Here's the 1954 BSA B-31 on a camping trip to the coast. This photo was taken Oct 5 by HH. With a rider 68 years old and a bike 63 years old, they did quite well.
Everytime he rides one of his motorcycles (which is not everyday, but nearly) he says that particular bike is running beautifully, better than ever. The enthusiasm is without restraint. He claims that whoever rebuilt it was brilliant. He bought it on eBay and had it shipped from New Zealand
That was a long time ago. He's sold the other BSA, a 650 Lightning, because it' not that different from his 650 Triumph Tiger. Now he has a little more room in the shop. He keeps talking of selling other motorcycles, but I think people have to actually give him good offers, like the kind he can't refuse. That's how he sold the Lightning, not that he meant to. It just happened.
Anyway, back to this trip, which he says he'll do again next year, he was a little cold, and there wasn't enough daylight, and the ground was too hard, and it hurt just to get up in the morning, though he didn't sleep much. It was too dark to do anything other than stay in the sleeping bag and wait for dawn.
On the way home, he was zipping up a hill and the bike was running strong, until it wasn't. He limped home and fixed it and says an intake valve was too tight, though he'd thought it was a clogged fuel line, and he changed the fuel filter. Anyway, he fixed it after it got him home. (Hooray B-31). Now he says it's better than ever.
4 comments:
Hi Vita,
That '54 Beeza looks a good, solid old bike - it should keep going into next century, providing the intake valve keeps loose! Good to see that HH is still enjoying old two wheelers. I am, very regretfully, selling my last motorcycle (the Sinnis 250) since I cannot manage the gear change too well since my left leg/foot is clumsy since the stroke. I hoped it would improve, but it actually seems to be getting worse.
Still got the "twist 'n go" scooter though - I shall never give that up. At least it is some connection to my former biking life!
Hope y'all are well and enjoying life.
Avus! Hooray!
Did you notice it took him a couple years to get the hoped for B-31 camping trip out of the planning stage? Well, phooey! about your dog-gone leg. Hope you and the twist and go have a good time. You still have your bicycle? One of our bandleaders has an electrified bicycle, with many extra and bright lights which he rides to practice, even though it makes him late and sometimes we have to wait around outside for him to get there and unlock the school where we rehearse. His fancy bike has 3 wheels and is fast.
I am so happy to hear from you! Thank you for responding. We're playing Lieutenant Kijé Suite in symphony. That's a kick. Nothing else they're playing this concert has low brass. The swing band is playing Count Bubba, which is about the funnest thing in the repertoire, but I have to miss the performance because of a symphony rehearsal. There's a delightful trombone soli before the solo section. I mention it because of your son-in-law. Maybe I'll get to play it next summer.
Nice update, Vita, thanks. Yes, I probably ride the ebike more than the motor bikes these days (do about 2,500 miles per year on it around our lovely local lanes). I have had to update that though to an open framed version since I can no longer manage to get my leg over a cross bar! "Eheu fugaces!"
Alas. Glad you're able to adapt and still get out for fun tours, though isn't it getting cold and wet now? Our high today was 51F and tomorrow it may start raining every day for a week. Plus this weekend we ended "Daylight Savings Time," so now it's dark before I'm ready for darkness.
Watching the birds through the window out by the flower box, I definitely saw a mouse. I think it's cute, but the daughter was over and she doesn't care for mice. It's outside! Good place for it.
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