My first motorcycle model... from 1983

Modeling Subjects Autos
1

This was my very first model motorcycle, built in 1983, an old hard tail Triumph… I think from Lindburg, but could be mistaken… been too many years ago. [:)]

Found some old pictures and thought I’d post them for you to see. [:)]

Take care,
Frank

2

HEY,
Things have really come a long way, both in motorcyles, and in models. Looks good for such an old kit and picture.

Randy

3

Very nice job on the old Tiger!
I’ve got a Lindberg 1/16 Triumph T-100, but it has no chrome. I hope you still have the model, yes?!

4

Hi oldhooker,
That looks like the old Revell Triumph. I had several of them back in the day. I think Revell of Germany is reissuing that kit.
gbritnell

5

Thanks gbritnell, MojoDoctor, and dubix88… [:)]

I can’t remember the manufacturer, but I seem to remember the box art being very “AMTish”… I know it wasn’t AMT, but that’s the memory I have of it.

I’m afraid this model fell by the wayside somewhere along the line, probably on my move from Roanoke, Va to Atlanta in 1988. Don’t remember seeing it after that. [:slight_smile:]

Those were the days of eight and nine hour builds, maximum… [:D]

Thanks again,
Frank

6

Pretty nice build Frank.

7

Thanks Chris… it’s probably the oldest one of my models I have a picture of. Back from the time when we would have asked; “Internet, what’s that?” [:)]

Take care,
Frank

8

Hi
Nice build! Allways enjoying new bike pics among all the cars [:D]
What scale is it?
regards
/Joel

9

Ummmm… Errrr… I don’t remember the scale, but it was between 5 and 6 inches long.

I had a real '72 Triumph Bonneville at that time (the reason I bought the model… it wasn’t a Bonneville, so, it was a Triumph and that’s all that mattered), which I found sitting on top a large metal stand at this large junk yard in Roanoke. It only had 800 miles on it, but never was run much because of a serious miss that was obviously never fixed. (no one knew what was causing it) A co-worker pointed me in the direction of an old British chap, Walt Basham, who’d came to the United States after retirement in England from the Triumph Company no less! I spoke with Mr. Basham about it, he snickered and told me I should get it! Well, I paid the junk dealer $250 for the bike, and hauled it over to Walt’s house… after about 5 hours of twisting his beard into knots, he called me to come pick up my bike, he had it fixed!! He had discovered the main ground wire hadn’t been completely tightened at the factory, it appeared, so he tightened it up and stripped all those Lucas Electrical components from it, cleaned it up real good, leaving a practically new 11 year old bike! That was in the summer of '83, I sold it in the Spring of '88 for $2500 with almost 10,000 worry/trouble free FUN miles on it! It sounded like someone tapping out a rhythm on a drum when it was idling… nice bike! [:)]

Sorry to go on, Joel, just thinking about one good old bike! [:)]

Take care,
Frank

10

Don’t be sorry, this is what makes modelling so interesting. The story behind the builds. I have memories of GP500 or MotoGP races to go with all my builds. Sort of with all the street builds too. So I quite fancied your story!
/Joel

11

Joel,

Speaking of your builds… I visited your web site and you have some very IMPRESSIVE builds, man!!! Look’s like you could just hop on one of them and go blazing down the road!!

Outstanding work!
Frank

12

Thanks for your compliments Frank, I’m happy to hear that you liked them. I’m doing later year bikes mostly as you could see but after your pic here I got inspired to do something more retro. I’ll have to see what I can dig up.
/Joel

13

Thanks Joel,

Nostalgia is a very affective marketing device! (as I wish some of these model manufacturers would realize) As massive as State of the Art interest is, there’s just as many (if not more) who are proud of their 10 / 20 / 30 year old then"state of the art" bike, sitting out in their garage, as they represent the linage of todays road rockets!

Bravo Joel! [:)]

Take care,
Frank