Triumph Tom
Well-Known Member
I am Tom, 35yrs old from Western NY 20 miles N of Buffalo South of The Niagara Falls. (If you ever visit get a pasport the Canadian side is GEORGEOUS" The US side looks like Lebanon or something. I have a couple scooters My current Daily Driver is a 79 T-140D. Some History. I was around 5 I guess when my dad brought home a Blue Honda on a test drive, he had owned a Kawasaki 2 stroke 400 I want to say KZ? But this was before my time. He Came Back w/ the 79 Bonny special later he had picked it up from the HD dealer for $1850.- . I LOVED riding, He would put me in front of himself, and I would hold the bars just inside the Grips. He installed 1 of those throttle locks at 1st, and would take his hands right off the bars (rarely) by age 7 I was BEGGING for a mini bike, my older friend had a Honda CT70 (remember these)? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzZeoSweioE&feature=related. anyhow, while watching cartoons one sat morn my Father yelled "Tommy?" I didnt nswer, he probably wanted me to stack wood or something, was really digging whatever cartoon... he called again I stomped out and muttered what? (I wouldnt have said it to him). He was sitting on THIS: a 1972 HD x90 (these vids are not the actual machines btw) shown here is the identicalbike in the identical color, etc but as I recall My machine had colored pinstripes possibly red and white (this was the evil knievel era after all.. remember long live the HD Boatail YUCK) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZZv42PuD-4 These came w/ a 4 spd xmission. clutch (unlike my competitors ct70) an italian 90cc 2stroke head lamp, tail lamp, tach, speedo etc. I SCREAMED AT the Top Of my Lungs I wanted to say something but was lost for words. I was not a loud obnoxious kid like some of my friends, always yelling and screaming. My heart pounded I was shaking. "how do I ride? how?" so I learned the clutch at 1st cheating I would kinda push off like a scooter and ride the clutch a bit but knew from all the riding I needed to shift. I remember trying to shift down, she was 1 down 3 up. Then he said you go up for 2nd. From there I was destined to be forever in love w/ Motorcycles. I dont live in the country but there was a place we called demlers, I lived on a very quiet st. at the end were the dead RR tracks and there were miles and miles Right near the infamous "Love Canal" (as long as Im sending links for those who dont know Love Canal? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKIM9sE0t6I ) No doubt the area I was riding in was also a dump of toxins but it was like a little desert, YZ 250s and Rm125s, Bultacos, My neighbors had Ymaha trials bikes, Another friend had a cool 250 ish cc Husqvarna w/ a chrome tank, another had a Combat wombat. I am told "Demlers" where we rode was a dirtbike magazines testing sight. It was the ultimate! A riders HAVEN! I was well respected and by FAR had the older kids respect. (I thought) they would dare me to jump this or that at the age of 7 I was the coolest kid. I owned a harley and later around i985 I adapted the leather w/ the cutoff sleeves denim jacket, the sunglasses. I liked that more then my Catholic school uniform. Joey w/ the Honda 70 would always want to trade off and yell for kicking gravel up at him etc... But he was a few yrs older I really looked up to him a lot! Those were my best years!!! My mother decided she wanted a bike and My dad got her a Honda 440? possibly 450?, she learned on my little 90. Later a 78 Trident w/ elec start (I prefer the look of the non electric, I believe the BSA Rocket 3 had the same motor no elec start) anyhow. She over rev'd at a light and was slightly injured, The Trident was sold (DAMNIT) but there was a MOTO GUZZI V50iii. She never rode in the Garage. So at age 13 I was "too big for the little HD" dad sold it for what he paid 250.00 I still have the tach and speedo so whoever has it can come get em! Skip to 14yrs old found an ad Honda CT90 $50 bo.. went and got it for 25.00 and it was mint, Had moved to the other side of town but could still get to demlers via the powerlines trails. I rode w/ 2 friends both had RM 125s the 1st day I had it my buddy was having