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00:20Fuzz, don't we need the trailer?
00:22Not today, Timmy boy.
00:24Where are we?
00:24We're on a big bridge.
00:25We're going across a lot of water.
00:27Right.
00:27So we're heading for South Wales.
00:29Make a note of where we are first,
00:31because what I'm about to say is going to go down in history.
00:34Yeah.
00:34I'm going to make the biggest statement of my life.
00:36The vehicle we are picking up today is without a doubt, in my mind,
00:41the coolest vehicle we have ever, ever since our creation picked up.
00:47And that vehicle is not a car.
00:51It is a...
00:52Motorbike!
00:53He said it!
00:55You said it!
00:55Yes, I did!
00:56It is a...
00:57Trials!
00:58Bonneville!
00:58Oh, yes!
00:59We are finally, finally, after thousands of complaints, we are finally conceding and doing a motorbike.
01:07And man, I have proved myself as a petrolhead.
01:09I've had more four-wheel vehicles and I'm addicted to them, but I live in a world where it feels
01:14good to get it off my chest.
01:16I've said it.
01:17Bikes are cooler than cars.
01:19They are cool.
01:20And the Triumph Bonneville is a very, very cool machine.
01:24If there's a bit of you that just thinks, I'm a car guy, I'm a car girl, just try and
01:28reframe, just pause that for a moment,
01:30and just come on this journey with us to rebuild a Triumph Bonneville and get to the end of it
01:35and tell me if you haven't fallen in love with bikes.
01:38Yes, in a nightmarish scenario for the Car SOS marketing team, for the first time ever, the boys are ditching
01:45four wheels for two.
01:46And what better way to pop their crotch rocket cherry than with the British motorcycle that symbolised 60s rebellious cool?
01:55Because not only was it the bike of choice for Britain's rockers, it was adorned by some of the coolest
02:00people on the planet.
02:02Even the king himself had one.
02:05No, not that one.
02:07Named after the legendary Bonneville Salt Flats, where Triumph bikes had shattered speed records throughout the 50s, the Bonne proudly
02:15kept up the family tradition.
02:19650cc parallel twin engine, and not a lot else.
02:23It could push 110 miles an hour, making it one of the fastest production bikes on the market.
02:30So, for those who've ever ridden one, the Bonne is more than two wheels and an engine.
02:36Their freedom, rebellion, and downright petrol-powered cool.
02:46Can you ride a motorcycle?
02:48My first vehicle was a CM125.
02:51Oh!
02:52I was the only person in South Yorkshire to fall off my motorcycle on my actual test.
02:57It fell off and failed.
02:59Now, do you know who we're meeting today?
03:01Yes, so we're going to meet Jill.
03:02Yep.
03:03That's Ian's sister.
03:04Yep.
03:04And we're going to meet Stephen, who's Ian's cousin.
03:06Absolutely.
03:06Yep.
03:10Hello.
03:11Hello.
03:11Hello.
03:12How are you?
03:12I'm hoping that you're Jill.
03:14I am Jill.
03:15Actually, Lee and Steve.
03:16Hi, I am.
03:16Hi, I am.
03:17Hi, I am.
03:17Hi, I am.
03:17Right, now, Ian is nowhere to be seen, right?
03:20No, Ian's not here.
03:21And we see our first motorcycle ever since the beginning of Car SOS.
03:25We can let out a little squeak of excitement.
03:28We can.
03:28Absolutely, yeah.
03:29Brilliant.
03:30Where is she?
03:31She's up here, by the garage.
03:32In the garage.
03:33Come on, then.
03:35Right, left or right, Felsman's garage?
03:36You're going for the right?
03:37You're going for the right, Steve?
03:38Tell us which one is it in.
03:40It's here.
03:43There's a Triumph Bonneville under that.
03:45There is.
03:45Well, it's in bits.
03:48Let me show you.
03:51You're not messing.
03:53Look at the state of it.
03:56Dude.
03:57Look at that.
03:58Seriously.
04:00Let me ask you a question a minute.
04:01Have you ever rebuilt a bike from scratch?
04:03Total built.
04:04Have you?
04:04Ever.
04:05No.
04:06That's why it's called Car SOS.
04:08Yes.
04:09I wasn't quite expecting this.
04:13Right, let's go and talk about Ian.
04:14And we'll leave you to make friends with what's left of something that's just been hooned out of a 10
04:20-hour.
04:24I'm going to come unstuck here a little bit because I have to admit that this will be the first
04:29time that I've rebuilt a complete motorbike.
04:33I've repaired them, and I've not built a whole one up from a kit of parts.
04:37I don't even know if we've got everything here.
04:41I might need a little bit of assistance.
04:45Look, here we go.
04:46We've got the tank here.
04:49I'd put a bet on it being a little bit like a sieve.
04:53Put petrol in, and it'll just leak out.
04:57And down here, here's our engine and gearbox.
05:01Let's just have a...
05:04OK, well, not much action there.
05:08As I suspected, it is completely seized.
05:12This is going to need a total rebuild.
05:16This is, for me, a nightmarish scenario.
05:20How is it supposed to go back together?
05:26Let's talk about why the Bonneville is in Ian's life.
05:29When did it all start?
05:30He bought it back in 1979.
05:33Ian bought it when he was first starting to earn his own money.
05:38Right.
05:38My parents didn't approve of him buying it, but...
05:41But that's a reason to buy it, though, isn't it?
05:43He really loves the bike, yeah.
05:44He's never going to go in those.
05:46Yeah, yeah.
05:46He's always going to keep it.
05:47So is it fair to assume that there's something wrong with it,
05:50and that's why he was taking the pieces?
05:51No, no, not at all.
05:52No idea, no.
05:53It could be perfectly good work in order,
05:55and he would still take it apart just because he could.
05:58So is he an engineer?
05:59No, not really.
06:01Not trained, no.
06:02But he tinkered about with things.
06:06Boxing.
06:08These are our friends.
06:10Let's see what's in this little lot.
