Progress Report! Here it is after 18 months work. Started 3rd kick after having been in pieces for 25 years. Now it just a matter of sorting out all the little problems….like why does the engine cut out when you sit down on the seat!

This is Stewart of the Stewart’s Motorcycle Emporium just round the corner from Kempton Park in Middlesex. He’s got a loads of 70’s lathes and wardrobe of brown engineers workshop coats. He has just turned me some special mounts for the exhaust and my rear light as well as some lovely frame bump stops  You could not find a more knowledgeable and charming gentleman - he doesn’t rip you off either. Which is nice.

Hi Philsil. Thanks for your message. Turns out it is a BSA 441 Victor exhaust which has just gone back into a limited run production. Just arrived. Just need the down pipe to match.

I’m hoping to have it done by the isle of man TT in june to put all those Italians on their R1200GS’s to shame

Cheers

Sven

My bike PJD 18L ridden by Dave Randall. 1976 Austrian ISDT.

Here’s Ferret the motorcycle electrician handing over my rewired Cheney. I gave it to him to do as he is the best in the business and I wanted the wiring to be exactly as the original. Same colour wiring, same components and switches which he digs out of his magic box etc. Plus I don’t understand electricity. He has very cleverly rewired it to the original spec but has also added the wiring for modern day needs should I ever choose to go that way. EG I have wiring in place for a Boyer powerbox as well as full  lighting and horn…all discretely hidden away. He even gave me a wiring diagram. Thanks Ferret!

Progress report and quick snap.

It’s slow but I’m getting there. Bike is off with Ferret, the motorcycle electrics magician to salvage what he can from the original loom and components and get it all working - but exactly as it was.

My new wheels (freshly rebuilt by HAGON) trying out Alf Hagon’s JAP engined drag bike. The first bike in the UK to top 200 mph.

1975 ISDT John Kelly on PJD 18L - lunatic?

John Kelly no. 291 on my Cheney. This is the year that the Chief Constable of the Isle of Man threatened to stop the ISDT because all the entrants were riding like lunatics.

With bikes like the 325 KTM in front, it’s amazing the Met Police on their Triumphs were even in contention!

Dave Randall 290 won a Gold on my Cheney 650 Triumph reg no. PJD 18L.

This was the last WTDT my bike entered as the Met Police team was disbanded.

Programme courtesy of John Wakefield

John Ned Kelly 253 was riding my PJD18L in the 1974 WTDT. Sadly he got disqualified for having no rear wheel scrutineers marking. He must have changed the wheel at some point hoping no one noticed - everyone else did apparently.

Photo courtesy of John “Ned” Kelly

Programme courtesy of John Wakefield

Entry list for 1973 Welsh Two-Day Trial.

Rider 186 Dave Randall  retired riding my 650 Cheney Triumph PJD18L

Photos kindly provided by John Wakefield

Dave Randall got a Gold medal this year riding my 650 Cheney Triumph reg no PJD18L rider number 121.

Photos courtesy of John Wakefield who got a bronze riding a 125 Saracen

Here is the restored 650 Triumph TR6 engine as raced by Dave Randall and John “Ned” Kelly. It has been taken back to the ISDT spec of 7:1 pistons, Bonneville inlet cam and fast touring exhaust cam. I told Arthur at Rockerbox to rebuild it as if it was his own but some one else was paying the bill and it has had literally everything done to his exacting standard which includes mods to make it more oil tight than any thing that left the factory.

I’m too embarrassed to admit how much we spent so here’s a copy of the 1966 Triumph factory recommended rebuild  labour cost. That’s inflation for you!

Here’s the scene in the corner of Simon Cheney’s emporium where he has been restoring my frame after 38 years of neglect. That’s not my frame on the bench by the way.

These shiny bits were required a lot of work before plating. The cleats on the foot pegs were very worn so he brazed them all back again one by one. We debated whether to restore the pegs since they had 4 ISDTs worth of wear as well as several Welsh 2 days and German International 2 days. He convinced me that if we re- plated them as they were they would look terrible. A good decision now I’ve seen them. They are battle scarred but tidy.

Simon Cheney and the frame including all the work he has done making the spindles and quick release mechanisms exactly as the originals. The frame has been pressure tested and cleaned out using hot oil. The quality of the work and attention to detail is fantastic. Thanks Simon.

Here’s Arthur at Rockerbox Motorcycles with my crankcases and gearbox in shoe boxes. I had tried to put it together myself. Something is not right though since the cams lock up as soon as you tighten the pinions.

Theres an issue somewhere but I have run out of ideas and patience. So, rather than take a hammer to the ******* thing I am going to entrust this to local Triumph Twin expert Arthur at Rockerbox Motorcycles. Probably cheaper in the long run.

Rockerbox and Arthur, like his mythical counterpart are legendary on Triumph twins and he gave me a running commentary for 10 minutes explaining how many generations of 650 Triumph components are in my 1967 met Police engine. Luckily it has a lot of the best components from the various years - like the last 650 crank version Triumph made and a wide ratio Motocross gearbox.

Hopefully my begging will help me up the queue in his busy workshop.