It’s all part of the fun

Deciding to assemble a pile of parts into a working motorcycle seemed to have several advantages. It would free-up shelf space for a start and allow a bit of relaxing ‘working with my hands’ time… Okay, I’m ignoring all the other bikes I have to keep running during this time too, but that’s the sort of thing we all do to one extent or another. It’s a bit like spending ages making a nut from hexagon bar rather than just buying a nut from one of the many suppliers of quality fasteners who advertise in this magazine.

In part, this project is the embodiment of why we’re all interested in older motorcycles, rather than newfangled ones. The new ones, for instance, have little owner-involvement other than washing them or polishing them (if you’re that way inclined) and putting petrol in the tank. Do many owners of modern machines even check the oil? Or wait until the light comes on and head for the service department? Way back in the good old days when a manufacturer’s range was built around one basic model – look at the 1961 650cc Triumph ‘B’