The Motorbike Show Series 5 Ep.3 HD

#classicbikes #superbikes #streetbikes #scrambler #caferacer #cruisermotorcycle #dirtbikes #vintagebikes #henrycole

I’m Henry Cole and my passion is motorcycling I’ve ridden them around the world restored them raced them crashed them and done some very stupid things on them but I’m going to show you that ultimately riding a motorcycle is all about having a great deal of Fun coming up on the motorbike show I’m going back to my roots and learning to be a dispatch Rider you can write can’t you yes and you can read yes I meet a wonderful array of Classic Bike owners like uh Dennis Hopper said in Easy Rider

I never thought of myself as a freak but I sure like to freak and I’m trying every trick in the book to secure a cheap bike for a budget holiday please Jake please make it £700 but first Pete the restorer and I are on a quest to enter the history books and

Secure a world land speed record for this vintage 350 Triumph on the Bonville saltt Flats in Utah after a disastrous test I’ve had no option but to junk the standard Triumph and commission my mate legendary Bonville bike builder Sam lovegrove to create an entirely new rolling chassi

From the ground up frame Builders matis have been burning the midnight oil to create this rigid frame so I’m heading down to Sam’s Place in Cornwall to see if the brand new frame will actually accommodate it’s our engine so we’re down at Sam’s uh to see if the engine

Actually does fit in it and I know he’s going to love it Samuel good morning yeah it is a good morning eh where did you find that uh in a small Workshop isn’t that some of the best British Crossman ship you’ve seen it might be what are you thinking about

It oh that’s so close but yet so far so look right do you think we should just try and lump the engine in and see if it actually fits yes I think that’d be a good idea the frame has been made hundreds of miles away from Sam’s lirer so he is

Hoping the countless emails have paid off our Triumph engine is of what’s called pre-unit construction meaning the engine and gearbox are separate units Sam has decided to junk the Triumph gearbox in favor of one made by old British bike manufacturer Ariel either way will it fit copper end of the hammer

There copper yeah here we go that going well nice all the way y the joys of email hey that actually that gearbox kind of fits in there tell me again why we’re using an aerial gearbox Samuel I think they’re stronger and they change gear more positively so you’ve got less false

Neutrals and less chance of missing the gears so the caros fangi aerial four-speed box is in now for some bespoke engine plates and perhaps another attempt to get Sam as excited as me that’s looking wonderful and she’s looking like a race bite to me is it

Filling your juices is it is it stirring your emotions yet or what uh yeah a little bit H might try another approach in a bit but first things first will the engine fit this is going to power us to history mate and with a little shoe horning and fettling and cajoling bingo

So yeah it’s through penetration is always something to celebrate not so the Triumph thing engine and the aerial gearbox are now perfect bed fellows something that’s probably as exciting as nasal hair to Sam with the engine and gearbox in place might just Chuck on a rusty barrel and head to get

The whole glorious effect we’ve got a better one coming I hope so dear boy now even though that is scrap metal yeah M it looks like a bike man hey it’s just f fantastic I cannot tell you how excited I am good it might need some suspension

And some Wheels well looking on the bright side Sam unbelievably everything fits now all I’ve got to do is go and get some wheels and forks then while Sam Tunes the engine and his excitement meter Pete the restorer and I can start accessorizing the rolling chassis hey um

Next time I come back you might actually be able to try me out on some chai Tea before all that back at my place Pete the restorer and I have got some unfinished business with a certain classic motorcycle namely my triumph biville last series you may remember we had slight issues didn’t we Peter well it was your fault wasn’t it it wasn’t my

Fault it was yours to rushed yeah yeah whatever with the Bonville t120r Restoration in fact we couldn’t really get it going at all could we have a look at this myself and yes mainly Pete had resurrected this beautiful t120 from a knackered frame and seized engine and

After months of hard labor time had run out and the day had dawned to fire it up and ride to the pub I started he fired up fine but it was all about to go horribly wrong I’m releasing the clutch P I don’t care whether it doesn’t work I’m going but undaunted and

Under Peak power I successfully rode it to the pub but it didn’t get away from the fact that the gearbox wouldn’t select first gear and I couldn’t do what this body does best ride hey look I’ve ridden it to the [Laughter] pub so a winter has passed us by but Pete

