#video #Car SOS - Season 14 - Episode 03: Triumph Bonneville
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TVTranscript
00:20Well, 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!
00:53You said it!
00:55You said it!
00:55Yes, I did!
00:56It is a...
00:57Trial!
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
01:15good 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 and just come on this journey with us to rebuild a Triumph Bonneville
01:34and get to the end of it and tell me if you haven't fallen in love with bikes.
01:37Yes, in a nightmarish scenario for the Car SOS marketing team, for the first time ever, the boys are ditching
01:45four wheels for two.
01:47And what better way to pop their crotch rocket cherry than with the British motorcycle that symbolised 60s rebellious cool.
01:54Because not only was it the bike of choice for Britain's rockers, it was adorned by some of the coolest
02:01people 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 Bonny 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 Bonny 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.
02:51I was the only person in South Yorkshire to fall off my motorcycle on my actual test.
02:57They fell off and failed.
03:00Now, do you know who we're meeting today?
03:01Yes, so we're going to meet Jill.
03:03Yep.
03:03That's Ian's sister.
03:04Yep.
03:04And we're going to meet Stephen, who's Ian's cousin.
03:06Absolutely.
03:06Yeah.
03:10Hello.
03:11Hello.
03:11Hello.
03:12How are you?
03:12I'm hoping that you're Jill.
03:14I am Jill.
03:15That's Lee and Steve.
03:16Hiya.
03:16How are you?
03:17How are you?
03:17How are you?
03:17Right.
03:18Now, Ian is nowhere to be seen, right?
03:20No, Ian's not here.
03:21When we see our first motorcycle ever since the beginning of Car SOS, we can let out a little
03:27squeak of excitement.
03:28We can.
03:28Absolutely.
03:29Okay.
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, fellas?
03:36Which 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 trying 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, and we'll leave you to make friends with what's left
04:17of something that's just been hooned out of a ten-hour.
04:24I'm going to come unstuck here a little bit, because I have to admit that this
04:28will be the first time 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.
04:38I don't even know if we've got everything here.
04:40I might need a little bit of assistance.
04:45Look, here we go.
04:46Look, here we go.
04:47We'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.
05:21How 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 it was taking the pieces?
05:51No, no, not at all.
05:52No idea, no.
05:54It could be perfectly good working order,
05:55and he would still take it apart, just because he could.
05:58So is he an engineer?
06:00No, 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 batches.
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.
06:39We 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?
06:57What's happened?
06:59Well, Ian was a sub-postmaster.
07:01Right.
07:02And subsequently became a victim of the Horizon post office scandal.
07:07He 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
07:23incorrectly, ultimately.
07:23Absolutely, yeah.
07:24What happens next?
07:26The sad thing was, they were literally just getting back on their feet.
07:29Yeah.
07:30So, Ian had got back into employment, and in early 2011, Helen was diagnosed with breast cancer.
07:38So, 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.
08:13It'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.
08:18Lovely to meet you.
08:20Nice to meet you, Steve.
08:22Nice to meet you.
08:22Jim, thanks very much.
08:23Good luck to meet you, Jim.
08:23Good luck to meet you, Jim.
08:24See you.
08:24OK, come 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.
08:52Listen, I've made a phone call to a mate of mine who happens to work at a company that are
08:5820 minutes away from our workshop in a place called Hinkley.
09:02Triumph.
09:03They are going to help as we'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.
09:12Yes, 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'll stay firmly on this restoration, Triumph guru Nick Wilson will be on hand at
09:34every 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.
10:05No, you 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.
10:29And 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?
10:53Yeah, yeah.
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 clean and have a proper look.
11:11Right.
11:11And see what we need to do from there.
11:13Yeah.
11:14It might not be much more than an engine and two wheels, but somehow the task ahead feels
11:19every bit as monumental as usual.
11:22For starters, there's the engine block.
11:25Unsurprisingly, two decades left out in the elements hasn't done much for its complexion.
11:29But 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.
11:41So once it's been cleaned up, can it be saved?
11:45Finally, the fuel tank.
11:46It's looking leakier than a second-hand teabag.
11:50So can Tim recondition it?
11:52Or will this big lump of originality be lost forever?
11:56Then, after those battles are won, the 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, it's time for the nation's oldest apprentice
12:14to ride pillion and soak up the master's knowledge.
