I am thinking of getting one!
My dad had A triumph hardtail and a few harleys in college and like the Triumph better, quicker better handeling

I am looking for a project bike, planning on a hardtail w/ slightly raked/extended front forks

Quote from: jtenright...Triumph better, quicker better handeling

I am looking for a project bike, planning on a hardtail w/ slightly raked/extended front forks

Are you just looking for someone's old project or are you looking to start from scratch?

You know a hardtail is an old Harley-Davidson frame that  has no rear suspension. You can shoehorn almost any kind of motor in...BSA, Triumph.

A stock Triumph will have better handling.

Yea I know a hardtail is a rear w/ no suspension, but any frame can be fabricated, don't have to start w/ a harley.

Just thinking of ideas, I might not even get a bike, an MKII VW GTI is what I really want but no room for a project car.
Plus motorcycles are a little better for getting to work.(san Diego traffic)

I like my GS, just bored w/ it, sorry to say I just do not like most jap bikes, everyone and their mother has one, I know they perform great and are damn reliable, which is why I have not sold mine yet, but to get on a track is where many of the sportbikes belong.
I just like a more classic, yet original look, something U do not see every day
that why I am somewhat against harleys,

I guesse I have not found a bike I am truly happy w/.
Maybe I should stick w/ cars and just ride the GS
haha ok now I am rambeling

If you get one, you'll need to view it through rose-tinted spectacles.  Good for their day but by modern standards crap.  Manufactured to crude tolerances and badly assembled, they shake themselves to pieces and leak oil everywhere.  Handling, on skinny tyres with jelly frames and weak brakes, is terrible - or looked at another way - ideal for cruising!

That said, if you find one, don't chop it.  They are much more valuable in original condition.

Everyone and their mother has a jap bike.... Not even close... Everyone and their mother has a harley and sister and brother and dog.
The rest of the argument I have nothing to do with... Triumph or HD or hard tail... whatever make you smile. Get a enfield... Better than a old triumph and they are made to more modern standards and they make them with 90's metallurgy and you can still get new parts for them.
Cool.
Srinath.

Oil leaks, skinny tires, bad brakes isn't that what gives old bikes their charm? I think if you approach this the right way (don't expect it to be a daily driver) it can be a blast. I'm assuming you mean you want to buy an old bike and restore it.

My .02 say go with a Norton, BSA, Triumph, etc. there's just somtin about those European bikes. Let us know what you find.

Quote from: gitarmanOil leaks, skinny tires, bad brakes isn't that what gives old bikes their charm? I think if you approach this the right way (don't expect it to be a daily driver) it can be a blast. I'm assuming you mean you want to buy an old bike and restore it.

My .02 say go with a Norton, BSA, Triumph, etc. there's just somtin about those European bikes. Let us know what you find.

Yep. I agree. Nortons are fast and powerful; sometimes too powerful and you'll blow out your gearcase, if you're not careful, and then you'll find out how expensive they are (compared to Triumph). BSA's are fun, light, handle well and are beautiful. Be careful, BSA stands for (Bastard Scattered Again) just kidding! :lol:
Triumphs have stone-reliable gearcases, have the most endearing Brit-bike styling (my opinion of course) and are statistically the least expensive of the lot.

Many an optimist has purchased an Older Brit bike in hopes of somehow turning a sow's ear into the reliable, oil-tight, up-to-date performing silk purse.  More often than not, they end up with spending a lot of money for a restoration  that disappoints functionally.  Almost everything is relative with British bikes, such as "better handling", "more reliable", etc.; with the exception of aesthetics.  The mid-sixties TR120s possess a purity of line that is the benchmark I use for assessing beauty in a motorcycle.  Mechanically?  Fergiddaboudit.

There are some Japanese alternatives to the typical "Jap" bike, but were only imported here for a couple of years:  the Honda GB500 single and Kawasaki W650 twin.  Both offer good-looking interpretations of classic British styling, with all the reliability and performance Japanese bikes sre known for.  If you want a real classic, you might consider old Honda CB450s or SOHC CB750s, and the Yamaha XS650.  Parts and upgrades are still available, and offer performance that is still acceptable today.  If you want to buy new, the new Triumph Bonneville is a classic- looking bike with modern features like DOHC, disc brakes, and electrics that work.

The Enfield Bullet 500 is also interesting, in that it is for all intents and purposes a 1955 design using modern materials, manufacturing techniques, and safety updates.  They offer a catalog of performance and styling accessories that beats anything short of Harley's catalog.

Whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck.  If you buy vintage Brit, you'll definitely need it.

Oh, and don't forget about the tooling end of owning a brit bike. I am currently restoring a BSA and am constantly sourcing out taps, dies, fasteners and wrenches for this project. Brits use 7 different thread types,
(cei, bsw, bsf, bsc , ba, unf and unc) and they all are not interchangable.
You need british standard wrenches which cost a fortune and sae wrenches. But I tolerate this because my BSA is by far the most reliable bike i've owned, but requires the most maintenance to keep it reliable.
It's a sickness, but if you are a true motorcyclist, wrenching it won't bother
you. If you want maintenance free, buy a GS500 (wait, I already got one,
I'm such a hypocite).

Just reminising.......My first bike was a 1968 BSA A65L Lightning.


She was so SWEET!

What a beauty!

I recently found out my service manager has a 1966 650 Lightning stored in his garage.  He bought it just after returning from 'Nam, and nearly killed himself on it (under the influence, most likely).  He loved the performance, hated the brakes, and got tired of tightening everything down every other week.  I briefly toyed with the idea of shooting him an offer for it, but concluded that it couldn't hurt anybody under that canvas tarp, and it's best to leave it there.  I bought my GS instead-  no regrets.

I briefly owned a 1970ish Triumph 500 that was among the prettiest Britbikes.  A brief session tearing the engine down got me so depressed that I sold it without ever hearing it run.  I can kick myself now--  I should have painted and polished her up, bolted the engine together without internal parts, and displayed it in my living room.