The King and I.

Happy new year!

My companion for the evenings festivities......Saved for a special occation!

Speedway on ice.

I just heard on the radio that this was the coldest December (in this area) for 110 years…..That`s something to celebrate…….there are no need to get warm now, I am going to watch speedway:

Barn find number three.

Some more old photos….

This is probably the oldest bike you can find, a pre-1900 De Dion.

The engine was still possible to start and had been used to run farming machinery until late 50`s. The engine and frame was not for sale…..The garage it was stored in is long gone….so I am not sure if the De Dion are still surviving….

It`s something in the snow.....

This is getting stranger......today, on X-mas eve I found these gifts outside my workshop....A bottle and a lamp.....And what a name for a drink: "Å fytti hælvete!" Something like this when translated "Oh like hell".

This is a strong home made aquavit (and by home made i mean all made home....totaly illegal). An old Norwegian craft tradition. A drink in my taste. Will make spirits from France and Scotland  lady like......

I think i can blame this figure.....Nissen:

Nothing to do with St.Claus. He has been around since the begining of time. The Scandinavian readers don`t need any introduction.....He is not always nice......The spirit is probably not good for me.....

Nightly visit....

It`s nearly -20 C this morning, it`s been snowing a little. The snow is light, just like feathers. I am hurrying out to start the car and let it heat up before I go to work for the last day before Christmas…..

On the way back I see that somebody have put something up on my workshop wall……It`s wrapped in Christmas paper.

There are no foot prints in the snow……strange. I was up late last evening and did not notice any activity outside….

Well, I got my camera and hurry to take the paper off………A Triumph light sign….Just what I wanted…..Somebody must know my passion for underwear…..

Can it be this man?

It`s time to wish you all a merry Christmas…..Whatever underwear brand you chose..



Ducati F1

My old Ducati F1. I sold it 17 years ago…  In Norway they were only legal for one person, no passenger…….I lost my driving license for 8 months on that Ducati….Speeding.....

Mystery frame.

I have been working on a rigid Triumph from time to time. It has the fixings for rear set foot pegs, so I assumed that it was a “normal” T100c frame. But the frame has an extra or the  brake fixing lug at an different position…..I have never seen that before. I have been looking at a bunch of photos and web sites without a result.

The lug are so close to the rear wheel adjusters that the stock adjuster bolt won`t go in. So I tried to enter the adjuster the wrong way but the hole is just ¼”.  The normal size and the other side are 5/16”…

Some other frames to compere:

A triumph Grand Prix rear frame.

A standard Triumph Thunderbird rear frame:

If you can help me solve this mystery, leave a comment or mail me on

stigtorb@hotmail.com

Brakes.

Some brakes just look better than others…..This is a Rickman brake on a Rickman Velocette.

Candy man.

Sweets for real men.......

Freezing......

Does not help to have the right tool when it`s  -22C outside....

Beveldrive by Ducati...

 Ducati 125 cc heads.

These boots are not made for walkin`......

And these are not the boots Nancy sings about….

The carburetter of records and successes.....

It`s so cold here now, so I can`t use my workshop without freezing.....So I try to sneek into the kitchen to do some small "clean" work when my wife is out....

Sorting out some carbs, from left:

1" 15TT9 "clip" for Norton CS1

1 3/16" 10TT9 for Ariel HS

1 5/32" 10TT9 for Norton Inter

I think I have used all my money on carb parts, nothing left for Christmas presents.....Hope my wife likes carburetters...

A day (and a night) at the races...Silverstone

This is a follow up on the previous post, “Beauty lays in the eyes of…..the Velocette byer”

After we had loaded the Velocette in the car, we went to watch some classic racing at Silverstone.

In a way worthy a diplomat, Gunnar managed to talk us in to the depot with the car. We had no passes or tickets….He are after all a salesman…..

Gunnar had promised to cover the expenses for the Velo expedition……So I had the back of the car. I had a sweet dream involving the Velocette head stock trade mark, the naughty lady. I will keep that dream to myself….

Yes, I had a few pints the night before……And, yes it was me who did a lap around the Silverstone race course on a Honda Dax after the depot pub closed…..