06:14Oh, here we go.
06:18Now, I do like a beer, but I also like a beer mug with original badges.
06:26Everything on this bike has seen better days.
06:29How much of it is actually salvageable is yet to be seen.
06:33But we've got to save the frame.
06:36We've got to try and save the engine and gearbox.
06:38We want this to be Ian's bike.
06:41If we just replace everything, we're taking everything away that he has salvaged.
06:47Right, sling it in the back of the car.
06:51What has happened in Ian's life to mean that, you know, the mechanical love of his life has been left
06:57in pieces?
06:58What's happened?
06:59Well, Ian was a sub-postmaster.
07:01Right.
07:01And subsequently became a victim of the Horizon post office scandal.
07:08He lost his post office, he lost his job, and he was prosecuted and found guilty of false accounting.
07:15So, the post office scandal is where a piece of software called Horizon was adding up and crunching the numbers
07:22incorrectly, ultimately, wasn't it?
07:23Absolutely, yeah.
07:24What happens next?
07:25The sad thing was, they were literally just getting back on their feet.
07:29Yeah.
07:29So, Ian had got back into employment, and in early 2011, Helen was diagnosed with breast cancer.
07:37So, while Helen was battling breast cancer, Ian had quite a severe stroke.
07:44He's been left with a lot of speech and communication issues, some mobility issues.
07:50He's independently mobile, but sometimes a bit precarious.
07:53What do you think Ian would like to see happen with that bike?
07:56I think him just seeing it whole again would be enough.
07:59Yes.
08:00I mean, that'll probably mean the world to him, just seeing that.
08:05Well, it is going to happen.
08:09And here he is.
08:11Right.
08:12It's in.
08:13It's time for me to get that rotten old thing away from here.
08:16Ian's bike's in the car as well.
08:20It's nice to meet you, Steve.
08:21Nice meeting you.
08:22Jim, thanks very much.
08:23Good luck to meet you, Steve.
08:24Okay, bye.
08:24Come on.
08:27It might only have two wheels, but this challenge is anything but half a job.
08:33Because judging by the state of it, the road to getting Ian back on his bike is going to be
08:37a bumpy one.
08:39Why are you looking so relaxed?
08:42Have you seen what we've just picked up?
08:44Have you seen it?
08:45It's in bits.
08:46Now, look, it's all very well getting a bike.
08:49What?
08:5120 seconds of your life, listen.
08:53I've made a phone call to a mate of mine who happens to work at a company that are 20
08:58minutes away from our workshop in a place called Hinkley.
09:02Try it.
09:03They are going to help us.
09:04We're going to the horse's mouth.
09:05We are going to try to build it with the people who created it or the fathers of the fathers
09:10of the fathers who created it in the first place.
09:13Yes, Fuzz can finally unclench his bottom because the boys are off to what many consider to be the home
09:18of British motorbikes.
09:20Triumph's Hinkley factory.
09:23The team there have kindly agreed to take our two seasoned apprentices under their wing.
09:28And to make sure that we all stay firmly on this restoration, Triumph guru Nick Wilson will be on hand
09:34at every corner to keep things rolling smoothly.
09:38This is the last of it then, Nick.
09:41This is it.
09:43Thanks very much.
09:44There is one other delivery.
09:45It's a verbal delivery and it's a massive apology from me and for Fuzz for you for delivering this turkey
09:50to you.
09:51Yeah, I mean, is it worse than you thought?
09:54Yes.
09:55Right, OK.
09:56How much worse?
09:57Um, significantly.
10:00So have you rebuilt a worse bike?
10:02No.
10:04No.
10:05You don't even have to think about it.
10:11In a car SOS first.
10:14No, that's wrong.
10:17In a motorbike SOS first, the boys have ditched four wheels for two.
10:22What we have is a bike that got put away with all good intention.
10:27Yeah.
10:28And it's unfortunately got very corroded.
10:29Yeah.
10:30And taken on the monumental task of turning this Meccano set for sadists back into a 1973 Triumph Bonneville.
10:38This is Ian's beauty.
10:40This is his pride and joy.
10:41So we need to salvage what we can.
10:43And from what we're looking at here, what looks good, what looks bad?
10:46There's a lot of corrosion on nearly everything.
10:48The fuel tank's particularly bad.
10:50Yeah, it looks like it's been in a very damp area, doesn't it?
10:55What about our engine here?
10:57Pistons are seized in the bore.
10:58Yeah.
10:59It's going to be quite a job.
11:01So there's our head.
11:02So what are your thoughts there?
11:04I mean, that looks pretty bad.
11:07I think we need to get it soda blasted, get it cleaned and have a proper look.
11:11Right, OK.
11:12And see what we need to do from there.
11:13Yeah.
11:14It might not be much more than an engine and two wheels,
11:17but somehow the task ahead feels every bit as monumental as usual.
11:22For starters, there's the engine block.
11:25Unsurprisingly, two decades left out of the elements hasn't done much for its complexion.
11:30But what really matters is what condition it's in once the boys open it up.
11:35Next up, the cylinder head.
11:37Once again, all that weathering hasn't done it any favours.
11:40So once it's been cleaned up, can it be saved?
11:45Finally, the fuel tank.
11:46It's looking leakier than a second-hand tea bag.
11:50So can Tim recondition it?
11:52Or will this big lump of originality be lost forever?
11:56Then, after those battles are won,
11:58the bonnie will still need new brakes and suspension,
12:01as well as a full respray in period-correct original paint
12:05before it can truly live up to its name.
12:09But before the teardown begins,
12:12it's time for the nation's oldest apprentice to ride pillion
12:15and soak up the master's knowledge.
12:17Because if he's going to help restore Ian's bonnie,
12:20he'd better learn from the best.
12:23Can we go through some of the terminology here,
12:26what some of these components are called?
12:27So we have our front fork assembly here.
12:30And that comprises of stanchions.
12:32Stanchions, so that's the bit at the top.
12:34Bottom parts are called the sliders.
