In-the-Shed Speed Shop

Little Panther

2011-10-03T01:52:00.000-07:00

Well this old girl has been sitting patiently for quite awhile now but will hopefully move up the line once the Cochise is completed.. The plan is to build a minimalist greenlaner/trials machine. I will probably fit lights on a total loss system so I can get home if caught out. But other than that nothing that isn't needed will be fitted.....

Slowly Slowly catchy Monkey...

2011-10-03T01:42:00.000-07:00

Christ its been a slow year this year for bike and hotrod building... just seem to spend so much time at work trying to keep all the ever growing bills paid which doesn't leave enough time to really get your teeth into serious building.... plus when the sun shines I do love sitting in my garden with a bottle of red...........
Took a trip to the Goodwood breakfast club yesterday and had a wander amongst some weird, some wonderful and some bloody gorgeous machines. Spotted a real nice Panther M75 Stroud for sale which has inspired me with my own rigid M65 build.... a chap arrived in a homebuilt guzzi engined 3 wheeler which really got me salivating.. and there were some very cool pickups both home market and yankee and I have to say the Vauxhall Velox (with the Stroud Panther in the back) was the cream of the selection for me...

2011-08-24T13:22:00.001-07:00

Well the blues kicked back in and little has progressed !!! but Cochise is now back home and on the ramp and work has started on foot pegs etc. The plan to have her running before the Bo'ness hillclimb has fallen through and now the new target is the spring which gives me time to work out the clutch arrangements etc... sorry the progress is slow but I have been playing with Bobcat the Panther as well in my limited spare time!!!

I'm back!!!!!!!!

2011-07-04T15:08:00.000-07:00

Well its been awhile since I was last here, been having a bit of a blue moment in my life but fingers crossed that is behind me and onwards and upwards!!!!!!!
Cochise my Stroker Indian 741 has taken a new turn with a junior Scout frame coming down from Scotland, you can read about the frames earlier life here http://indianstrokerscout.blogspot.com/2011/07/whatever-happened-to-junior.html?spref=fb
I will be updating the build as I progress but here is a little taster of how she looks at the moment...

2011-02-17T10:06:00.000-08:00

Bikes of the Dragon

2011-02-17T10:04:00.000-08:00

etc etc

2011-02-17T09:57:00.001-08:00

All was not lost as my good mate Sumo lent me his old Pan-Euro for the rally. So the journey was completed in no time, even managing to meet up with my good mate Blacksheep Mick on his old BMW on route to the rally. The site was in an excellent location surrounded by mountains and right down by a river... slightly muddy from all the recent rain but still a pretty cool turn out.
Loads of cool classic bikes and several nice "Dragon" specials dotted around the area. It was a short walk into the local village to sample some local ales before a moonlit stroll back to the camp. Sunday dawned bright and dry after a night of torrential rain, camp was packed up and the homeward journey started. breakfast at the excellent Conway Falls cafe and a long long wet and blustery ride home... all in all a cool weekend.
All that is left now is to rebuild the Panther in readiness for next year !!!!

Dragon rally and assorted stuff....

2011-02-17T09:47:00.000-08:00

Well it has been awhile since I last posted anything, well to be honest with the coming of winter I tend to shut myself away and pray for an early summer... that is until its Dragon rally time. So a few weeks before the rally I decide to check out Bobcats new oil leak and to give her a quick check over!!! quick was not a good word as the more I poked the more I found so with only 2 weeks to go I'm in a frenzy of gearbox repairs, clutch re-builds and new primary chain. Bike is back together by 22-30 Wednesday 9th of Feb, MOT is booked for the next morning and all is looking good.... Morning dawn's and Bobcat breezes her MOT... looking good just hoping I'm not using up too much of our luck.. friday morning arrives and Bobcat is loaded with camping gear and supplies for the journey and off I thump... got as far a South Mimms services and a dead magneto put an end to our trip together....

Bourse

2010-09-06T08:35:00.001-07:00

Moving on....

2010-09-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-26T13:09:00.000-07:00

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..

2010-07-25T14:25:00.000-07:00

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 .....

2010-07-13T02:14:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-13T02:11:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-13T02:01:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2010-07-13T01:57:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2010-05-31T11:40:00.000-07:00

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!!!!!

2010-05-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-27T01:10:00.000-07:00

More of my sh*t

2010-05-27T01:07:00.000-07:00

Sh*t in the shed

2010-05-27T00:59:00.001-07:00

Blimey, what have I done!!!!

2010-05-27T00:41:00.000-07:00

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...