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Morgan on Top Gear

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Cheeseybeaner
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PostPosted: 21:20 - 04 Mar 2012    Post subject: Morgan on Top Gear Reply with quote
That Morgan 3 wheeler on tonight's Top Gear looks fun!
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groovylee
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PostPosted: 21:39 - 04 Mar 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
hell yeah! Thumbs Up Thumbs Up
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Kickstart
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PostPosted: 21:43 - 04 Mar 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hi

Cool stuff. Not that quick and useless as a form of transport, but looks fun

All the best

Keith
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Cheeseybeaner
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PostPosted: 21:51 - 04 Mar 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
Kickstart wrote:
Hi

Cool stuff. Not that quick and useless as a form of transport, but looks fun

All the best

Keith


I saw one the other day actually, didn't realise what it was but must have been the Morgan.
I presume the engine they use is some generic Harley-style American custom lump looking at it with the S&S filter cover on the front?
Would have thought it would be a bit quicker being nearly 2-litres, they can put be made to knock out a fair bit of power I think don't see many engine details on the website.
Still its in-keeping with the v-twin bike engine based originals (JAP?)
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multijoy
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PostPosted: 21:57 - 04 Mar 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
More importantly, was that the SE muddy crew?
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Cheeseybeaner
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PostPosted: 21:59 - 04 Mar 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
multijoy wrote:
More importantly, was that the SE muddy crew?


No idea. Bet they know what it feels like to ride a bike in all weathers now! So funny stopping for clothing!
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Kickstart
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PostPosted: 22:05 - 04 Mar 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
Cheeseybeaner wrote:

I presume the engine they use is some generic Harley-style American custom lump looking at it with the S&S filter cover on the front?


Looks like it but not sure. Quick google and not much on the engine, although it seem to be one of these

All the best

Keith
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waffles
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PostPosted: 22:15 - 04 Mar 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
multijoy wrote:
More importantly, was that the SE muddy crew?


I don't think they are members on here but they are on another forum for trail riding. Bit weird seeing people I know on Top Gear!

Also, that Morgan looked like a fun toy to do doughnuts in Smile
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Cheeseybeaner
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PostPosted: 22:34 - 04 Mar 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
That German 'Brutus' thing was amusing, just for the sheer brute mechanical factor of that engine.

You would scare people with that car spitting flames from the open engine bay!

A pity it seems the tyres couldn't manage its output. It would be amusing seeing that being driven flat out down a motorway, just imagine the noise like a low flying aircraft.

Imagine driving that around town! You'd make small children cry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=2pcRRk0msas
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Taught2BCauti...
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PostPosted: 00:04 - 05 Mar 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
A bloke I used to work with bought one of these as an unfinished project a couple of years ago - it had a Honda 650cc engine and looked awesome when it was finished!
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rac3r
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PostPosted: 01:02 - 05 Mar 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
One thing with that Morgan though, the engine is hanging right at the front so if you crash it's pretty much fecked Laughing

I thought that Brutus thing was cool too and the Bentley was a bit too good and refined which made it a bit boring
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Ariel Badger
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PostPosted: 01:20 - 05 Mar 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
Morgans are more fun than wanking, end of.
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G
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PostPosted: 02:00 - 05 Mar 2012    Post subject: Re: Morgan on Top Gear Reply with quote
Didn't see it tonight, but always thought the three wheeler thing was a bit weird - no massive disadvantages having four wheels, but quite a few good reasons to.
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Shaft
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PostPosted: 02:06 - 05 Mar 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
rac3r wrote:
One thing with that Morgan though, the engine is hanging right at the front so if you crash it's pretty much fecked Laughing

I thought that Brutus thing was cool too and the Bentley was a bit too good and refined which made it a bit boring


Given that all Morgans are hand made using planks of wood and sheets of metal, if you crash any of them, it's pretty much fecked!

Frankly, how they stand up to being crashed is the last thing you think of when buying a Morgan, it's all about the bespoke nature of the thing and the fact that they're damn fine cars.

There aren't many vehicles I would consider spending 30 grand on, but an example of Malvern's finest is one of them and that three wheeler would be a laugh a minute.
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G
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PostPosted: 02:24 - 05 Mar 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
Believe some at least of the latest models don't use wood.
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Shaft
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PostPosted: 02:29 - 05 Mar 2012    Post subject: Re: Morgan on Top Gear Reply with quote
G wrote:
Didn't see it tonight, but always thought the three wheeler thing was a bit weird - no massive disadvantages having four wheels, but quite a few good reasons to.


Nothing weird about it at all, they were tax break specials.

It's classed as a cyclecar, which doesn't mean much now, but when they started production in 1911 (and for years afterwards) it meant you paid the same taxes as a motorbike, ie bugger all, compared to a normal car.

