# Vintage British/European Motorcycles



## Dialer (Feb 4, 2017)

An avid small aircraft fan, but unfortunately can't have any airplanes. So I stumbled onto a 1972 Triumph Bonneville in the woods around Union City a number of years ago. Had no idea what it even was, but a year and a half and about $5000 later, she was on the road roaring like an old bush plane. I was addicted! Have had the addiction ever since.  I've fantasized about "barn finds", but turns out I have more luck by word of mouth. A gentleman at my mothers funeral had heard I was interested in these bike, and offered me an invite to his house to look at his fathers old bike. Turns out, it was a 1966 Triumph TR6 in very good condition.  I got the bike for a song, and treasured it. I eventually had to sell the bike due to priorities...I still HATE myself for doing it.  
  In a small diner, I strike up a conversation with a gentleman in a mechanics uniform.  He says he has a 1976 BMW he would be interested in selling. I finally get a chance to drive over to his shop, where there sits a creamsicle.  I ask him how much, and nearly fell over trying to get to my bank before he changed his mind.  Garage now housing 4 bikes, Loving to work on them, AND ride to rally's designed just for these bikes....It's pretty awesome....


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## Capt Quirk (Feb 4, 2017)

That is so cool! My first bike was a 71 Trophy Trail enduro. And believe me, that bike was off road as much as it was on it. My dream would be a Vincent Black Shadow, but I love all the old bikes. When I was in Oklahoma, somebody had a pair of late 40's BMWs for sale, in parts, and a sidecar. That would have been a bargain at 15K. Finding these bikes is one thing, finding the parts for them is a little harder though.


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## Dr. Strangelove (Feb 4, 2017)

Capt Quirk said:


> That is so cool! My first bike was a 71 Trophy Trail enduro. And believe me, that bike was off road as much as it was on it. My dream would be a Vincent Black Shadow, but I love all the old bikes. When I was in Oklahoma, somebody had a pair of late 40's BMWs for sale, in parts, and a sidecar. That would have been a bargain at 15K. Finding these bikes is one thing, finding the parts for them is a little harder though.



Found Hunter S. Thompson. I knew he didn't die!


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## Capt Quirk (Feb 4, 2017)

Dr. Strangelove said:


> Found Hunter S. Thompson. I knew he didn't die!



Then who's ashes did Johnny Depp spend 3mil to launch in a rocket?


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## Dr. Strangelove (Feb 4, 2017)

Capt Quirk said:


> Then who's ashes did Johnny Depp spend 3mil to launch in a rocket?



Probably just a giant... umm... smoking device...


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## Capt Quirk (Feb 4, 2017)

Dr. Strangelove said:


> Probably just a giant... umm... smoking device...



I'm going out on a limb here, but was Thompson into Vincents? I think they were genius, well ahead of their time. Full dressed and out of the box, they were doing 140mph.


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## Artfuldodger (Feb 4, 2017)

Richard Thompson was. This has always been one of my favorite songs;


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## Dr. Strangelove (Feb 4, 2017)

Thompson was a huge fan of Vincent, particularly the Black Shadow, which was (If I recall from his writings) the fastest production bike of the time (late 60's, early 70's). 

Thompson was a genius as well, a very gifted writer, but his drug and alcohol abuse both in real life and his writings made it hard to take him seriously and his work suffered. His early works are brilliant, but his later works became drug-addled screeds. Still, he is one of my favorite authors.


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## Capt Quirk (Feb 5, 2017)

Vincent was indeed the fastest bike, well after it's demise in the 50's. Sort of like the Edsel, it was just built too well. Harley couldn't even think about touching them in a straight run, but the girder front end made things a little squirrely. It wasn't until 69 when Honda put out the 750 Four, or maybe the Kawasaki H3 that a production bike could break the records.


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## injun joe (Feb 5, 2017)

When I was in high school, my future-to-be wife's father had brought a 1972 Norton  Commando back from Europe. It was fire engine red with a black featherbed frame and a full racing fairing, upper and lower. I was riding an RD 350 at the time (junior in high school) and oh how I coveted that Norton.
He ended up selling it while I was away at college. I don't believe I ever quite forgave him.


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## injun joe (Feb 5, 2017)

Did anyone happen to catch the Mecum Motorcycle auction from Las Vegas that was on TV last week?
Some beautiful old bikes including Henderson, Vincent , Indian square fours, as well as a ton of sweet board racers and Italian 2-stroke race bikes from the 50's and 60's.


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