Part 7
The story is that my Ascot build at Jack Lilley's is virtually complete.
I build this website and then visit England and see the Ascot for real
for the first time and take some time to ride out on a Triumph Sprint
ST.
Enthusiasm
and Trust
Steve
reveals what motivates him! Guess I qualify as an
"enthusiast"....
A-Wed 14-03-2001 1:02
BTW, I do get enthused once on a new project be it bikes, website or
reading, so don't feel you have to rush to answer every one of my
e-mails right away. I'm one of life's strange fellows who doesn't need
or has got out of the habit of more than 6 hours sleep, you have a
business to run ....
S-Wed 14-03-2001 1:44
Don't worry about the answer times from me on questions, I spend most of the day in the office working, and manage to keep more or
less up to speed. The day usual starts with 50+ messages to look
at, most are straight deletes, how I love that button, the cleanest
on the keyboard. I don't find the selling aspect that enjoyable on
the showroom floor these days, the customer profile has changed so
much from when I started. The change from enthusiast to
"consumer" I think has altered my views on that. This is probably why I enjoy
the specials side and sourcing parts more.
....
and makes a very nice comment on the
mutual "trust" involved when putting a bike together for
someone on the other side of the world!
A-Fri 30-03-2001 1:17
I've got some questions (Oh! No - hasn't he always, sorry...)
S-Fri 30-03-2001 21:24
No problem, I appreciate the trust you have put in us building the
bike
for you, after all you are the other side of the world, we have yet
to meet
other than e-mail. Its a bit surreal in some aspects.
A-Fri 30-03-2001 23:01
Maybe, but two reasons for trust come to mind:
(1) I've owned a T-bird since 95, so the basic bike is one I trust
and know is basically reliable.
(2) Your service in supplying parts and advice has always been good
and moreover, straight-forward. I'm happy to go along with any dealer
who will tell me I don't need something, when an unethical one would
just say, "Sod it, sell it to him regardless!"
I hope the bike is as much fun to ride as it as been watching it come
together.
Ascot
Story Website
A-Sun 08-04-2001 23:45
Been
busy with FrontPage this weekend. Check out:
www.alecgore.com/AscotStory.html
Yes,
our story now goes to 7 pages including pictures.
If
there are any other changes you would prefer to make, let me know. The pages
are not yet linked to anywhere, but it will only be a matter of time before
the search engine spiders find them.
Steve
kindly wrote regarding these pages:
S-Mon 09-04-2001 18:55
Busy does not seem to do the
work you have done justice.
I really enjoyed a good read
and would not wish to change anything.
I
have even printed off the web site to show to the gang here.
I
posted to the lists about the Ascot Story ....
A-Mon 09/04/2001 02:03
I'll let you lot get first look at
these pages on the building of my Ascot. Just spent the weekend on them!
Thought it was a story worth telling ....
http://www.alecgore.com/AscotStory.html
....
and got some good responses:
(1) "Thanks a million for the great Ascot
story. You are being a bit of a guinea pig for me, as Steve at JL is
going to supply me with a set of flat slides once he has had a chance to
test them on your beautiful new machine. I'm in Canada, so its good to
know that Steve and Co. are good for out-of-country deliveries. Like
you, I have found Steve to be nothing but straightforward and
enthusiastic in our email correspondence.
"You have an incredible machine there. I can't wait for your riding
impressions."
(2) "Thanks so much for the story. I enjoyed it
very much. Just finished doing my taxes and reading your site was a
great way to unwind.
"Keep us updated - any news on the delivery
date?"
(3) "Alec, you the man! Just read your Ascot
story and thoroughly enjoyed it. I appreciate all the links to the
various suppliers, you've given me some ideas for my own 95 T-Bird.
"Your bike looks great and I am looking forward to the next instalment
in the series. Best of luck to you!"
(4) "I just read a bunch of you Ascot story -- can't wait for the finish
(i.e., post key delivery, post dyno calibrations). Your site is
brilliant. LOVE the running dialog, all the quoted emails, pictures,
editorial interjections.... A web-based narrative style that really
works.
"Your bike is
awe-inspiring. Enjoy."
Another update.
A-Tue 22-05-2001 2:21
You might like to check out the latest of the
Ascot Story. I think I've
summarised it fairly, talking about the balance between the wish to see the
bike shipped, but wanting it to be satisfactorily complete (as far as we can)
before shipping. Any
comments?
S-Wed 23-05-2001 1:06
Yup,
had a look and printed it all off for the folder I keep. It is
good stuff.
Good
news for the website. The
Birmingham Testers Run
has added it to their British
Classic Motorcycle Web Ring.
I received the
following comment from the founder Jon Price:
"Fantastic
motorcycle and website."
A-Wed 30-05-2001 16:02
I'm
getting several e-mails a week now on the Ascot and the Birmingham Testers Web
Ring has linked my site in with the classic sites ring. Hope the interest
comes back to you in the form of sales!
Trip
to England
A-Fri 13-04-2001 6:37
We arrive on 18th. I'm planning to come up to your place on Monday
23rd to meet you and the staff and have a look at the Ascot and collect the
demo - Sprint ST, did you say??
S-Sat 14-04-2001 23:25
Have
a good trip over and we look forward to seeing you on the 23rd. I
hope that it will be the ST, we have it up for sale now but keep selling
new ones around it! We have been working on
the list of bits and will go through it all with
you when you are here.