12:17Because if he's going to help restore Ian's bonnie, he'd better learn from the best.
12:23Can we go through some of the terminology here, what some of these components are called?
12:28So we have our front fork assembly here, and 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.
12:41And then we've got our handlebars, but 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?
12:50The 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.
12:59Let's pull it apart.
13:03Now that Fuzz is a small step closer to becoming a certified motorbike expert,
13:09the Bonneville's frame can be stripped down and sent to the blasters
13:12to remove two decades' worth of rust and grime,
13:16leaving Fuzz to give the remaining smaller parts the 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
13:30is that they are perhaps the most visceral road-going machine that 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, and then it's all the rider.
13:44Once things wear out, they need to be replaced.
13:46So if we want Ian's bike to look, as it should do, as it did,
13:52or as close to as it did in 1973, we need to do some serious shopping.
13:58So, while Fuzz compiles a list,
14:00Tim 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, I'm looking for a guy who's referred to as Father Fuel Tank.
14:12That'll be me.
14:15Is that you?
14:17What's your name, mate?
14:18It's Gary.
14:19Gary, nice one, Father Fuel Tank. Love it 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, it's him.
14:34Right, what are we thinking? What'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.
14:53Unfortunately, I think it's too far gone.
14:57They get all the rust off, the metal would be so thin,
15:00and 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,
15:36that 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
15:57because somehow he's miraculously unseized the pistons.
16:01How did you get them off?
16:03Quite 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
16:11and it 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 scrapped.
16:29So we'll remove those
16:29and then we'll get on with the primary side.
16:31OK, fantastic.
16:37I guess it's important to point out
16:39the differences between the bike and a car
16:41because here we've got a 650cc two-cylinder engine
16:44from the 1970s.
16:46This would have powered the bike up to what sort of speed?
16:49110 miles now.
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,
17:01three 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
17:10would have struggled to 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
17:29when Ian's engine last saw a spanner,
17:31both it and the gearbox
17:33are 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,
17:47which 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
18:25the oracle Dick's Shepherd just yet,
18:27but he has managed to sneak
18:29into a corner of the factory
18:30most Triumph fans
18:31would 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
18:58something 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.
19:10It's the 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
19:28hiding out down here.
19:29Dick.
19:30Oh, hello, Tim.
19:31Hello, mate.
19:32It's an honour to meet you.
19:33Mr Triumph himself,
19:35the man that knows more about Triumph
19:36than anyone on the planet.
19:38Tim's not wrong.
19:39Dick's been on two wheels
19:40since the age of nine.
19:42In 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?
19:54Are you serious?
19:55500 bikes.
19:57So, if anyone knows
19:58what shade of gold Ian's replacement
20:00fuel tank needs to be,
20:02he's the man.
20:03I'm desperate to find
20:04the precise right colour
20:06for the painted components,
20:07as in the tank and the, you know,
20:09the two mudguards on the bike.
20:101972.
20:11Is yours an English spec?
20:13Yes, yeah.
20:13Well, that's Tiger Gold.
20:15Well, we've got all the paint chip cards
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?
20:26Um, I think it's got to be
20:27the Great Escape bike.
20:29Yes, this is the actual Triumph TR6
20:32ridden by Hollywood legend
20:34Steve McQueen
20:35in the 1963 movie
20:37The Great Escape.
20:39So, how Bonneville is this?
20:41Virtually exactly the same as a Bonneville,
20:44except for a few performance parts.
20:46Whilst Ian's bike was built
20:47as a road racer,
20:49the TR6 was designed
20:50to be its off-road scrambler cousin.
20:52I mean, it's just the coolest thing
20:54ever 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
21:12to sit down,
21:14me and my brothers,
21:15sit 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
21:29his schoolboy fantasy,
21:30it turns out it's actually
21:31Fuzz who's in need
21:32of a great escape.
21:34A bit of bad news.
21:36We've decided against using
21:38the cylinder head
21:39off 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
21:49a lot more machining.
21:51And whether we get
21:53a really great finish
21:54at the end of it,
21:55well, it could be debatable.
21:56So, all in all,
21:58we've decided
21:59on a slightly better option.
22:01So, this is actually
22:03a cylinder head
22:03produced at the time,
22:05but it's never been used.
22:06Yes, an original replacement
22:09is the golden goose
22:10of the parts bin,
22:11but it does mean
22:12Fuzz will need
22:13to put in some hard graft.
