This is my '65 triumph that I wish I was working on. I am done with the frame, just waiting to get the dough to have the engine rebuilt and wire it. I also need to mount a caliper on the front brake, finish the rear fender, and paint the tank and fender. The heads for the coupe are in the machine shop, keeping that on the road is the main priority. Hopefully I can get back on it soon, though.
I read every Triumph post 'cause I'm in the market for one myself. I'd like to build a low-buck custom machine. One comment I'd like to make is that I feel a deeply channeled tank really adds to the profile. Of course it's only a matter of taste (mine) and aesthetics. Are 'Mustang' style available with a deeper channel?
I like the tank mounted high when the second bar is removed from the frame. I think that Mustang tanks look best that way...but yes, you can buy them from Paughco with a deep tunnel.
The Horse Back Street Choppers rag is pretty much all Triumphs and BSA's this month. One to pick up fo sho!
[ QUOTE ] I like the tank mounted high when the second bar is removed from the frame. [/ QUOTE ] Bass, I had'nt noticed that mod??? It does look better with the bar removed. Should a gusset be added or any other form of strenghtening?
Naw...it seems to be strong enough without any additional bracing. However, it does eliminate the original mount for the "head steady" (top motor mount), which I'm told leads to more vibration. Removing the second bar gives it that "stretched" Frisco look (with a high-mount tank) without actually having to stretch the frame. I think it looks pretty cool, and the extra vibration seems to be an acceptable trade-off. I think this was a pretty common modification in the late '60s - '70s.
Man I need to get off my ass get my bike on the road. Hey Bass, how'd you remove the lower bar? Did ya just chop it out then mold over it?
Keep the photos coming I am pickin up a load of bits at the weekend .. 500 unit engine hardtail all the bits to get it rolling.. can,t wait
I think this is sooooo awesome that we can post Triumph pics here on the HAMB... I've searched the internet for Triumph boards... but nothing compares to the fraction (faction) of chopper guys we have here... totally effin' cool... So, do keep the Triumph pics coming... I think a separate messageboard or a special area for Triumphs on the HAMB wouldn't be as cool as the little morsels we get once in a while of the guys who are doing bikes... I'll hopefully get started on my project this summer... I'll post pics of the frame jig I build and the build up... should be fun. Sam.
I'm building a bike, and was wondering where you guys are buying things like seats, fenders, etc... Yeah, I'll be fabricating a lot of my own crap, but I'm not an upholstery guy.
Hey guys, I found this japanese link you guys might want to see, I guess these are JAP bobber type bikes, I think they are freaking cool http://www.yellowmc.jp/cgi-bin/custom/find.cgi
I definitely dig brit bikes, and all their modifying here about. I got 4 myself, and it is really rockin the group of guys here that are into them. Anybody needing parts i can give leads.
Wow! Lotsa cool shit goin' on here again! Haven't been on here for a couple days and this was the first post a saw! I've just come back from a 1-1/2 hour ride with the Trump!! RRRAAAAAAADD!!! It handles and runs just awesome! I'M SOOO F#*KIN' HAPPY WITH THAT THING! And I just got it finished in time for spring! The weather is great here now... And it's soo funny to piss of the yuppies on their Suzuki Intruders!
Old Bates solo seat pans are hard to beat...check out ebay. Hell, if it wasn't for ebay, I'd still be trying to scrounge some of the essential parts for my bike. Jeffro, the bar was already removed when I got the bike, but it was done pretty poorly. Where the bar connects to the top tube at the rear, you simply have to cut through it and grind it down flush with the bottom of the tube. At the front, it leaves a 'low' spot in the neck that has to be filled after you cut it. Mine was brazed up back in the 70's, so I melted all of that out and MIG welded it up. So I pretty much did the removal all over again as I cleaned up the previous hack-job. In this picture, you might be able to see a little better what the 'fin' on the back of the neck looks like when the second bar is cut away. Right under the 'fin' is where you have to add some weld. (Check out the high-tech frame table... ) I agree that it's nice to see some Triumphs on here occasionally...and we have a wealth of information here that is hard to beat. The build-up on these parallels a traditional hot rod or custom build in more ways than many people realize, as well.
[ QUOTE ] What does a 650-7** cc jap bike sound like? any thing close to a triumph? [/ QUOTE ] Depends on the configuration of the engine... my 650 vertical twin sounds a lot like a Brit vertical twin. Not all Japanese stuff is inline 4, V-4 and V-twin. As for looks, try this: It isn't my favorite bike, but there's a lot there I like. I don't think that it jumps up and down screaming "I'm JAPANESE!!!!" If it were mine, it would have different bars for sure, but you can do a lot with them.
ok cool thanks.. Theres a cheep 750 cc yamaha down the road over here for a decent price, didnt know the sound.. Should go take a look at it soon.. steve-
Bass...you nailed it on your tank....I like the way the horizontal line of your tank is in line with the top tube of your frame....wouldn't look as good with the lower bar. On my sportster tank, I like the flat bottom of the tank running flat on the top of the motor...It also has the lower tube which confuses the "style" issue on tank mounting. Thanks for the profile shot of your bike...looks great.
The rear fender is made out of a patch panel for the spare tire well on a '32 Ford front fender. The tank in the picture has already been stripped and body work started. I have another tank that came on the bike that I am going to leave alone. It is a mustang tank also, but is a lime green and has red stiping on the sides and a kind of Grateful Dead style mural airbrushed on the top. The mural is a Greatful Dead looking skeleton in a robe with smoke trailing up from his hand forming into a naked lady. A friend of my oldest brother has rebuilt several Triumph engines and really knows what he is doing with them. He is going to do the engine for me. I haven't done much major engine work on bikes or cars. My brother is a fully certified mechanic, so we always trade off, he does my engine work and I do his paint and body work.
I love traditional choppers man... Why wouldn't they be allowed on the HAMB? I mean as long as we don't have guys posting glamour shot of themselves sitting in their chevys or with their pitbulls I think we are all good. Sam and I have talked about doing a Triumph before... I keep wondering when he is gonna start one. I'd love to do a real basic (short/low) bobber... was all set to start dreaming one up till I went to Flyrite - those guys have SIMPLE figured out.
whizzerick,try to find a mid70's superglide tank,they have a pretty deep tunnel...so do old 70's sporty tanks.
[ QUOTE ] What does a 650-7** cc jap bike sound like? any thing close to a triumph? [/ QUOTE ] The Yamaha 650 / 750 twins where basically a rip-off from the Triumph engine in the 70's. The bore/stroke is the same as Triumph and it also sounds the same due to the crank rotation/firing sequence. The earlier Honda 450 and 500 twin engines can be used also but they have a different crank/firing sequence so don't sound as good. A lot of guys in the UK used the the Yam engine for chops and cafe racers as they are oil tight and look good - also very cheap in the breakers yards e.t.c. Kawasaki now brought out a new old-skool triumph twin rip-off - but is is more like a Triumph than the new Triumph ! The yam engine is good option for an old-skool chop which will be used and abused.
I have 750CB with 4 straight pipes. It sounds like nothing else. It sort of sounds like a low-flying airplane.
[ QUOTE ] I have 750CB with 4 straight pipes. It sounds like nothing else. It sort of sounds like a low-flying airplane. [/ QUOTE ] yes, or like tearing a car door in half. it's loud with a capital "W".
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