Early TRW tale
I find it hard to believe it was over 70 years ago, 1951, when 22 LAA Squadron RAF Regiment was issued with shiny new TRW Triumphs.
These were from the very first batch of the models from the factory. Unlike the TRW shown on page 56 of the June magazine, they had Zenith carbs, BTH magnetos and that alternator to light the candles. I was one of the lucky ones who had a ‘civvy’ motorcycle licence so wangled a job as a DR, mostly for convoy duty, but with lots of off-road riding as well.
It was on convoy work riding herd on 12 three-ton Thornycrofts towing the
Bofor anti-aircraft guns that a problem showed up. The bikes were just great but in the dark on North German cobbled roads the lights were a pain in the wotsit. For some strange quirk, with the headlight on, the alternator must have ‘sucked’ instead of ‘blown’ because the battery would very quickly go flat, and rear light, horn and speedo lights went out.
The headlight went on to ‘direct’ and only by keeping the revs up could you get a decent light or it drooped when you needed it most. That funny adjuster for the tappets was inclined to adjust itself. The Army and the military police were still on M20 BSAs and 16H Nortons so lucky us, eh?
My last ride in 1953 ended in near disaster when I was enjoying a blast the length of the convoy on the autobahn. The chain broke and wrapped itself round the back sprocket and chainguard, locking the back wheel solid. I stayed on in a monumental slide but only just and the back wheel was a wreck. I got a rollocking from the MT corporal for playing silly buggers, but when he saw the wheel, he calmed down.