Pendine Flyer

1954 TRIUMPH 650cc THUNDERBIRD.

20’s Style Beach Racer “The PENDINE FLYER”.

This project was bought as an engine and frame together with a rear wheel which in a previous build was a 70’s chopper hand painted purple then unused for some years. The build was inspired by a visit to the Museum of Speed at Pendine Sands and the sad news that the local council and the army would not allow future use of the 8 mile beach of Pendine Sands as a motorsport  venue.
Click here to view larger imageThe museum had the rebuilt speed record holding car “Babs”  and a couple of early bikes that had raced on the beach but I thought it was lacking some motorcycle beach racers so I decided I would build one.
A few pictures were gleaned from the website sandspeedwales. A chat with the local farrier and a look at the Wall of Death bikes that visited Guildford were all I needed for inspiration before some bits were then  thrown in the forge. It was at the farrier that I found another use for used chip fat which put the spring back in my leaf spring for the seat lovingly formed from a Mk 2 Escort leaf spring. The exhaust was deigned using Tipp-ex on 3 photos and Gazelle Exhausts in Wales picked up my frame and engine in the back of a transit,  together with an explanation and 3 Tipp-ex’d pictures and 7 days later dropped it back with a  stainless 3 piece design that holds the exhaust in place using just one bolt.
A few bits like the forks, (in a dreadful state), the seat, (new), front wheel and handlebars were via Ebay. The oil tank was the second unusual job I had given to Protec in Aldershot  who like one-offs and it was later chromed but it was over polished, weeping oil and had to be repaired and painted. The longest job was machining the lump of steel which holds the bottom of the forks to the front wheel which my mate says took him a week. My local engravers said they had a new process called laser etching so I tried that on my chromed oil and petrol caps. It was great meeting The Rubber Man, Jeff Click here to view larger imageHunter who reproduces early handlebar grips and my inverted levers took a while to source as well.
All the hexagonal pointy bits were my homage to the tented roof at the Wall of Death and it was mooted that my bike would lean towards the old Indians on the wall if I just fitted Avon’s instead of knobblies and footboards instead of my rearsets, (perhaps that will be it’s next incarnation).
Thankfully my wife is very tolerant and the final build of my first ever road legal custom bike was allowed in the lounge for the last few weeks as it has been a bit chilly in the garage. The frame sat on a large box on top of a piece of carpet so you could slide it about in the room, the engine was rebuilt on the coffee table and I did have the house carpets cleaned just before I fitted the wheels which was a bit of a pain. It’s funny how you get used to it in the house and then you see friends’ reactions when they enter the lounge and spot it dominating a quarter of the room. The last job before I ran the bike was to have the pinstriping done old style at Hollycombe nr Liphook by a signwriter who specialises in old fairground and traction engines. When I showed him a photo of the signwriting I liked in a butchers shop he recognised the sign writers work and duly Click here to view larger imagecopied it knocking up the colour on the spot to match the colour of the jacket I was wearing. Six hours later I collected it dry and finished and I could start it later that evening..
First kick nine o’clock that night she barked alive again between the houses and above the sound of the exhaust note could be heard neighbours slamming windows. The next day was my first attempt at hand gear changing then down for an MOT where half the morning was wasted talking about the bike and ten minutes tapping on the computer. One last job was changing my insurance and always the same question -“What disability requires you to have a hand gear change?” NONE, IT’S ASTHETIC!
Now with it’s pin stripes and black livery, the “Pendine Flyer” needs a blast up a long beach and jobs done. Anyone got a beach I can borrow that doesn’t need public liability insurance?

Click here to view larger imageENGINE 1954 TRIUMPH 650cc THUNDERBIRD 6T AC.

FRAME RIGID 6T 1954 Front & 53  rear with all original foot peg fittings removed.

EXHAUST GAZELLE – STAINLESS  2 INTO 1, (1st item made to set the tone).

REAR MUDGUARD NUMBERPLATE HOLDER  from section of 6T mudguard.

LIGHTS NO LIGHTS.

PAINT PETROL AND OIL TANK BLACK 2 PACK  - THE REST POWDERCOAT.

OIL TANK HEXAGONAL WITH FILLER THROUGH FRAME TUBE.

FORKS 70’s CHOPPER GIRDERS – shortened 2 foot, reshaped & widened.

FRONT WHEEL 18” RIM, CONICAL HUB  BONNIVILLE/BSA TWIN LEADING SHOE late 60’s.

REAR WHEEL 18” RIM ON 1954 HUB Chrome rim, stainless spokes.

TYRES BRIDGESTONE TW 302,s 130/80  largest road legal knobblies.

TANK 70’s YAMAHA  125 – CUT ABOUT TO FIT.

BARS 1960s SCRAMBLES, INVERTED LEVERS, INTERNAL CABLES.

RISERS HEX BAR 4”.

HAND GEAR CHANGE 91’ MITSUBISHI SPACE WAGON.

SEAT ZODIAC LEATHER PAN SEAT – with LEAF SPRING MADE  FROM Mk2 Escort  REAR LEAF SPRING.

CARB AMAL 930  with 45 degree bend to miss frame tube instead of through it.

OTHER BITS Rear brake lever was a Honda gear change. Oil cap uses Vauxhall brake master cylinder bushes to locate in tank filler. 1930’s tractor spark plug leads. Seat pivot is Hiab hook securing pin. Gearbox hugging kick-start. A pair of very small bicycle reflectors to stay within the law.

THANKS To my wife Clare, Bob for not selling me his bike and making me build one myself, Dave for the loan of a big vice, Barry for his welding and to all the people who have helped me machine stuff, (mostly 3 times each to get bits how I wanted them).

Alan.
Mr Giant - Children's Entertainer.
www.mrgiant.co.uk

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