Says he sorted it and today we’re going to give the Bonnie its first Shakedown since ride to Pub gate the worst thing you can do with a restoration is the minute you’ve completed it you then decide that you’re going to ride it to Edinburgh then it’s basically going to

Fall apart unless you do a Shakedown right Pete yeah you need to get some miles on them sort out what’s gone wrong bits that fall off which they will do it’s just inevitable especially with the British bike oh yeah yeah vibration is one of those killers on all these things

Things crack break lights go out now just as a friend for the t120 we thought we’d bring along the old CB550 the first one we did together that’s the one I’d jump on to go to Edinburgh there’s plenty things you’d like to jump on okay well enough Chad

More action perhaps we should see if the Bonny actually starts you going to start it yeah I am going to start it because it’s my bike come on then right okay so look all always with these triumphs a little bit of tickling is required just hold it down until the fuel spurts out

The carburetor will it start first kick yes okay here we go how much is on it you buy the first round if it doesn’t a mine’s a diet coat right you’re buying the crisps now yeah I’ll buy the crisps I’ll let it run I’ll get me gear get your gear let’s

Come on SO up let’s go it’s been 6 months in the waiting but at last me and Pete are off into the hinterland on my dream bike immediately the 650 Triumph engine purs below me don’t know what Pete’s done to this lump but at legal speeds there’s no sign of the world famous

Triumph vibration in my experience of Shakedown rides you’re constantly listening for a knock or a clonk or even a catastrophe not a bit of it this time it just feels right since I was a kid I’ve craved a Bonnie and to be riding this bike with

My mate next to me on my CB550 K3 is what it’s all about there are moments in life to savor and this is surely one of them as we roll into my local Watering Hole life’s pretty okay oh P hey well it looked like it was going okay it was

Beautiful let me tell you and the gear box works but just when you think it’s all going rather well oh my God what’s that yeah looks like it’s got a bit of an oil leak oky dokie okay well hey lucky we’re not going to Edinburgh then ehy well it

Seems there’s a little leak coming from the base of one of the pushrod tubes but I’m not going to let it wreck my perfect moment was that a song it’ll stop it going rusty that’s why you always find bikes have shiny rear wheels and Rusty front wheels ah cuz the oil was piddling

Onto the back going backwards okay okay I’ll tell you what mate that is a Divine motorcycle to ride I don’t want to go quick anymore well I never went quick in the first place with these sort of roads that we’re riding around on it’s perfect

Is it tole around 50 60 MPH is fast enough isn’t it yeah you don’t get pubs like this on the M40 do you no no let’s go and have a drink coming up I relive my teenage years as a London dispatch Rider but my boss isn’t exactly welcoming and I’ve got an important

Question for Pete how you coming camping with me camping or camping it up with You good old London Town a place I lived and worked in for many years and today I’m going back to my roots now for most of us motorcycling is all about a passion and a recreation but for others it is actually a profession one of those professions is dispatch riding now back

In the day I did a little bit of that but I wonder if it’s changed are those headyy days of the 80s in my day you turned up with any old bike and a Do or Die attitude and you got a job but not these days I’m

Told so I’ve come here to Stratford East London to Rico International one of London’s biggest dispatch companies to become an apprentice career for the day and see whether the profession has changed it all in 30 years blimy it must have done cuz first up I’ve got to do a thing called an

Interview the last time I did a formal interview it was under ation as a spotty 17-year-old so no real corporate training to call upon but even before all that the thing I fear most in life a form to fill in oh blind me there pages on it there a dispatch Rider today every

Box has to be ticked it’s all about health and safety good job too back in my day all you had for job security was a set of Rusty spanners date of birth that’s an embarrassment do you have a passport yes but it’s at home so with the form done

Kind of it’s time to meet Carl the manager who by all accounts can be quite grumpy hope he treats me nicely God F Co have a seat you sitting yeah thanks are you no all you got to do is deliver this this very important package to our head

Office that’s ec2 ec2 take this box yeah put it in this bag ride your bike when you get there get someone to sign for it call us you can ride can’t you yes and you can read yes and you have got a motorbike kind of I’ve got a um Harley-Davidson Sportster in purple

