Our newest bobber has been turning heads since hitting the showroom floor recently.
If you’re into bobbers, you’re going to love this. Our goal was to make a fast, tough, beautiful bobber that won’t break the bank. We’ve spared few expenses. Read more in our “Bikes for Sale” section.
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We’ve made some progress in the last couple of weeks. First, we’ve sourced and sandblasted just about all parts which are to be powder coated black. In the photo below, you can see 47 parts ready to go. Seems to us there should be something on the order of 56 black parts, so next steps will be to compare these parts against our checklist and see what, if anything, is missing.
We’ve also found a fuel tank in our back stock that will work nicely. As you can see below, it’s in rough shape. It’s dented, dirty, rusty, and a nice shade of glittery bluish purple. We’re going to fix all that, as it’s the correct tank for this bike, and should be a nice transformation to document here.
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Some motorcycle shops perpetuate the “gloom and death” biker image. We just don’t. We aren’t huge fans of gangs of tough-acting bikers looking to do one another in. We like classic motorcycles, and the camaraderie that comes with them.
But we do have a real mean looking tarantula in the shop if you’re into that kind of thing.
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Marissa brought her 1967 BSA Starfire B25 to Don Hutchinson Cycle so the team could bring the bike back to life. As she tells the story…
“The bike was found abandoned and tied to a tree in an apartment complex some 25 years ago. The owner of the complex was going to trash the bike just to get it off the property. A friend rescued the sad little bike and brought it home where it sat in a basement for another 10 years or so.
In January of 2011, I saw and immediately fell in love with it. The blue and white gas tank, size, and shape of her just made my heart melt. After about a month of negotiations my friend and I agreed on a price. She still doesn’t run, but we’re making progress every day. Her debut is scheduled for the British Bike meet in June 2012.
Working on this bike has totally changed my way of thinking and what I want out of life. I now can’t get enough of British motorcycles. I eat, sleep, live, breathe my bike and anything to do with it; I’m hoping all my research and lessons turn out to be a great career for me in the future because I can’t see myself doing anything else.”
The guys at Don Hutchinson Cycle have taken a liking to Marissa and her little B25, and will be helping her through the winter to get her on the road.
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Through the years, as we witnessed various Triumph dealers close their doors, we were fortunate enough to acquire much of their stock. We use much of this new-old-stock for our builds and restorations, and offer much of it for sale here on our website.
At one point, we also were lucky enough to find a beautiful showroom clock from the 1950s. We liked it so much that we were able to have a number of exact reproductions made just for us.
We sold them all quickly…but recently found two more in our storeroom. We’re pretty pleased to be able to offer them for sale once again here.
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We’re moving ahead with the restoration of a 1968 TR6R. We’ve sandblasted the frame to prep it for powder coating, and it’s looking great. The brazing on the welds is apparent by the gold coloration.
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Over the years, whenever we’ve had the opportunity to buy a bike to be used as the “core” of a restoration, we’ve taken it.
When it comes to buying a bike to be restored…we don’t like ’em too nice. After all, it costs the same to re-chrome a headlamp whether it’s rusted and worth $5, or mildly worn and worth $40. So, we prefer the bikes that have matching numbers, and don’t cost an arm and a leg.
This fender from one of our ’69 core bikes sure evokes the 1960s. Note this is from a bike where the colors on the fender were reversed – Olympic Flame with a Silver Sheen stripe. The owner went right ahead and put a flower sticker on, and rode it until it just wouldn’t run anymore, and it’s kinda neat.
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We’ve come across these Triumph factory films, and think they’re just awesome.
They really illustrate how motorcycles used to be built by hand. One of our favorite parts is right at the beginning, when the frame is being prepped for brazing by sitting on a pile of hot coals.
We also love the lab coats and jaunty music, neither of which you’ll find in our shop anytime soon.
Part I
Part II
Part III
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Many of our best restoration projects start out as nothing more than a pile of old, rusty parts, as many of the original bikes from the 1960s and earlier were simply never regarded as collector items. Instead, they were used as daily riders and enjoyed thoroughly year after year. Take for example, this 1968 Triumph TR6R which we found last year and have been waiting until now to restore.
This particular bike was found for sale in exactly the condition as you see here – a frame plus motor, along with a box of parts. A frame and motor with matching serial numbers constitute a motorcycle – at least from the standpoint of being able to carry a title and hold value – and this bike is no exception. The numbers match, and this bike will be a sound investment.
The first step in the restoration process is to take inventory of all parts. We use a simple checklist that includes columns showing which parts are missing, sandblasted, power-coated or painted. Ask us for a free copy of this checklist when you order from us.
This model is fairly complete, and there’s a fairly healthy market for circa 1968 parts. Amal carburetors, Lucas headlamp shells and electric components, high quality seat reproductions, quality cloth-wrapped wiring harnesses, and more are all available through our shop. We have back stock on the other parts that will comprise the top end, as well as various cad-plated bolts, alloy fasteners, etc.
From a finish standpoint, the first step is to sandblast all parts and prep them for paint. As you can see in the photos below, we’ve carried this out on the fenders and chain guard.
We’re in the process of securing an original 1968 tank for this machine. The TR6R was the touring model of the Triumph line, as opposed to the Bonneville racer, and this has a larger tank at nearly 4 gallons.
In our shop, we have great original examples of tanks in every color, for every year, and have perfectly matched shades. We refinish the painted parts far better than the factory originally did – without runs. More on that process later.
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This website has been a long time coming. After more than 47 years in the business, we’re reaching out to Triumph enthusiasts around the world, and inviting folks to get to know us.
I have some stories to tell, some secrets to share, rare parts, beautiful bikes, vintage goodies, and plenty to talk about with you here on our blog. Look for regular updates, and we’ll look forward to your feedback and participation.
We’ll be updating the site every day with new products. We have literally thousands of parts, and not everything will be listed here. If there’s something you’re searching for, or you’re not sure what you need, please call us at (781) 245-9663. We either have it, or can get it, and you can be sure it’ll be right.
We’re launching this website to help keep these motorbikes, and our community, alive and well in the digital age. Thanks for being a part of that community, and getting to know us at Don Hutchinson Cycle.
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