July 2016 - Meriden Triumph Owners` Motorcycle Club

Parked up on 22nd June for the visit to the Rushden
Historical Transport Society at Rushden Station.
July 2016
Scribblings
There have been a fair few good ride-outs in the last couple of months, to destinations near and far. If
you’ve missed them don’t worry as there are more to come between now and the end of September.
Check the events list on the next page, but also listen out for late changes in the club night
announcements or keep an eye on the branch website and Facebook page.
As some of you will already know I got on a bike for the first time in two years, hiring a 2015
Bonneville for an exploration of Northern Scotland. Tales from that adventure will appear in the
September issue unless the rest of you supply me enough articles to keep it an abeyance (whether
you treat that as a prompt or a warning is up to you). At least two more members of the branch are
heading that way in September for TriFest Ullapool – I hope that they have as good a time as I did
The Northants Branch will be hosting the Triumph Owners MCC National AGM in April 2017 as part
of our 40th Anniversary celebrations. The organisation of that event will be getting into full swing
shortly and we will need some help from branch members, both in advance and on the day, to make
sure that everything runs smoothly. Full details will appear in a future edition of Vibrations.
33 Argyle Street, St.James, Northampton NN5 5LJ
Tel: 01604-582468
e-mail: Sarge@SargeNorthampton.demon.co.uk
New Members
For the first time in ages there are no new members to announce. What’s the betting that a fresj
batch are advised by HQ the day after this gets published.
Membership Renewals
The Branch only sends membership forms off to HQ for processing twice a month (normally on the
weekend after a club night). So, if you are posting off your renewal it will generally be quicker for you
to send the form and cheque direct to the HQ address in Horley rather than to the Branch
Membership Secretary. Don’t worry about the money as the Branch gets the same amount per
member regardless of the method used to renew.
Alternatively, you can renew on-line via the club’s website: http://www.tomcc.org/Membership.aspx;
paying by credit card or PayPal account.
And if you do send your renewal to me make the cheque out to Triumph Owners MCC and not to Ian
Sargent!
Northants Branch Info and News
Non-club members are welcome at all events unless specifically marked otherwise. Listen out for
details at club nights, or check with committee members beforehand in case of short-notice
alterations/cancellations. Except where indicated, club nights start at 8pm.
Events
th
Wed 6 July
Club Night at The Crown. Open Evening, Bring your mates
Sun 10th July
Display at Ton-Up Day, Jack’s Hill Café, Towcester. To get your Triumph on
the branch display please arrive at or around 7.30am.
Wed 13th July
(rearranged from June)
Club Night at The Crown. The Branch Concours d’Elegance. All branch
members’ Triumphs eligible. Trophies for pre and post 1990 Triumphs.
Judging takes place between 8.15pm-8.45pm with prize giving shortly
afterwards. Everyone in attendance gets a voting form – and yes, you can
vote for your own bike.
Sun 17th July
Ride in to Founder’s Day Rally, Stanford Hall.
www.thetaverners.com/founders.html
Mon 18th July
Ride out to Triumph Owners Meriden Branch, Heart of England Social Club,
Meriden
Wed 20th July
Club Night at The Crown.
Wed 27th July
Ride out Destination to be advised
st
Ride out to Triumph Owners, Bedford Branch, The Red Lion, Wilstead
rd
Wed 3 August
Club Night at The Crown.
Sat 6th August
Stilton Motorcycle Show (Peterborough Triumph Owners) from 11am at The
Talbot Inn, Stilton, near Peterborough
Sat-Sun 6th-7th August
Display at East Carlton Transport Gala
Wed 10th August
Ride out Destination to be advised
Sun 14th August
Display at Brackley Festival of Motorcycling.
www.brackleyfestivalofmotorcycling.co.uk
Wed 17th August
Club Night at The Crown.