Metal flake metallic perfect for the job then I thought so Well it may not be a Kawasaki gt550 or a Honda Super dream but the purple flake of my Harley Sportster is surely in keeping with my dispatching era right then we got your package got me bik so what could be easier was it

EC EC so here goes all I’ve got to do is deliver my package to ec2 or was it ec4 either way it’s got to be well Easy so here goes I’m heading off to relive my teenage years as a 1980s dispatch Rider straight away there’s some serious Traffic in fact London now plays host to 2.5 million cars daily and that doesn’t include the 23,000 taxis and 100,000 motorbikes there’s also something else to contend with thing that I can’t get used to is all the scooters wasn’t like that in my day we were the only two whe

Be of Transport on the road let me tell you there are now around 2,000 couriers in London and a quarter of them are on scooters a great invention may be but they can get get through gaps I can’t so that gets stressful but one good thing

You can now use bus lanes so there’s somewhere to escape too but I’m slowly realizing I’m slightly lost I’m uh miles away I think from E2 when I was lost in the old days no one knew you just fended for yourself and made up an excuse now however what I

Don’t realize is back at base Carl can see exactly where I am and can track me not good when you decide to take a break now he’s in a Park what park T is in that’s nowhere near the city we can see every driver who carries

A PDA has got GPS tracking inside it so we send work to them they receive it they acknowledge it and then when they pick it up we know it’s picked up and we can watch them go to the delivery very simple GPS tracking we know where you are all the

Time after my Siesta perhaps I should try and find ec2 you might think the emails have cailed dispatch Riders cash flow but actually the delivery of items from internet shopping is slowly making up for it hang on that looks like a nice calf hope the package is all right on the bike cheers

Co useless well I’ve decided to cut my losses and give up on ec2 mainly cuz I can’t be bothered so I’m heading for a drop off that I used in the80s especially if I found myself in Highgate when the last package of the day needed to go to

Wimbledon heading back to the depot I’m pretty sure I’m not going to be Carl’s apprentice and I might have to leave the process hello mate am I late late where have you been I didn’t actually turn up to the address right but I’ll tell you something though mate check this out now

This would be very good I didn’t get a signature but I got a receipt Royal Mail I couldn’t quite afford the 9:00 a.m. delivery tomorrow so so so it’s 1:00 all right is that is is that okay no so I wouldn’t really be a dispatch rider for you no that’s a sh

Could I keep the receipt though no well yes you’ve guessed it Henry you’re fired well all right that was a bit of a laugh wasn’t it but dispatch riding since I was doing it in the 80s has changed immeasurably and it has changed for the better so if you fancy earning a

Few bucks on a motorbike I heartily recommend It after 6 months of waiting for Pete the restorer to fix the gearbox on my tri of Bonville restoration we’re eventually cruising together in the cotwell giving the Bonnie a Shakedown ride so far it’s sprung a small oil leak that has in no way dampened my enthusiasm either for the bike or for

Pete our final destination the local Village of clanfield arrives far too quickly but as far as shapedown rides go this one has gone exceptionally well nothing’s fallen off and that includes me or Pete now now we’ve done a few miles we we check all the all the bolts

On the barrels the head you know just make sure everything’s tightened down properly yes but P right for me okay normally if I see oil like that I’ll take the bike straight home put it in the garage and be scared to ride it but actually genuinely if we were going to

Edinburgh would it get there even though it’s dribbling a bit from the push rods yeah you’re not going to lose that much but um obviously just just have to keep an eye out in the oil tank just to make sure it’s topped up and there’s enough

Foil in there but it’s not it doesn’t look anything too serious so it seems all we need to do is replace a push rod gasket and my Bonnie can be ridden in Anger this restoration was certainly a challenge and took the best part of 6 months but if you were

Going to have your first crack at a Resto what would that be I’d probably start with a simple little smaller bike maybe a little old British two-stroke um sort of like a James or a uh Francis Barney I reckon what you should get as a first time Resto should be a 70s

Japanese bike perhaps there’s a single an SL 500 or a 404 if you want a multi that way they’re cheap to buy yeah parts are plentiful yeah mhm and actually when you’ve restored them you can ride them like your stol them yeah cuz they’re they’re reliable they’re so reliable you

