PURPLE Triumph Bonneville Motorcycles, page #14

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?

2012-2013 Triumph Street Triple and Daytona 675 Hit with Nissin ABS Recall

A manufacturing error by brake manufacturer Nissin has claimed another motorcycle maker. Triumph  is recalling the 2012-2013 Street Triple, Street Triple R, Daytona 675 and Daytona 675R because of the problem with the Nissin-supplied anti-lock brake modulator. The issue has already resulted in recalls for the 2014 Honda CTX700 and CTX700N, the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 (and the Ninja 250 offered in Asian markets) and the 2013 Suzuki Hayabusa.

2013 LA Calendar Motorcycle Show Report

The 22nd edition of the annual LA Calendar Motorcycle Show marked its return to the Queen Mary Seawalk Village in Long Beach, California with hometown boy Sam Baldi taking the Bike Building Championship’s Best of Show trophy with a Jimmy Todorovith/Profile Cycles built Big Twin custom named “Lost Angel.” This year’s Calendar Show showcased not only top builders but selected vendors and exhibitors, and of course the Calendar Girl Music live performances. And as always, this year’s show celebrated the world premiere of the 2014 FastDates.com Motorcycle PinUp Calendars, featuring the world’s top SBK World Superbikes, sport and cafe bikes, and custom motorcycles with the beautiful Calendar Kittens. On hand throughout the day to meet with fans and pose for pictures were Calendar Kittens Apple Price, together with official SBK World Superbike grid girls Jessica Harbour and singer/songwriter Sarah Horvath.

Motocross Racer and Inventor Mike Schultz Named Outperformer – Video

Racer, inventor and amputee, Mike Schultz, is the subject of a mini-documentary produced by Royal Purple. Schultz, a championship racer with an impressive list of wins under his belt, is a pioneer in the field of adaptive action sports. The five minute documentary, Part of Royal Purple’s Outperformer series, tells Schultz’ story, including the motivations that drove him to triumph following a devastating accident; inspiring others to return to extreme sports following potentially career ending injuries; and how he became one of the best in his field both as a racer and inventor.

Gladstone Motorcycles to Produce Bespoke British Bobbers

Television presenter Henry Cole has ridden countless motorcycles as host of the British Travel Channel’s “World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides” program for 11 series, but he’ll soon be introducing a line of motorcycles of his own with his new Gladstone Motorcycles company. Named for Cole’s great-great-uncle, four-time British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone, the new firm will produce limited runs of hand-built bespoke motorcycles. The company’s first model will be the Gladstone No.

New Triumph Touring Cruisers Captured in Spy Photos

Britain’s MCN has published spy photos of two new Triumph touring motorcycles. Both models are prototypes still undergoing testing and one is even disguised to look like its eventual rival, the Harley-Davidson Electra Glide. Both models are, in fact, slated to go up against Harley-Davidson models.

Drift 3: The Driftpocalypse!

Nick “Apex” Brocha and Ernie “E-Dub” Vigil are back for more motorcycle drifting action in their latest flick, Drift 3: The Driftpocalypse! In case you’re not one of the 30 million people who’ve seen the original Drift 1 or Drift 2, the setup is really quite simple: Apex and E-Dub take their specially prepared drift machines and battle it out with their four-wheeled counterparts. The rest is a tasty treat for the eyes.

50th Anniversary Of The Great Escape To Be Celebrated With Electric Motorcycle

July 4th marks the 50th anniversary of the iconic Steve McQueen film, “The Great Escape,” and to commemorate the golden anniversary of McQueen’s escape attempt from German forces during WWII, McQueen Motorcycle will unveil a special electric motorcycle, the Xscape. The Xscape is scheduled to be McQueen Motorcycle’s first production motorcycle, with cues to incorporate today’s technology and integrate “the history and design of tradition.” Details are scarce at this point, but considering McQueen rode a Triumph TR6 Trophy in the scene, it would be reasonable to expect similar styling. In fact, looking closely at the photo above will reveal wire wheels, most likely a nod to the vintage Triumph.

2013 Triumph Trophy Fuel Tank Recall Now Includes US

A recent recall announced for the 2013 Triumph Trophy and Trophy SE for a potential fuel leak has now expanded to the U.S. The recall, previously announced by Transport Canada, concerns a production error for the fuel tank of the affected units. According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the two layers used in the construction of the fuel tank may not properly adhere to each other, resulting in a potential fuel leak.

Mods Vs. Rockers Chicago, June 14 – 15

The largest Mods vs. Rockers event in the country is taking place Friday and Saturday June 14 and 15 in Chicago.   Mods vs.