Mon 1 August
th
Sat 20 August
Ride out to Northants Vintage & Classic Bike Show, The Lilacs, Isham.
www.northantsbikeshow.com
Thu 25th August
Ride out Oakley Motorcycle Club at Oakley Sports & Social Club, Oakley,
Bedford, MK43 7RU
Wed 31st August
Ride out Destination to be arranged OR Ladies Night (to be confirmed)
Wed 7th September
Club Night at The Crown
Wed 14th September
Ride out to The Cowper’s Oak, Weston Underwood
Wed 21st September
Club Night at The Crown
th
Sat-Sun 24 -25
September
th
Wed 28th September
Display at Pistons & Props Show, Sywell Airfield. All exhibitor tickets now
allocated. Day admission for visitors: £18. www.sywellclassic.co.uk/
Ten-Pin Bowling Night at AMF, Wellingborough
Northants Branch Info and News
Branch HQ:
The Crown, Senwick Road, Wellingborough, NN8 1NJ. The pub is on the south-east side of
Wellingborough, a 5 minute ride from the A45 and the southern section of the A509. It’s only a few
hundred yards away from Pure Triumph, so if you know where the dealer’s showroom is our HQ will
be easy to find.
Meetings are held on the 1st & 3rd Wednesdays of each month, starting at 8pm. Please park
motorcycles in that section of the car park to the right of the pub’s front door.
Pure Triumph:
Our local Triumph dealer is based at The Embankment, Wellingborough, NN8 1LD. The company’s
website can be found at www.puretriumph.co.uk.
On production of a current Triumph Owners membership card, Pure Triumph at
Wellingborough will give a 10% discount on the following items: Clothing, Oxford Products,
Helmets, Oil products, Labour on Servicing.
The Branch on the Internet:
Our website can be found at: www.northantstomcc.org.uk. Most pages are public but there is one
small section that is restricted to branch members only, accessed via the password that is advised
separately.
We are always looking for new articles and photos to add to it. If you have anything suitable please email the webmaster: webmaster@northantstomcc.org.uk
We also have Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/northantstomcc/
If you go on any branch events please make a conscious effort to take a photo (mobile phone OK)
and send it to Sarge & Francois. This will ensure the newsletter and website have something to show
when writing the reports.
Internet Links:
Triumph Owners MCC national website: www.tomcc.org
Triumph Owners MCC events website: www.tomccevents.co.uk
Triumph Owners Clothing website: www.tomccstore.com
The club also has a page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/4526704577/.
British Motorcyclists Federation: www.bmf.co.uk
Triumph Motorcycles: www.triumphmotorcycles.co.uk
Bike Nights in Northamptonshire:
Jack’s Hill Café Bike Night, A5 north of Towcester: First Friday of each month.
www.jackshillcafe.co.uk
Earls Barton Classic Car and Bike Meet, Whites Nurseries, Clay Lane: First Wednesday of each
month April-September, 4.30pm to 9pm. www.classicbikemeet.co.uk/. £3 per person admission
Billing Bike Night, Billing Garden Village, The Causeway, Great Billing. Every Wednesday from April.
www.allseasonscafe.co.uk
AJs Diner Bike Night, 141 Leyland Trading Estate, Irthlingborough Road, Wellingborough: Every
Thursday 7pm-10pm. www.ajsdiner.co.uk
Northants Branch Info and News
Northants Branch Clothing Range
All items come with the branch logo embroidered on the front, as shown here. Items 5 & 6 also
include the large back-print (though this can be left off if requested). Items 1, 2 & 3 can have the back
print added for an additional £7.50 per item.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Item
T-Shirt
Polo Shirt
Business Shirt
Fleece
Sweatshirt
Hoodie
Baseball Cap
Sew-On Patch
Price
£12.00
£14.50
£25.00
£25.00
£26.00
£29.50
£12.00
£6.00
Clothing should be ordered via Les Barras at one of our club nights. All being well, what you order at
one club night will be available for collection at the next (we have not looked at postage costs so it is
collection only for the time being).
Other Local Events
Biker Down – Thursday 14th July
If you were the first on the scene of an accident involving a biker, would you know what to do? Would
you know who is most at risk, how to protect the area or whether you should remove the helmet of a
downed rider?
Actions taken in the first few moments after an accident can be crucial in minimising injuries and can
make a real difference to the lives of those involved. But there can be some uncertainty about what to
do in these situations.
