classic motorcycle forum
Motorcycle Discussions => British Bikes => Topic started by: Epreon on June 12, 2020, 05:52:54 PM
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Has anyone got any suggestions for good online suppliers for sourcing parts to finish my TR6 1969?
Any suggestions for cleaning oil tank for re-use?
Thanks.
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https://www.trisupply.co.uk/
knows his stuff 110% but can be grumpy, don't swear over the phone either, even very mildly damn etc, possibly a god botherer.
good quality kit.
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Doesn't quibble over returns either. A nice bloke, (he's called Oliver Barnes) though he had the business for sale a while back so presumably he's had enough.
Fed up with all that cussin' and cursin' probably..
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Strangely, few people learn how to be a good customer. It makes life so much easier if the customer actually knows what they want. Has the engine number, part number or other relevant information to hand rather than expecting the other person to be a mind reader.
I don't do retail but do offer to help with certain engine makes. It's amazing how many callers let their fingers do the dialling before they've ever thought about the question they want to ask. Sometimes it like trying to pull teeth getting basic information so I can possibly answer their questions.
I hear many stories about grumpy retailers. Usually my sympathy rests with them rather than the person calling. The retailer is running a business. Sitting on the phone with some ditherer does not put food on the table.
Rant over.
Cheers,
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I'm with you 33d6. I volunteer for tech help in a one make club. The enquiries I get are (so far at least) are genuine but the dearth of information supporting the question is shocking. I don't want to spend my evenings typing yet another email asking for basic info. It's almost as if the questioner has made their mind up about the answer and doesn't want you to question their judgement! The price they are asking for some unseen bike they are 'thinking of selling' for instance...
REgards, Mark
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Was not knocking the guy,just advising.
As someone who was in the bike trade for many years I sympathise with him 100%.
motorcycle trade,especially with the vintage classic side of it, is very stressfull indeed, so many tossers out there, and tightwad tossers at that.
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Classic bike enthusiasts are, in my experience, the tightest of the tight.
Say something is a quid at an autojumble and they'll come back with "give you 50p for it". >:(
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You can spend hours, and I have, advising talking some bloody half wit through a problem, onlt yo have him come back with..."but my mate says"....you can guess what my answer was.
One of the best was a heard up type who brought in half a 650 triumph engine to have mains replaced, I did him a basic but sound job.Two weeks later he is back in, his rear chain had broken and stuffed up the crankcase.
"my mate says" ::) " you should replace the crankcases free of charge, or I should go to trading standards"
"why?" says me.........
"because you did the main bearings."
"fekk off then and report me, because if you can explain how you got the engine in and out without removing the rear chain I'll buy you a new bike"
You could hear the clang as the penny dropped.
The worst enemy of the classic bike movement is prats like that one, and here are a lot out there.
I have so many stories like that, its why I got out of it
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I would like to hear some of your stories, they sound like a good laugh.
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funny to you, sent me to the edge. :'(
bloke comes into my shop.looks around with an air of disdain, 'you got a lot of stuff' [ I had bought four defunct bike shops stock of new spares, all genuine stuff]. 'yes mate, can i help?'
'nah, got any ariel leader stuff, no one has'
'what are you looking for'
'A clutch drum, no ones got one'can't get one anywhere'
I reached under the counter,'here you then,only one i have, brand new...5 quid'
'what you ripping me off'
"well, whats it worth to you then?'
'its got a price on it there 17shillings and 9 pence' [this is 1976] and its well old and dirty, so it should be discounted'
'Ok, do you want owners club discount as well?'
'yeh thats good'
'hang on then ' I said, took it out back and crushed it in the big vice, 'there you are chum, its free now'
his face was a laugh.
I swear every word of that is true.
most of those yarns are best told over a beer so I can cry into it.
don't even get me started on Vincent and Velocette owners, ducks arse territory.
After 4 years of it, i sold the lot off to a guy who was as naive as i was when I opened up, he was warned, thought i was just miserable........guess what? he sold it all on again in 6months.
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Funny thing is how people are breaking their necks to pay idiotic prices for absolute vintage junk on ebay and facebook......and telling you how they got a set of gee whiz clutch plates for some Jappa only cost $1000.....Whole thing has turned full circle.
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"Got any Leader stuff ?"
"Got any money ?"
"Naaa"
"Naaa"
https://www.hemmings.com/blog/wp-content/uploads//2017/02/Ariel-Collection.jpg
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WHY??????JUST WHY????
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Some things are just inexplicable ?
At an estate clearance hereabouts, a quite renowned character in the motorcycle world had in excess of 30 LE Velocettes.
By any measure, that is a lot.
The story goes though that he had one in every city where they had a/did business, (and some spare) and he just carried a set of plates in his pocket,
so he'd arrive by train, bolt em on and away he'd go. Never any problems with the authorities.
The good old days.