12:36So the wheel goes up and down on these.
12:38Yep, yep.
12:39This is the lower yoke.
12:40The lower yoke, OK.
12:42And then we've got our handlebars,
12:43but our handlebars go through these items here.
12:46What are those called?
12:46They're called risers.
12:47Those are risers, OK.
12:48Now, can we move along the frame
12:50and the engine and gearbox combined sits in the frame there?
12:54Finally, the seat sits on here.
12:56Yeah, and beneath the seat is all the electrics.
13:00Let's pull it apart.
13:02Now that Fuzz is a small step closer
13:05to becoming a certified motorbike expert,
13:09the Bonneville's frame can be stripped down
13:11and sent to the blasters
13:12to remove two decades' worth of rust and grime,
13:16leaving Fuzz to give the remaining smaller parts
13:19the once-over to see what's salvageable.
13:22Here's a brake rod, absolutely bent out of shape.
13:27One of the most appealing things about a motorcycle
13:29is that they are perhaps the most visceral road-going machine
13:35that you can experience
13:36because there's not a lot to them.
13:38There's a frame, a couple of wheels, an engine, a gearbox,
13:42and then it's all the rider.
13:44Once things wear out, they need to be replaced.
13:47So if we want Ian's bike to look as it should do,
13:50as it did, or as close to it, as it did in 1973,
13:55we need to do some serious shopping.
13:58So, while Fuzz compiles a list,
14:01Tim is trying to keep Ian's original fuel tank off of it
14:04with some help from Triumph's in-house clergy.
14:07Excuse me.
14:08I'm looking for a guy who's referred to as Father Fuel Tank.
14:12That'll be me.
14:14Is that you?
14:17Yeah.
14:17What's your name, mate?
14:18It's Gary.
14:19Gary, nice one, Father Fuel Tank.
14:20Quite lovely to meet you.
14:21Yes, he might not be an actual man of the cloth,
14:24but Gary has devoted his life to one thing,
14:27and that's Triumph fuel tanks.
14:29So if anyone knows if Ian's is going to see the open road again,
14:33it's him.
14:34Right, what are we thinking?
14:35What's it off?
14:36It's off an old Bonneville.
14:38Yeah, early 70s.
14:39Early 70s, yeah.
14:40And what I'm really hoping is that you're going to assess this
14:42and go, we can keep that, we can mint it.
14:44Yeah, big ask.
14:45Let's have a look.
14:46Really?
14:53Unfortunately, I think it's too far gone.
14:56We get all the rust off, the metal would be so thin,
14:59and we need to make sure this tank is going to be safe to put fuel in,
15:03and unfortunately, the state of this, I don't think it is.
15:13Next question, then.
15:14If we're going to replace it,
15:16it makes me think we've got to get the colour absolutely bang on.
15:19What colour would it have been when it came out of the factory?
15:21It would be a gold, but what particular gold, I don't know.
15:24But I know a guy called Dick Shepard.
15:26Right.
15:27He knows everything there is to know about Triumph motorcycles.
15:30Right, so go and see a guy called Dick.
15:31Dick Shepard, yeah.
15:32So if Gary's father fuel tank, that must make Dick the Archbishop.
15:39So while Tim tracks his holiness down,
15:42the apprentice has entered the masters in a sanctum.
15:45All right, might just be Nick's shed,
15:47but there's not a lawnmower in sight.
15:49He's brought Ian's engine home with him
15:52so he can keep working on it day and night.
15:55And it's already paid off
15:56because somehow he's miraculously unseized the pistons.
16:01How did you get them off?
16:02Quite a bit of heat.
16:04Yeah.
16:04A good bit of WD-40 and a bit of diesel.
16:07Yeah.
16:08Mixed in, left it soaking for a couple of days.
16:10Yeah.
16:10Worked it backwards and forwards and eventually became free.
16:13So what's the situation now, then?
16:15Now that we've unseized the pistons,
16:17I can see in the lower half of the crankcase
16:19there's not any water in there.
16:20Well, that's good news.
16:21But we don't know what other damage is done elsewhere.
16:23OK, so what's the first step now?
16:25What should we do?
16:25I think we should get the pistons out of the way.
16:27They are scrap.
16:28So we'll remove those and then we'll get on with the primary side.
16:31OK, fantastic.
16:37I guess it's important to point out the differences
16:39between the bike and the car
16:41because here we've got a 650cc two-cylinder engine from the 1970s.
16:46This would have powered the bike up to what sort of speed?
16:49110 miles an hour.
16:50When you compare it to the performance of a car of the time,
16:54to get a car to go 110 miles an hour easily
16:57would have taken something like a three,
17:00three and a half litre V6 or V8 engine.
17:04But at less than half the weight of a classic Mini,
17:07back in the day,
17:08even the mighty Porsche 911 would have struggled
17:11to keep up off the lights.
17:13Right, OK, so off it comes.
17:18So, here...
17:19This is the alternator.
17:20Yep.
17:20And then here we've got clutch.
17:23Yep.
17:23And then the gearbox is further in there.
17:25It's thrown here.
17:27Since the boys have no idea when Ian's engine last saw a spanner,
17:31both it and the gearbox are in for a full internal rebuild.
17:36But if the blocks corroded beyond saving,
17:39the heart of this bonnie could be lost forever.
17:44We can see that water,
17:46which is the enemy of any mechanical item,
17:50certainly like this,
17:51has actually made its way in,
17:53but it's not been able to do...
17:54No, it's not done the damage we feared.
17:56So, with a full internal rebuild,
17:59Ian's engine is going to ride again.
18:01The problem is,
18:03it's not going to get far without a fuel tank.
18:05But to replace it,
18:06Tim still needs to track down Dick
18:08to find out what colour it needs to be sprayed.
18:11Which, in a factory this size,
18:13is easier said than done.
18:15Oh, my word.
18:16Look up at these.
18:18Right?
18:19So, every one of these,
18:20inside those pink wrappers,
18:22is a motorcycle.