You just don’t really have a lot of problems with bikes like that whatever bite you fancy just reach for the spanners and give it a go Life’s Too Short not too meantime I’ve had such a blast today perhaps we might take all this riding out together lar a little

Further hey love mate we we should uh we should go on holiday together on a bike I quite enjoyed this afternoon weirdly well I haven’t done anything like that since the 70s would you uh F you coming camping with me camping or camping it up with you bit of Both Pete the restorer and I have set ourselves a challenge to try and break a vintage land speed record with a Triumph 3hw motorcycle at the biville salt flats in Utah veteran of the salt Sam love grve is creating our rolling chassis down in cormell but any record attempt

Needs some wheels so for me The Only Way is Essex and to Hagen shocks in heel as well as bringing my tires along I’ve had my race wheel hubs polished as well don’t you know now for the rear hub we’ve chosen one of these which is a

Conical triumph rear hub of a t140 I’ll tell you what I would do if I was building a special normally I’d drill nice big holes in this for the Aesthetics but on the salt salt gets in not good at all so anyway the rear hub will give us a break but hopefully just

A minimal break obviously because the front hub is nicked off a Norton Commando with the front hub we don’t need a break because on the salt uh if you have a front brake and something happens and you grab a handful because you’re exstensively riding on Ice you’ll grab the front brake bre

Because you got a bit of a panic on natural reaction for a biker to just touch the front brake you’re off so those two hubs we’re going to lace in now um spokes these are stainless spokes pretty standard stuff uh one for the front which is longer obviously one for the

Rear now rims uh we’ve got to keep a British theme as far as I’m concerned so these are British chrome rims and beautiful they are too now the tires that I’ve lumped in are these now they’re Avon Road Riders so this is the rubber we’re going to put on so

Basically that’s what we need to do lace these hubs up and then get the completed wheels back down to Sam and there’s only one man in my view to do that and that’s Richie so rear hub first oh hang on mustn’t forget the spokes obviously now Richie should have everything so come on

Then what do we do first first full that there L that on there and take the speedo drive out cuz otherwise we’ll never get the spokes in oh okay all right those spokes y need to go in the lower holes yeah okay lower holes all right like that that’s long

H That’s The Story of My Life mate after I’ve threaded all the stainless spokes in the right holes it’s time for the rim our chrome rim may I just say British chrome rim again the spokes are pushed through the rim and then we need to get busy with the nipples it’s now

Also a perfect opportunity to brandish my weapon I love Machinery let’s get on with it then Rich starting at the valve need to do them up so you just cover the thread of the spoke so slowly but surely all the nipples I reckon are securely tightened so it’s now off to the truing

Jig to assess my Endeavors exstensively this wheel as it stands hands at the moment could be like an egg possibly do you want to see how good you’ve got it yeah it’ll be great well I don’t think it looks too bad but then again I’m not that technical it’s only high in one

Spot and there’s some loose folks in there as well all right well looks are deceiving but either way Richie can tighten and loosen the rim to reach the desired spherical effect well look Richie is going to carry on with this but in a couple of days I reckon we’re

Going to have completed Wheels with lovely Avon ride at tires and I’ll tell you something though Sam won’t believe the fruits of our Labor coming up Pete and I hunt for some wheels for our budget holiday please Jake please make it £700 and talking of Wheels we lace some for the land speed record bike and the rolling chassis is coming on a treat will you take a look at that that bike

Is definitely going to be in with a Shout I had such a laugh with Pete doing the shapedown ride I had a ridiculous idea you coming camping with me camping or camping it up with you bit of both we’ve agreed to go on a weekend biking trip but there’s a Twist now we all know that going on holiday on a

Motorcycle can be exceptionally expensive so that got me thinking and I thought I’d set me and Pete A little challenge we’re going to go on holiday here in the UK and the price per person to do that is going to be £800 now you may think that’s expensive

But it isn’t when you understand that it includes the price of the bike armed with 800 we’ve each gone to get ourselves a bargain bike Pete who seems to be related to every bike dealer in Oxfordshire went straight round to see John who just happens to be his first

Cousin twice removed or is it third cousin once removed but for me I’m relying on my old mate Jake he deals in classic motocross bikes and has part exchanged one for a ZX6 it’s as cheap as chips it could be my perfect bike hello Henry how are you boy good

