Instagram TriBSA…

I saw this cool Tribsa on Instagram, I don’t know who’s bike or any other details, but what a cool bike…

TriBsa

If it is your bike, or you know who owns it please let me know…

Kempton, and My Lock-up, a Motorcycle Weekend…

What a nice day out was yesterday, it was part of a long weekend over here in the UK, the sun was out with the warmth of early summer, and the air was filled with the smell of oil, rust, and bacon sarnies, for it was another Kempton motorcycle jumble, run by Eric and EGP enterprises.

Shaun, Bob, and Marcus were there, freshly returned from disturbing France. Baza and “dat der Karl” also made an appearance. And of course we had Grandad complete with battle scars, MrEd, and Graham, just to round things off. Perfect. It was nice to see you all.

And of course there were some old rusty piles of junk, that only we could love…. so shall we have a look at what caught my eye this time around? why not…

1950’s Peugeot

Norton Dommie

Norton Racer

AJS Motor

Yesterday was a national holiday over here in the UK, so I get a bonus garage day….
It was fun too. It started with me fettling the carbs on the TriBsa, this now starts real easy hot or cold, and doesn’t dance across the floor on the center stand like it used to. I then had a go at testing the dynamo, I read up on this on line last night, and it is really quite easy when you know how! the result of which shows my dynamo giving out between 7vdc and 11vdc, which should be perfect when I fit the new regulator. MoT this week? well just maybe.

Next I dragged out the Commando, had a go at setting the carbs on that one too, and then took it for a short ride, it still pops and misses when warm, not sure what is going on there? what a fun bike to ride though.

Next out for a ride was the 1200 Shovelhead, this has been in the garage having new springs in the gearbox, it now changes both up and down, and I can even find neutral now too. I have a mis-fire on this one too, that needs to be sorted, I like the bike, it is fun to ride on the open road, but hates low speed traffic.

Finally I got to have an extended ride on the R80st, this has always been my most reliable bike, until it all went wrong last summer going to the Rabbit rally, but now having bought an Alpha electronic ignition system from Rick at Motorrad Elektric, over in the US, and then having to replace the Dyna coil, it is now running sweeter than ever,
The only bike in the garage I never got to ride was the old Norton project, but that may happen later this year too.

Tribsa 650

R80ST

In the Lock-up

Saddle Up!!..

As a couple of people have asked, I shall show you all how the newly recovered seat looks on the bike…

Recovered Seat

First fitting

Looking pretty good…

Take A Seat…

Just after I bought my TriBsa, I spotted a small advert in the back of one of our regular magazines, for a guy doing seat recovering, and using a local Scooter shop as a drop off centre. So having bought a badly made aftermarket seat at Stafford show, that never looked like fitting correctly and with bad threads, I decided to give this guy a chance…

As you can see my original seat is split at the front, and the foam had turned to dust inside, but the seat base was pretty good, just a little surface rust.

Torn Seat.

So a week ago I dropped off my seat at the Scooter Cafe, in Maidenhead. and a while later, Dan, the seat man gave me a call asking what I wanted to be done. So I asked if he would strip and paint the seat base, fit a new foam, and recover the seat as original, but with blue piping instead of white, to match the tank. He did ask if I wanted Leather, but I declined as this was my first seat.

So a week passes, and I get the call, the seat is ready, it had a small split on the base and it was welded up, I can collect from the scooter cafe when I am ready.

So here is the seat as I collected it today….

New cover

Recovered by Dan

Great Stitching

Base

So if you have need of a seat to be recovered, get hold of Dan through the Scooter Cafe, in Maidenhead. Tell him Backstreet Thunder sent you.

TriBsa 650, Blimey I’m Exhausted…

I have been making a little headway with the Tribsa, after attaching a battery, I was pleased to find all the lights, switches, and horn working. One of the carbs is damaged beyond repair, so I have ordered a new pair.  I have also fitted the new Goldstar silencers…

New Exhausts.

70’s Cool.

Another Project Comes Home….

You never know what you might find when walking around Kempton bike Jumble, and that was the case yesterday, when shortly before going to the pub for lunch, I came across this old long forgotten Tribsa special.

Kempton Project Tribsa

98% complete, and looking like it just needs a good service, it had a lot of interest from the passing hoards, but after nearly five hours, no one had bought it. Well that is until I showed up.

Consisting of an BSA “A” series frame, with a pre unit Triumph T110 650 bottom end, and a T120 alloy head and twin AMAL carbs. It also has a BMW TLS front hub/brake assembly. I thought the price was very good, and a lot cheaper than most of the other projects that were at Kempton that day, so I agreed to buy, and it was delivered last Sunday.

Another Project

The bike had one owner, who built it himself as you see it, last ridden to the IoM TT, in 1976, the guy then got married, and the bike was put at the back of the garage with another bike, and that is where it spent the next thirty nine years.

I know the frame came new, unstamped from Nourish for I think it was £18.00, I have the paperwork to confirm this from the time of purchase. it has other parts bought from Alf Hagon’s, The frame was given a frame number, and reg number from Essex County Council so has a unique number. I have the original receipt for this, and letter from the council to confirm.
Short Norton Road-holder forks, and the BMW Earles fork,TLS front hub/brake assembly, and Girling shocks.

ROO 47K

Not too bad for 39 years

BMW Brake

Triumph T110

ROO 47K TriBSA 650cc…

Barn find, 39 years in the back of a shed….

650 TriBsa