Wednesday 7 January 2009

Lucky Dip


Trip to Cornwall completed just before Christmas. That Lizard is a bloody long way - 339 miles -. The call of the wild proved too strong and it became necessary to mount an expedition to collect some motorcycle bits. The original plan was to end up with enough clobber to build one, or possibly two machines from the contents of a shed situated very close to The Atlantic Ocean. What you see here is a '60/'61 ? BSA A50 in for repairs (ignition problems) a complete, but ropey CB 175 (sporting a CB 200 engine and tank) and, hidden in the middle, another complete CB 175 in various plastic boxes. The return trip took 10.50 hrs driving which seems ok for 678 miles. Much diesel was burnt and more than a few snaggers were consumed. One notable fuel and breakfast stop was taken atop Bodmin Moor which has to be a treat. Since arriving at Diplo HQ the haul has been checked over and we seem to have a lot of rust which could well have been left in Cornwall, we also have sufficient goodies to get a really cute CB200 special, lightened considerably and to serve as a family hack/commuter machine. Plans to make a second (CB 175) as a field bike/gp trainer are under discussion. MORE 'SHOP TIME !

12 comments:

Peter Ashley said...

Ah Diplo. Wondered where the bloody hell you'd been.

Ron Combo said...

Welcome back Diplo! What the bloody hell is a snagger?

Jon Dudley said...

All bikes, semi clad on the back of a pickup look intriguing to me. That Beeza, is it the unit construction jobbie with crankcases that look like they've come from a Bantam (egg shaped amazingly)? Yours, donning black waxed cotton anorak, etc.

Diplomate said...

yes john - exteremly ugly unit construction, must weigh 400 lbs !

Sideburn Magazine said...

When I heard form RP I got the impression you'd collected something to build into a short track racer. That's obviously not the case. Is that dream dead? GI

Ron Combo said...

Still don't know what a snagger is. I am just SO last year.

Diplomate said...

Ron: sausage, porker, sanger, whizzer, dog, floppy, frank, puding ............

Rupert Paul said...

The spare CB200 frame, with extraneous bits hacked off, plus a meaty single crammed in, would be an ideal short tracker. Incidentally, the BSA is indeed the unit egg shape. It's almost a runner now. The loom looked like it had spent its life at the bottom of a pond.

Diplomate said...

Welcom Mr Paul to blogworld - the pond-find - one of the greatest souces of spares for british motorcycles

Ron Combo said...

Why snagger?

Diplomate said...

Look - I'm sorry Ron - I just don't bloody know. I was thinking of making something up but can't br bothered - satisfied ? How are you coping?

Ron Combo said...

Very badly, Diplo, very badly.