'64 t'biRd gEnuiNe KuStoM oLd SKooL ChOp !!!

                                                xxxx POISON xxxx

This 1964 Triumph Thunderbird was modified in 1971 and basically has not changed much since.
After spotting an ad back in 2005, i made the call and arranged to inspect the bike. As it turned the current owner purchased it from the first owner (the guy who kustomized it) and had all intentions to restore it but as we all know sometimes it just doesn't happen.
The bike sat idle in a shed for 3 years covered in dirt, dust, surface rust, cobwebs, and dog hair.
I think if i didn't buy it and it sat a little while longer, it probably would have been beyond repair or destined for the scrap heap, as the man's wife was pushing him to dump it.
There aren't too many 'original' period Triumph choppers around anymore so i restored it how it was.
Below is a brief look at the work undertaken when it fell into my hands back in 2005.

The plan was to restore the bike but not to a show finish. All major parts were removed for cleaning and inspection. I was confident the engine would start. The engine had good compression and seemed to turn over fine. The gearbox shifted and turned smoothly. I decided to leave the engine and fix everything else.

Trying to keep the bike original was hard work. Rather than replacing parts i instead restored what i could. Headlight, front brake calliper, speedo, handlebars etc were saved but the headlamp brackets were done for. I replaced them with these John Tickle cafe ones.

Paint on tank and guard were not show, but buffed up good. Frame was re-painted. Carby rebuilt, oil tank was also saved, new oil/fuel lines, new kicker and a fresh top up of all the essential life giving liquids.

The original rear rim and hub were too far gone so i re-built a new hub from the 'spare parts box' and decided to go for SS spokes. Good as new! Re-padded the seat, fixed the bitchpad and polished that chrome!
New battery, reg/rec, electricals and we're almost there.
Brake master and caliper rebuilt and a new SS brake hose now fitted.

With all final checks done it was time to kick it in the guts and go for gold.

The bike started first kick, spewed a bit of oil out of the breather and settled in. A bit of fine tuning and i was over the moon as i was expecting at the very least it may need a top end rebuild. I took it out for a test run and everything was perfect!

The bike's name is Poison, it's very reliable and certainly a blast from the past to ride!!