How I got started in classic motorbike restoration.
Restoring classic motorbikes is my hobby, and this is the story of how it all began.
It all started around 1992, seems a long time ago now.
At that time I was, err, um, 50ish and the thought of owning and riding a classic motorcycle seemed to be the answer to Saturday afternoons and what to do.
The first question was where do you go about obtaining a bike, shall I get one in mint condition or will I get one to restore, it would take me back to the late 50 s early 60s when I bought a brand new Triumph Tiger Cub in 1959, part exchanging it in 1960 for a 1956 Norton Dominator 99 registered number SKV 991, I shall never forget that Norton I sold it to get married and have wanted another ever since.
Anyway around that time I spotted an advert in the local paper for an auction of classic motorcycles at Shepton Mallett Showground, I duly sent away for the catalogue, when it arrived I turned page after page, yes, you have guessed looking for a Dominator, I am afraid that it wasn't to be, but an AJS 350 with 'jampots' took my fancy, I could not stop looking at it in the catalogue and the month till the auction seemed to go on forever.
The day of the auction arrived and I set of with my car, box trailer and my wife, I did not know what to expect, knowing nothing about classic bikes and even less about auto jumbles and auctions.
Well what a day that turned out to be, we had a good look around and I tried not to look too interested in the AJS that I had been looking at on paper for weeks. To me it looked fairly complete and a number of other interested bikers passed their eyes over it saying not bad wonder what it will go for, I did not have long to wait the auctioneer called out lot 26 and we were off!
I remember shaking like a leaf when the hammer finally came down, and it was mine, or was it?, the auctioneer said sold subject to approval.
That was all new to me, and it was about 30 minutes later that he announced that lot 26 had been approved, it was mine at last, and so started the best hobby / interest that I could ever imagine.
Since that day in 1992 I have bought and restored a number of different bikes and one scooter (never again!) I have sold a few on now, I have been lucky enough to win some prizes along the way, it has really taken hold, and yes, I have now finished restoring a Norton Dominator and am looking for my next project.
Elsewhere on the site is a full list of my recent restorations and my current collection which I hope you will enjoy reading about.
2009 The Next Projects
The next projects were not so easy to come by, times have changed since 1992 not so much about and what there is so much more expensive and what seems to me to be in much poorer condition.
However keeping the word passed around that I was looking for another restoration eventually paid of, and not so far from home, a colleague mentioned that he had a 1959 Royal Enfield Crusader sport that was in need of restoration and would I be prepared to do it.
After some time and negotiation I agreed that I would buy it and restore it, mostly people have no idea what is involved with the restoration let alone the cost, if the desire was there on the completion of the project, then first refusal would be offered to the original owner. I was on the point of going to see what I had agreed to buy and collect when the deal was canceled, back to square one.
A couple of weeks later another mate suggested that he had a challenge that I would not be up for, from somewhere he had acquired 2 TWN Cornet's split single two strokes (German Triumphs) one nearly complete and the 2nd suitable for spares, even then a challenge as neither had pistons barrels etc what he did not realise was that they were electric start, I was intrigued!
Any way I bought them, the following week the guy with the Crusader came back to me asking if I was still interested, that turned out to be boxes of bits from a couple of bikes and I think a washing machine, I had that as well.
I now had three bikes to restore , what would I do first? I decided to attempt the Enfield Crusader as that was a potential source of some money to have a go at the TWN's. You can see how the Crusader turned out by looking at it on my collection page, the only thing missing was the tank badge, which I did eventually obtain before selling it back to the original owner, he was delighted with the result.
The TWN's were more of a challenge, in fact the 2nd one is still in the thro's of restoration, I decided that after having trawled around the country for nearly two years and obtaining quite a few boxes of TWN spares I had nearly enough to build two complete motorcycles. The first TWN was completed early in 2009 just in time for the BRISTOL CLASSIC BIKE SHOW, it won the best private entry, I was well pleased. As a result of that it was featured as a five page spread in the December 2010 edition of the Classic Motorcycle Magazine.
Having started the 2nd TWN my mind did briefly turn again to projects!! The opportunity came to purchase a Sunbeam S7 mostly all there, but a non-runner and painted red, ugh!!. That is now in the shed waiting for me to finish the 2nd TWN, now I am getting older, electric start may be handy!
The next project will be the Sunbeam S7, quite looking forward to that, I will see if I can dedicate a couple of pages to the restoration process.
All the best...Geoff