My first restoration: TV175 Ser 3

[CHRIS in MARGATE]

At last ...Somebody older than me. I love this thread because I can relate to all the products and techniques that you are talking about and chuckle every time I read an update. Remember only too well lending my compressor and guns out only to find that people are not as OCD as me when it comes to cleaning things up !

Riding today ? I am out for at least 60 miles every Sunday and again midweek at the very least plus some motorway riding when we congregate and do a rally or a longer ride. What's it like today? Well now we are not racing away from the lights against Morris Minors, Ford Anglias and Minis. Today we are mostly the slowest vehicles on the road and I guess to a lot of the impatient drivers, a hindrance. I remember being told years ago; treat everybody else on the road as a potential idiot and threat. They're not all like that but a lot are.
Riding in a group always feels a lot safer and we seem to automatically gain the respect of other roas users.
Today I would say: be seen, be heard. Wear sensible jacket with very visible stripes on; even a high vis; have gas horns to alert those motorists who want to pull out on you. First thing I ever do on my scoots is to wire in a battery operated compressor and horn from the horn switch. Motorists hear that !!
Lastly; look out for pot holes and trenching repairs because they are a nightmare.
Good luck and sorry to hijack the paint thread.

[Egee]

At last ...Somebody older than me. I love this thread because I can relate to all the products and techniques that you are talking about and chuckle every time I read an update. Remember only too well lending my compressor and guns out only to find that people are not as OCD as me when it comes to cleaning things up !

Riding today ? I am out for at least 60 miles every Sunday and again midweek at the very least plus some motorway riding when we congregate and do a rally or a longer ride. What's it like today? Well now we are not racing away from the lights against Morris Minors, Ford Anglias and Minis. Today we are mostly the slowest vehicles on the road and I guess to a lot of the impatient drivers, a hindrance. I remember being told years ago; treat everybody else on the road as a potential idiot and threat. They're not all like that but a lot are.
Riding in a group always feels a lot safer and we seem to automatically gain the respect of other roas users.
Today I would say: be seen, be heard. Wear sensible jacket with very visible stripes on; even a high vis; have gas horns to alert those motorists who want to pull out on you. First thing I ever do on my scoots is to wire in a battery operated compressor and horn from the horn switch. Motorists hear that !!
Lastly; look out for pot holes and trenching repairs because they are a nightmare.
Good luck and sorry to hijack the paint thread.

Just had a flash back - remembering my Col Bogey air horns and tank antenna on rear rack festooned with pennants. This became a trophy to a gang of motorbikers, who surrounded me, on the move and snapped the antenna off. They then tore off at a fair lick - made me vow to get a faster scoot!

[johnnyXS]

Ha ! tank aerials those were the days . I got mine from Exchange & Mart which is where I also bought my fishtail Parker . It had no lining and I froze in the Winter but I reckon I looked dead cool with'Li ILFORD ' stencilled on the back. Coming back from Brentwood on the Southend Arterial one frosty morning my hands froze and I couldn't use my fingers to pull in the clutch or brake . Nearly went straight over the Gants Hill roundabout !

in the late 60's the main thing I worried about in Ilford was the rumour going around that a group of Rockers were riding up from behind and the pillion riders kicking you off your scooter

happy days

[911hillclimber]

It is great that this little thread has pulled out so many memories, from the dim distant to the recent!

When I was on my TV225 in '69 I seemed to keep falling off it. The worst was showing up at home to get a roasting from my worried mother about the torn (padded) parka, grazed desert boots and some of the Union Jack paint missing of the side of the skid-lid.

I used bike gauntlets in the winter and even tried a full screen once, but still turned blue and numb...

When I bought this TV 16 years ago I moved to another job. Part of my leaving present was a real fish-tail Parka. Still in the wardrobe...
I was hoping to re-live some of the days through rosy glasses on this TV, but things have moved on!

[Egee]

Ahh, parkas. Mine was an ex USA model complete with the serviceman's name and dodgy fur trim.

[Egee]

Seems a shame you couldn't wear your new parka on the inaugural ride of your TV, might just be the icing on the cake.

[johnnyXS]

I

When I bought this TV 16 years ago I moved to another job. Part of my leaving present was a real fish-tail Parka. Still in the wardrobe...
I was hoping to re-live some of the days through rosy glasses on this TV, but things have moved on!

its a bit sad isn't it I thought the same when I bought my 1964 Li150 Special a couple of years ago. I thought that it would be like reliving the past with such happy memories of being wild and carefree ....It didn't take me long before I also realised that attitudes had changed and things had moved on .We are not the same people we were all those years ago. Kids today just think we are old and slow and can't possibly have anything useful to say or contribute.