PS
From what Hamish has told me it looks as if they will be getting the
Triumph Importership.
A-Sun 15-04-2001 8:43
Looking
forward to seeing you all on 23rd. My Dad is going to drive me up from
Maidstone. It's his 70th birthday on 23rd (help!) On second thoughts, I'll
drive and he can drive his car home.
Actually, it's an easy
drive from Kent up to Jack Lilley's at Shepperton -
Dad was a bit of a biker in his day, but
gave up to buy a Morris Minor when I was less than 2 years' old. His last bike
was a Panther 250cc.
Whichever
bike .... I only mentioned a Sprint because it is faired and I'm not used to
cooler weather. However, I'll be dressed for it, so if the Sprint is n/a
wouldn't mind trying a Speed Triple.
Hope
you get some good sales this weekend.
And,
on that thought, if Hamish is going to get the Triumph dealership, the sooner
he gets a showroom downtown the better.
A-Tue 17-04-2001 15:23
PS Just heard the weather in
the UK is wet and cold with daytime high of 7 degrees C. Ai Ya! (as the
Chinese would say) it's a balmy 23 C in Hong Kong.
I
was mentioning the weather here because I was just off to England. While there
I got to Jack Lilley's to see the Ascot for the first time on April 23rd.
Tue 17-04-2001 20:00
Bags
are already checked in. Leave for the plane in an hour or so.
Visit
to Jack Lilley's to see Ascot TT
England
was cold and wet. It was Dad's 70th birthday. We drove up to Jack Lilley's
from Kent. It was good to meet all the staff, particularly Steve, Brian
(parts) and Joe (who was building the Ascot).
The Ascot looks just as good in
reality as it does in the pictures. Steve started up their Ascot and the sound
from the 3 into 3 exhausts is one glorious rumble, really quite special. Here
are a couple of pictures from the workshop:
Note the OE clocks have been taken off to send to
the manufacturer of the "Ascot" clocks.
Steve was kind
enough to loan me a Sprint ST for a few days.
I rode up to
the Cotswolds and did a couple of days brushing up on my advanced riding
skills with Ride Drive Ltd. Tremendous fun riding out with Graham Owen a
police Class 1 rider and excellent instructor. Recommended for anyone who
wants to improve their riding.
Ride Drive Ltd.
The weather
remained damp and relatively cold. I was glad of the gear I'd bought from Mars
Leathers in Australia - the Dririder Extreme jacket and trousers.
Mars Leathers
Since I wasn't
used to the weather, I bought a full face Nolan N100 helmet to deflect
some of the buffeting from the fairing.
Nolan
The
"Triumph" transfers on the helmet are from Classic Transfers. I've
also used one on the National flyscreen.
Classic Transfers
A-Wed 02-05-2001 9:07
Can you get Joe to clean off all the manufacturer's coloured wax pencil /
paint marks on the bolts etc. before shipping.
Are there any other outstanding jobs you want to resolve before being totally
happy the Ascot is ready to ship?
S-Wed 02-05-2001 16:47
Will
do.
I
think we are probably about there then.
A-Thu 03-05-2001 18:09
PS My turn to send you a picture for a change. Dad's hand is a bit shaky, but
it's the only one we have!
Fuses
(not the bike!)
I
think to put these messages in context, one needs to appreciate
that Steve has just gone through an extremely busy period including a holiday
weekend. He is keen to see the Ascot shipped to me in Hong Kong. I'm also
keen, but want it to be as "complete" as possible when it arrives.
S-Wed 09-05-2001 0:19
Thanks
for the pictures of the Sprint, I hardly recognised it as it got filthy
recently, with our lovely weather. Can't complain today it is really nice
I've been told. Been stuck here since 7.30 this morning over 150 mails to go
through and still have a backlog.
S-Thu 10-05-2001 1:52
Bear
with me please, it is getting late, well approaching 7pm and I've been in since 7.30 this morning, it was nigh on 13 hours yesterday
and
I'm pooped. I will go through your message tomorrow and do a full reply.
We have had a rough day today with various things going pear shaped.
A-Thu 10-05-2001 8:58
I
know what day's like that are like! Take your time.
S-Fri 11-05-2001 0:57
Almost
the end of a perfectly rotten day, it has not been a nice one at all. I'm
meant to be somewhere else at the moment and there is no way I will get there.
Amazing
how having a couple of people missing fouls things up so much.
Found
this comment in the Triumph Magpie Digest. Then wrote to Steve:
A-Fri 18-05-2001 16:51
Just
had to send you this in case you missed it in the digest! Was in reply to a
request from someone looking for a Triumph dealer.
"Steve
Lilley will bust a gut for you and is a real workaholic, but his shop sometimes gets over-busy and I can see him blowing
a fuse one day!"
I'm
pretty busy at the moment. Haven't even had time to update the Ascot site with
stuff on the airbox / K&Ns etc. BTW, any news?
S-Fri 18-05-2001 22:47
Yes I
saw that bit.
About
right today, it has been an utter nightmare. Why do I bother type of thing,
and frankly at this moment I wonder.
I am way behind today having been busy doing 1001 other
jobs.
A-Wed 23-05-2001 8:44
Take
care, and I really appreciate the time you give to me in these replies.
S-Thu 24-05-2001 23:44
No
problem, I'm just annoyed that we are slow in getting this sorted out correctly.
Continue
....
