Johnny’s Triumph
The accidental Triumph
It is surprising how many classic motorcycles get bought by accident. It’s happened to so many people that one may consider it a trend.
An example is this machine John Foster bought by ‘accident’, which started life as a 1961 Triumph 3TA. He explains: “I’d put a silly bid on it when I spotted it on eBay one night and then forgot I’d done so. It was only when I got an email that I realised I’d won it.”
After a long drive to Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk and exchanging the princely sum of £1500, John was the proud owner of very careworn but complete Triumph 350 twin, complete with ‘Roman centurion’s helmet’ front mudguard, original headlamp nacelle, and the bathtub rear end. “It looked a bit shagged out,” he says. “I spent a long time looking at it and wondering what the hell I was going to do with it.”
Digging around inside
It was sold as a non-runner, but John had it going with a new battery and a splash of fuel. Then he investigated the engine and discovered all wasn’t as it seemed: “It turned out