I suppose I imagined that I'd somehow contact a local group of like minded enthusiasts we'd all go for the occasional run to the coast or rally etc and it would be like 1967 again . silly sod

[HxPaul]

I

When I bought this TV 16 years ago I moved to another job. Part of my leaving present was a real fish-tail Parka. Still in the wardrobe...
I was hoping to re-live some of the days through rosy glasses on this TV, but things have moved on!

its a bit sad isn't it I thought the same when I bought my 1964 Li150 Special a couple of years ago. I thought that it would be like reliving the past with such happy memories of being wild and carefree ....It didn't take me long before I also realised that attitudes had changed and things had moved on .We are not the same people we were all those years ago. Kids today just think we are old and slow and can't possibly have anything useful to say or contribute.

I suppose I imagined that I'd somehow contact a local group of like minded enthusiasts we'd all go for the occasional run to the coast or rally etc and it would be like 1967 again . silly sod

I'm 65 and a member of a local scooter club with 25 members,we meet every Thursday and go for a rideout nearly every week.We also go for rides every weekend during the summer.All the members are in there 50s or 60s.

[johnnyXS]

you're right and there are no doubt some excellent clubs around and I probably should check out my local club but as they meet at a pub and their stated raison d’etre is beer and tatoos and I neither drink nor have an interest in tatoos I haven't yet.

[911hillclimber]

For me it has simply been my wife is nervous of me riding the TV locally.
I'm in the West Midlands and few drivers have a bike license as bikes seem invisible to many.

As I'm now retired I spend a lot of time with her, and 2 stroking off for the day etc makes me feel a bit awkward.

The TV has been a great experience to do, highs and lows of course but another car has arrived (!) a bit of a GT cruiser (looks fast, but isn't) but it is really nice and that is the reason for the change of heart.

It is not the need to sell for the ££££, more the need to sell to get the TV under someone who will ride it regularly.

It looks to me a nice TV, as I expected it to turn out and it will soon be mission completed.

I hope the MoT will be painless at Reeds and the subsequent registration formalities will be simple enough.

Nice Xmas pressie for someone!

Have to think about how much to ask for the scooter...

[Andie]

For what it is worth, I have enjoyed watching your restoration through, it has been very useful for me, and i am sure for many others too.

[CHRIS in MARGATE]

There are 68 like minded scootering enthusiasts in our little collective and we're not young by any means. When we ride out and park up we get a helluva lot of attention. We are not the beer and tattoo scooterists; they ride in another group but we will all help one another if needs be.
We ride at 45 mph and on the way home some of us do take them up to 70mph. We don't take chances; we ride safe and we look out for one another. Once you ride that TV you are going to be hooked and will change your mind.

[Egee]

I'm in mid Wales, near Llandrindod Wells. Any like minded scooter clubs/enthusiasts in the area?

[911hillclimber]

Thanks for the kind words.
I was hoping this would be a ride out some nice days over the next years, the only thing that will stop the sale is if nobody wants it. Then I'll keep it and work on the wife!

I'm sure if I ride it then I'll want to keep it, hence hoping to get the TV MoT'd, taken there and back by van/trailer and sell without it touching the UK roads.

[Digger]

For me it has simply been my wife is nervous of me riding the TV locally.
I'm in the West Midlands and few drivers have a bike license as bikes seem invisible to many.

There are hundreds of scooterists in the West Midlands if not thousands.....

[911hillclimber]

Yes, indeed, hear them riding out past my garden to Bridgnorth many an evening or weekend. Wife not convinced..

[johnnyXS]

There are 68 like minded scootering enthusiasts in our little collective and we're not young by any means. When we ride out and park up we get a helluva lot of attention. We are not the beer and tattoo scooterists; they ride in another group but we will all help one another if needs be.
We ride at 45 mph and on the way home some of us do take them up to 70mph. We don't take chances; we ride safe and we look out for one another. Once you ride that TV you are going to be hooked and will change your mind.

that sounds like my dream club Chris ...thats a huge membership !

[911hillclimber]

Final bits now, nearly there!
Battery arrived and charging sop I hope to have a horn soon.

Side panels have all the badges on so it looks pretty now

Trip to Reedspeed today and a chat with the confidence adding Jerome has the TV in for its MoT next week..

As to the MoT:

I can only think of the following to check;

Lights/ headlamp alignment
Horn
Brakes/cables
Steering (bearing slop)
Tyres
General roadworthiness

Have I missed anything?

[911hillclimber]

TV passed it's MoT down at Readspeed today.

Have to say, very very impressed with Jerome and the way he has helped me, superb. Top bloke to say the least.

Also just insured the TV for storage as an addition to the Porsche insurance via Hagerty for £14!

Registration next.

Sale there-after.

[Marty ULC]

It would break my heart to sell it after all the time and effort you've put in.
Can you not convince herself to let you keep it for a year and try to sell it towards the end of next summer.
That way, you can tell her, it will be when people are more likely to be buying so you'll get a decent price. The added bonus is you'd get the chance to stick your parka* on and take it for a spin when the weather's nice. You only live once so spoil yourself.




*Marty ULC in no way endorses the use of American army coats in place of proper protective bike gear. Each to their own and you do so entirely at your own risk.