22:15Because when Triumph
22:16built these heads
22:17back in the 60s,
22:18they left the factory
22:19as a blank
22:20so that dealers
22:21and race teams
22:21could tweak them
22:22for performance.
22:24What 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
22:35by hand.
22:35Valve seats have
22:37hardened surfaces
22:38on the cylinder head
22:39where the intake
22:40and exhaust valves close,
22:42forming a gas-tight seal
22:44for combustion.
22:45And cutting them by hand
22:47allows Fuzz
22:48to operate
22:48with millimetre precision.
22:50So, in goes our mandrel.
22:52That makes a nice,
22:54solid post
22:55that we can work with.
22:57Here we go.
22:57We've got our cutting tool here.
22:59And then,
23:02this tool here
23:03operates on this nut.
23:05So,
23:06we're just going
23:07360 degrees,
23:09pushing down
23:10as we do it,
23:12and cutting away
23:13at the face
23:15of the valve seat.
23:18Next,
23:19Fuzz applies
23:20some grinding paste.
23:22This compound
23:23contains tiny abrasive particles
23:25which help
23:26wear in the seat
23:27and 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,
23:41all the way
23:42around the valve,
23:43we now have
23:44a lovely,
23:45matte finish,
23:47which means
23:49we have achieved
23:50a gas-tight seal.
23:56So,
23:56with the build
23:57well underway,
23:58the receding
23:59hairline bikers
24:00are taking the opportunity
24:01to hit the road.
24:02Born to be free.
24:04To demonstrate
24:05what the fuss
24:06over two wheels
24:07is really all about.
24:17When you're on a bike,
24:18you are part
24:19of the machine.
24:20It's a connection thing,
24:21isn't it?
24:22Yeah.
24:22They're a mechanical horse
24:24in many ways.
24:25Describe the feeling
24:26of riding
24:27that beautiful
24:27old bonnie,
24:28son.
24:30So,
24:30this
24:31is a 1977
24:32Silver Jubilee edition
24:34Triumph Bonneville,
24:35750cc.
24:37By today's standards,
24:38doesn't put out
24:39that much power.
24:41But it's enough.
24:42It's enough to
24:43make you grip
24:44onto those bars
24:45when you're
24:45accelerating away.
24:48It's just
24:49a really great feeling.
24:51You can feel
24:51the vibration,
24:53the throb
24:53of the engine.
24:54Just absolutely amazing.
24:58Open it up.
25:00And off we go.
25:14So this is
25:15the Triumph Bonneville
25:16scrambler.
25:18So based on
25:19basically what
25:19Fuzz was riding there,
25:21but this is the X.
25:22So this is a 1200
25:23twin cylinder.
25:25So it's got
25:25some serious
25:26go to it.
25:27But mom and dad
25:27had a mini metro
25:28and that was like
25:29under one liter.
25:31So this thing
25:31is a phenomenally
25:32big engine
25:33for a little bike.
25:34But it is ultimately
25:36the great grandchild
25:37of the Bonneville
25:39that we are doing
25:39for Ian.
25:43If you think about
25:44what it is
25:44you've got here,
25:45you've got an engine
25:46and how many
25:47other 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,
25:57isn't it?
25:57Yeah.
26:02So, right.
26:03So how does it work?
26:04Riding a bike then.
26:05So your right hand
26:06does two things.
26:06It does the accelerator
26:07by twisting
26:09and it does your
26:10front brake
26:11by squeezing the lever
26:12just the same
26:12as a push bike.
26:13Your right foot
26:14is your rear brake
26:16and your left foot
26:17is your gears
26:17and the gear
26:18is just one lever
26:19pushed down
26:20when you're in neutral
26:20to get to first
26:21and then go up to two,
26:23up 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 gear,
26:29they've posted it up in 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.
26:42It'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,
26:50that's for sure.
26:59In a first for Car SOS,
27:01the boys have taken on
27:02this 1973 Triumph Bonneville.
27:06But, despite being half a car,
27:08it hasn't been half the work.
27:10After blasting 20 years
27:12of rust back to bare metal,
27:14the frame has now
27:15been powder coated.
27:18Tim's managed to track down
27:19a replacement fuel tank
27:20which has been sprayed
27:21in a period-correct
27:23Tiger Gold colour scheme.
27:25But, it's still missing
27:26an iconic detail.
