Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) Another travesty, SS100 this time..

Nothing Superior about this...

Only the price tag.....

Well, not that expensive when compared to the prices the originals are still fetching. especially when you consider it is handbuilt and in very limited numbers.......is it worth it, to experience the ride, well that's a entirely different question. It appears that another landmarlk brand Vincent prices are softening in the current market, it appears desireable period electric start bikes prices are in ascendence.

.The Battistini Fatboy is in the garage doing a bit of cleaning and fettling, trouble with custom parts from 30 odd years ago, little things like the indicators have very low volume timy bulbs, made in the US and from early research have most likely ceased production, , so looking to buy the led replacement units, but even that line of 45 degree indicators has ceased in 2018.........been great experience for internet searches.. So at the moment the more I clean the better it looks, it's meet with all round approval from Harley owning friends and neighours.

Just waiting for a break in the weather to see how the trick rear suspension works on local pot-holed roads, if its not upto scratch, I'll most likely put air suspension in.

With the exception of the big Triumphs* ... I think that the old names should have just been left to die gracefully ...milking a once great name by selling it to be stuck on inferior machinery is horribly cynical ... I hope that should Morgan eventually succumb to modern economics that the badge doesn't end up on some cheap far-eastern electric carbuncle .... however once the asset-stripping vultures get stuck in I dout they'll resist a few grand for someone else's prized legacy.






*These are still fully designed and still somewhat of their range UK built ....their offshore productuon is a sad fact of commercial life, but the bikes remain directly true to the UK production .... the new smaller capacity range made in India, however, just look like generic Chinese runabouts tarted up and bearing a badge they can't carry off... I'm sure they're perfectly competent, but Triumphs they're not*

*my personal view ... other viewpoints are available*

* but wrong! 😆


K

PS .... that Brough is a proper dog's breakfast of a thing!

Well from that I presume you like your period Triumphs........................never got into them, pools of dripping oil even from new in the showrooms, just switched me off them, especially when compared to the oil tight, low maintence Japanese 70's bike entering the showrooms at that time.

What is the generic code for indicator bulbs John? I'm sure one way or another China would provide a replacement. I've seen BA15s base with wires to circular LED array for example.

Not at all John .... I'm talking about the current big Triumphs, where they've managed to make an oil-tight modern and competent bike while remaining true to the name .... you're right that my dog in this fight is my love of classic bikes (and Triumphs in particular) ...but that just makes me all the more potentially critical of the current offerings .... but I find myself approving (with the above caveats) .... there's a good discussion to be had around 'oil-dripping, unreliable Brit-bikes' vs 'clean and reliable Japs' ... not as clear-cut as it seems. 🙂

K

PS ... should anyone ride one of the bikes I disapprove of ...note that I don't doubt them as machines ... by all reports they're competent and fine motorcycles ... just my purely personal 'instinctive' reaction ... I don't feel the Triumph or BSA ...or, increasingly, Royal Enfield DNA in there .... perfectly fine bikes, but 'badge engineering' ... purely my own reactions and prejudices so can be safely ignored by anyone who doesn't concur! 🙂

K

I've written to Arlen Ness in the US to find out what the bulbs are in the turn indicator. The bulbs are so small and tight for access, I don't want to take them out at the moment, if I can avoid it, as everythng is working at the moment and its very very tight access and I may damage the bulb........but it may well be an LED replacement is the way forward. Thanks for mentioning it.

There are NOS ndicators for sale in the US, I might get them as spares and have them converted to LED bulbs, as the inevitable will happen at some point. The front indicators have been replaced with similar style new LED units for the last MOT, If you know of anyone who can do the conversion let me know or is iit a simple plug and play,although I know the LED lower current draw has to be compensated for as the blink rate will be out of alignment. I dislike electrics more than mechanics., although the tool box was out whilst sorting a few things on the bike. .It was nice to be working on Imperial again, took me back to my youth.

K

I have two cousins, brothers who were about 5 to 7 years older than myself, one was into BSA the other Truimph, so immense rivalry and banter between them and they had a garage full of part disassembed 50's, 60's bikes, always in a state of disrepair and reassembly ,which was the norm with them. I alway made a point of turning up at their house in the 70's on my Norton 850........needless to say got lots of abuse from both of them......but little things like electric start, would really get their goat going.

I think the issue in part stems from being subjected to oil tight, reliable Japanese bikes from the late 60's onwards, which changed the motorcycling norm of what we can expect from a bike, and focused on the shortfalls of british bikes by comparison. Before Japanese bike, the British bikes set the norm, and oil leaks, unreliability was the then accepted norm. One of my Dad's friemd's was a painter who used to carry all his decorating tools, ladders,etc. in his sidecar.......along with a massive tool kit to keep the bike going. and he only did local trips, but he considered it part of the journey. of ownership. He hardly ever used his cars, would trade them in every 3 years or so for a new one , with hardly any miles on them, but kept the bike going well into his 70's.

Modern bikes do tend to be bland by comparison with the past, but are amazingly good at being bland, low maintence, tend to be very reliable, often amazingly fast, brake, go round corners and do everything you want of them amazingly well, but lack the character of machines from the past.

I remember when I got my first Fatboy in 2000 with thenew Twin cam engine with engine vibration counter measures , it was a smooth as silk, still direct to frame mounted engine, but easy to ride long distances, none of the vibration flelt thru the floorboards, seat and handlebars I experienced with the '90 Fatboy Gray Ghost which was more tiring to ride longer distances......just 10 years apart and the differences were huge, but I preferred the character and feel of the Gray Ghost.

I've installed a 'BADLANDS' module on both my Harleys - firstly it works with any type of bulb - LED and Incandescent, and secondly it removes the ridiculous system where you have to keep the indicator button pushed in. It makes it more like the BMW system - press button once and indicators turn on, press again and it turns off, and also has an auto cutoff after about 10 seconds. You can also press both buttons at the same time and get a Hazard light function.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/197795956672

https://customcruisers.zodiac.nl/media/zodiac/7b21a0da/a18d/40c8/af51/d27bb7f0cbfb.pdf