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There used to be one of the last traditional bike shops in Gosport. Absolutely stuffed full of lovely old bits, and in the glass-topped counter there was a pair of early Commando clocks, NOS. A customer in front of me enquired about the condition and price and had a look at them. The little paper price ticket said something ridiculous like £10, so the customer said "I'll take them both" and got his money out.
The memory of the resulting altercation always brings a smile to my face even now, all these years later. :)
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In a box of assorted spares I bought I found a brand new Vincent Shadow speedo[which was nice] genuine not repro,this was maybe early 1980s.
I put it in the window priced at £100, expensive but not over much for the time.
In comes the Usual Vincent owner, dirty berd and all, 'is that really brand new'?
'sure is'
'great how much?'
'£100 like it says on the ticket'
'you're not serious ?what a fekking robbin ripoff you are'
'please yourself cock, door is behind you'
The very next day another guy came in, 'bloody hell is it still here?', whips out his cash and went away singing.
a year later, yes really, back comes beardy.
'what speedo?'
The Vincent one you had in the window'
'I've come for that speedo, will you take an offer?
'bloody hell , I remember you, it sold the day after you called me a rip off robbin barsteward ...for the full ticket price, door is behind you,'
As ever ,every word is true.
and some folk wonder why I'm a bit grumpy sometimes.
I got a ton more yarns like that.
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In the 1970s I used to use a little shop called Globe Motor Spares in Smethwick - run by an elderly chap who left his upright black boneshaker pushbike leaning against the front. He had tons of what would now be called NOS with loads of useful spares for the Norton 16H I was running at the time.
All his stock had price tickets marked up in £sd - and that was what he charged regardless of how long he'd had them. The best bit was that he'd assemble your pile of bits then add all the prices together in pre-decimal currency. Following which he used a "ready reckoner" to work out the modern equivalent.
I believe his stock was bought up by Autocycle when he passed away. I'm pretty sure they don't charge his old prices.
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my best yarn is about the guy who came to my shop with bootloads of rare or scarce Vincent parts, stuff that was hens teeth plus plus.....
So good i was sure they were stolen stuff............they were not, I would not even touch them I was so sure, but with my advice he sold them honestly, and the following return trips of same stuff, I met the real owner and the result was how I got my 1929 Sunbeam.
The best bit was his stories of Vincent owners begging,crying, threatening over the price he charged...........just as I told him they would. before they got out wads of cash and bought it all.
That is a two pint yarn, can't be bothered to write it all out here.
That all came from a closed bike shop, they had a room full of whole Vincents, another of flat tank Triumphs, one of Sunbeams, and a whole lot more.
Don't bother to ask where, as that was 1984.
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Mini-me, keep them coming. 😂😂😂
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>:(Too much remembering then I get a nervous twitch :'(
bit like shell shock.
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Off tack a bit, but in the 70s I went to the local Ford dealer for whatever and was behind a hipster type at the trade counter. He opened up with "I've got an Escort super dooper etc., with a double etc. etc.
The old hand behind the counter looked at him coldly and said "so what do you want then, a fu**in' medal?"
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Getting grumpy, but not as grumpy as mini-me.
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
you ain't far behind you old codger 8)
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Off tack a bit, but in the 70s I went to the local Ford dealer for whatever and was behind a hipster type at the trade counter. He opened up with "I've got an Escort super dooper etc., with a double etc. etc.
The old hand behind the counter looked at him coldly and said "so what do you want then, a fu**in' medal?"
He was lucky he was offered anything. Our local Ford agent (Hendy Lennox, allegedly the first Ford dealer in GB) only ever had one reply, "nah mate, have to order it. Be about 28 days or so".
All these years later you can order stuff on-line and have it delivered later the same day by some little blond bird. The past wasn't always better.
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Ok, here's another.
I had a Norton Navigator , under 10k miles,genuine, very original and clean, but not mint, and a very nice reg no. priced to sell as I didn't want it hanging about.
Put advert in MCN,...........thursday phone is ringing as I opened up; 'have you still got the Navigator mate?'
'yes still here'
'I been looking for one can you keep it for me, I have to come from Sheppey'
'no problem but the first cash in my hand has it, I doubt if there will be a queue though'
'Ok I am on my way'
an hour later he phones,'' I am just at the train station, is it still there?'
'still here pal, don't fret'
A while later, bloke walks in, says, 'I have come about the Navigator, I phoned earlier'
'you just walked past it, out the front'
'what that one? its too good to restore' and with that he turned round, went out and went back to the railway station, leaving me halfway through a bacon butty,gobsmacked.
later that day, another phone call. ' I came about the Navigator earlier'
'oh yes....' making sure I swallowed myafternoon tea first.
'will you break it and sell me the centre stand?'
I just hung up.
They walk amongst us and ride motorcycles.
as ever, every word is true.
