it and my bike. That impact was enough to complete my stop and
yet not quite enough to break my shin. It was a good lesson on several fronts
and I still have the indentation to remind me.
I've attached a photo of the old beast. When I sanded the tank down, I
found so many colors of paint that I thought it was too cool so I just clear
lacquered over it and left it that way (probably had to do with what I was
smoking in those days <smile>).
Cheers,
Dennis G.
- Seattle
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Kyle Munz
Sent: 11 September, 2009 15:38
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Nighthawk Lovers] Re: 1983-85 CB650SC Front Forks
I remember as a kid my dad showed me how to wash parts and wrenches in the
dishwasher. Mom wasn't thrilled. She was even more upset when she found her
good steak knives out in the garage covered in old gaskets. I've been told that
I'm not allowed to get away with such behavior. Infact, I get in trouble when
the garage smells like gas. It's a GARAGE!!!
-Kyle
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