Classic bikes can be a fascinating, exhilarating,
frustrating, rewarding, time-consuming and incredibly satisfying
pastime. We have spent over 30 years making every possible mistake
and stepping into every pitfall and still love old bikes and everything
to do with them. There can be few things which give such
a wide range of experiences and so many aspects of interest both
in a workshop and out on the road.
Although its possible to get into the classic
bike scene for a relatively small financial outlay the hardest
thing is often to take the first step - what bike should I buy?
How do I know this one is a good example? Is it safe to ride?
How do I start it / maintain it / know when to do something to
it?
To try to help you along the way we offer several
courses on different levels for everyone from complete beginners
to advanced renovators. All of our courses are designed
to be very 'hands-on' - right from the start you will be touching,
riding and working on genuine classic motorcycles.
Our introduction course, for example, runs once
a month for five days. Each day you will take three hours
of classroom / workshop time each morning followed by a ride out
on a classic bike after a typical french lunch. You will have
the chance to work on fully running old bikes and then to take
them out on the road to test your work. We also have gearboxes
and engines on the workbench for in-depth 'how-to's'. Our aim
is to give you all the knowledge you need to buy and then do basic
maintainance on your own classic bike. Think of this course
as a down-payment towards buying the RIGHT classic.
If you bring a partner who doesn't want to become
an old-bike expert they can take our non-biking tour each morning
(wine tasting, shopping, aromatherapy, sightseeing and so on)
and meet up for lunch and a ride out - or maybe just laze by the
pool.
Our "Introduction to Classics" Course
:
Monday - 'Going backwards'
- Why is a classic technically different
to a modern motorcycle
- Riding out on a classic - It's a bike
Jim, but not as we know it...
- General Q & A session to define everyones
knowledge and goals for the week
- Meet the bikes - take your partners for
the first ride...
- Starting a classic
- What are all those little levers? - choke the
advance, decompress the kickstart..
- Riding an oldie - how to forget everything you
ever knew -
- Wheres the gearshift? - left or right, up
for first, down for first
- Playing the drums, squeeze now, brake later.
- What does that rattle / whine / squeal /
silence mean?
Tuesday - Cycle Parts
- Frame designs - Rigids, plungers, swing-arms,
girders, telescopics and more...
- Maintenance - including bearings, wheels,
tyres, levers, steering column, tracking
Wednesday - Engine and gearbox
- Designs explained - OHV, OHC, side valves,
slick-shifts and lay shafts..
- Decokes to strip-downs
- What you can expect to do yourself and
what you can't !
Thursday - Tinkering
- Adjustments and routine maintenance
- Plugs and points
- Timing
- Valves
- Cables, chains, tyres, greasing and tinkering
- My workshop - what tools will I need ?
Friday - the Black Arts
- How to buy / What to look for when buying
a classic
- The 'Art' of restoration - how far should
you go ?
- The Marques of Greatness
- The classic scene - who, what, why , when
, where... and how
Course
cost - £575
For the next course date please
contact us.
FIRST
2008 DATE - March 12th
Our courses do not include the cost of your holiday in Provence
- see our prices page
for hotels and non-course bike hire.
.
Don't press the Big Red Button....
|
. We also offer
advanced courses on:
- Classic bike tuning
- Renovation starter course
- Advanced renovation
- Metalworking 101 - Lathe operation and
milling
- Advanced metalwork and introduction to
CNC
- The"Why" behind motorcycle design
we also undertake bespoke renovations :
BEFORE ... |
This is how Velocette Thruxton
number 1001 arrived in our workshops. After a small accident
twenty-odd years ago its owner vented his frustrations by taking
it to bits - completely!
Miraculously it was ALL there
- and in very original condition, all the nuts and bolts were
as they left the factory in 1969.
......................................................
...AND AFTER
Being the proud owner of Thruxton
number 999 for over twenty years Julian had no difficulty in
recognising a stray BSA valve spring in one of the boxes as
he rubbed his hands together in anticipation of reincarnating
his bikes twin.
Many happy hours later the bike
emerged from the workshop as new - the sound of two Thruxtons
blasting up the lane on the first test ride was definitely something
special.
