Killing the bike that killed mine

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Thanks cj. The woodworking tools are for building custom staircases, custom entry doors and such for real toffs. This gives me cash for motorcycle parts and hopefully a little left over to live on :D
 
We have 'toffs' in Australia. They are usually favoured by one political party, which they invariably support with an attitude that ruling the dirty unwashed is their birthright. But the toffs in the Britsh Isles are 'fair dinkum' - the old class system still exists there, and friends of Her Majesty are privileged and rule the roost. If you don't tug the fore lock they either chop off your head or worse, give you a dirty look right down their long aristocratic noses. Our Australian toffs are known as the 'kangaroo aristocracy', they all love the monarchy.
 
Gee, all subjects covered in this post!
If it wasn't for the so called toff end of town,the chosen to be dirty & unwashed would starve! Who else gives them a job, someone's got to own factories/businesses etc etc and go through sleepness nights worrying about debt/bills. I only know so well!! But some would say, gee your lucky owning those bikes etc?? PIGS BUM!! I worked for them,7 days a week mostly, but that's farming!
acotrel , would you refer to your brother and mate John as toffs because they own four Vincents and that JAP bike??!
I have two friends that own a Vincent each, both hard workers and are reaping a small reward for effort! Beer some how always taste better when shared with them!!
The current so called Australian government can only be described as an "INEPTOCRACY"! A system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing and where the the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers!
As far as Royalty/aristocracy go, they're only descendants of a head chopping dictatorship from a by gone era! I believe you should earn respect, not be born into it!
Oh, and a neighbor of mine said I was lucky not to have weeds in my garden, yeah right, I own a shovel and know how to use it! :mrgreen:
foxy
 
To be clear, acotrel only explained the meaning of toff for those of us from North America. I think he is quite fond of Vincents. It was J.A.W who suggested that Vincent owners are toffs, which is really only a minor insult it turns out!

It was the now absent Dkt26 who called me a Poser and a "Dolphin Slapper'" after I posted a picture of my old Vincent, mid tour.
For some reason the sight of a Vincent Twin being used well angers him/her???

Glen
 
Being called a 'toff' is not usually an insult. Fred Astaire, Agostini, Hailwood and Kenny Roberts are all 'toffs . ' it pertains more to excellence than to having class. We have a saying that something is a 'class act'. When 'toff' is used in a derogatory sense, it is about those who believe they are a cut above everybody else. But the simple fact is tha t is the truth about those I've named. They are that good. Calling someone a 'toffy-nosed git' is something else. That refers to someone like Bernie Ecclestone. We don't have them in motorcycling.
 
If I ever see someone riding a Vincent on the public roads , I am never jealous because I know what a shit heap they really are. Like all British bikes they are designed to drive you insane, but in bigger doses than the usual. But the guys who ride them are, in my opinion - heroes ! I love to see them. The only thing I've seen in recent years which was better was an old fart of about 80 years of age, with a really perfect SS100 Brough Superior. It was to die for. The fact that it is now worth over $130,000 is irrelevant - it was simply a really good thing. I truly wish him well with his beautiful motorcycle.
We are all capable of buying bikes like that, all it takes is application and a straight head.
 
Foxy, I know what you are saying about rich people owning factories and providing jobs. I've never been truly money motivated. I am an industrial chemist, and what drives me is professional interest. I don't envy people with money, but I don't believe that 'trickle down effect of wealth' bullshit either. Even in my motorcycling what drives me is the opportunity to develop and improve my bike and my riding ability. There can be no greater fun than building your own bike, and having a measure of success with it. I don't believe building a manufacturing empire for the sole purpose of turning a dollar could be that interesting. Henry Ford probably went somewhere near it - used to race, and his business was an extension of his passion. As a kid I had the choice of starting a motorcycle dealership and repair business. I think that would have killed my passion stone dead !
 
A few years ago a club member Dale, was riding his Vincent in the local Mountains on a beautiful day. As he climbed the temperature dropped, then the clouds moved in and it started to rain. His bike started to sputter then died. All alone, no cell phone service in the mountains, he had no choice but to start pulling the bike apart there at the side of the road in the rain.

After getting the magneto off the bike and apart, two riders on modern sport bikes pulled up to offer help. They couldnt do anything for him as they had no idea of how to fix an ancient British bike and probably no idea how to fix their own bikes, which probably wont break down anyway.
As Dale worked on his Vincent the riders looked it over and marvelled at its features and complexity. One of the riders smiled and said to Dale "A Vincent-- You lucky Bastard!"

So now we hand out an annual "Lucky Bastard " award to the rider with the nastiest roadside breakdown story.

