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[Shackeng]

Where does my '31 Ariel Square 4 come in the list?

Bloody Hell Chris .... that was even older than you!

In all honesty, I've not seen a 'square four' but, as an apprentice, one of the lads had an Ariel Leader ..... in a 'beautiful two tone green!!!!!   

But only just!!! I'll post a pic of it if I can work out how to do it.

    

You picture needs to be hosted elsewhere eg Photobucket. Then you wrap the pictures URL with image tags ie  [img ] pictures 's URL goes here[ /img]

I know, it should be easy, but I'm just ham fisted when it comes to doing it.

[Rods2]

What about my 1975 Triumph Trident 150v, which needs a full restoration and my 1983 Kawasaki GPZ1100 A1. Both are going to the Ukraine with me. The Kwaka needs new front brake master cylinder internals where I can pull the front lever back to the handlebars, a new battery, oil and filter change and a pair of new tyres then MOT and it is back on the road.  I might make this an autumn project.

[albitz]

The Trident is worth a small fortune Rod.The GPz is also worth a pretty tidy sum.
I have some very fond (and some very scary) memories of the day I borrowed a Trident when I was 16.

[Rods2]

The Trident is worth a small fortune Rod.The GPz is also worth a pretty tidy sum.
I have some very fond (and some very scary) memories of the day I borrowed a Trident when I was 16.

I was slowing down for a roundabout with my older brother on the back of the Trident and he assumed where he had only had small bikes I would stop for a car approaching on the right, where I knew I had plenty of time to pull onto the roundabout in front of him. So, I gave it a big fist of throttle, the next thing I know is my brothers legs are under my armpits. 

Whenever, I offered him a lift after that he always politely declined.  Still it didn't put him off bikes as he always fancied a big bike and now has a ZZR1100 which he uses for rideouts virtually every Sunday.

The Trident is a great bike, its weaknesses are the single plate clutch and over-pressuring of the rocker boxes which leads to blown rocker box gaskets, a 120W alternator, which struggles to keep the battery charged if used a lot with the headlamp on and it is a real pig to start in cold weather. Like all British bikes, you have to swing the kickstart like you mean it. 

I've owned the Trident since 1978 and at some point I will completely rebuild it as I know it will be money well spent. The Kwaka, once I sort out the minor problems, will become my regular bike again, where I prefer riding bikes to driving cars. I only stopped riding it to economise during the 2007/8 recession. It was the last of the big air cooled 2-valve 4's which was replaced by the GPZ900 which is very much a sought after classic, but I'm sure just on rarity and originality where it has all of the original parts apart from a 4-1 motad exhaust, but I still have the original in the garage, with a rusted away collector box. I like the fact it has digital fuel injection as on open roads it returns 45mpg even when pressing on. It is just a bit gutless at low revs with power really building from 5000 rpm and by 6000 rpm to the 9500 rpm redline is where it all happens. By modern standards with just 120bhp and 244kg it has about the same acceleration as a 600 sports bike. Being a big heavy lump you have to show it who's boss for fast committed cornering. 

[albitz]

My old GPz750 was similar.Pick a line and then heave it around the corner.None of this fine tuning or adjusting the line mid corner as you would on a modern sportsbike. It was all to heavy and ponderous for that. As for the brakes.You might as well put your feet down and dig your heels into the tarmac.
I enjoyed the old bus though.It was still plenty quick enough to have fun on,on public roads.

[Rods2]

My old GPz750 was similar.Pick a line and then heave it around the corner.None of this fine tuning or adjusting the line mid corner as you would on a modern sportsbike. It was all to heavy and ponderous for that. As for the brakes.You might as well put your feet down and dig your heels into the tarmac.
I enjoyed the old bus though.It was still plenty quick enough to have fun on,on public roads.

I've always fitted sintered metal pad as they were better in the dry and significantly better in the wet, but at the cost of faster disc wear. When the standard brake lines started to crack I fitted braided hoses. I've always found the brake adequate and progressive enough to when braking hard to just be on the edge of grip with the Avon Super Venoms that I run on the bike. The original Japanese tyres on the bike made meant that large throttle and hitting the power band in 1st and 2nd would always spin up the back wheel in the wet, not that the back one lasted long at least with better tyres that is more difficult. Although as the Super Venoms wear down to about 2mm it is easy to get an induced oscillation on fast sweeping corners which I've tried powering through and it doesn't work, unlike a slight speed oscillation with a light rider at pressing on speeds. 

[AndyRoid]

Here's my toy

[omega3000]

Here's my toy

Nice machine , i had the 650 version ... Yes i miss it as well as the Gpz 750 

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I seem to recall a Kawasaki advert from about 1984, which spoke of their 150 M.P.H triple.

Beneath the bold headlines was a glossy picture of a GPZ 11000......a GPZ 900R......and a GPZ 750 Turbo.


Clever marketing, and enough to make any man drool.  

[albitz]

But does anyone else have an OOF bike ? 

[Sir Tigger KC]

Here's my toy

My Uncle had one of these in black!  He let me have a little go when I was 16, just in 1st gear around the yard.    I was kakking myself!!   

[albitz]

Listed mine on the bay of fleas today.Ive got a bloke gagging to buy it already,he keeps upping his offer to get me to finish the listing straight away.
Thing is,I took it for one last blast earlier and now Im thinking "what the hell am I doing getting rid off it ? Ive loved bikes since I could walk.Why do I want to stop ?"
Indecisive ? Maybe maybe not.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Listed mine on the bay of fleas today.Ive got a bloke gagging to buy it already,he keeps upping his offer to get me to finish the listing straight away.
Thing is,I took it for one last blast earlier and now Im thinking "what the hell am I doing getting rid off it ? Ive loved bikes since I could walk.Why do I want to stop ?"
Indecisive ? Maybe maybe not.

Sell it?

If you do you'll regret it.

[albitz]

I know,but.........if I keep it I will probably end up losing my licence,and therefore my job.Plus,the roads are so crowded now,and my eyesight/judgement/reactions etc. definitely aren't what they once were.

[TheBoy]

The Kwaka was pulled from the rubble today. This is all that is left (exhaust hidden in pic)