Puddles and Tiddles - (don't ask)

So now we have a couple of Triumphs ready to be modified for the big trip.

Puddles is Sara's 73 T140V Bonneville with matching numbers. It was loved and looked after but until it arrives next week we have no idea what its really like. They will both be stripped down completely and have all the worn engine parts replaced. Al will lokk after Sara's rebuild and I will take care of mine.

Mine is a TR6 Tiger with a mid 60's frame, 72 front end and a 71 Tiger motor. Since most of the bike is around 50 years old it fits with the entry qualification for the run. This one is coming up from Christchurch in the next week and like Sara's its going to get a total rebuild. Sara's has the 750 twin carb Bonnie motor while mine is still a 650. Depending on the state of the motor when I strip it I may go with the 750 Morgo barrels but I'll keep the single carb head. They'll probably both get lower compression pistons to manage crappy fuel through Mongolia and Khazakstan and help with the reliability. Both frames will be modified and I'll take a look at the oiling on mine. My frame still has the bolt on back end which makes it weaker than the 73 but easy to turn into an instant bobber with a hardtail at some stage.

Now, back to the planning............

Progress

Well this thing has already become life changing. Sara and I rode the bikes into Auckland this morning and kicked over some ideas over lunch and a couple of beers at the fish market. We've both been thinking about how much stuff we have built up over the last couple of years and we'd like to reduce the footprint a bit. Realistically we can't ride all 16 bikes even if we could afford the tax and warrants so we are having a clear out. Sara is selling her W650 and her little BSA and I'm starting off with the SR400 cafe racer, the Thruxton and my DRZ400SM. Big decision as I had planned to run the Thruxton at Bonneville. The new plan is that we run both of our Vlad to Paris bikes at Bonneville instead. I'll put the go faster stuff from the Thruxton on my Scrambler when it gets it's makeover. The Ironhead will be next and I might break the S&S Evo bobber down and sell the parts I don't need. May even sell the Shovel. That will be a really big deal as I wanted to keep all the old bikes. My Springer and Panhead will obviously stay.
Sara has already scored a73 Bonnie that is being picked up by Biketranz at the end of the month. I'll strip it down and the brilliant Al will do one of his bulletproof rebuilds. I'll modify the frame to carry extra gas and luggage. As a backup to the Pan" and just in case the Bike turned out to be too heavy for my old smashed bones, I'm looking for another old Triumph. Seems they're getting thin on the ground or ridiculously expensive for what might make a good lawn ornament or boat anchor, but I'm looking at a bitza with a 60's frame and a 70 motor.
Really have to get that camera out this week.......

What Bike?

We've spent the last few days glued to the vintage bike listing on TradeMe looking for a bike foe Sara for the Paris trip. I'm pushing for an old 750 Triumph twin but don't know enough about what one would be the best for a trip where we need to do at least 500 km a day for 8 weeks. The panhead should be fine but is going to get pretty heavily modified. We saw a 70's Bonnie that had been recently rebuilt but the prick wouldn't answer his email and its come off listing today so he must have sold it. Some real craps on there as well. Just because it's an old Brit they think it's a classic so it's worth a bundle. Dream on.
Very cool 53 Matchless 500 this afternoon but he's looking for 15 grand.
Al the neighbor has decided to come along too and he's going to build some sort of old Matchie scrambler. He's a naval engineer and builds bulletproof Triumphs so it'll be god to have himq along.
Pictures very soon. Promise.....

Vladivostok to Paris on old iron

This started off with a conversation over a few beers during Grinderfest. Doug's 50th birthday is coming up in 2013 and he had a plan to ride a 50 year old bike from Vladivostok to Paris in 50 days. This week that idea took a step towards reality with the first planning meeting for the run. I signed up straight away as long as I got special dispensation to take my 62 Pan. It's not 50 years old but he'll, I'll be nearly 57 when we go and that has to be worth something.
Doug has relaxed the rules to allow bikes that are solder than their riders so Sara has started to look for a late 60's Triumph Daytona. Doug is taking a 53 AJS and Q is looking for a cheap old BMW. We are planning to fill a container with around 10 bikes so the other prospective team, including Doug's partner Liz, are trawling through the listings for a suitable ride.
We'll be documenting the whole thing including the bike builds. In order to qualify the bikes have to be ready to go by next Easter so pressure is already on. There won't be any support truck on this trip so everyone will spend next year getting completely confident with their bike, including rebuilding it at a the side of the road.
Watch this space......