Well, thank you one and all for the interest you've shown in my bike and those encouraging remarks.
Gator - if that's all you got, you've got a bit more to do than I have. Good luck!
As said earlier, I think I have a good bike in there but some unexpected issues. I could probably have lived with the Triumph Thunderbird 'mild customisation' if it had been well done. After all, I bought the bike! But it didn't bear close scrutiny. When I took the filler cap off, the tank had more rust than I've ever seen - there were signs of the paint bubbling up under the tank where rust is coming right through. And the paint comes off on your fingers if you get petrol on it. The pin stripes on the mudguards (fenders to our American cousins?) were sticky tape.
But on the plus side, I think the bike has been generally well looked after. The engine screws have all been replaced with Allen heads, probably stainless. All fasteners I've looked at so far are in good condition and not over-tightened. The front wheel spindle has a good castellated nut, an 'R' clip which I much prefer to an abused split pin and the spindle has been kept greased. Electronic ignition has been fitted - still to check what make.
Mailman - the silencers are Triumph type and I don't know how whether I'll keep them. For the brief minutes I ran the bike, they seemed far too loud but that was in the garage. We' ll see what they are like out on the road - not a top priority to change them.
When the tank comes back I will get it painted and here is my colour scheme of choice:
That's just a picture I found on the web so apologies if it's your picture . . .
Some licence will be needed interpreting the scheme as I think my bike's tank is a different shape? I would like to be true to the bike and I will keep as much as possible of what is there but absolute originality is far from my intention. I just want a nice bike I can hop on and enjoy.
Ah well, at least cleaning up the forks has been A Start.