18:24He might not have found the oracle Dick Shepherd just yet,
18:27but he has managed to sneak into a corner of the factory
18:30most Triumph fans would give their right handlebar to see.
18:34Apparently, the scale of this whole establishment
18:37is about the size of eight football pitches.
18:40Look at that thing.
18:41That is a sexy-ass Triumph up there.
18:43And it's owned by somebody called Mr David Beckham.
18:48No idea.
18:50Never heard of him.
18:51And if you thought that was cool,
18:53hold on to your helmets.
18:55That is a special thing to see.
18:57It topped out at around something like 274 miles an hour.
19:02And it just happens to be sitting there,
19:03chilling in a crate.
19:05And it was piloted by...
19:07Look down the side of the window there.
19:09Mr G Martin.
19:10Mr Guy Martin himself.
19:12What a treat.
19:12And the motorcycle eye candy doesn't end there.
19:17Because inside Triumph's museum
19:19are bikes from every era of their history
19:21that have been made famous on the road,
19:24racetrack and silver screen.
19:26And they're not the only icons hiding out down here.
19:29Dick.
19:30Oh, hello, Tim.
19:31Hello, mate.
19:32It's an honour to meet you.
19:33Mr Triumph himself,
19:34the man that knows more about Triumphs
19:36than anyone on the planet.
19:38Tim's not wrong.
19:39Dick's been on two wheels since the age of nine.
19:41In the half-century since,
19:44he's owned, ridden and restored
19:46some of the most important Triumphs ever built.
19:49How many bikes have you got?
19:50I think last count nearly 500.
19:53What?
19:54What? Are you serious?
19:55500 bikes?
19:57So, if anyone knows what shade of gold
19:59Ian's replacement fuel tank needs to be,
20:02he's the man.
20:03I'm desperate to find the precise right colour
20:06for the painted components,
20:07as in the tank and the, you know,
20:08the two mudguards on the bike.
20:101972.
20:11Is yours in English, Beck?
20:13Yes.
20:13Yeah.
20:13Well, that's Tiger Gold.
20:15Well, we've got all the paint chip cars,
20:16so we can match it.
20:17No problem at all.
20:18Can you hook me up?
20:19No problem at all.
20:19Right.
20:20What is in here,
20:21amongst all these bikes here,
20:23what is the most special bike?
20:25Um, I think it's got to be the Great Escape bike.
20:29Yes, this is the actual Triumph TR6,
20:32ridden by Hollywood legend Steve McQueen
20:35in the 1963 movie The Great Escape.
20:39So, how Bonneville is this?
20:41Virtually exactly the same as a Bonneville,
20:43except for a few performance parts.
20:46Whilst Ian's bike was built as a road racer,
20:49the TR6 was designed to be its off-road scrambler cousin.
20:52I mean, it's just the coolest thing ever to exist.
20:55Would you like to sit on it
20:56and have your picture taken?
20:58Yes, please.
20:59Is that all right?
21:00Away you go.
21:06For me personally,
21:07this is a really emotional moment.
21:10Every single year,
21:11it's become a tradition to sit down,
21:13me and my brothers sit down and watch
21:17The Great Escape with my dad.
21:19So, to be sitting on the bike,
21:22it's just a surreal moment.
21:27Yes, whilst Tim's living out his schoolboy fantasy,
21:30it turns out it's actually Farzoo's
21:32in need of a great escape.
21:34A bit of bad news.
21:36We've decided against using
21:38the cylinder head off Ian's bike.
21:41A number of reasons.
21:42One is the valve seats
21:44are very, very badly corroded
21:46and dipped and pitted.
21:48So, that would take a lot more machining.
21:51And whether we get a really great finish
21:54at the end of it,
21:55well, it could be debatable.
21:56So, all in all,
21:58we've decided
21:59we did on a slightly better option.
22:01So, this is actually a cylinder head
22:03produced at the time,
22:05but it's never been used.
22:07Yes, an original replacement
22:09is the golden goose of the parts bin,
22:11but it does mean
22:12Fuzz will need to put in some hard graft.
22:15Because when Triumph built these heads
22:17back in the 60s,
22:18they left the factory as a blank
22:20so that dealers and race teams
22:21could tweak them for performance.
22:23What we need to do
22:25with this unused cylinder head
22:26is machine the valve seats.
22:29Now, what we've done
22:30is already completed three,
22:32but there's one more to do.
22:34And we actually do that by hand.
22:36Valve seats have hardened surfaces
22:38on the cylinder head
22:39where the intake and exhaust valves close,
22:42forming a gas-tight seal for combustion.
22:44And cutting them by hand
22:47allows Fuzz to operate
22:48with millimetre precision.
22:50So, in goes our mandrel.
22:52That makes a nice, solid post
22:55that we can work with.
22:57Here we go.
22:57We've got our cutting tool here.
22:59And then this tool here
23:03operates on this nut.
23:05So, we're just going 360 degrees,
23:09pushing down as we do it,
23:12and cutting away
23:13at the face of the valve seat.
23:18Next, Fuzz applies some grinding paste.
23:22This compound contains
23:23tiny abrasive particles
23:25which help wear in the seat and valve,
23:28improving the seal
23:29between the two surfaces.
23:33You hear the cutting paste.
23:38Let's see how we're doing.
23:40So, all the way around the valve,
23:43we now have a lovely, matte finish,
23:47which means
23:49we have achieved a gas-tight seal.
23:56So, with the build well underway,
23:58the receding hairline bikers
24:00are taking the opportunity
24:01to hit the road.
24:02Born to be free.
24:04To demonstrate
24:05what the fuss over two wheels
24:07is really all about.
24:17When you're on a bike,
24:18you are part of the machine.
24:20It's a connection thing, isn't it?
24:22Yeah.
24:22They're a mechanical horse
24:23in many ways.
24:25Describe the feeling
24:26of riding that beautiful old bonnie, son.
