I bought the bike with the intention of punting it on if I found I wasn't having fun of any kind,but the whole experience of riding and maintaining a 53 year old bike has been most pleasurable. This has been helped,no doubt,by the H1 being very reliable to date,I daresay my feelings may have been different if I'd bought a troublesome one. Pete built a good bike.
During the first year of ownership I've encountered some great people,some in real life and some as pixels. I've never been much of a one for biker gatherings,but I still get plenty of time to ride on my own and I'm finding I enjoy the company of other classic bike owners too. It has inadvertently added a new colour to the biking palette for me. Perhaps I'm mellowing in my old age,not being such an asocial twunt all the time.
I have toyed with the idea of selling the Zed and buying another triple,but I think I'd miss a modern machine for those longer trips and not wondering when 50+ y/o electrics may shit the bed at a less than convenient moment. So the Zed stays for now. I also thought about buying another triple and keeping the Zed,but 3 bikes would start to be crowded in my garage,especially if I needed to do any work,so unless something tempting falls in my lap,I'll stick with 2 bikes in the meantime.
I've yet to fully understand why I love the bike,it has pretty much all the attributes of a machine anyone in their right mind would want to trade in for something better asap. Favourite daughter was of the opinion my ownership wouldn't last 6 months.
Folk ask me what I like about the H1 and I end up talking random bollox without actually answering the question,because I don't honestly know the answer.
Is it fast?..it was in 1971,but now? Nope
Does it handle well?...if you remember it's limitations and age...
Are the brakes adequate?...barely to nope.
Is it easy on the juice?....mostly nope.
Does it make me smile? I can't help myself ffs.
