[Mike Tango]

Similarly at the motorcycle museum at Meriden (If it is still there?). The British bikes arranged in timeline order enable a 'walk past' of development.

But it also shows that the British bike industry just wasn't keeping up with what the consumer wanted.

Rob P

The National Motorcycle Museum is still there, though like many such establishments I believe it has been struggling somewhat this last year or two, they’ve sent a few bikes to auction in the recent past.

A real gem of a museum is Sammy Miller’s on the edge of the New Forest. Pretty much all the bikes are kept in running order and there’s a more than reasonable chance you’ll bump into the legend that is Sammy himself. Can’t recommend it highly enough.

Excellent tea room as well.

https://sammymiller.co.uk/

[Paultheparaglider]

Looks very nice Charles.

A Darmah might give your back an easier time, though. By the way, if I recall correctly that Darmah would have been about £2,000 when new.

[Rob P]

Except for the colour

It has to be red I'm afraid. Mine wasn't and the shame was almost unbearable.

Rob P

[Charles Hunt]

£2,000 for the Darmah would have been about right. Indeed Red is the only colour, but the condition of the one shown could sway me.........

[akg1486]

Picked up my new Triumph Street Triple R last Saturday - 60th birthday present.

I've owned two of those: great bikes. Unfortunately, others also thought it was a great bike, so both were stolen from a locked garage. And there were a couple of unsuccessful attempts to steal them that caused damage.

The last time, I got a call from the police early one Sunday morning:

Police: You have a Triumph motorcycle, don't you?
Me: Yes
Police: Where is it?
Me: In the garage
Police: No it isn't!

After that, I bought a Bonneville Bobber instead: more expensive, but of less interest to the criminal elements. Sadly, I didn't enjoy that as much so I ended up selling it and am now bikeless until such a time I have access to a garage I can trust.

[Paultheparaglider]

Indeed Red is the only colour, but the condition of the one shown could sway me.........

This red one looks nice. It might already be sold, though. Not surprising at that bargain price.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184789250429 ... SwmoVghAIr

[Rob P]

Police: You have a Triumph motorcycle, don't you?
Me: Yes
Police: Where is it?
Me: In the garage
Police: No it isn't!

I have had exactly that call - Well exactly except it was a Honda CM125. They had given up on the GSXR, but managed to wreck the steering lock/Ignition barrel in the process which required that bike to be trailered to the repair shop.

Rob P

[Paultheparaglider]

Sadly, many of us have been there. I had a very nice Yamaha RD500LC stolen from my garage. Never saw it again, and I really loved that bike. The scrotes bent up the garage up and over door to get in.

To add insult to injury, they came back a month later and wrecked another door the same way. They got nothing this time as money was tight and I hadn't been able to replace the RD.

[Charles Hunt]

January 10th 1982, 26th birthday descend from twenty somethingth floor of Pine Mansion Taikoo Shing, wander across car park to where my few week old RD350LC should be.......

where did I leave it,?.............what did I do last night?.........replay events, definitely remember bringing it back............some ba*****'s nicked it.

I was so depressed I spent the day cleaning the flat. (Normally relied on my flat-mate, er engaging a Filipina maid for such duties.)

Woken up in the middle of the night a few day's later by the Police, bike has been found, somewhat smashed up. Had it repaired, and then a short time later it got knocked off its stand and damaged, and then got stolen never to return.

[Charles Hunt]

Indeed Red is the only colour, but the condition of the one shown could sway me.........

This red one looks nice. It might already be sold, though. Not surprising at that bargain price.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184789250429 ... SwmoVghAIr

Damn, deposit already taken.

[Paultheparaglider]

On the off-chance the sale falls through, here is an equally keenly priced parking spot to keep it over in Hongkers.

https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking ... d-HK$10.2m

[kanga]

Just a reminder that the world's first 'motorscooter' (enclosed engine, step-through riding position) was a Gloster Aircraft Company product, the Unibus, ~25 years before Lambretta or Vespa equivalents; and the only fully restored, road legal, running example is on display at JAM :

https://jetagemuseum.org/wp-content/upl ... Slide7.jpg

"Just after the First World War, the Gloucestershire Aircraft Company diversified into the production of a motor scooter, which was marketed under the name of Unibus. Built at the firm’s Sunningend Works in Cheltenham in the early 1920s, the machine was designed by Harold Boultbee, who was an aircraft designer. A fine job he made of it too. The machine was one of the best and most advanced designs of that era. The Unibus on display at the museum is in working order."

https://www.thesahb.com/snapshot-167-19 ... s-scooter/

visitors' photos (from TripAdvisor):

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationP ... gland.html

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationP ... gland.html

[squawking 7700]

Talking of OAP's and bikes - I went out last night on my SRAD 750 (only 9k miles) and passed an old fella pushing his broken down Brit thing, I turned around and offered some assistance whereby he left the bike with a couple of security guards at a nearby country park and I gave him a lift a couple of miles to pick up his van to go and collect it.

It struck me that the combined age of the three of us was well in excess of 160 years - me 60, the bike 22 and he was well in his 80's.

Twas my good deed for the day.

@akg1486 there's a few cameras inside and out that provide alerts plus physical security, besides, chief suspect would be a neighbour.........he's the Triumph Business Manager!

[townleyc]

@kanga have you taken it for a spin?

KE

[kanga]

@kanga have you taken it for a spin?

KE

[no. Not only have I never had a relevant category on my licence, but the owner/restorer does not let anyone else ride it. It is only on loan to us at JAM, but we like having it as it's a genuine part of the Gloucestershire aeronautical engineering history. Visitors are often surprised and impressed by it, too.

I used to have 'mopeds' when one could ride those on a car licence alone; for practical and affordable commuting rather than enjoyment.]