24:29So, this is a 1977
24:32Silver Jubilee edition
24:34Triumph Bonneville 750cc.
24:37By today's standards,
24:38it doesn't put out
24:39that much power.
24:40But it's enough.
24:42It's enough to
24:43make you grip onto those bars
24:45when you're accelerating away.
24:48It's just a really great feeling.
24:51You can feel the vibration,
24:53the throb of the engine.
24:55Just absolutely amazing.
24:58Open it up.
25:00And off we go.
25:14So, this is
25:15the Triumph Bonneville Scrambler.
25:17So, based on basically
25:19what Fuzz was riding there,
25:21but this is the X.
25:22So, this is a 1200
25:24twin-cylinder.
25:25So, it's got some serious go to it.
25:27My mum and dad had a mini-metro
25:28and that was like under one litre.
25:30So, this thing is
25:31a phenomenally big engine
25:33for a little bike.
25:34But it is ultimately
25:36the great-grandchild
25:37of the Bonneville
25:39that we are doing for Ian.
25:43If you think about
25:44what it is you've got here,
25:45you've got an engine.
25:47And how many other spare bits
25:48other than an engine?
25:49Well, a couple of wheels
25:49and a few other bits
25:50with a car.
25:51You've got a load
25:51of other nonsense,
25:52a load of other tech
25:53you don't really need
25:54with a bike.
25:54It is just human being
25:56meets machine, isn't it?
25:57Yeah.
26:02So, right.
26:03So, how does it work?
26:04Riding a bike then.
26:05So, your right hand
26:05does two things.
26:06It does the accelerator
26:07by twisting
26:09and it does your front brake
26:11by squeezing the lever.
26:12Just the same as a pushbike.
26:13Your right foot
26:14is your rear brake
26:15and your left foot
26:16is your gears.
26:17And the gear
26:18is just one lever.
26:19Push down
26:20when you're in neutral
26:20to get to first
26:21and then go up to two,
26:22up to three,
26:23up to four,
26:24up to five.
26:24So, that is why
26:25you see bikers
26:26click, click, click, click, click
26:27when they're at traffic lights
26:28because they've pulled up
26:28in fifth year,
26:29they've posted it up
26:30in fifth
26:30and then they put the clutch
26:31in and find neutral
26:32or find first again
26:33for pulling off.
26:35This bike is nearly
26:3650 years old
26:37but it feels great
26:38whether you choose
26:39an old bike
26:40or a new bike.
26:41It's a superb way
26:43to have fun,
26:44to get about
26:44and also
26:45to meet some great mates.
26:47You'll never be alone
26:48when you're a biker.
26:49That's for sure.
26:59In a first
27:00for Car SOS
27:01the boys have taken on
27:02this 1973
27:03Triumph Bonneville.
27:06But,
27:06despite being half a car
27:08it hasn't been
27:09half the work.
27:10After blasting
27:1120 years of rust
27:13back to bare metal
27:14the frame has now
27:15been powder coated.
27:17Tim's managed
27:18to track down
27:19a replacement
27:19fuel tank
27:20which has been
27:21sprayed in a
27:22period correct
27:22Tiger Gold
27:23colour scheme
27:24but it's still
27:25missing an iconic
27:26detail.
27:28The new cylinder
27:29head still needs
27:30to be mated
27:31to the engine
27:31and then
27:32who knows
27:33if it'll actually
27:34run.
27:35There's wheels
27:36and brakes to fit
27:37electronics to wire in
27:39and to spice things up
27:40Steve's just arrived
27:42to check in on progress
27:43because why make
27:44life easy?
27:45First spot?
27:46Yes.
27:46Steve-O is here.
27:48Come on,
27:49come on,
27:49get good.
27:49Get closer.
27:51Wow.
27:53Look at that,
27:53it's like new.
27:54It is, isn't it?
27:55We're keeping the
27:55heart and soul of it
27:56so the frame,
27:57we've got the engine,
27:58the gearbox,
27:59so really all the
28:01major units,
28:02all the major parts
28:03of the bike
28:03are going to relive
28:04again.
28:05Question for you
28:06then, Steve.
28:07The reveal has to be,
28:09in my mind,
28:10and I'm sure you'll
28:10agree,
28:10and Fuzz will agree,
28:11we want to create
28:12an event for him
28:13that'll put a smile
28:14on his face.
28:14If you could choose
28:16anybody on the planet
28:18who could be at that
28:19event,
28:19who would that be?
28:20Well, I think the
28:21obvious one is
28:22Sir Alan Bates.
28:24Post office scandal,
28:25he brought it to light.
28:27He's a guy who's
28:28not only very,
28:29very hard to get
28:30hold of,
28:31but beyond that,
28:32he's suddenly been
28:33thrown into the
28:34spotlight.
28:35Yeah, yeah.
28:36And he just wants
28:37to disappear into
28:38obscurity.
28:39OK.
28:39Yes, but in order
28:41to make it that
28:43moment for Ian,
28:44it's an absolute
28:46must.
28:48How hard can it be?
28:50So, before Tim
28:51attempts to deliver
28:52the nation's most
28:53famous former
28:54postmaster,
28:56he's got to meet
28:57Triumph's most famous
28:58clergyman to baptise
28:59this mechanical baby.
29:02Right, so this tank
29:03has been painted
29:04in the right colour,
29:05the Tiger Gold.
29:06Yeah, Tiger Gold.
29:07OK.
29:07The green tape
29:08represents
29:09where the infill
29:09will go.
29:10So, it'll be black
29:11across the front here
29:12and black along
29:14the bottom.
29:14There's also going
29:15to be a line
29:15between the two?
29:17Yeah, in white
29:17paint, crisp white
29:18line.
29:19OK.
29:19How many tanks
29:21have you worked
29:21on since you
29:22started?
29:23Thousands.
29:24Absolute thousands
29:25of them.
29:26I started work
29:27for Triumph
29:27back in 1976.
29:29The bikes that
29:30have come through
29:30this factory,
29:31how many of them
29:32have you done?
