Honda-SOHC

I'm more scared of the quote I would get for insurance rather than the power output.

Those GB250's are really sweet retro lookers. You know they have sneaked in some modern stuff, like electrics that work, lights that actually do, and brakes that stop you, but everything else just captures the memory of times past.

And having spent the last couple of weekends wrestling with a Triumph T21 wiring loom, I can appreciate how far we have come since the days of Joe Lucas. I don;t unerstand a opsitive earth, I don't get why you would deliberately use the handlebars as an earth path for the horn, or why Triumph didn;t also connect that to a proper earth up front. I did, but the wiring diagram has no such wire.

I quite like the new Triumph 400, which if memory serves, was designed and built in India, in poartnership between Triumph and Bajaj, joining the automotive trernd for badges not actually telling you much about the origin. Not a bad thing in most cases, as these parts of the world have done an awful lot of catching up from the early days of re-imported Enfield Bullets.
Case in poin t being the new Enfield 450 single bikes actually make decent power, rather than the asthmatic 24hp 400 Himalayas. I looked into one of those as a commuter...but dear god it was sluggish.

But..getting back to the 400 Trumpets...I would actually seriously consider a 400 Scrambler as a ride to work machine. Nimble, pokey enough, and not going to break the bank at refuelling time.

Classic 'Triggers Broom' scenario.

'I've had the same broom for over 20 years and it;s still good as new. Had 8 handles and 12 new heads....

A classic vehicle is only an identity. Keep the same engine and chassis number, and it is those that hold the history of the thing. Buy a new frame from a dealer and it comes without a VIN stamped on it. You provide the evidence and they will stamp it. Technically still theh same bike. Having also seen some of the welding work done on old Triumph motors the old man restored for customers, where pistons, rods, chains and who knows what else had been through the cases. Especially ones that had been used as competition motors in sprints or grass track. Then stuck in a box and sold as 'easy rebuild' basket cases.

Hmm...keen to see if this works out, as I got a slightly manky set of F2 carbs I am getting ready to overhaul.

For those who never work on them (and from what I have read, I can totally get this) is there an alternative? One that doesn't involve a second mortgage anyway and one that can retain the airbox.

Could be worse.... one of the drivers at work put unleaded in his truck. 50 litres of the stuff mixed with 50 litres of diesel.  The bill to drain, clean and flush.....£3000.

Had he run the thing any distance, then the fuel pump and injector seals suffer, and that would push the bill north of £10k. Luckily he realised what he had done and didn;t just sert off on his delivery run.

London's Mayor is up for election next week.

Sadiq the Idiot will only be in power if people vote him there. Or worse...don;t bother to vote, thus once more allowing a vocal minority who DO vote to dictate who is in power.

Easy mistake to make there Dave...but you used the word 'politician' and the word 'think' in the same sentance.

The only consideration most of our politic overlords have around electric vehicles is where they invested their pension fund, who knows how little tax they paid, and how many kickbacks are they getting to promote these things.

If they keep pushing me, I'm gonna buy a KH750, paint it flourescent green, and ride it round Westrminster until the plugs foul. Every day. With expansion pipes on. Dripping unburnt hydrocarbons and leaving clouds of blue smoke.

Looks like a really interesting project!