Glen
 
On the value question, (which seems to be the issue that got to DKT26), when I bought my Vincent in OZ in 2003, a non motorcycling friend who really wants a new Harley and matching Harley clothes/riding lessons said to me" My God, for the same money you could have bought a new Harley instead of that old thing!"
I suppose that was true but I did not want a new Harley, I wanted an old Vincent instead. The old thing has taken me to places (including the IOM circiut, closed roads) that I never would have gone to on a new bike. Touch wood, so far 30,000 miles, only a broken speedo cable and routine maintenance, no roadside breakdowns or " lucky Bastard" awards!

Glen
 
Back in the sixties four friends of mine used to ride together fairly regularly. One had a long stroke Manx Norton which was converted for road use, one had a 1959 Triumph Bonneville, another had a DBD34 500cc BSA Gold Star, the last one had a 1000cc Vincent. The Vincent was the bike that got towed home the most ! It's best trick was stripping the fine toothed aluminium timing gears. Like all British bikes, if you own one you have to be prepared to re-engineer the stupidity out of them ! I am simply dismayed that these days the kids are becoming incompetents - our generations' skills will be lost forever unless we develop more constructors' classes in motor sport, and change the laws about hot rods and cafe racers. It is an industrial productivity issue, we are losing one of our great strengths - engineering creativity.
 
The aluminum idler gear was an aftermarket item that was sold from the late fifties until early 80s. Apparently quite a few were installed at rebuild time. As you say this was a problematic part. Even if they did not fully strip, they would shed metal into the bottom end and cause serious problems. My OZ Vincent had one fitted when I got it, I tossed it immediately.
The original Vincents as delivered were a very good machine, unfortunately some of the aftermarket parts used along the way have caused problems.
I have the original series of MPH (the monthly VOC rag published 1949- now) in which Tony Rose did a 100,000 mile road test of a Black Shadow with Steib sidecar and reported on all maintenance required. He used the bike for daily year round commuting as well as holiday travel over a four year period. They pulled the heads for decoking at 50,0000 miles, other than that it was all just oil changes, new tires, chains and sprockets and so on.
This was quite an accomplishment for a motorcycle in the early fifties. I dont think too many other machines would have held together so well, especially when heavily laden like this one routinely was.

With a few modern items, these bikes are great for long distance touring today. Three of my friends just got back from a 3950 mile trip from Vancouver to Colorado, sidetrips and back. One bike had a minor problem with a new style alternator that had been fitted, that was the only problem in 12,000 miles of total travel. We do these mileages all the time on them, trailering the bikes is really frowned upon. And the guys I ride with really roll, they do not baby these bikes.

Glen
 
I've only ever rode one Vincent. It had modified rear suspension - velocette swinging arm. The motor was on 12 to 1 comp. and ran methanol. I kept wondering where all the power was coming from.
 
There was a classic meet in early July not far from me, so I went along. Of all the bikes in the park, and there were many really nice classics, this Vincent Comet impressed me the most. I talked to the owner, who uses it as daily transport, regularly does 100 mile + trips and tours in Europe, UK, etc. I forget the exact mileage but it was high. It's not immaculate and shiny but that's because he's using it most of the time.

Killing the bike that killed mine
 
I was offere one of those when I was a kid. It was really cheap, but because it was a single we wouldn't buy it. We were all into 650 Triumph twins. When I think back on those days I still wonder about our really stupid values. Even today the idiots in histric racing don't really value the old bikes. We use them in the same way we used paddock bashers, even though the racing might look a bit better.
 
Closing in on 71 years old, and getting a bit arthritic, my days of having motorcycles that have to be kicked into life are over. Though I might be branded as a traitor, if I was to get back into the bike fraternity with any bike, my choice woud be a Honda CX-500 water-cooled v-twin, preferably the very rare turbo-charged version.

That is such a perfect piece of engineering, I'd even consider putting it on a plinth in the living room. I'm gobsmacked (as the Brits say) that Honda could not only develop such a device, but could actually manufacture and sell it at a reasonable price.

IMO, the Honda CX-500 turbo qualifies as one of the engineering marvels of the last few decades and should be enshrined in one of the vehicle engineering museums (musea?). I hope I can get my hands on one before I die!
 
Frank, is that good ol` Englander sarcasm?, or are you also being ironic, maybe a Hesketh is more of a toff`s bike than a Vincent anyhow..
 
Mark said:
Honestly, I had to look up what a "Toff" was.
but now that I know........
You can bet your arse that I would be toffing all over the friggin' place if I was riding worntorn's Vincent!
Click to expand...

I suspect that the correct English meaning of 'Toff' has not really been understood, even by the antipodean contributors....

The whole point of being a 'Toff' is that you are born one, you cannot become one, it is heritage....I am not one, and don't aspire to it....I would settle for being 'new money'...

And I would be careful with the above suggestion of 'Toffing of all over the place', some of us may assume that you have inadvertantly inserted ff in place of two ss, although another definition may now be required....
 
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