29:33All of them.
29:34I pinstripe
29:35every single tank
29:36that comes through
29:37this factory.
29:38All of them?
29:38All of them,
29:39every single one.
29:40Assuming Gary's taken
29:42the odd holiday
29:43over the past
29:43half century,
29:44he will have painted
29:45somewhere in the region
29:46of 400,000 tanks,
29:48which equates to roughly
29:49a whopping 100 miles
29:51of pinstripe.
29:52And remember,
29:53Gary's not the only
29:54old pro on the job
29:55either.
29:57Nick's been taking
29:58his work home again.
30:00He's mated the rebuilt
30:01cylinder head with
30:02the engine,
30:03and is well underway
30:04on a few other
30:05vital bits too.
30:06So, Nick,
30:07things are finally
30:09coming along now,
30:10and it's like
30:11the bike is taking
30:13on its form,
30:14its life.
30:15Forks in the front,
30:16refurbished,
30:17wiring harness in,
30:18and I thought
30:20that we were going
30:21to go with the old
30:21clocks at the front.
30:22They are the old
30:23clocks.
30:24Oh, right, OK.
30:24I've just overhauled
30:26them, put lenses,
30:27bezels, all the bits
30:28in, and cleaned
30:29them all up.
30:29Fantastic.
30:30Well, they look
30:31great in front.
30:32So, are we going
30:33to fit the engine?
30:34I think we will.
30:35That is going to
30:37bring it way forward.
30:39It will.
30:39OK, let's have a go.
30:41Ian's original engine
30:42has had its barrels
30:43honed.
30:44There's new pistons,
30:46a full clutch
30:46replacement,
30:47and a replacement
30:48cylinder head.
30:49OK, right.
30:51Now, I think what
30:53we'll do is we'll
30:53pick it up.
30:54OK.
30:55And we'll swing
30:55the engine round.
30:57Right, OK.
30:57Well, you be Fred Astaire
30:58and I'll be Ginger Rogers.
31:00Go.
31:00There we go.
31:02Where do we want to go?
31:03So...
31:04Around the other side.
31:05OK, right.
31:05I'll just hold here.
31:09Motorcycles might be
31:10a lot lighter than cars,
31:12but they're still
31:14pretty heavy.
31:16There we are.
31:17Look at that.
31:20That's the engine in place
31:21and all of a sudden
31:22Ian's bike
31:24is on its return
31:25to the road.
31:26I could almost
31:28get on it and ride it,
31:29but we're not quite
31:30there yet.
31:31Yes, it's not going
31:33anywhere until
31:33Father Fuel Tank
31:34delivers his final
31:36blessing.
31:37I'm fascinated
31:38already by what's
31:39going on here.
31:40What are these things?
31:41They're called
31:42dagger liners
31:43or pinstriping bushes.
31:45So the bottom
31:45of the bush
31:46has short hairs,
31:48the top of it longer.
31:49They've got a little
31:50piece of wood
31:50on the left-hand side.
31:52That's the way
31:53you hold them.
31:54The shorter bristles
31:55have to be on the bottom.
31:57Do you enjoy it?
31:59Love it.
31:59Absolutely.
32:00I never get bored
32:01with doing this job.
32:04Nothing I've done
32:04in my life,
32:05nothing I've experienced
32:06comes close
32:07to the pressure.
32:08Drawing just one line,
32:10that's your only job.
32:11One line,
32:12dead straight,
32:13same thickness.
32:14That's all you've
32:15got to do.
32:36I cannot believe
32:38what I've just witnessed.
32:39That is,
32:40that's just
32:42comedy level of skill.
32:44Would you like
32:45to have a go on that?
32:46No, no.
32:46Absolutely no.
32:49But after some
32:50gentle cajoling
32:51from the crew...
32:53I've changed my mind
32:54because I've got
32:55peer pressure
32:55from everyone here
32:56at Triumph
32:56and the camera people
32:57as well.
32:58He's seen the light,
32:59but there's no way
33:00he's getting near
33:01Ian's tank.
33:02You know what?
33:05I think I'm going
33:06to try it
33:07like this.
33:11I can't deal
33:12with the stress
33:13of it.
33:22And run.
33:24Oh!
33:26I started all right.
33:28Needs work,
33:29but...
33:30So from the start
33:32to here,
33:34I felt that was all right.
33:36I mean,
33:36it would never make it
33:37onto a tank
33:38in this place,
33:38I know,
33:39in comparison
33:39to yours.
33:40But from this bit
33:41here,
33:42that was one breath.
33:43And then,
33:44by the time
33:45I took a breath
33:45here,
33:46I was knackered.
33:47So I was out of breath.
33:49I was...
33:50Let's call it art,
33:51Tim.
33:51Not a mistake.
33:54And breathe.
33:56The weight is over,
33:58the panic is over.
33:59You can relax now.
34:00Wow.
34:01Beauty.
34:02The eagle has landed.
34:03Now,
34:04that looks great.
34:05Looks lovely.
34:05Yeah.
34:06There you go.
34:06We'll put it over here
34:07for now.
34:07Okay.
34:09Wow.
34:10I know.
34:10It looks brilliant,
34:11doesn't it?
34:12We're getting there.
34:13How can we hear it run?
34:14No, because...
34:16We need a fuel tank on it.
34:17Right.
34:17Wheel.
34:17Wheel.
34:18I'll do the wheel.
34:19You can touch the tank.
34:19It's beautiful.
34:21Unbelievable.
34:22Yeah.
34:23While Nick and Fuzz
34:24bolt the new tank into place...
34:26Can we hold hands
34:27quite straight?
34:28Please.
34:28Okay,
34:29roll two.
34:31There we go.
34:32Ian's original wheels
34:34have returned
34:34from being refurbished
34:36and are on the road
34:36to perfection.
34:37Anyway,
34:38let's get this thing
34:38built up.
34:40We've got new spokes on it,
34:42a new rim
34:42and a new tyre.