An apple a day keeps the doctor away….But ice cream might also do the trick….Dr. Cohen out and abut on his Norton.

Chris Vincent showing the ropes on the Vincent BSA outfit.

Gunnar and John Surtees posing for the camera…..Are they planning a prank?….I must complement Gunnar for his chic headwear….



This is the prank Gunnar and John Surtees did….A year later I was going to be married….On the same date as the Silverstone racing. So Gunnar got John Surtees to send me a letter:



Helmut Kasper`s Clutch.

Modified and used parts have a story of their own…..someone has done that extra for performance or looks…

A friend found a Norton twin engine and transmission at an auto jumble.  The side cover had “Helmut Kasper racing” engraved on it. At the time we thought that was quite funny, some guy putting his name and add racing to it……..

The engine and bits where sold, but I saw the clutch……Naturally I had to have it, so a Manx type Norton clutch went home to me…..

I am now putting the clutch on a bike (Yes, it will be an open primary drive). So I remembered the engraved side cover, googled Helmut Kasper racing and………He was not your average backyard bike hooligan:

From Austria and a good road racer:

Landesmeister Österreich 1971, 500cc Norton

Tulln-Langenlebarn 1967, Klasse über 500 cc: 5. Helmut Kasper

Why did I not get the rest of the bits….?



Barn find number two

Well….it was not in a barn.  The Velocette LE was in a garage…..It was advertised in the newspaper. Only a short add: “Velocette for sale” and just the telephone number. I phoned the seller in the evening. The conversation went something like this:

Me: “Hello, Do you still have the Velocette for sale?”  Seller: “Yes…….Do you know what a Velocette LE is?” Me: “It`s a 200cc water cooled flat twin with shaft drive” Seller: “Correct……You are the first one to know that……You can have it……For free”

He was working at the American embassy and the Velo was resting in the embassy cellar. They were cleaning up and the Velo had to go. He had it for a while in his garage, but lost interest.

An American embassy employee brought the bike over from England in the sixties. He used the bike for a Norwegian round trip and even visited North cap. He went on to another embassy and left the bike.

The LE had English registration, so that caused us some problems. Norwegian customs and the vehicle authorities can be difficult to deal with…..So the Velocette went to Sweden for a happy life…

                               Dag is looking skeptical….To close to a scooter for his taste….



Garage inspection.

A quick visit to Stein`s new workshop to have a look at his new NSU.

The proud owner....Only work on bikes with three letters in the name. BSA and NSU.

Is it ok to bring the BSA for a full service next week?

The new projekt. NSU, OSL,1939, 350cc

Barn finds.

The most exiting ting about old motorcycles is the barn find. It does not necessary have to be a barn. Any place you find an old, unmolested bike is good.

I just red Tom Cotter`s excellent book, “the Vincent in the barn” and was thinking about some of my barn finds.

This is back in 1979…..I had heard about this Indian for a long time. After some months of detective work and door knocking I found the present owner. To my surprise he was glad that somebody wanted the bike.

 But there was a problem.  It was stored in a barn under a lot of building material….. The first time I asked to see the bike, it was impossible.  I had to come back a few weeks later.

But after a while we managed to get it home and down in the cellar….

It is a 1923 Chief, 1000 cc.

 The Indian was in good condition, but the engine was very worn.  I don`t know hove many miles, but it had been in traffic until 1965

It used to have nickel plated cylinders and heads.

This is one that got away…1925 Harley Davison.

It was resting in an old mechanical workshop. The owners was three brothers, two where dead and the last one were at an old people’s home…..And we were not allowed to go inside.  The photos are taken in the middle of the night. We had a very scary experience that night…..nearly made us believe in ghosts!

Some weeks later the bike was gone. I am not sure but I think somebody stole it…..I can remember the engine number, so I always have a look at the numbers on old Harleys

I will be posting some more barn finds later.

What`s cooking....

Been rattling my cans.....Triumph pre unit flat track tank.

Like master, like dog.....

Can we  say that a bike is like your personality?

Well….My brother got a Bultaco “El Bandido”…….

Workshop necessities..........

Sturdy, one handed, easy to operate.

June.......favorite .....month.....

Best worklight.....ever!

Nice cuppa.....