It finally dawned on me what the Triumph TRW 500cc side valve is all about just as we were coming down Cumbria’s Hardknott Pass – arguably Britain’s most challenging road.
Halfway up the western flank is a ferociously steep, narrow 120 degree hairpin with a scarred and bumpy surface. You’ll know it if you have ridden it.
Halfway round the hairpin was a new BMW R1200GS, upside down in a ditch.
Members of Team TRW leapt into action, pulling the Beamer upright and getting the slightly embarrassed rider back in action.
No shame, really. A loaded GS BMW is a big, heavy brute if you stall or lose your footing, as many people (including me) know from experience.
Read more in February’s edition of TCM