34:43As well as a new set
34:45of period-correct drum brakes.
34:49Time to put it on the bike.
34:51The boys have also saved
34:53his original handlebars,
34:55badges
34:55and swinging arm,
34:57which will now be riding
34:58alongside new indicators,
34:59exhaust
35:00and mudguards.
35:01I'm going to go up
35:02the back end.
35:03Please.
35:04Yeah.
35:05Your turn, please, Fuzz.
35:06Ah.
35:07Yes.
35:08Right.
35:10This feels like a moment,
35:11regardless of whether
35:12or not it runs,
35:13to stand back
35:14and admire the work
35:15that's been achieved here.
35:16Because for the first time,
35:17it now looks like...
35:18A motorbike.
35:19A motorbike.
35:22For the first time
35:23in over 30 years...
35:25It's going on to its wheels,
35:25isn't it?
35:26Yeah.
35:26Big moment.
35:27Big moment.
35:30Go on, then, Nick.
35:31Right, here we go.
35:32There he goes.
35:34Yes!
35:35Oh, what the fuck!
35:35Brilliant!
35:37Mate!
35:37Fantastic.
35:39There is nothing
35:40sexier sounding
35:41as well, is there,
35:42than a twin 6.5.
35:44That is such a lovely...
35:45Can I?
35:45Yeah.
35:48Go on.
35:49Come on.
35:50You're a rider.
35:51It sounds like a triumph, Shug.
35:55Fabulous.
35:57Right.
35:57We've got a little bit
35:58of finishing off to do.
35:59Yeah.
36:00A little bit of prep,
36:01a little bit of testing.
36:03But, hopefully,
36:04tomorrow,
36:05we will see you
36:06down in South Wales.
36:09So, while the boys
36:11add the finishing touches
36:12to Ian's first-class Bonneville,
36:14has Tim been able
36:15to deliver Britain's
36:16most famous postmaster
36:18to go along with it?
36:23After more than 700 hours
36:25of hard graft,
36:26the boys have done it.
36:27Their first-ever
36:29motorbike restoration
36:30is a triumph.
36:32They've made their way
36:33to the Park Le Breos Hotel
36:35in Swansea
36:36for the big reveal.
36:38The only question now,
36:40has Tim lined up
36:41a first-class guest
36:42to hand Ian's bike
36:43back to him?
36:46Hold on a minute.
36:47The two together, Fuzz!
36:48Excuse me, Fuzz!
36:50No, Fuzz!
36:50Excuse me!
36:50No, get on!
36:51Excuse me, please.
36:52What do you think
36:53you're doing?
36:53Touching the...
36:54Fuzz, Fuzz!
36:54Please meet
36:55Sir Alan Bates.
36:56This is Fuzz Townsend.
36:57Hello.
36:57I'm so sorry
36:58about his behaviour.
36:59Honestly,
37:00he doesn't get out
37:00very often.
37:01Anyway,
37:01lovely to meet you,
37:02Sir Alan.
37:03Thank you so much
37:03for coming down today.
37:04May I explain,
37:05may I dig you out
37:06of a hole here,
37:07Fuzzbox?
37:07Please do, yeah.
37:08Today is all about
37:09giving Ian his bike back.
37:10Yes, of course.
37:11And can I just say,
37:12wow.
37:13It does look amazing,
37:15doesn't it?
37:15It's very nice,
37:16isn't it?
37:17Super.
37:17Super bike.
37:19Now,
37:19here's the plan.
37:21So he's coming down here
37:22under the pretense
37:23he's coming to meet
37:25Sir Alan Bates,
37:26who's making
37:27a fictitious documentary.
37:28He doesn't know
37:29it's fictitious,
37:30which is all about
37:31basically talking
37:31to the victims
37:32of the Horizon scandal.
37:33Understood.
37:34At which point,
37:35sort of a couple of minutes
37:36into the interview,
37:37you're going to turn up
37:37on the bike,
37:38I'll come round the corner,
37:40join the interview,
37:41and we give Ian
37:41his bike back.
37:43Right,
37:43shall we put you
37:43in position for the documentary?
37:45Sure, yeah.
37:45Do you want to get
37:45the bike out of here?
37:46Okay, we'll do.
37:47Let's get this show
37:47on the road.
37:48Okay, okay.
37:48Come on, then.
37:48Up we go.
37:50So, while Fuzzy Knievel
37:52gets himself
37:53and the bike hidden,
37:59Ian has just arrived
38:01with his family.
38:03Hi.
38:04Hi.
38:04Okay.
38:05It's really good of you
38:06to do this.
38:07Well, here we are.
38:08Blissfully unaware
38:09he's about to get
38:10far more than just
38:11an interview with Sir Alan.
38:12Have a seat.
38:13Do have a seat over there.
38:15Move along.
38:17So, with Ian in position
38:18and mic'd up,
38:19the stage is set.
38:22Okay.
38:22Is everyone happy?
38:23Thank you for being on
38:24a single of Sir Alan.
38:26B and action.
38:29So, your office was where,
38:32Ian, exactly?
38:33I remember South Wales.
38:34Well, West Cross.
38:35West Cross,
38:36that was it, wasn't it?
38:37Yeah.
38:38I mean, it was a devastating
38:39time for so many people.
38:41It really did change their lives.
38:43And the trouble is,
38:45you just don't get
38:45those years back,
38:46do you, unfortunately?
38:47And a lot happens
38:48in the interim.
38:49Hold on, guys.
38:50Can we hear for two seconds?
38:50There's a bike.
38:52There's a little bit of a noise
38:53in the background there.
38:54Okay.
38:55That's the cue.
38:57Fuzz is on his way.
38:59It's time for Tim to move in.
39:04What are you doing?
39:06That was a nice one, yeah.
39:08Cool.
39:09Hey, up.
39:10How you doing?
39:11Lovely to meet you.
39:12Do you recognize my face,
39:13or so?
39:13Oh, yes.
39:14Where from?
39:15What do you think we're doing here?
