1973 SS350 - all I can manage nowadays...!

L

Les

Guest
Well, here I am posting in one of the less busy sections of the forum (!), and here's the bike that turned up last week with 42000 km on the clock.. Bit of a blind purchase, but luckily enough most of the bits are there and actually started on the button with no smoke, rattles, or fatal clunks!
Problems with my back & hip meant it was time for a smaller bike - actually bought one of these new in '74 when I was 22 - had a WLC in the shed at the time under restoration - needed something for work and runaround for chasing WLC parts! Anyone took the piss (that's not a proper Harley!), well, hey, got a 45 at home!
Now 40 years later - just appreciate the Italian engineering! (..and no, it doesn't have one forward and five reverse gears! You have to be of a certain age to get that - lol!)



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Unfortunately it is one of those no paperwork - privately imported - languishing around for years - never got UK registered - motorcycles!
Bugger -guess the fun starts now!
All the best to all, Lester.
Oops -just tried to post this thread with 6 images - apparently can only have 4 - next 2 to follow!
 
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Re: 1973 SS350 - all I can manage nowadays...!

Next two..

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Re: 1973 SS350 - all I can manage nowadays...!

Very nice Les, what a good find.
 
Re: 1973 SS350 - all I can manage nowadays...!

An excellent find, Les. I remember them being roadtested by all the mags in the early 70s. I don't recall anything bad being said about them, apart from noting the relatively modest performance. However, if anyone wanted high speed thrills at that time, there was plenty of 2-stroke action to be had elsewhere. Enjoy!
 
Re: 1973 SS350 - all I can manage nowadays...!

Hi Les. It looks pretty sound. Nothing a few new bolts and a bit of elbow grease wont sort out :) I have attached a pic of my SX 250 $T2eC16dHJHgFFmBfIq7YBS(uDmMQUw~~60_58 (1).JPG$(KGrHqZHJEkFJY(idcs0BS(uFI1,TQ~~60_58 (1).JPG
 
Re: 1973 SS350 - all I can manage nowadays...!

Thankyou for your interest M&M, Ming, and Mr.P!!
Can't wait to get started on the "make-over"...however, wait I will! Being retired, your kids think you have bugger-all to do day to day (excuse me, got an acre of gardens & vegetable patches to maintain!) So come the school holidays here come the grandchildren. All 5 of them. (give it a few years and that will probably double!)
Love 'em to bits, but how they can FINALLY get to sleep at midnight and then get up all bouncy bouncy at 7 in the morning is killing me!
Giving them back Sunday!
I will say, Ming, yes, nothing startling about the performance - however, first time round it was ideal for squirting around London, this time round down here in the middle of Devon's twisty little roads hopefully the handling will live up to how I remember it was!
Mr P, a few of my friends had those 2-strokes back then - hated them - the little buggers kept overtaking me! LOL!!
 
Re: 1973 SS350 - all I can manage nowadays...!

Mr P.
Sat here and had a close look at your SX ..blimey, looks like it's straight out of a sales brochure!! Well done!!
 
Re: 1973 SS350 - all I can manage nowadays...!

I bought it like it is and have only ridden it to the end of my road and back again. I mot'ed last year, put it back in the garage and thats where is has stayed since. Im kinda thinking of selling it as i fancy getting a Shovel or an evo...
 
Re: 1973 SS350 - all I can manage nowadays...!

MR P - had a similar idea back in 1978 - sold the SS350, and the '42 WLC, and got this from a certain Mr. Warr of the Kings Road Fulham......


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1961 FLH Duo Glide.

Here's a couple of earlier pics....



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I miss that bike....!
 
Re: 1973 SS350 - all I can manage nowadays...!

woh a pan! And i love the bags :) They make top money now days, shame you sold it..But at least you had one.
 
Re: 1973 SS350 - all I can manage nowadays...!

Yes, the wife's fault!
She wanted to move out of London, so in '86 moved down onto your patch - Sussex! (Seaford).
The commute to London (130 mile round trip) was too much on the Pan, so here's the Italian influence again...done 10 years on this Laverda SF750, then got a SF2 ( I needed the twin disc front brakes it came with by then!) for the next ten years. No wonder my back is buggered.. lol!

sf750.jpg
 
Re: 1973 SS350 - all I can manage nowadays...!

Another nice bike you should have kept ;)
 
Re: 1973 SS350 - all I can manage nowadays...!

Les, your Duo rings a bell - were you in the club when you had it? (or maybe I might have seen it in the shop before you got it?)
 
Re: 1973 SS350 - all I can manage nowadays...!

Mr P - yup! (big sigh..)

Paul P -I was a member of the club back then but only for a few years. With two young girls, working 6 days a week, and also trying to restore our half-derelict home in Brixton just never had the time to get out and about!Fred had the bike in his shop - he was selling it on behalf of a lady whose husband had passed away. (He had bought it from Fred years before). ?1650. About the only non-original parts were the rear mudguard ( a front guard turned round!) and of course the bags being pre-swing arm.
Told the wife it was ?950 - wouldn't have lasted 5 seconds if I'd told the truth!
 
Re: 1973 SS350 - all I can manage nowadays...!

Oh thanks, maybe I'd seen it in its late owner's hands.
 
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