Mate you’re not reading those magazines again are you yeah they’re they motorcycle ones not the ones that you read enough talk about Jake’s monthly subscriptions I’m Keen to give his bike a race replica from the ’90s the once over you could have taken the Flies off

The front Jake if you knew I was coming I can do that but that’ll be an extra okay leave can we just see if it works Go’s first time always a good sign but when you’re buying a secondhand bike and don’t want to get ripped off you need to follow the

Rules check that the engine numbers match with the log book and that it’s HPI clear check that it’s not being used for racing no lock wire on the sump or grips and most importantly buy off someone you know that’s why I buy off Jake Pete’s cousin John had a few bikes

At the back of his shed that might go for less than £800 I’m look I’m liking what I’m seeing to start with cuz they’re two strokes and you know I love my two strokes you got any documents for this one not that one though Ah that’s a that

Could be a problem then got anything else the Suzuki was within Pete’s Budget of £800 but without anot it was going nowhere next up John wheeled a Yamaha RD 350 out of his shed excites me now you’re not going to believe this John go on that I bought one of these

Brand new in 1972 yeah you’re going to tell me it was the cheapest chips well they were £370 it was you weren’t going to get this one for £370 I tell you you sure well they a worth a lot more I’m looking at around about 500 quid for

Something like this what 1,00 quid this is worth Pete’s got to start haggling if he wants it for 500 back at Jake’s I’m getting a rough ride on my limited budget how much do you offer it then well I think that’s a lot of motorcycle what for

£1,000 is that is that how much you’re asking for this yeah it’s a nice bike I’m feeling I’m feeling slightly unusual th000 quid do you know what I’m up against Jake I’ve got 800 quid yeah and it includes the price of the bike yeah but I’ve also got to eat bread

Cheese small frogs roadkill that kind of stuff road kill you’d get plenty on this yeah well you would whilst I thrashed it out with Jake there was no stopping Pete SW two stroke you can’t beat it can’t beat it Pete smelt the two-stroke but JN smelt a deal let battle commence what

Are you looking for for it John what are you looking for well I really want to TW yeah well I I can’t do that can I there’s a stalemate but out of the blue JN offered a solution Peete couldn’t refuse we got a mati engine that’s uh blew up

I’ll give you that engine yeah you have a good look at it you do me a favor and I’ll do you a favor okay I don’t think that’s quite within the rules but well Henry ain’t going to know know yeah he’ll go mad when he finds out cuz he’ll

Say he say I’ve cheated as long as you give me a receipt saying I bought it for £600 we’ll shake on it are let me find you some pound notes they’ve got a deal £600 in exchange for a complete rebuild of John’s mati engine leaving Pete £200

Spending money but he’s broken the rules of our holiday budget meanwhile I’m playing by the book I’ve offered Jake 700 I’ve even offered to clean his gnomes but now I’m in for the kill please Jake please make it £700 okay then good okay that’s want to

See a gr man cry thanks very much don’t change your mind well there you have it I’ve got myself a Kawasaki ZX6 a big green bullet of a machine for £700 and Pete’s bought a Yamaha RD 350 for a dodgy 600 and he’s already feeling guilty I think I might have stitched

Henry up a little bit here with um the way I managed to acquire this bike because it is actually outside the budget Henry’s going to Grizzle but so what to right Al Grizzle his bike’s worth at least double body paid for it just you Wait back at Sam’s I’ve returned with my lovely new potentially record-breaking Wheels Sam quickly gets the rear in now it’s time to build the front end should we get the forks in give it go yeah come on in once the forks are assembled in goes the second of Rich’s expertly laced

Chrome wheels this bike is so narrow is it it’s got to be narrow you got to get out of the wind wind I was wondering what that smell was hey um since I’ve been away how much Quin Noir have you eaten all of it have you apart from the better saved for

You now the rolling chassis is assembled we can see whether we’ve got the rate right I don’t want to repeat of the ball breaking tank slapper I had at Bonville last year I remember going to the shouting my head off I’m not going to drop it but hey we got the man we’re

Here and we’re going back that’s salt fever enough reminiscing time to get my leg over I’m so excited mate really where are we rear sets way back there okay so basically we’re not sitting on the seat are we no knees in elbows in that’s it that’s going to be the style