Biker Down is a free training course run by bikers for bikers, designed to answer these uncertainties.
The course uses the expertise of the Emergency Services and Road Safety Officers to prepare
motorcyclists should the worst happen on the roads.
The course is aimed at motorcyclists of all ages and experience. The free course offers people the
chance to learn practical skills to help avoid being involved in a crash, as well as essential first-aid
training and advice on what to do should they find themselves first on the scene of a crash where
someone is injured.
These courses are now being run in Northamptonshire and the next one is on Thursday 14 th July at
7.30pm, the venue being Brixworth Fire Station. Places are limited and must be booked in advance
via: kwheeler@bucksfire.gov.uk
Bike Safe – Saturday 16th July at Rockingham circuit, Corby, Northants. NN17 5AF
Time:
10am – 5pm
What’s going on:
Experience Rockingham circuit on your own bike
Have your riding assessed
See the latest motorcycle models and take a test ride!
Buy yourself some new gear
Watch stunt riders
Enjoy family attractions
Entry price: Just £1 per person, free for kids under 14 and parking is FREE
Experience price (pre-booking advised): £35 which includes a 2 to 1 assessment with a friendly
police motorcyclist PLUS a 15 minute track experience under the guidance of California Superbike
School!
A trip to the museum – what a Baster.
I had heard much about the Baster Indian saloon/museum. According to reports there are 400 plus
bikes on display, including quite a selection of Brits while mainly specialising in big “murican” beasts.
A good restaurant for a meal out, an auto jumble on the second Sunday of each month, a crowd of
like minded folk, and a load of bikes to look at – what’s not to like?
This year the local council have not yet made their annual clearout of surplus gravel chippings stock
by scattering it 3 cm deep all over the D (departmental) roads, paying particular attention to braking
areas and bends, making them impassable for any bike other than an all out trials machine for 3
weeks, and yet another 3 weeks after that as merely lethal. So now would be a good time.
Also, this being the second Sunday in May it
seemed like too good a chance to miss. A
mate on a Moto Guzzi New Falcone (Bacon
Slicer) was up for the 200km round trip to
Riom (near Clermont Ferrand), and he even
knew the way! A brisk ride, a meal, a beer,
and a rummage, perfick – it doesn’t get any
better. Half the trip was on what we would call
twisty minor roads through the Cher valley,
and up and over the top to join the main drag
to Volvic/Riom. Those who think my Sprint
would be crammed up the exhaust pipe of the
Guzzi, and that included me, had reckoned
without Brian’s many years as a despatch
rider. He went like greased weasel droppings.
“Elle” was not amused and indicated as much by dragging my feet along the ground on every corner
and signalling a warm rush of adrenaline to the nether regions. Not before time the main road hove
into view with some steep hills and from then on I could have taken two of the plug leads off and kept
up.
We were guided in by a shimmering light in the
sky presumably caused by the polished chrome
on all the Harleys. But what a sight on getting
there. Bikes crammed into nooks and crannies
everywhere. Last time I saw bikes packed so
tightly was at Mallory on the occasion of the
John Cooper and Ago dice, and that was some
time before last year!
A walk round the parking area brought one or
two favourites to light. I have always liked the
Laverda Jota, and there were a couple there to
ogle, in beautiful nick. There were Harleys as
far as the eye could see, in various stages of
mutilation, and enough chrome to finance
France’s national debt, and, of course, a bevy
of Gold Wings. There were a few Triumphs about, a Daytona, a new Bonnie, another Sprint and other
assorted but no pre-Hinckley. As for older machines my mate’s Guzzi was about it, although I did see
an RE Clipper.
The auto jumble was not up to much - just a blur of assorted crankcases and petrol taps, so it was off
to the museum for 7 euros worth of drooling and nostalgia. It was then I saw the star of the show, a
Tiger Cub displayed in the window, but could not get close enough to get a good ID.
Big American bikes are not really my scene but the examples of Hendersons, Indians, and various 4
cylinder machines from the US (apparently quite rare) were fascinating. For me the show started on
the next floor with an RE Meteor and then a Munch Mammoth. Last time I saw one of those was in
Norway in the late 60s on a drag strip just before it dumped its innards on the line, and there wasn’t
much to see after that! Another unusual exhibit was the Nimbus, sporting a flat bar frame. Bet that
was a handful.