The big advantage with the two front/single rear wheel configuration is, it can still be made to handle, as confirmed by Morgan's highly successful competition record.

The problem with having one wheel at the front, as in the Reliant/Bond version is, as well as being inherently unstable, it's near impossible to catch anything but the slightest rear end slide.
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Rogerborg
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PostPosted: 10:24 - 05 Mar 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
Cheeseybeaner wrote:
Bet they know what it feels like to ride a bike in all weathers now! So funny stopping for clothing!


Hammond and May are bikers, I'm sure they checked the weather forecast before setting off and decided what would make better telly. Wink

But that aside, I thought it was an excellent example of how to make an entertaining programme about motor vehicles without any Last Of The Summer Wine stylee scripted 'antics'. Probably the cheapest one they've done for a long while as well.
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Kickstart
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PostPosted: 10:31 - 05 Mar 2012    Post subject: Re: Morgan on Top Gear Reply with quote
G wrote:
Didn't see it tonight, but always thought the three wheeler thing was a bit weird - no massive disadvantages having four wheels, but quite a few good reasons to.


Not sure, but suspect it bypasses a load of legal requirements now.

All the best

Keith
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Bloggsy
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PostPosted: 20:21 - 05 Mar 2012    Post subject: Reply with quote
Kickstart wrote:
Hi

Cool stuff. Not that quick and useless as a form of transport, but looks fun

All the best

Keith


It's not designed as a form of transport, It's more a rich mans toy.
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Cheeseybeaner
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PostPosted: 21:33 - 05 Mar 2012    Post subject: Re: Morgan on Top Gear Reply with quote
Kickstart wrote:


Not sure, but suspect it bypasses a load of legal requirements now.

All the best

Keith


Surely part of the original appeal was as with the Reliant - i.e. you could drive one on a bike license? Although I appreciate the Morgan was not necessarily intended to be a budget option, perhaps it was originally as an affordable sports car?
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Ariel Badger
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PostPosted: 01:20 - 06 Mar 2012    Post subject: Re: Morgan on Top Gear Reply with quote
Cheeseybeaner wrote:
, perhaps it was originally as an affordable sports car?


Morgans were never affordable, they were as fast as hell and hand built, it has been my pleasure over the years to ride in or drive Moggies of 3 or 4 wheel configuration and it is always fun. I may try long distance trials in my mate's three wheeler as navigator next year if his fractures are healed after his last big one.
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Tarmacsurfer
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PostPosted: 02:13 - 06 Mar 2012    Post subject: Re: Morgan on Top Gear Reply with quote
Shaft wrote:
The problem with having one wheel at the front, as in the Reliant/Bond version is, as well as being inherently unstable, it's near impossible to catch anything but the slightest rear end slide.


I'd certainly agree the hammerhead layout is much, much better handling but having spent a year or two running around in Reliants they're nowhere near as unstable as the TG crew make out. I've certainly had the back end kicked out a goodly few times on roundabouts, it's one of the chief joys of driving a car with obscenely cheap remoulds. Well, that and the fact the bloody thing beats my bike's MPG hands down.
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defblade
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PostPosted: 07:48 - 06 Mar 2012    Post subject: Re: Morgan on Top Gear Reply with quote
Ariel Badger wrote:

Morgans were never affordable,


My (late) father said his one regret in life was the time he was offered 3 Morgan 3 wheelers (one running, 2 for spares) for £35, and he bought something sensible and boring (Humber?) for the same money instead....
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Kickstart
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PostPosted: 10:51 - 06 Mar 2012    Post subject: Re: Morgan on Top Gear Reply with quote
Cheeseybeaner wrote:

Surely part of the original appeal was as with the Reliant - i.e. you could drive one on a bike license? Although I appreciate the Morgan was not necessarily intended to be a budget option, perhaps it was originally as an affordable sports car?


Originally maybe part of it (ie, pre war days), but given the prices now and the market I suspect the bike licence advantage isn't an issue.

All the best

Keith
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Tarmacsurfer
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PostPosted: 13:32 - 06 Mar 2012    Post subject: Re: Morgan on Top Gear Reply with quote
Cheeseybeaner wrote:
Surely part of the original appeal was as with the Reliant - i.e. you could drive one on a bike license?


You could never drive a Reliant on a bike license as such.

Pre-'97 (I think) you obtained a B1 (light car) license when passing your full A test, this allowed you to drive tri and quadricyles of up to 550kg. The B1 category doesn't get awarded any more, you would have to pass a full B (car) test to drive one. It's one of the reasons trike riders got shafted in the changes, any trike over a certain weight requires a cat B entitlement on your license rather than an A.
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