The magazine for fans of classic and twinshock trials, motocross & enduros

A pint pot

It’s a phrase we’ve all used, usually when packing a van or trailer to go somewhere – like I did when heading up to Cumbria for Nostalgia with three bikes and VW van – or trying to cram the latest bike into the workshop that was already creaking at the seams. However, we always seem to manage it and we end up where we need to be or re-arrange things so the workshop will take the latest addition. The thing is, at CDB’s home base, things did get a bit too cramped recently and a solution needed to present itself sooner rather than later.

As in motorcycling, with workshops where there’s a will, there’s a way and the metal container that passes as a workshop is now twice the size thanks to a wooden extension. It’s also a pleasanter working environment as it’s wood and, get this, I’ve done my bit to save the planet by recycling an old car battery, acquiring a solar panel and now have free lights. This new space has already got a bench, some shelves and a lot less room than I first thought – it’s actually 6.2m x 2m – but heyho, there’s room to expand…

There is a twist to the ‘pint pot’ saying and it’s one that occurred to me the other day and it goes ‘trying to get a quart out of pint pot.’ Yes, I know, not exactly snappy but how many of us have the pint pot of our available time and try to get a quart’s worth of activities out of it? Modern technology was supposed to help us have lots of spare time yet to do all sorts of things we enjoy but it seems as though we’re increasingly tied up rushing here and there. For instance, not all that long ago it was usual for most people to work close to where they lived, those of us in the north looked on incredulous as people in the south related tales of two hour commutes at either end of the working day. Now it seems as though a commute is the norm – though thankfully for me it’s only 40 minutes on a bad day and 20 when there’s no traffic or I’m on a bike. This does actually give me a bit of time to do things on my bike and it began to feel like I had some ‘spare’ time and, with such thoughts came other thoughts about getting another bike to use up this spare time. The thing is it’s not wise to have editors, or motorcyclists for that matter flapping about loose and with too much spare time as the world could very easily come to an abrupt halt. No, it’s best to have their time taken up productively with rescuing another neglected machine.

Now then what route should this take? Obviously the Bultaco that I have since new – featured in the mag a few issues ago – is all nice and shiny now so that’s OK, the Triumph is by the miracle of photography, looking good, seriously I was going to rip it apart and do something with it until our staff photographer Joe set it up in the studio like a faded film star and wow, what a difference. So, with that out of the way I thought about the pile of Triumph bits that I’ve been hauling around the country for nigh on 25 years. They’re almost a complete pre-65 starting point and thoughts had varied from a street scrambler, to a proper scrambler and back again to a trials bike. Then I talked to John Giles and went off in a new direction altogether and then I rode in an enduro and a completely different angle came up...

As you will have seen in the news pages there is a new project on the go, though to be absolutely fair to all concerned the deal hasn’t been shaken on yet – at least at time of writing these few words. By the time we’re at Telford for Alan Wright’s show CDB expects to be the proud and legitimate owner of a Rotax Bombardier Can Am enduro project. This will be suitable for the emerging Vinduro scene and will provide hours and hours of frustration… oops! I mean entertainment as we pull it apart, rebuild it and use it in various events up and down the off-road world.

The catalyst for this idea came from a) my enthusiasm for off-road and b) the fact that my 650 keeps swapping between road and off-road mode. A casual mention that it was the fun element more than any hopes of success that kept me doing this and that it was the way my dad enjoyed motorcycle sport in the 40s and 50s took the conversation along a new route. Basically how much fun could a 70s enduro bike provide? Could it be ridden to work? Then trail ridden, perhaps even a scramble or two on it then what about doing a proper feet-up trial on it too… oh and what else could we do? Hey! What about an enduro too!

There was no sense of sanity from CDB columnist Jeff Smith who threw in to the pot with “I won a couple of ISDT golds on those bikes.” Watch this space.

Tim Britton,
Editor