Don't sell it: where is it now?

Don’t ever sell your bike.

It was back in the 1960’s when I had the same rush of blood and I sold my Bonnie.

The girlfriend became my wife and we became grandparents.

I collected the models and prints and dreamed, on and on. Then before I knew it 40years had slipped by so after a visit to my local Triumph dealer left me shaking and queasy.

I swear blind that if I squinted, there in the showroom was my old bike, it wasn’t of course it was a Hinckley Bonneville, rows of them.

Well the wife threatened, my friends reckoned I was just trying to recapture my youth etc, etc. They all lost I raided the piggy bank and it’s in the drive.

Did I mention that I live in Hinckley? So it’s fate isn’t it?

If Triumph has bothered to build it factory near me then I have to have one, its only right isn’t it? 

That was in July last year.

Okay I know that to some of you it isn’t a real bike, but it’s mine and I commute every day and I have only missed two days since I had it.

Remember us from your history lessons, in the 60’s we rode every day 24/7 x 365 all weathers, so what’s this bikes for sale stuff I see ‘dry miles only’.

I keep being asked ‘What’s the difference between then and now?’

Let’s see? Somebody swapped my gear change over with the brake that was really funny.

Clothing that keeps you warm and dry, electric starter, tyres that grip the road, brakes that actually work, reliability, performance, headlights that give you forward vision at night, without an amp meter that fuses and blows out all the electrics as you drop it into a bend, crash helmets?

Mine came from Halfords ‘Jet’ style in blue and white, now you know why we painted them.

This Bonnie’s gone now, it got a puncture at about the same time as this 1200 Trophy appeared at the dealers.

It’s obviously fate isn’t it? You have guessed it, its in the drive.

Riding every day in all that terrible weather I needed a good fairing and panniers don’t I?

Don’t tell her indoors about the superb performance,,,, I am seeing the surgeon soon as I need to remove this silly grin! Perhaps not!

Has anybody seen my old tangerine dream 1961/duplex frame T120 Bonneville with TT special on the tank Reg number 418 PHA?

Bye for now got a key to turn. Now where’s that bloody kickstart?