T80 Dales Tales

hi Guys

The weather is nice so I took the T80 out for a little training spin of 50 miles around the Durham Dales the other day, just to get a better feeling of it's hill climbing and the handling over the rougher dales roads. In early September I intend to use it to take part in the Eskdale Run which is held in the North Yorkshire National Park area over a distance of 100 miles ,but by the time I get back home it will have covered 150 miles.
For the last number of years I have used my trusty 1958 Excelsior 197 cc Villiers engine bike, but this year I thought it would be a nice test for the T80. The run includes many severe hill climbs including Rosedale Chimney which has a section 1 in 2 and overall 1 in 4 for well over a couple of miles. Comparing my aging Excelsior with the performance of the lighter T80, there is not much in it so I will be looking forward to the challenge.
I have taken part in many long distance classic bike events and have always advocated that anyone can do them on a big bike but they will never experience the sense of achievement when you do it on a tiddler  
What ever takes your fancy I guess  

Despite being named a Townmate the T80 is a very capable little bike for longer distances, and as you have found Steve, performance is on par with an old Villiers 197cc single or indeed probably superior to a 125 Bantam. Also of course the T80 gives around 120 mpg, I bet your 197 Excelsior will only return 1/2 that and on more expensive 2 stroke pre mix and the need to carry oil with you to refuel.

Hi  JW

Everything is more powerful than a 125 Bantam (4.5 bhp), that is why most of the Classic lads are fitting 175 engines with modern day goodies to them?
The Excelsior gives a good account of itself considering it normally works very hard for it's living only doing long distance events and is fitted with a Villiers 197 cc 6E engine 1949 - 53 vintage, however it probably gives away the best part of a cwt to the T80. Fuel consumption is about 80 mpg depending on how abused it gets and churns out a mighty 8.25 bhp. It is very fast down hills because the brakes are pretty poor. The thing is , like a steam locomotive you can always fix it which can be the Achillies heal of more modern machines .
I wonder what the T80 looks like when it is 60 years old, unfortunately I probably won't be around then.
In the meantime the T80 is a gem, A machine for all seasons.
When I was a lad(?) my first bike was a 50 cc 2 spd NSU Quickly and at the tender age of 18, I set off one Sunday morning with £ 1.50 in my pocket and a full tank of 1 gallon. 214 miles later I arrived back home having traversed the A66 north,to the Lake District, through Ulswater, up Kirkstone Pass, along Windermere and back south to Darlington in Co/Durham vitually non stop and spent about ten bob? So I have always had a soft spot for little bikes.

The T80 is 6.5 bhp

Hi JW

Power to weight is very important in the T80 and it shows.My " normal " road bike is a 1980 CD200 Honda Benly twin with nearly 20 bhp and 194 cc. which surprises a few people on bigger Brit bikes, but our industry had disappeared when it first saw light of day.

I have just purchased a video made by a young man( Malaysia to UK) called Ed March who rode his ancient & much abused, C90 from Malaysia to the UK which is very entertaining and one in the eye for "Adventure " bike riders. Worth a look, see www.dirtpunk.co.uk for the video, with more tales on his own web site www.c90adventures.co.uk. it would have been interesting how the T80 would have stood up to it?

Cheers  

Steve

Probably quite well see this http://extremetrifle.com/events_old/wrongwayround-sahara.html

Hi JW

I will keep an eye open for that.

cheers