27:28The new cylinder head
27:29still needs to be mated
27:31to the engine
27:31and then,
27:32who knows
27:33if it'll actually run.
27:35There's wheels and brakes
27:36to fit,
27:37electronics to wire in
27:39and, to spice things up,
27:41Steve's just arrived
27:42to check in on progress
27:43because why make life easy?
27:45BuzzFeed?
27:46Yes.
27:46Steve-O is here.
27:48Come on, come on,
27:49get closer.
27:51Wow.
27:51Wow.
27:52How new, Steve?
27:52Wow.
27:53Look at that, it's like new.
27:54It is, isn't it?
27:55We're keeping the heart
27:56and soul of it,
27:56so the frame,
27:57we've got the engine,
27:58the gearbox,
27:59so really,
28:00all the major units,
28:02all the major parts
28:03of the bike
28:03are going to relive again.
28:05Question for you then, Steve.
28:07The reveal has to be,
28:09in my mind,
28:10and I'm sure you'll agree
28:10and BuzzFeed will agree,
28:11we want to create
28:12an event for him
28:13that will put a smile
28:14on his face.
28:15If you could choose
28:16anybody on the planet
28:18who could be at that event,
28:19who would that be?
28:21Well, I think the obvious one
28:22is Sir Alan Bates.
28:24A post office scandal,
28:26he brought it to light.
28:27He's a guy who is
28:28not only very, very hard
28:30to get hold of,
28:31but beyond that,
28:32he's suddenly been
28:33thrown into the spotlight.
28:35Yeah, yeah.
28:36And he just wants
28:37to disappear into obscurity.
28:39OK.
28:39Yes, but in order
28:41to make it that moment
28:44for Ian,
28:44it's an absolute must.
28:48How hard could it be?
28:50So, before Tim attempts
28:52to deliver the nation's
28:53most famous
28:54former postmaster,
28:56he's got to meet
28:57Triumph's most famous
28:58clergyman
28:58to 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 where
29:09the infill will go,
29:10so it'll be black
29:11across the front here
29:12and black along the bottom.
29:14There's also going to be
29:15a line between the two.
29:17Yeah, in white paint,
29:18crisp white line.
29:19OK.
29:19How many tanks
29:21have you worked on
29:21since you started?
29:23Thousands.
29:24Absolute thousands of them.
29:26I started work
29:27for Triumph
29:27back in 1976.
29:29Of the bikes
29:30that have come
29:30through this 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
29:41taken the 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
29:48to roughly
29:49a whopping
29:50100 miles
29:51of pinstripe.
29:52And remember,
29:54Gary's not the only
29:54old pro on the job
29:56either.
29:57Nick's been taking
29:58his work home again.
30:00He's mated
30:01the rebuilt cylinder
30:02head with the 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
30:21the old clocks
30:22at the front now.
30:23They are the old clocks.
30:24Oh, right, OK.
30:25I'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 at the front now.
30:32So, are we going
30:33to fit the engine?
30:34I think we will.
30:36That is going
30:37to bring it
30:37way 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 and
30:47a replacement
30:48cylinder head.
30:49OK, right.
30:51Now, I think
30:52what we'll do
30:53is we'll pick it up
30:54and we'll swing
30:56the engine round.
30:57Right, OK.
30:57Well, you be
30:58Fred Astaire
30:58and I'll be
30:59Ginger Rogers.
31:00There we go.
31:02Where do we want
31:03to go?
31:03Around the other side.
31:05OK, right.
31:05I'll just hold here.
31:09Motorcycles
31:10might be a lot
31:11lighter than cars,
31:12but they're still
31:14pretty heavy.
31:16There we are.
31:17Look at that.
31:20That's the engine
31:21in place.
31:21And all of a sudden,
31:22Ian's bike
31:24is on its return
31:25to the road.
31:27I could almost
31:28get on it
31:28and ride it,
31:29but we're not
31:29quite there yet.
31:31Yes,
31:32it's not going
31:33anywhere until
31:33Father Fuel Tank
31:34delivers his
31:35final blessing.
31:38I'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
31:44bushes,
31:44so the bottom
31:45of the bush
31:46has short hairs,
31:48the top are 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.
31:58Do 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
32:09with 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.
32:32Hmm.
32:36I cannot believe
32:38what I've just witnessed.
32:39That is...
32:40That's just...