A trip to the museum – what a Baster.
The slow saunter past the exhibits slowed considerably along the back wall. Nortons, Triumphs,
Royal Enfields, BSAs, AJSs, they were all there, and even a Scott, Vinnie, Brough, Douglas and
Sunbeam, and what’s more a trio of Squariels. Such a collection may not be unusual in UK but in the
land of Peugeot, Motobécane, Solex and Voxan they made quite a sight. Curious absence though of
Brit two strokes though, you know the Bantams, Fannie Barnetts, Normans etc, and I was quite
disappointed not to see an Ariel Arrow or Leader there, but quite a show for all that. And it wasn’t just
four stroke exhibits because Puch, MZ, Jawa and some I didn’t recognise were well represented.
Can’t pretend to have examined every bike,
there was just too much to take in, and I
needed to leave some for next time, when I
will make a more determined effort to
catalogue those on display that I have owned.
During my time on bikes I have owned 47
machines, the last three after I took up bikes
again in 2011 after a 32 year sabbatical.
Those 44 bikes up to 1979 were all British
even if some did not make it back onto the
road. What the exhibition impressed on me
was just how many I had never tried and
therefore missed. It is about time someone invented clocking for humans.
All that dribbling had worked up quite an appetite, but one look at the queue and prices and we
settled for a coffee! The crackle of Harleys announced thinning of the bikes in the park so we made
for the exit. My mate had to beat his way through the crowd round the Guzzi, but they hung around
for the start up act and murmured appreciatively as it ticked over like an old grandfather clock.
Sunday lunch out is a country tradition round here and savvy road users in France take it easy on
Sunday afternoons since “les flics” idea of a giggle is to stop random vehicles, bikes are a dead cert,
and invite the driver to blow in their special party whistle machine with magic numbers. Not sure what
the top prize is but I am reliably informed it has a lot to do with the numbers!
Very pleasurable trundle back, until seriously alarmed at one point when Elle’s motor started making
a horrible knocking noise. Zut alors!!! Then I realised I had closed on the Guzzi in front and he had
opened up to climb. Relief, I think, covers it.
For those interested in visiting it has very easy access from A71/A89 thro’ central France. Just
Google Baster Indian saloon and you will get “Musée de la Moto”, there is an English option, with
directions and opening times.
Must do this again soon. A bientôt.
Mac3
To avoid any confusion "Elle" referred to in the piece is my Sprint 900 1996. Probably much the same
as " 'er indoors".
A trip to the museum – what a Baster.
Mac3 was unable to identify this Triumph at the museum. My thought is that it’s a TRW, a 500cc side
valve twin for military use, but there’s a possibility that it is the earlier (and very rare) 5TW.
Space filler – The US Spec T140E Bonneville from the 1981 catalogue.
Bike 4 Life Festival 2016 - in aid of The Air Ambulance
On Sunday 6th May I rode up to the arrival at Meole Brace Park & Ride, Shrewsbury and on arrival I
was met with an already impressive amount of bikes
I registered, got my wristband and handed over the £10 that was kindly donated by David Teden
after he won the football card at our 4th May club night.
After grabbing something to eat and drink I spent time looking around some rare and lovely bikes
from my youth. At 11.30 we all funnelled out onto the approach road for the M54 where we were met
by vast crowds cheering and waving union jacks which made me proud to be English and
appreciated for taking part in the event.
We made our way onto the M54, the procession led by ex GP racer Steve Parrish. On every bridge
over the entire 24 mile route were hundreds of people cheering and waving in the sunshine. The M54
had been closed for our journey and we were led into a large parking area at RAF Cosford near
Wolverhampton. There were various stalls and bike dealers, and a stage where James Toseland
would be playing with his band later in the day.
Around 4,000 bikes and 12,000 people attended, and a massive £63,500 was raised. This is enough
to fund 25 missions in the Air Ambulance.
A great day out in the sunshine for a great cause.
Gary Bonham