Sitting on our brand new rolling chassis for the first time I can imagine the taste of salt on my lips and feel the desert heat on my back does it feel fast yet yeah it does feel fast it may look fast but will it break the record we

Still have to make a seat exhaust and a bespoke tank there’s still a long way to go but I’m feeling optimistic when you take a look at that that bike is definitely going to be in with a shout and what’s wonderful for me about boneville is you’re not racing against

People people right you’re racing against a time and that time goes down in history and that bike could actually do something incredible I’m now going to take the rolling chassis away to start accessorizing while Sam embarks on the long and Winding Road of tuning Our race Engine it must have only been a few weeks ago that I dawned my Tweed suit and made my annual pilgrimage to bik shed in London’s East End every year this event is the showcase for everyone and anyone who’s into this new wave shedbuilt style custom scene you can see everything here from

Calf Racers to Flat trackers Bobbers to brat style Cruisers one of the founders of this movement here in the UK is Steve Hillary from Red max speed shop who was displaying his gorgeous ducatti CF Racers at the show so I thought I’d take a closer look at what makes Steve tick

Down at his workshops near olford in Sunny Hampshire call it what you will brat Star new wave custom CAF everyone thinks it’s a new scene Steve is it I don’t think so I think you know I was bought up with Brit bikes and we used to go to

Rallies each year and you’d see customized bikes calf Racers and and things in between and I’ve been seeing this thing going on for years would you say red Max has a speciality the ducatti side of the custom scene is our Niche I mean we do flat trackers we do calf

Races of All Sorts but the the ducatti side of it we kind of concentrate on that and there’s nowhere for anybody else to go really for for a doaty CF racer um so yeah I would definitely say that’s our that’s our Niche here in his shop Steve works with his father to create create an Eclectic mix of specials all of which start with a donor bike that either Steve has bought or a customer turns up with this scene is all about there being no rules at all and this calf racer

Special really sums that up tell me about that bike because to me that’s marrying you know there are no rules there is it I mean it’s sort of British calf racer meets Harley meets just loveliness no that’s right we bought secondhand Sportster and we just worked

Away at it to try and get it as as Brit CF racer looking as we could it’s uh fast it handles it breaks as well as just looking like an old British bike I really think if you can make it look old and make it work like a new bike then

You’ve succeeded in what you’re do Steve is adamant that it’s the Enthusiast in their sheds at home that are really making this scene happen for him everything and anything can be and must be customized if you’ve got a bike you say a z 650 and you want a flat

Track it just just go ahead flat track it cuz somebody has to be the first anyway so if you make an amazing bike you might get people then go on the roll and copy your bike this whole shedbuilt scene has actually been around for about 10 years

So all of us who are passionate about it are always looking to the Future what is the future I think the future is the past myself as often is the case yeah because I like anything modern that we can look retro that’s a kind of a throwback thing

So I will try and build uh a modern bike in the old style that kind of um really shows where the scene is you know modern bikes that look a bit like a 60s Scrambler you know and it’s not hard to do well Steve’s Creations are certainly

For me at least things of beauty but do they ride well in a minute I’ll find out when we both head over for a spot of lunch at is local hostelry coming up I ride Steve’s calf racer to the pub and our land speed record bike gets a brand new gas tank

That is Unbelievable back in olford Hampshire I’m visiting Steve Hillary of red Max Speed Shop one of the Godfathers of the new wave custom scene not only does he build these stunning Ducatis he also creates stuff like this a Harley sportser disguised as a British catf racer it may look incredible but does it

Ride so we’re heading out to Steve’s local pub to meet up with with some Kindred Spirits immediately the riding position Delights the marriage between American and British calf racer is actually something to save her for me she’s a touch top heavy at slow speed but when you open her up she handles predictably

And nimbly negotiates the beautiful country lanes keeping up with Steve’s crazy Norton all too quickly though we’re at Steve’s local well life doesn’t get much better than this does it hey a glorious ride over to Steve’s local bike meat for a spot of lunch hey look

I’ll show you a couple of bikes that I love in the car Park amongst the usual Divine array of pretty standard British bikes there lurs a few gems take Tony’s stunning Flat Tracker it’s his daily ride and he’s just ridden it to cornw and back probably with a few fuel stops it’s um night 19 72 Tiger yep everything taken

