Triumph lets owner down shock!!

After many years of Motorcycling and covering God knows how many miles on what the uneducated guess to be unreliable types of Motorcycles, its finally happened. Yes my big confession, I was forced to use Carol Nash Recovery to get me home. The thing that really irks me though is that it wasn’t the old unreliable why are you still riding a 30 year old Norton that let me down, or the Guzzi’s why do you bother their weird and the electrics are shite. No it was my new (ish) Triumph. Japan’s finest Electrical company makers of the “why don’t the Italians fit Japanese electrics” alternators stopped alternating. I had a week off over Easter to take a break from my executive pressures, yes the tea machine was taking up too much of my time. The weather as you may have noticed was to put it simply CRAP. By Wednesday I had Cabin fever and decided to go out for a wee run and my tea. I stopped off at Kinross for Fuel, and headed for South Queensferry to marvel at the Forth Bridges and generally drink tea, eat food and be happy. En route as I rode along quite happy in the fog my digital speedometer suddenly read 188 miles an hour, I was somewhat confused by this as I was following a Transit van at the time. Moments later the display faded away, then my rev counter dropped to zero. Confusion reigned for a moment then I sussed it, put my lights off the display and rev counter returned. Shit no battery charging, why don’t Triumph put some indication on the dash to show a no charging situation probably saves a quid at the most.

No panic though stopped at Queensferry and as always a Guardian Angel will always appear, I got a lift to the shops & bought a set of jump leads and started the bike from my helpers car, came to the conclusion that no matter how much I looked at it the thing wouldn’t start charging. I could have given it a lengthy charge and it probably would have got me up the road but I thought I’d try the breakdown. I explained the situation and about 1 ½ hours later the Breakdown guy arrived. He was told all I needed was a jump start Doh!! He didn’t have the bike trailer with him, it was in Dunfermline and by now there were road works on the bridge. We charged the bike for around 10 minutes and then I set off in the Dark with no lights on to-wards Dunfermline, a big black dug tried to commit suicide by running out in front of me, that loosened my bowels a bit, a narrow escape. Through the Roadworks crapping myself the bike would stop then unbelievably the bike cut out 50 yards (or 51 meters for our younger viewers) from the guy’s depot and the bike freewheeled to his gate. I arrived home at 11.30 pm much wiser. Never get recovered until you have exhausted all options.

The following morning I checked the bike over and found one of the brushes stuck in the holder. I freed it off and the bike appeared to charge again. Just to be sure I ordered a set of brushes which arrived Saturday morning. (£16 )

Saturday I decided to go to Applecross for a few pints and of course for a excellent run over some of the best motorcycling roads in the UK.

An excellent run up when just before the Five sisters services (??) the dreaded 188 mph came up again, no panic, had my cup of tea & my meal then changed the brushes over. Got a start from a fine chap in a landrover and set off, just past Dornie 188 mph again. This was becoming tedious. Managed to get a lift to Kyle and bought another set of jump leads identical to the ones I bought in Edinburgh on the Wednesday but believe it or not £2 cheaper in the Highlands.

Pre-Rally booking Fee (per person)	£16.00
Booking fee on the day (per person)	£20.00
Children under 18 years of age	FREE

Own tent or caravan, no numbers limit	FREE
6-berth caravan (per single bed for Fri & Sat)	£12.00
10-berth caravan (per single bed for Fri & Sat)	£12.00
6-persons erected tent (per person for Fri & Sat)	£ 6.00

Rally T-shirts	£ 8.00
Must be ordered at least 2 weeks before rally

Cabins and tents will be available on a first come first served basis. There will also be mixed groups with male and female lettings. We will try to meet individual requests. The cabins have bunk beds with mattresses, so bring your own sleeping bags as blankets, sheets and pillowcases are not provided. There are plenty of toilet and shower facilities on site.

I buggered about for a while checking stuff over, sitting in the sun, swearing occasionally then flagged down a BT van and got a 10 minute charge from him. Headed into the next wee village and met my saviour on this occasion Brendan from Kyle, Brendan a ZX12 owner was thankfully a real motorcyclist and offered me assistance and the use of his garage. I decided that a good charge would get me back to Perth on the following day so after some banter & Battery charging I ended up at Applecross. The Bealach was as always a challenge and a momentary lack of concentration had me in the muck and Gravel coming out of the second last hairpin, not good really. Tent up , pub, excellent meal, brilliant sunset, good crack then helped up the hill as I had suddenly become very tired.

Sunday and I had some of my secret hangover cure first thing. Then over the Bealach to visit Brendan again, some more volts a fill of fuel and then an excellent run home in one hit.

Applecross as always was Magic and I’m looking forward to the sea food festival on the 10^th of June.

The alternator ended up totally fecked, a second hand replacement cost me £95 which is a lot better than the £176 quoted from Sprint Engineering or the £350 for a new one.

My Guzzi alternator packed in a few years ago, the bike still got me home and a second hand rotor was £30, what were you all saying about Guzzi electrics??.

The National Rally is to be held on the 3^rd 4^th & 5^th of June at The East Mersea Youth Camp and Activity centre, Mersea Island, Essex.

The Small Print

The views and opinions contained within this publication are not necessarily those of the NOC or of the branch but are probably mine as I wrote it.

No one accepts any responsibility for anything, if you have a good time don't say I didn't warn you.

Gino Rondelli

April 2005