32:42comedy level
32:43of skill, mate.
32:44Would you like to have a go at that?
32:46No.
32:46No.
32:47Absolutely no.
32:49But after some gentle
32:51cajoling from the crew...
32:53I've changed my mind
32:54because I've got peer pressure
32:55from everyone here at Triumph
32:56and the camera people as well.
32:58He's seen the light,
32:59but there's no way
33:00he's getting near Ian's tank.
33:02You know what?
33:05I think I think I'm going to try it
33:07like this.
33:10Oh, I can't deal with the stress of it.
33:15Oh, I can't deal with the stress of it.
33:22Oh, I started all right.
33:28Needs work, but...
33:30So from the start to here,
33:35I felt that was all right.
33:36I mean, it would never make it onto a tank
33:38in this place, I know,
33:39in comparison to yours.
33:40But from this bit here,
33:42that was one breath.
33:43And then, by the time I took a breath here,
33:46I was knackered.
33:47So I was out of breath.
33:50Let's call it art, Tim.
33:52Not a mistake.
33:54And breathe.
33:56The wait is over,
33:58the panic is over.
33:59You can relax now.
34:01Wow.
34:01Beauty.
34:02The eagle has landed.
34:03Now, that looks great.
34:05Looks lovely.
34:05Yeah.
34:06There you go.
34:06Put it over here for now.
34:07OK.
34:09Wow.
34:10I know.
34:10It looks brilliant, doesn't it?
34:12We're getting there.
34:13How can we hear it run?
34:14No, because...
34:15No.
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.
34:20It's beautiful.
34:21Unbelievable.
34:22Yep.
34:23While Nick and Fuzz
34:24bolt the new tank into place...
34:26Can we hold hands quite straight, please?
34:28OK, we'll do.
34:31There we go.
34:33Ian's original wheels
34:34have returned from being refurbished
34:36and are on the road to perfection.
34:37Anyway, let's get this thing built up.
34:40We've got new spokes on it,
34:42a new rim and a new tyre.
34:44As well as a new set
34:45of period-correct drum brakes.
34:48It's time to put it on the bike.
34:51The boys have also saved
34:53his original handlebars,
34:55badges and swinging arm,
34:57which will now be riding
34:58alongside new indicators,
34:59exhaust and mudguards.
35:01I'm going to go up the back end.
35:03Please.
35:04Yeah.
35:05Your turn, please, Tuss.
35:06Ah.
35:08Yes.
35:08Right.
35:10This feels like a moment,
35:11regardless of whether or not it runs,
35:13to stand back and admire
35:14the work that'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 in over 30 years...
35:25It's going on to its wheels, isn't it?
35:26Yeah.
35:26Big moment.
35:27Big moment.
35:30Go on, then, Nick.
35:31Right, here we go.
35:32There he goes.
35:33Yes.
35:35Oh, that's the bottom.
35:36Brilliant.
35:37Mate.
35:38Fantastic.
35:39There is nothing sexier sounding
35:41as well, is there,
35:42than a twin 650.
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.
35:59A little bit of prep,
36:01a little bit of testing.
36:02But, hopefully, tomorrow,
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,
36:48Fuzz!
36:49Excuse me, please.
36:50No, get off.
36:51Excuse me, please.
36:52What do you think
36:53you're doing?
36:53Touching the...
36:54Touch that.
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,
37:02lovely 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 bug.
37:19Now,
37:19here's the plan.
37:20So 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
37:42his bike back.
37:43Right,
37:43shall we put you in position
37:44for the documentary?
37:45Sure, yeah.
37:45Do you want to get the bike
37:46out of here?
37:46Okay, we'll do.
37:47Let's get this show on the road.
37:48Okay.
37:48Come on, then.
37:49Off we go.
37:50So,
37:51while Fuzzy Knievel
37:52gets himself
37:53and the bike hidden,
38:00Ian has just arrived
38:01with his family.
38:03Hi.
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 you have a seat
38:14over there?
38:15Um, move along.
38:17So, with Ian in position
38:18and mic'd up,
38:20the stage is set.
38:22Okay, is everyone happy?
38:23James, you're going to be
38:24on a single of Sir Alan.
38:26B,
38:26and
38:27action.
38:29So,
38:30your office was
38:31where,
38:32Ian, exactly?
38:33I remember South Wales.
38:34Well, West Cross.
