Probably none of you have ever heard of Neill Barr. Neither did I until May 2006.
In December 2005 I bought my 2006 T100, but since it was winter I didn't pick it up and ride it home until April 2006.
A few weeks later I was doing something to the bike which meant removing the seat. It was then I noticed far down on the tail end of the gas tank hidden by the seat the name "Neil" written in the same silver paint as the pin striping. It seemed obvious to me that the pin stripper had signed his work.
He certainly had a right to be proud of his work as the pin striping (called gold lining in England) is flawless.
Yesterday, while I was a Sunday breakfast with some of my bike club members, one of them gave me a few old Triumph Torque magazines. As I was reading the Fall 2004 issue last evening I came upon an interview with Triumph pin stripper, Neil Barr.
Neil is now 44 years-old and started working for Triumph in 2000. His work history is in paint body shops in England so was well suited to his new job - plus he also loves motorcycles. Even so, he wasn't an experienced gold liner and it was more than six months before he was up to production standard.
An old timer in the paint shop showed him how to hold the brushes, mix the paint, etc., and then it was just a matter of lots of practice and learning to focus 100% as you apply the lines.
On an average day he completes between 30-35 gas tanks.
But his day isn't solely striping gas tanks. He's a skilled spray painter and also does general paint spraying on gas tanks.
He loves being around motorcycles every day and the high morale and camaraderie of his fellow workers.
Says Neil, "I work with a great bunch of guys, and we really enjoy our work. And enjoying what you do for a living really helps!"
In December 2005 I bought my 2006 T100, but since it was winter I didn't pick it up and ride it home until April 2006.
A few weeks later I was doing something to the bike which meant removing the seat. It was then I noticed far down on the tail end of the gas tank hidden by the seat the name "Neil" written in the same silver paint as the pin striping. It seemed obvious to me that the pin stripper had signed his work.
He certainly had a right to be proud of his work as the pin striping (called gold lining in England) is flawless.
Yesterday, while I was a Sunday breakfast with some of my bike club members, one of them gave me a few old Triumph Torque magazines. As I was reading the Fall 2004 issue last evening I came upon an interview with Triumph pin stripper, Neil Barr.
Neil is now 44 years-old and started working for Triumph in 2000. His work history is in paint body shops in England so was well suited to his new job - plus he also loves motorcycles. Even so, he wasn't an experienced gold liner and it was more than six months before he was up to production standard.
An old timer in the paint shop showed him how to hold the brushes, mix the paint, etc., and then it was just a matter of lots of practice and learning to focus 100% as you apply the lines.
On an average day he completes between 30-35 gas tanks.
But his day isn't solely striping gas tanks. He's a skilled spray painter and also does general paint spraying on gas tanks.
He loves being around motorcycles every day and the high morale and camaraderie of his fellow workers.
Says Neil, "I work with a great bunch of guys, and we really enjoy our work. And enjoying what you do for a living really helps!"