I've been twice been asked to leave bike shows because my restored bike was far above the rest; that was the reason given, not my conceit. I have had to give back a trophy because they found I restored for a living,been asked to leave shows for same reason; one VMCC section used to alter the rules to stop me as a trader taking home a trophy, again.
The amount of kit I have had nicked off my stall at VMCC events . :-\ :-\
I would hope things have changed, but you'd never get me back into the trade again.
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Rex, I went into new car spares in 1984, even back then you could phone a factor and get stuff delivered generally within half an hour in SE London.
There was a greasy spoon next to me and I'd send a waiting customer in there for a tea on me. Worked well, and none of the motorcycle crap to put up with.
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I used to get my stock from closing down bike shops, or old established ones and buy what they couldn't sell or had no customer base for.
One day I found a little shop near Tooting, wandered in and had a chat with the owner, smashing old boy, he sold me loads of old BSA spares books fromthe 1920s/30s and some Hobson spark plugs, which I still have.
He showed around his back room workshop, he had been a ace in his prime,used to tune speedwaybikes.
But every room was lit by about a 30watt light bulb,which he turned on and off as he went or left a each room.Shp itself was dim,lit only by daylight from outside.
On the uncarpeted stairs to where he lived above, was one bottle of milk and a loaf of bread.
Three weeks later, I heard he had died, alone, in his bed, Council were looking to sell off what ever they could to recoup rates etc.
Sod it , I thought, I am not going to end like that and made the decision to get out.
I knew another old chap,GGmobike, in similar circumstances,Hamrax had all his stuff.
Sad bit is,all the stock those blokes had would be worth a fortune today.
When I first started up,another trader said to me, 'you'll make money but no friends', he was wrong about the money bit.
Getting like a confessional on here, got to stop. :'( :'(
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No, carry on!
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Well, there was the occasional customer who was different; like the guy who wandered in, looked at the bikes, pointed a 1939 Speed twin, I did not want to sell that one,but ,as ever ,badly in need of cash,so gave him a high price, 'hmm,how much would it cost to restore that?
I gave him an approx cost, then he pointed to two others,forget what, I think it was a flat tank AJS,, same questions, same diffident response.
Then another bike, by which time I was well pee'd off with yet another timewaster, I gave a price which was so low it was no profit for me,just a bit of cash.
'OK' he said, 'I'll take all three'
That chaps is called shooting yourself in the balls, as the last two quotes I gave him I was loosing money.
To top it all, for the last bike I did he never paid up till I threatened I would send the bill to his wife along with the address of his bit on the side where I had delivered the bike to so his wife didn't know about the bike or his totty.
He had the cheek to put a cheque inside a christmas card.
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I've been twice been asked to leave bike shows because my restored bike was far above the rest; that was the reason given, not my conceit. I have had to give back a trophy because they found I restored for a living,been asked to leave shows for same reason; one VMCC section used to alter the rules to stop me as a trader taking home a trophy, again.
One of the chaps here taught "motor vehicle restoration" for a living through the local vehicle training repair school, and everything he turned out himself was concours.
So after he won a few trophies, the local bike club made him a judge - and of course you can't give your own bikes any trophies ..
Simple solution to sticky problem
And make sure you cast an eye over the judging rules.
A chopper/bobber BSA C10 won a trophy one year, brass plated fittings and lurid green and all.
No other entries in its class, no rule to say no trophy shall be given ...
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In a similar vein, at a local annual bike show there's a class for non-British or Japanese bikes. If I enter the Chief it's up against some ratty Guzzi V50 or Jawa/CZ so an award would be guaranteed, which is why I've only entered it twice in ten years.
A riding mate with an Ariel sloper (pre-war) that he bought in it's restored condition gets Best Pre-War every year, but he can't see the problem.
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Yes Rex, I'd wlk around a show in Sussex with a mate and point out the winner of every class;mates awards.
The yarn that tops them all is the one concerning the well spoken buxom young lass that bought a nice late bantam off me, passed her test on it and sold it for more that she paid me :( Then she came back and bought a 250 BSA.
She is still here and so is the bike 42 years later,so it wasn't all bad,
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The yarn that tops them all is the one concerning the well spoken buxom young lass that bought a nice late bantam off me, passed her test on it and sold it for more that she paid me :( Then she came back and bought a 250 BSA.
She is still here and so is the bike 42 years later,so it wasn't all bad,
Good for you, well done.
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Any suggestions for cleaning oil tank for re-use?
Thanks.
Thanks for all the replies. Any ideas on cleaning the oil tank?
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Usually you just slosh a bit of kerosene in, and slosh it out again, and see what comes out.
When what comes out is clean, and it looks clean inside, its good.
Don't forget the final rinse out with some clean engine oil.
If it has a solid inch deep of metal particles/carbon sludge, now set solid, it may be a different matter.
And, you want to preserve the paint on it.....
Tell us where its at ?