Push Miles

[Triumph-Legend]

Hi

My question is prompted by a junk mail from PJ Insurance drawing attention to the National Motorcycle Museum raffle of a 1979 T140 with 'only 11 push miles' on the clock

Am I expected to believe this bike has never been ridden and only pushed for 11 miles? Who the ---- would push a bike for 11 miles, and if they did, who would think this is a good product endorsement of a machine that is designed to run under it's own motive power??

Regards Mick, (in a bit of a cynical mood)

You old cynic. I've had any number of bikes like the Trumpet. Could be worse, If it was I Trident I doubt that anybody could push the flipping thing for more than a mile. Now then, A little Bantam or even a C15 could be pushed all day long. Therefore proving them to be superior machines for higher milage pushing.

[Stan Palmer]

My longest push was from Crawley to Brixton. I had set out with no particular direction on a school holiday. 197 Francis Barnett trials. I arrived at Worms Heath near Warlingham, a bit of rough ground for practice. Bored with that I set off again and aimlessly arrived at Brighton. It was there I discovered no money in my pockets. I set off home, low throttle, coasting downhill. By the time I arrived at Crawley I had done all the tricks to get the last bit of fuel to the carb, I was refused credit at a couple of stations, found draining the delivery pipe doesn't really work but did pump the tyres up to about 60psi. Scrumped some apples to eat and water free at garages. From then on it was just pushing and coasting. Even went wrong and had to push up Reigate hill. Not easy. At Thornton Heath I thought I was spent, so went into a Police Station, they refused any aid, even to call my Aunt at Brixton. That spurred my indignation and gave me the impetus to get to the top of Brixton Hill and the long coast down.
It was 28 miles and took about ten hours. I don't recommend it.
Stan

[Andy51]

My push miles on bikes have been limited, but my first powered transport (and I say that with tongue firmly in cheek) was a Raleigh Runabout moped. I ran out of petrol several miles and a steep hill away from home, and had to pedal and push it home. It must have weighed a good hundredweight and the journey left me shattered! When I moved on to cars, my first had a starting handle, which saw a lot of use as I couldn't afford a replacement battery. I progressed to a Ford Cortina and we lived at the top of a hill. As the battery started to fade, on cold mornings I would start it by pushing it out of the drive on to the slope, jumped in and hoped that it would fire up before I got to the bottom! Luckily it always did as the push home would have been a right b****r! Happy days! Andy

[alanjennings]

What a bad experience you had, Stan! We had a problem with our vincent outfit in east germany in 1995 and a local family went out of their way to get us mobile again!

[Stan Palmer]

When your young, I was 16, you can take an awful lot. A cynic would say we didn't know any better. It's taken for granted these days that you can be in telephone contact pretty well anywhere. My aunt had the only phone in my family as they had a moving business, I still know the number, BRI2933. You were always mindful in those days to do all you could to get yourself out of scrapes. Calling Dad from work, sooner have a leg off !
Stan

[anthony kosecki]

Having restored my 1955 G3LS (back in 1980) I rode it to get it MOT'd. Went for it at the end of the day and it wouldn't start no matter what. Ended up pushing it back home up a one mile hill. Baking hot summer's day but some friendly folk gave me some water. Got home, drank a bucket of water, showered and waited for the feeling to return to my legs. Went to the beast and yep, you guessed it, it started first time. The language which followed resulted in an apology (with flowers) to the lady next door.

[Expat]

My longest push was from Crawley to Brixton. I had set out with no particular direction on a school holiday. 197 Francis Barnett trials. I arrived at Worms Heath near Warlingham, a bit of rough ground for practice. Bored with that I set off again and aimlessly arrived at Brighton. It was there I discovered no money in my pockets. I set off home, low throttle, coasting downhill. By the time I arrived at Crawley I had done all the tricks to get the last bit of fuel to the carb, I was refused credit at a couple of stations, found draining the delivery pipe doesn't really work but did pump the tyres up to about 60psi. Scrumped some apples to eat and water free at garages. From then on it was just pushing and coasting. Even went wrong and had to push up Reigate hill. Not easy. At Thornton Heath I thought I was spent, so went into a Police Station, they refused any aid, even to call my Aunt at Brixton. That spurred my indignation and gave me the impetus to get to the top of Brixton Hill and the long coast down.
It was 28 miles and took about ten hours. I don't recommend it.
Stan

I feel your pain Stan. Was the Fanny B hand painted black all over and did the exhaust pipe often come out of the head?

If so, it could have once belonged to me, my first ‘proper' bike as a spotty teenager in 1972. Also ran out of petrol on the way home from work in Eynsford, so pushed it from St Mary Cray, up Poverest Road, (steep hill) to the petrol station in Petts Wood wearing Wellington boots.

Only about three miles though.

Oh how I laughed.

You are my hero.

[Stan Palmer]

Hi Steve, I had the bike in 61. It had a 7E engine and was red then. Who knows what happened after that. It was replaced by an HJH, most famous because the builder went to prison for tax evasion, then a Tiger Cub and Matchless in quick succession. With a series of road bikes for work. The most expensive was the Matchless at £52. And then I took up scrambling...a whole different story as it broke the bank. The whole thing was over by 68. Fantastic days to be growing up in.
Stan

[Pharisee]

Hi Steve, I had the bike in 61. It had a 7E engine and was red then. Who knows what happened after that. It was replaced by an HJH, most famous because the builder went to prison for tax evasion, then a Tiger Cub and Matchless in quick succession. With a series of road bikes for work. The most expensive was the Matchless at £52. And then I took up scrambling...a whole different story as it broke the bank. The whole thing was over by 68. Fantastic days to be growing up in.
Stan

I agree, Stan
I had a second hand Fanny B 197cc Falcon 70 on my 16th birthday in 1962. I rode it 8 miles to work each day through the '62-'63 winter. That was followed by a 1953 Matchless G9 sidecar outfit (Reg KAM 309... anyone know if it's still about?). I rode (drove?) that for a while until my mate got killed on his C15. My mum was very unhappy about me riding a bike after that, so I sold it. I wasn't without a bike for long, though and bought another G9 (solo, this time). That was a '57 bike which was in bits and cost me £17/10/-, 15 quid of which I borrowed off my sister!!

[56G80S]

Expat, apropos of nowt, I was married in St Mary Cray Parish Church.

You'll recall the narrow road that runs round that way. I got pinched on a Honda C90 there when I was living with my in laws on Maidstone Road (103).

I'd missed a lunch time MoT at Welling because the brake light switch failed before hand. Made a re-appointment for first thing next morning. Went for a shake down ride and there was a police roadblock! They didn't believe a word and stuck to the letter of the law.

Johnny B