PRE-UNIT TRIUMPH CASES......ON STEROIDS!

The world's strongest Triumph crankcases are being manufactured by Donny Coveney in Australia.

 CNC machined from aircraft grade "6 series" aluminum alloy, rather than cast like others, ensures accuracy and consistency of every pair. These cases are the ideal foundation if you fancy a Triumph that puts out double the power of any Twin that came out of Meriden. Capable of handling the horsepower from big bore cylinders, hot cams, nitro fuel, stroker cranks, and superchargers without coming apart at the seams.

Supplied with a timing cover set up for RH crank seal and RH ignition as used on unit Triumphs, but maintaining the ability to run the original rear mounted ignition, these cases have got most every option covered when putting a motor together.

Designer Donny, has used these cases in roadracers and dragracers that produce 90 plus horsepower, and are capable of taking much more. 

They come Complete with hardware, these cases incorporate many improvements over stock Triumph cases, and are definitely the way to go if building a Triumph to be reckoned with.

Allen bolts are stainless, base stud inserts are 4140 chromoly, and cases are supplied ready to accept 72mm Superblend crank bearings for the ultimate in reliability.

Pre Unit Triumph Finned Timing Cover (Pt 1)

Missing Link Fink, a good friend of this site has recently obtained this piece of custom gold.

The problem being that nobody seems to have seen anything like it before!

Consensus of opinion has it that it was made here in England rather than over the pond in The Land Of The Free.

There is no method of fixing it to the timing cover, other than Duct Tape which is what's defying gravity at the moment, but that's not the final solution of course.

Personally I think I would dress the back side until the contour matches that of the timing cover and weld the two together. With a good weld and patient blending it should be a cool and rare head scratcher.

If anybody does recognise this part please get in contact or post in the comments.

1954 Triumph Tiger 110 (sort of)

Worked on this with Chris a couple of months ago, loosely based around a 1954 Ton Ten, there are parts that span the '54 to '59 production period. 

Complete overhaul of the front end along with a general tidy up and recommissioning. 

Another blog re-emerges from the fallout.

Chas is resurrecting his blog with a Sporty build.
Check him out HERE

Trophy Bird

When Triumph introduced the 650 Trophy in 1956 it was called the Trophy- Bird, whether this was to cash in on the bikes that desert Racers had been putting together themselves while waiting for a 650 competition bike is unknown.

This is one of those bikes, an original conversion, shown here as bought by Bill in Oregon back in 1981. A 1950 6T Thunderbird motor fitted into a TR5 Trophy rigid frame. 

The early TR5 frame is noticeably smaller and lighter than the normal 500/650 rigid frame, constructed of smaller diameter tubing without some of the cast lugs at the frame joints. Notice the front engine plate arrangement with the dynamo sitting through where the normal front down tube extends to meet the front horns of the rear section.

Sadly Bill sold the bike on to make way for other exotica and it was disassembled, with the new owner restoring back to a normal TR5 Trophy, which is also a highly desirable and rare Triumph in it's own right but it would have been nice for this snippet of history to have survived.

Scandinavian Strychnine With An Italian Flair (Part 1)

There's been a unit Triumph that has been causing a stir, and ticking all the right boxes since it's debut at the Verona show last month, and it belongs to Luca. A well travelled Italian fellah that now resides in Sweden, knocking out some knockout bikes.

Luca has kindly sent some pics of the build up, so we can all get an insight into how a bike of this caliber is created

This is the bike as found, an ex-police 1966 650 Trophy found in, of all places, Karachi, Pakistan. Not in the best of condition but all there and in need of love and personal intention.

The start of the build was carried out in his garage in Naples, Italy. Originally fitted with a David Bird hardtail, but this was later changed for a one off rear section made by Frankie at Chopworks

There was some more work carried out on the front half to give the bike some more of the individuality that goes to make show winners. The lower top tube was remodelled to give the finished frame the full custom look. The tank was originally fitted to some type of sixties Italian moped and after reworking seems quite at home in it's new job of feeding the big Triumph motor.

The motor had had a hard life carrying around the Karachi boys in blue and was shipped off to Grin Triumph in Fife Scotland for a full head to toe overhaul, including the fitting of a belt drive primary from Lytedrive in Australia. As you can see the international connections of this build go on and on, crossing continents in a single bound. 

Part 2 to follow when more pics come in from Luca.

TR5R On The Rack At Big D

Keith at Big D Dallas sent some progress shots of his 1957 TR5R restoration, with only 178 of these built in total across a 3 year span, and only 17 in '57 it is a rare beast indeed.

Produced by Triumph at the request of JoMo and TriCor, who wanted a bike that was race ready straight from the crate, without resorting to taking a Tiger 100 and adding the race kit.

Fitted with the legendary Delta Head they were the first splyed head models produced by Triumph, a year before the Bonneville.

Never seen forks assembled in this order before, but it makes sense saving all the messing about trying to get the stabchions up through the yokes when shrouds are fitted.