carb issues, forgot the little circlip for the pin in the piston of the little mikuni (amal mk copy) so it chewed the hell out of the piston. All we knew was it wouldnt start so, I traded him for it. bought a wiseco piston and had it bored by Hebelers in Pendelton. Ran like a beast and my 79 RM125 once broken in kept up w/ The 86 Liquid cooled mono shock version. I was Happy! The lower end eventually went and I found a MINT 1986 250R 3 wheeler. one word SUICIDAL! !st time I rode it I came back shaking. Thinking I would do as I had seen in magazines and skim across a pond, (not realizing this required special tires) being sure w/ my jet kit and fmf pipe It'd do "the ton" I hit that water wide open trying to pull up just as you hit power band as ATV magazine explained I came to a dead stop when the front tire hit the water! lol! I needed a bath anyway as did the machine as it lay there Idling... Traded that even for a 93 New at the time Yz 250. . My 1st Road bike was the 82 V50iii Guzzi like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRRloxzielc Not sure if It is the Opposing cylinders that made that bike handle corners so well but It was mine another gift from Dad for my 16th Bday. Slash cut Mufflers and what I believe was the fault of unleaded fuel the valves were shot, had to actually send the heads to ITALY! but after that she ran like a dream again. Up untill about age 18 I really wanted to be in a club w a Harley. 1 Night a local MC (at a church carnival beer tent) was drinking and they were all "too good for me" and later were fighting people.... Real tough guys... so I still love that SOA show but I lost any interest in the MC lifestyle after that. I have club member friends, bringing us to our next machine, I traded a 300x honda 3 wheeler for a basket case TRIUMPH (less then a basket the motor was in the frame and would start and could hear run. DONE DEAL. There is a pic of me on the initial completed product, got her in 97? completed in 2004? well completed to be ridden but the mods are in my mind ever changing. I was working at a full serve Sunoco w/ 3 bays and access to any tools, my Boss Gave me a CB 750 4 all original. That had 1 bad cyllinder era 96? ish I found a guy w a blue Trophy 1972 in nice shape for $500.00 and had been offered that for the Honda so I sold the Honda and Got the 650 Trphy w/ Bonnie pipes. It ran ok but spent DAYS cleaning that thing.... so around this time I was married living in the house I grew up in w/ a baby and a stepson 4 yrs older. The guy who lived across the street passed, Arnold Gormont?? maybe we always called him amy Arnold, he rode an OLD army Green Matchless 1 lunger to work EVERYDAY Rain or shine. Turned out he was not only a hardcore biker but a COLLECTOR and I watched as they loaded his Bikes on flatbed trailers, Mostly Triumphs, Bsa's Urals, But one of the last that had sat n his basement from the day it was new was a Vincent Black Lightening or shadow (sorry I just cant recaol for sure) and an Ariel square four. (no videos you can google if you dont know). I knew and disliked the nephew lee from childhood. But was ready to trade him both the chopper and the 650 and my 70 Torino Gt for that Vincent. He said "Jay Leno is already interested) slammed the door. He grew up to be a homosexual (thats not why I disike him, But a very flamboiant one. (trying to draw a picture of the way he turned on his heel w/ his hands on his hips thumbs in front, turned and said that..... Well after the Divorce I sold mostly everything I owned hung on to Triumph anything and a couple years ago My dad now pushing 70 bought a Honda Pacific coast..... That bike is so stable smooth and aside from the occasional shift that sounds like you hit a loose manhole cover is perfect. Shifted at the right RPMs he LOVES it. So check out my new profile, my pics. I have no friends yet on here and am new to any forums I Love old british, German, Italian bikes most, and have left out a few bikes that I only rode for a month, or never put on the road.. a XS 650 that NOW I would use the motor for the chopper and do a real resto as it is a 69 after all! Hope I did not bore you. But I dont imagine youd be here if you werent already 
