1963 Triumph Bonneville on 2040-motos

Triumph Bonneville tech info

Engine Size (cc):650

Moto blog

Filling a void with an RD350LC

Last winter I managed to fill a void in my life when I stumbled on a very reasonably priced Yamaha RD350LC.  It was a tad scruffy, had the wrong exhausts but most importantly it was blue and white with all numbers matching.  I had the usual euphoria when the deal was done but I underestimated how much pleasure this particular purchase would continue to deliver another eight months down the line. The difference with this old bike is, instead of just taking it for the occasional ride I was talked into doing a full nut and bolt restoration.  Having never taking a bike apart completely before, initially it was quite daunting but I soon found the RD is easy to work on so it turned into a truly satisfying experience.  I’ve had some help from LC enthusiasts with the rebuild, however, the stripping, sourcing and organising was a total labour of love.  And call me sad but it has made me bond with this bike like no other which only adds to the feel good factor.  The bike cost £1800 and I’ve spent around £1000 but I reckon my mint Elsie is now worth a fair bit more.   I fancy rejuvenating a Fizzy  next time but there’s lots of other cheap 70’s and 80’s winter projects  out there so why not have a go yourself?

Mac Motorcycles

British motorcycle design studio Xenophya Design and product designer Ellis Pitt have teamed up to produce a new company, Mac Motorcycles. Based out of Upton-Upon-Severn in Worcestershire, England, Mac Motorcycles will produce a line of bikes powered by Buell’s air-cooled single cylinder 492cc engines used in the Blast, with a tubular backbone frame. On the company’s website, Pitt describes its bikes as being simple to maintain, include references and details from choppers and bobbers and feature “Harley posture, flat-track manners, Ducati handling”.

New Stuff: Bridgestone BT-016 Pro's

Well it was inevitable really, the gloriously sticky and not very durable Metzler Racetec K3's had seen their last mile on the Triumph. After being ripped through 2500 miles by the Speeds thumping 1050 Triple motor the rear had all but squared off. To replace them I’ve opted for Bridgestones new BT-16 Pro's because their previous incarnation had proved to offer supersport grip in the corners but also offer high mileage rates.