Hey! Hope everyone is doing well! I have been reminding my buddy Jim how we needed to get that old Triumph in his garage running. Well this morning he rang and apparently today was the day. This is a 1972 Triumph Trophy TR6RV that belonged to one of his old marine corp brothers. Engine number tells me it was manufactured in May of 1972. His friend passed away about 15 years ago. Jim was able to save this old girl when she apparently went forgotten for a brief time after his friends passing. With his backgound working on jets and old radial engines my friend immediately set out to just preserve what was there from the ravages of the salt air here on this island. I was amazed how nice the inside of the tank looked. The bike didn't go unscathed but it isn't too bad considering what it's been thru. The thing has done a lap around Oahu in the past decade or so as it was shuffled from one storage shed or carport to the next. Jim worked to keep a roof over this bike in order to give her a fighting chance at surviving. Now that he has rebuilt his home it is back in his garage. Not being very familiar with the old Triumphs it took me a few minutes to get to know her. Positive ground was interesting. I was very happy to be able to find alot of information on this model in other forums and together we quickly set out to change the oil, fix a fuel leak, free the clutch, check the points (wow, havn't tinkered with them in forever), new plugs and fresh gas. Jim made a gasket for the float bowl because after we touched that area it was upset and demanded a new one. One last once over and we felt like we were ready to try kicking her. I would say my friend is handier than I am so it went quickly with the two of us. It only took us two beers each and we were done. Big Swell IPA from the Maui brewing company did the trick nicely. Here is a video my buddy took of the fun we had bringing this old bike back to life today. Took me a few kicks before she sputtered and we knew we were onto something. Jim pressed record on my little point and shoot and here she is! <IFRAME height=315 src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Z7EtN1i7DQ4" frameBorder=0 width=560 allowfullscreen></IFRAME> The carb needs to be cleaned because she won't idle yet. Clutch and trans fluid are to be changed. The airbox cover and the air filter are both missing so big priority finding that. Front brake adjuster is buggered up, needs a turn signal lens and the tachometer has to be fixed. New tubes and tires. I need to do a good inspection of the drum brakes to make certain everything is functioning properly. Don't feel anything unusual with the wheel bearings but we will see when we get there. I expect the fork seals are going to have a tough time judging by the condition of the fork tubes. Trying to see what I can do there. Jim and I are really pleased with the progress we made today. On the maiden voyage this old bike was happy to simply do a handfull of laps round the court where my friend lives. As you can see she was quick to work her way into the hearts of all the neighborhood kids. If anyone has any information they could share with me as far as things to look out for any assistance would be greatly appreciated. I have worked on alot of different bikes, mainly all of my own or those of friends, but this is literally my first time with one of these. The coolest part of all is remember the previous owner who passed away? His son is now 23 and apparently lives in New York state. That's right we are going to ship it to him once I determine it is safe for this young man to ride. I am recommending that Jim putter around just a little on the old girl while we find the parts we need and tinker on her. This bikes needs to be ridden a little. We are going to take it easy with her and get her in decent shape before she leaves the island. I'm guessing it will be a couple of months or so before she is ready for her trip. I was originally thinking we would clean her up really nice before she went but now I'm not so sure. The bike is essentialy just like it was when his father died. If it were me and I received the bike as it currently sits I would really enjoy wiping away all the years of dust and dirt. In my mind it is a once in a life time opportunity for this young man to see what his father always wanted for him to have come back to life before his very eyes. I don't know this young man in New York and quite possibly may never meet him. I hope he really enjoys this old bike. It must have been tough for him to lose his father at such a young age. Now he will soon get to enjoy this little connection with his dear dad. I wish I could be there to see it. Aloha and respectfully, Kirk
good for you to plan on giving the bike to the son of the original owner. that is if he really wants it and will care for it. I made the mistake once of giving a rifle to the grand daughter of its original owner. she immediatly gave it to her boyfriend and was dumped shortly after. I hope the son truely appreciates having his dads bike. I know that I would. JB