38:35West Cross,
38:36that was it,
38:36wasn't it?
38:37Yeah.
38:37Yeah.
38:38I mean,
38:38it was a devastating time
38:40for so many people.
38:41It really did change
38:42their lives.
38:44And the trouble is,
38:45you just don't get
38:45those years back,
38:46do you,
38:47unfortunately?
38:48A lot happens
38:48in the interim.
38:49Hold on, guys,
38:50can we go for two seconds?
38:51There's a bike.
38:52There's a little bit
38:53of a noise
38:54in the background there.
38:54Okay.
38:56That's the cue.
38:57Fuzz is on his way.
38:59It's time for Tim
39:00to move in.
39:04What are you doing?
39:06It was a nice one, yeah.
39:09Hi.
39:09Hey, up.
39:10How you doing?
39:11Lovely to meet you.
39:12Do you recognise
39:12my face or so?
39:13Oh, yes.
39:14Where from?
39:15What else have you
39:15been doing here?
39:17I'm from a television
39:18show called Car SOS.
39:20We decided we might
39:21make an exception
39:22despite the fact
39:22it's called Car SOS
39:23and consider rebuilding
39:25a motorcycle.
39:27No.
39:28And we thought
39:29we might do
39:30a beautiful
39:30early 70s Bonneville.
39:32It's mine.
39:33It is.
39:34You're mine.
39:35Oh, look.
39:39Come on.
39:39Come on.
39:41Come on, have a look.
39:46I know this is a bit much
39:48to 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, I don't know what.
40:01Come.
40:03Come up here
40:04with me for a moment.
40:07There are a few
40:08other people
40:08that we know
40:09quite well as well here.
40:10Can we bring out
40:11Ian's family, please?
40:16Right.
40:17Come on.
40:17Come and say hello.
40:18Come on, darling.
40:19Everyone.
40:22Right, Steve.
40:23Can you explain
40:24to Ian
40:24why you wrote to us
40:25and why you deserve
40:25the Car SOS treatment?
40:27Ian,
40:27everything that's
40:28ever 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?
40:44Hooray!
40:49Hooray!
40:50The last time
40:51Ian saw his beloved
40:52Bonnie,
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
41:05some first-class
41:05restoration work,
41:07they've turned
41:07this disaster
41:08into a triumph.
41:10The engine
41:11has been stripped,
41:12cleaned
41:12and 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
41:32father 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 up
41:40and refitted
41:40and those badges
41:41are back
41:42where they belong.
41:44Signed,
41:45sealed
41:45and delivered,
41:46this Bonnie's ready
41:47to turn back
41:48the clock.
41:52with Ian
41:52unable to speak
41:53fully after his
41:54stroke,
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.
42:08Am I right
42:09in thinking the bike
42:09was in bits
42:10in the back
42:11of a post office
42:12once upon a time?
42:13Yeah, it actually was.
42:14Was 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 have you been aware
42:23of the importance
42:23of the bike?
42:24I mean,
42:24is it something in your
42:25mind that's just like
42:26top of the list
42:26in terms of stuff?
42:27Oh yeah,
42:28Dad talks about
42:28the top bike all the time.
42:29He loves his bike.
42:31When you look at the bike,
42:32Ian,
42:33how does it make you feel?
42:34Yeah,
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,
42:51Ian,
42:51ridden down
42:52front of Mumbles
42:54to go for a nice
42:55ice cream.
42:55Yeah.
42:56Okay.
42:56Sound like a good idea,
42:58Oh yes,
42:59it would be definitely
43:00good.
43:01Ian,
43:02you know the show,
43:02don't you?
43:03Yes.
43:04So do you know
43:04what happens next?
43:05Yes.
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'd
43:12with a bike.
43:13There we are.
43:14There you go.
43:14There we go.
43:15Oh,
43:16look at that thing.
43:16Amazing.
43:26What a beautiful bike,
43:27can you feel it?
43:28Oh,
43:30you know,
43:30it's so good,
43:32it's
43:32fabulous.
43:36First bike,
43:36eh?
43:37Not the last,
43:38son.
43:38Not the last.
43:39Yes.
43:43Beautiful.
43:46It's got to be
43:47the coolest bike out.
43:49Yeah.
43:51Yeah.
43:53Yeah.
44:00Um,üyorade,
44:00and some seconds
44:00it out. And you now
44:00funny. Yeah.
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