Off and a few things put back on really and what I love is what is put back on is for go not show yeah a light lightened and balance cranks morgo 750 um e134 cams this is a bike made in a shed this is what I love about it m

It’s absolutely beautiful Fred if you want an example of how this shed built scene has actually been around for decades check out Billy’s utterly glorious little Triumph complete with Bob a seat and a fantastic patina that verges on Uber cool Recker Billy tell me about this glorious bike this bike I

Found in the back of an old yard in Oakland California in 1973 it was in a chicken pen was it it was covered in feathers and the primary side where the guy had taken it off was below ground level it would been there that long was this seat on it yeah it

Was I had that covered maybe 30 years ago again cuz it wore out the original say that’s a bit this isn’t an affair with this this is a long-term marriage since 1973 why haven’t you got rid of it is it part of you now yeah I think when

I bought this and I thought this is such a nice old bike I’m going to keep this whatever happens this is my old darling you know I pull it out the shed it feels comfortable it’s like putting on a old coat or a pair of shoes or something you

Know Billy’s love affair with this bike has endured decades both in California and now here in Hampshire the scenery May well have changed but Billy’s self-confessed hippie Vibes fortunately never will tell me Billy are you still a hippie then I’ve got a hippie Tendencies have you but like uh Dennis Hopper said

In Easy Rider I never thought of myself as a freak but I sure like to [Laughter] Freak well what a wonderful day this has been hey and hopefully seeing all these specials might just inspire you to get in the shed and build your very own dream bike so back to the business of breaking a world land speed record and building our Triumph race bike to do just that

While Sam is in Cornwall starting to tune the motor last week I took the rolling chassis to the back streets of Bournemouth for one very special reason well welcome to Sunny Bournemouth now today is the day the our land speed record bike gets itself a bespoke petrol

Tank finding someone to make a bespoke petrol tank is like finding an honest politician but after years of searching I found him meet Simon from Parker fabrication this boy can create custommade petrol tanks as easily as I create confusion I’ve sent him a few pictures of what style I want and after

A week of thinking about it he’s hopefully ready to bend some metal I think this bike is about being uh totally bespoke and anything that’s compromised is not going to go on the bike hey I like the sound of that mate we got it under control it’s going to be

Beautiful I know it surely going to be that so we’re going for a 50s style quintessentially British tank which I’m not going to paint I’m just going to leave the alley mirror polished from years of working with Simon I know what’s coming next his Workshop is too

Small for two and Simon doesn’t like Hangers On watching you probably want me to just go outside really don’t you for the next few hours while you do your thing um yeah I knew that was coming all right man well look best of luck Simon I’ll be out here if you need

Me so while I contemplate my Naval Simon sets to work he’s already precut the sides of the tank out of best quality aluminium now he has to roll by hand the top of the tank which he can weld the sides onto this may look easy but it’s seriously difficult to make both sides

Symmetrical Simon is now welding the tank segments together the TIG welding has to be as neat as possible because after offering up the tank to the bike to double check the next part of the process is to polish the welds so they become invisible a technique that takes

Years to perfect and it seems hours to do but soon enough the waiting and pretending to be a rabbit is over it’s done oh that sounds as though he might be finished I’m coming and after a total of 4 hours I’ve got a numb bum but now a

Massive grin oh my God than that is unbelievable Simon would you take a look at that it’s become a complete bike the tank is generally a jewel in the crown a lot of people get that wrong if you get the tank wrong I think the whole bike

Doesn’t have the right feel you know we wanted just a little bit of a curve underneath to accentuate the kind of line of the bike but not too much otherwise it’ll turn into a kind of pro street American Vibe you don’t want that may Inc so Simon has yet again created a

Masterpiece all that’s now left for him to do is to shape and weld the base of the tank to fit the engine and also add the stem for the period Monza filler cap but I’m sure he can do all that on his own if you want to know how wonderful

British craftsmanship is Feast your eyes on that tank next time on the motorbike show I’m reving in the sights sounds and smells of dragstalgia at Santa pod I spend a fabulous day watching a few chaps throw themselves at the countryside and Pete and I hit the road on our camping

Holiday T pegs no