TIME TRAVELLER
SUNDAY MORNING, 10AM, AND l'M SITTING IN BED MENDING A PUNCTURE, AND FEELING JUST A BIT FED UP WITH THE WORLD. IT'S RAINING OUTSIDE, BUT IT'S NICE AND WARM INSIDE, AND l'M STILL RELUCTANT TO CLIMB OUT OF BED JUST YET. BESIDES, THE PATCH GLUE NEEDS TO SET...
I'm somewhat alarmed by the sudden appearance of a flashing blue light outside my bedroom window, accompanied by what can only be described as the sound of an asthmatic washing machine on steroids shaking and rattling my poor humble abode. I put on my best Arthur Dent dressing gown and slippers, and poke my head out of the door. As I'd already guessed it was The Doctor with what he claimed was an instant cure for Sunday morning blues. He'd been rooting around in 1970/80s London, and came across this newly-built custom motorcycle so, liking the look of it, he decided to borrow it for a while. Having removed said motorcycle from a securely locked garage (in broad daylight), he brought it to me to play with and, with the help of the universally useful sonic screwdriver (and a big hammer), we got the old girl up and running well enough for a test ride.
The bike was built by Ray Leon, of Leon Wallace Customs in London, one of the best and most renowned custom bike builders in the early UK chopper scene. Quite a few Leon Wallace creations were featured in magazines of the day, notably Bike which, believe it or not, was full of choppers then, and their custom creations also won more than a few trophies for their respective owners.
This one started life (or at least the engine cradle did) as a mid '60s BSA
AlO. Converta plates secure a 750
Bonneville engine and gearbox in place, and the swingarm was removed, and a custom hardtail back end welded in place to secure the rear wheel in a likewise fashion. Next the headstock got very acquainted with a hacksaw the goose-neck was suitably fabricated, and installed, all followed by hours and hours (and hours and hours) ofmoulding with fibreglass and filler to create a seamless one-piece frame and fuel tank. (There's a steel Sportster tank under there somewhere!) New (at the time, obviously) eightinch over candy twist springers with handmade 'bars, and twin spotlights (for dip and main), and a suitable front wheel were added, and a standard Triumph rear wheel, with 500xl6 rim and tyre prop up the back. Trumpet silencers on stock downpipes took care of the exhausts, and mid-mounted forward controls do the brakes and gears. A six-inch wide chrome rear 'guard, a one-off sissy-bar, and a nicely stitched king 'n' queen seat finish the picture. The engine/gearbox, a Tl40V unit, came, brand new, off the shelf from Meriden when the factory was shutting down production, and there are no special mods - it's just a well set up, reliable power-plant. And the paint is well done and in perspective - a hot chick on a unicorn, what more could one ask for?
Right, testing - we chose the planet Magrathea for our trip into the past, and met up with some other time-travelling chaps... nice weather, and the Vogons'd just finished building a bypass that was yet to see any traffic. Clutch/gears/brakes? All good. Handling? As you'd expect, so just take it easy (man). After an extended (two years) road test, we returned to year 2019 where I found another suitably impressed enthusiast in the form ofMr Henry Cole ofTV fame who agreed to purchase said motorcycle. So the art moves on to another custodian then, and we'll see what'll become of it next - no doubt lots of changes, more work, time and cash, etc.
The plan is to TARDIS forward, nick the bike from Henry when he's done, and time-shift it back into the garage where The Doctor found it, just to get a video of the guy's face when he opens the garage door. Then we'll pop it back to Henry - Mum's the word, he'll never know.
Points scored out of 50? 42.