39:16Well, I'm from a television show
39:18called Car SOS.
39:19Oh.
39:20And we decided
39:20that we might make an exception,
39:22despite the fact
39:22it's called Car SOS,
39:24and consider rebuilding
39:25a motorcycle.
39:28And we thought
39:29we might do
39:30a beautiful
39:30early 70s Bonneville.
39:32It's mine.
39:33It is your bike.
39:35Oh, look.
39:39Come on.
39:39Come on.
39:41Come on.
39:41Come and have a look.
39:44He-he.
39:46I know this is
39:47a bit much to take on.
39:49God.
39:50So all of this
39:51with Sir Alan
39:52to get your bike
39:53back on the road
39:54for you.
39:55So that is
39:56your Bonneville.
39:58Oh.
39:59I don't know what.
40:01Come.
40:03Come up here
40:04with me for a moment.
40:07There are a few other people
40:08that we know
40:08quite well as well here.
40:10Can we bring out
40:11Ian's family, please?
40:13Woo-hoo!
40:16Right.
40:16Come on.
40:17Come and say hello.
40:18Come on, darling.
40:19Everyone.
40:22Right, Steve.
40:22Can you explain to Ian
40:24why you wrote to us
40:25and why you deserve
40:25the car SOS treatment?
40:27Ian, everything
40:28has ever happened to you.
40:29All the hurdles
40:30you've jumped over
40:31over the last
40:32sort of 20 years.
40:33Some of the trials
40:34and tribulations, mate.
40:36We wanted to try
40:36and do something for you.
40:38Can we have
40:39a huge round of applause
40:40for Ian
40:41and his beautiful
40:42Bonneville, please?
40:50The last time Ian
40:51saw his beloved
40:52Bonneville,
40:53the nickname
40:53didn't quite match
40:55the machine.
40:56In bits boxed up
40:58and stored under
40:58a tarpaulin
40:59for two decades,
41:00it was slowly
41:01turning to dust.
41:03But thanks to
41:04some first-class
41:05restoration work,
41:07they've turned
41:07this disaster
41:08into a triumph.
41:09The engine
41:11has been stripped,
41:12cleaned and rebuilt
41:13with new pistons,
41:14valves,
41:15cylinder head
41:16and clutch.
41:17The wheels
41:18have been refurbished,
41:20re-spoked
41:20and fitted
41:21with new brakes.
41:22The replacement
41:23fuel tank
41:24has been sprayed
41:25in period-correct
41:26Tiger Gold
41:27colour scheme,
41:28complete with
41:29the iconic
41:29white pinstripe
41:31applied by
41:31father fuel tank
41:33himself.
41:34Ian's original
41:35dials and clocks
41:36have been lovingly
41:37refurbished.
41:38His old seat
41:39has been cleaned
41:39up and refitted
41:40and those badges
41:41are back
41:42where they belong.
41:44Signed,
41:44sealed
41:45and delivered,
41:46this body's ready
41:47to turn back
41:48the clock.
41:51With Ian unable
41:53to speak fully
41:54after his stroke,
41:55his three daughters
41:56are helping him
41:57express just how
41:58important this bike
41:59truly is.
42:01In terms of a good
42:02day today,
42:02out of ten,
42:03what number
42:03are we at?
42:05Oh,
42:06thousand.
42:06ever.
42:08Am I right
42:09in thinking
42:09the bike was
42:09in bits
42:10in the back
42:11of a post office
42:12once upon a time?
42:13Yeah,
42:13it actually was.
42:13Was it really?
42:14Was it really?
42:16This is the first time
42:17Katie and I have
42:17actually seen the bike
42:18in one piece
42:19all of our lives.
42:20It's been,
42:21the bike is in pieces.
42:22And if you've been aware
42:23of the importance
42:23of the bike,
42:24I mean,
42:24is it something
42:25in your mind
42:25that's just like
42:26top of the list
42:26in terms of stuff?
42:27Oh, yeah,
42:27Dad talks about
42:28the top bike
42:29all the time.
42:29He loves his bike.
42:31When you look
42:32at the bike,
42:32Ian,
42:33how does it make you feel?
42:35It's amazing.
42:36Amazing.
42:38So what do you want
42:39for the future
42:40for your dad
42:40with the bike?
42:41What,
42:42what in your mind,
42:43what is the perfect
42:44image for you girls?
42:45Dad on the back
42:46of the bike.
42:47Yeah,
42:47yeah.
42:48Yes.
42:49On the back
42:50of the bike,
42:51being ridden down
42:52front of Mumbles
42:54to go for a nice ice cream.
42:55Yeah.
42:56Okay.
42:56Sound like a good idea,
42:57Ian?
42:58Oh, yes.
42:59It would be definitely good.
43:01Ian,
43:02you know the show,
43:02don't you?
43:03Yes.
43:04So do you know
43:04what happens next?
43:05Uh, yes.
43:06I mean,
43:06it's confusing for me
43:07because it says
43:08Car SOS on it,
43:09so I'll say
43:10you have been
43:11Car SOS
43:12with a bike.
43:13There we are.
43:14There you go.
43:14Yeah, there we go.
43:15Oh, look at that,
43:16do you?
43:16Amazing.
43:26What a beautiful boy.
43:27Can you feel it?
43:28Oh.
43:29You know,
43:30it's so good.
43:31It's marvellous.
43:35First bike, eh?
43:37Not the last, son.
43:38Ha ha.
43:38Not the last.
43:39Yes.
43:41Oh.
43:44Beautiful.
43:46It's got to be
43:47the coolest bike out.
43:49Yeah.
43:50We'll be back.
43:52We'll be back.
43:52We'll be back.
43:53We'll be back.
43:54We'll be back.
43:55We'll be back.
43:56We'll be back.
43:56We'll be back.
43:57We'll be back.
43:57We'll be back.
43:57We'll be back.
43:58We'll be back.
43:59We'll be back.
44:00We'll be back.
44:00We'll be back.
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