Bourse

Moving on....

Well I guess things never stay the same and with sadness I have left Brit Chopper magazine and wandered back into the wilderness, I just didn't have the time, energy and recently the good health to juggle 2 jobs and get some quality time in the shed........
On a more positive note it leaves me time to pursue interests that I have let lapse recently and one of those is jumbling, spent a real cool weekend with my friends Paul and Teresa in France and visited a large Bourse (jumble to you Rosbifs) but I have come home with a hankering for a Terrot motorcycle......

extended rigid rear

with the extended rigid rear frame section it means on a solo build you can get the seat quite a bit lower than with a standard back end. But that is for another time..... got to concentrate on 3 wheels for the time being...

more Panther lego..

been back up the barn sourcing some parts for a friend, also been playing with the project and have fitted the front brake from fellow Dirty Bobber Ogri, cheers mate and I also fitted the long Jon rear frame section I have... shame this is only a mock-up and is going to be the trike .... this is the wheel base I am going for with the trike, 5 foot spindle to spindle.....

Round and round we go .....

The Saltster/capt Cleakheaton has taken on yet another look..... as she is slowly being morfed into the trike. Sumo has been on my back to get this built in time for the Dragon rally next year so we can both head up on Panther trikes... really need that lottery win so I can escape this work thingy and spend more time fettling in the shed/barn.
Front end is Ural which came with an incomplete bike that I swapped with Sumo for my old Ford Pop back axle which is now holding up the rear of his trike. just scored the front brake off a fellow Dirty Bobber for a good price and very fast delivery. main frame is Panther, gearbox is going to be a Burman hand change with reverse. I am waiting a slot in my mate the frame builders schedule so we can get the rear end made. The rear wheel is in there to help me get an idea of wheelbase and stance and also so I can wheel her back into the barn at night (chuffing heavy things Panthers!!!) rear end is chain drive diff , triumph Spitfire half shalfs and hubs and Ford model Y wire wheels. I'm hoping for a lean, low Hotrod inspired look when finished but who knows as I can't make my mind up about anything !!!!!

The Green Thing

I'm really pleased to see she is in good company in her new home and will be fettled back into working condition BUT not polished, nice one Grahame...

The Green Thing

This is the bike that started it for me, I had wanted a Panther since I was 17 but never got around to it. This was featured in that great old mag Awol (vol6 no 11 and still available from the magazineman) and it really lit the fire under my arse to get a Panther. Built in true shed fashion with whatever was handy at the time.
Sadly Mark Sheeran the owner/builder has recently passed away and the bike has gone into the care of Grahame Sherborne who sent me these pictures.

I've got to say without this bike I don't think Bobcat would have been built, it just has that something about it...

Thanks for the inspiration Mark, RIP Shaun & Bobcat.

Back on the treadmill!!!

Well I'm finally settled back into the routine of work,work work after my trip Francais. Been really hard to get myself motivated this time and the desire to move over permanently is growing ever stronger.
Met up with my mate Eric who is another Panther owner and spotted this "growing" in one of his barns......

Capt Cleckheaton!!!

OK folks, here he is in all his mock-up glory Capt Cleckheaton!!! It will be awhile before he moves into the build space in the barn as the Pop pickup and Panther trike are first in the queue, the Scout is being built at home. I will need a skinny 16 inch rim for the front to lower the engine a tadge. Also on the lookout for a cool non harleyesque tank. This does mean the Saltster is being pushed ever further back in line but hey ho such is life......
Got to go as the ice is melting in my Pimms..

Blame Sumo!!!!!

This has been eating away at me all evening, I'm afraid to say the Saltster will not be built :-( well not anytime soon. Due mainly to Sumo's enthusiasm I will be heading down a very different road with my next solo Panther build. The trike is still on and I have almost enough parts for an engine for the next solo which after today's big boy's lego session is going to be very retro and 70's in flavour. Just need to find my old flares and a pair of cuban heels ;-)
I'm hoping to be able to find a speck of time to head off to the barn tomorrow and do a quick mock-up with engine and 5-16 rear wheel fitted.... so watch this space but don't hold your breath as it may take me awhile to sort the mock-up.....

Good day

Jumped in the wife's convertible and head north-wards today destination Chez Sumo, world headquarters of Vintage Chop and current centre for all things Pantherista. The car was laden with spares for Sumo which I was exchanging for spares for moi :-) and a set of quite long springer forks. Half an hour of Panther lego had us a pretty cool 70's style chopper skeleton.
Now I may just keep the pictures to my self until I can mock her up proper like with an engine and a 5-16 rear wheel??? we shall see.
Good to meet The Quaffmeister, drink pimms and eat a real good steak sarnie. home now and sitting in the sun with another pimms, life is good.....

spiffing news

Just found out via a mate that the front forks on my Scout mongrel are very rare early 20's Sunbeam leafsprung girders. Just right for a butchered Indian :-) ..

Lifes little problems

Just when you think life is going to plan fate throws you a fast ball!!! Scored a pair of 12 inch over springers recently for nothing, well a small favour for a mate. Now I have a problem, which of my projects gets shelved so I can build me a chopper?? is it the Saltster (rigid/girder M100 Panther) or the Panther trike??? Or do I just do the sensible thing and find me another Panther motor. answers on a £10.00 note please....

Couple more

More of my sh*t

Sh*t in the shed

Blimey, what have I done!!!!

Well it is raining outside and I don't have enough time before work to go up the barn to work on one of my many projects, so what do i do?? well I might as well join that bunch of Dirty Bloggers from Dirty Bobbers and have a go at a blog.
I will fill this with my drivel and thoughts on old machines as and when I find the time/inclination.
But here are a couple of pictures of the sort of crap i keep around me...