jackjones

Is there a way to adjust the brake pedal so it is sitting a bit lower?

I have just read an article in the British paper Motorcyclenews entitiled " How the CBR 250 out- techs superbikes. " ( wednesday 19th january 2011 ) Apparently it has a similar cylinder head idea to the new ZX10R and the Horex V6 in that it uses a "Desax" cylinder configuration meaning the cylinder is offset towards the exhaust side by 4mm resulting in reduced side thrust and less friction between the piston and the cylinder wall. it also has a spiny cylinder sleeve with the outside of the plated steel cylinder being covered in bumps. Apparently this greatly increases the surface area and not only improves the cooling but allows higher pressures within the combustion chamber to improve the efficiency of the burn. Another move made to reduce friction which also helps the life of the engine is what Honda calls " striations " in the skirt of the piston. Apparently this is to ensure plenty of oil is retained between the piston and the cylinder wall. Finally, the top end of the engine uses what Honda says is the worlds first combination of double over head camshafts with roller type rocker arms. Apparently it is quite a costly solution but it reduces friction and needs less oil in the cylinder head. On top of all that there are 18 patents relating to the frame design.

So, how are things with the Triton now? I just recently had to change my wiper rubbers, but they had been a bit noisy for a while. Seems that one had dried out and cracked in two. Now after a few months the new ones still sound nice and quiet and even operate on a dry windsreen without any noise. I think the original set lasted about two years before getting too noisy. By the way, do you have the new engine with the 179 hp? If so, what do you think of it? I was pleased with my older one with the 140hp but now, just because there is a newer version, I think I need the extra power!

Very nice car and restoration. I was brought up on Escorts and had two mark 1's, both 1300 E's. I then had a 1300 and 1600 Sport mark 2 and then a few RS 2000's but unfortunately never a mexico. YOurs is the first 2 door escort I have ever seen in Thailand, although I do see the occasional small engined 4 door Mark 1 driving around in Chiangmai. What is the history of it? I mean was it imported as a one off or are there a few more running around?

I have an idea for a bar in Maejo, but as I said earlier, I haven't the time or the money to persue it. I was thinking that as Maejo is the " Home of the cowboys" and infact i have seen quite a few cowboys on horseback riding through he town, then perhaps a Western saloon type bar might work. Something with a pool table, juke box, occasional live country and western or bluegrass music, barbeques, barn dances, swing doors, parking for pickup trucks and bikes and hopefully a few cowgirl waitresses. I would be happy to go there and cry into my beer while Tammy Wynette sings on the juke box.

Sorry to hear you are having problems with your new Triton. I have had one for three years and have 50k on the clock.It's the Triton plus and I have never had any problems at all. It still goes really well and I have never seen any black soot or smoke, ever. I can't place the chrome door sill. I don't think I have any real chrome on mine or at least I think mine has some trim which is chromed plastic. I certainly haven't seen any rust although the chromed mirrors are starting to show slight staining. Good luck anyway.

I read in an interview somewhere that Honda could get 50 hp out of the engine but for the sake of reliability and to keep costs down a bit they thought 45 hp would be a more realistic figure.

I think the roadster was the best looking one. I can remember being 18 years old and a lot of time was spent daydreaming about owning one. I think it was a yellow one I wanted. Sadly I've never even had a ride on one. I think they look good even today and would probably not embarass themselves looks or performance wise amongst modern retro Triumphs and kawasakis.

I think the bike in the photo is a 750 and was called the fastback. Very nice and I still hanker after one

That picture brings back many pleasant memories, the only improvement at the time was to use the Norton "featherbed" frame and slot in a Triumph engine thus giving the world the Triton, a great bike.

The Norton in the picture looks like the last of the 850cc models.

Here's a nice bit of history for those intrested.

After 1959 the 358cc Norton model 50 gained the famous Featherbed frame which improved the lighting and the production ended in 1963.

Featherbed frame was used in the Dominator 88 with 497cc and the 99 model with 596cc.

A few survive in original condition but many were converted into 'Tritons' with Triumph engines.

The Triumph Bonneville T120 engine was a 650 cc parallel-twin with twin carbs (whow), in standard configuration and especially when easily tuned for increased performance, they were popular in café racers such as Tribsas (BSA) and the Tritons.

The T120 was magical but balancing the carbs was nightmarish, once you got it right however it sure could move. The last one I put together in the UK was in 1971, just finished it the night before I moved to the US and only got one ride for a lot of effort! Ironically I met a guy in Detroit the following year who had bought one solely based on their reputation and his only complaint was that the carbs were always out of balance - after much playing around we figured out that the jets had to be swapped out as a result of the more humid air in that part of the world (same problem with XKE's but that's another story).

Thanks for the photo. I do like those colours and I hope to see Johnny Rea doing well in them in this years WSBKs.

I did think about it but don't have the time or the money. But I do think a bar/restaurant could work in that area and I would certainly go if I could get a meal, game of pool and watch a bit of sport. I can always hope.

I live in maejo and I wish someone would open a farang type bar in the area with pool table, dart board, satellite TV for sports and some western food. I think there may be quite a few westerners living in the area and it would save that long drive into the city.

I am not very handy on computers. I am saving to buy a CBR and when I get one I would like to get it painted in the new Castrol honda colours like the world superbike team. Could some kind man show me what a CBR would look like in those colours?