Another piece of unobtanium, a Lucas racing mag, all made up out of exotic stuff like platinum tipped points, stainless steel armature and maybe silver plated windings but that could well be myth. I've never met anyone who has had an original one to bits.

Sparks a' Flying......K2FC The Return.

Just got this back from Chip after he has worked his magic. A pukkah K2FC that came over from the States. Interesting to note, although competition mags were supplied on Trophies and the like going over the water, they were automatic advance and retard. The points end casting was the same as a regular comp mag, the casting for the cable and actuator were left undrilled and an ATU drive gear fitted in the timing case.

Pre Unit Triumph Hot Rod Up Fer Grabs

Geoff is selling this sweet 750 pre unit Hot Rod. 

T140 crank and barrels with a V type splayed head, and all the benefits of an alternator.

The tank is a repro of a one year only '49 3T.

He's looking for offers around 7 grand, all taxed, ticketted and ride away goodness.

E-mail me for any more details.

Addy at left hand top of this page.

Greasy Kulture 35

Issue 35 of GKM has just dropped on the mat, as ever well worth the read.

A real bonus is the first real English article that I've seen on Mark Drews' legendary T110 show bike featured below;

It amazes me that in the article it says that it's a bit of a Marmite bike, that people either love it or hate it. Now I don't like Marmite, but I can't  honestly understand anyone not liking this.

If you don't know the bike, or you do and want to see quality pics of it, hit Guy up for a copy

HERE

Roland's got the MOJO back!!!!

Our old mate, and my good friend Roland has relaunched OUTTA CONTROL and is giving his lovely B31 a makeover,

Like it ever needed one.........................

Get over there, if you know the man you won't need tellin', if you don't, then you'll wish ya did.

Triumph T100C For Sale

Y'all know how it goes, something's gotta go when something new turns up. Markus is offering up his sweet unit T100 Bobber  to make way for something a little different. Here's the lowdown;

Fully rebuilt T100c Engine (Reground Crank, All Bearings, New Clutch and Rebuilt Gearbox, all vapor blasted, powdered or Nickel'd)

Hand Milled Timing cover showing Nickel Clutch

Fully rebuilt Forks (New stanchions, bushes, de-lugged fork bottoms, MCM shrouds, de-seamed yokes, new fork seals and holders - all coppered, polished and nickel'd)

Fully rebuilt wheels - reconditioned hubs, stainless spokes, stainless rims, avon front Firestone rear

Factory Metal Works hard tail - all mounts and sissy bar made by barons

Semi de-seamed and restored fuel tank

Pill style Nickel Oil Tank

Maund Speed licence plate holder

After Hours Choppers Tail Light

HD Parts Seat

Hippy Killer Pegs and Grips

Every Nut, Bolt Washer Nickel plated

Electronic ignition

Brand new Amal mono-block Carb

Cloth wired or hidden in frame

New Battery

10 Months MOT

Excellent Condition with only a few very minor chips to paint in tank - but I can get this redone if required for cost

Registered as a 350 - just needs engine updating on V5

Markus is open to discussion on price, and from what I understand it's a good price for what's on offer here.

 07584449425
if it floats your boat.

The Epsom Salt

Pete, along with the Baron and his band o' trusty buddies are off to do battle at Bonneville at the BUB Speed Week.  They intend to have a crack at the A-PF and/or the A/PG 650 records ,A stands for special construction class i.e. purpose built frame, and P stands for pushrod, F for fuel and G for gas (petrol).  For gas class you have to use the fuels supplied on the salt by ERC, it comes in several octanes, outside that you are automatically in the fuel class whatever you use. 

Current records stand at 123.814mph and 126.976mph set by Keith Martin's  Big D Cycle.

Peter's Nostalgia Drag Trumpet Blows A Tune

Peter has finally added the last ingredient to the mix, and as anticipated, it sounds as good if not better (if that's possible) than it looks!

Hope you're taking it to the HayRide Peter.

Martin's Tiger Ton Forty

Martin's build looks to be on schedule, almost ready for the three days of unbroken dry weather that we all may bask in sometime this year.

It was on here some weeks ago, have a close look at the pictures, all is not as it seems.

Rear Guard Taking Up A Position

Skankweasel went out for a little trip to Martin's shop yesterday to get a little bit of TIG action going on the rear mudguard mounts. Had these bits water jet cut, nice finish, cleaner than Laser but worth the extra? I'm not so sure.

The brackets were cut with a 10 degree angle to allow for the curve of the guard. The tabs were welded on to the bracket after being bolted to the guard, to get the angle.

The bottom mount bolts to two 3/4" long bosses welded to the frame cross member. Not a thing I'm normally down with, but this rear section has had so much abuse over the years that it's not really heresy to weld extras to it.

The top mount is the same bracketry but picks up on the standard rear guard tapped holes.

There's still the rear loop/stay to sort out, and as it's aluminium a bit of rubber mounting will help.

Tiger 100 Race Kit Manifolds Part Deux

Decided on the Hal Hall Route, good price and flat and all ya need, barring the thin wall steel tubes that were slotted down the bores of the manifold to seal the potential gaps. On the original factory Tufnol spacers, the nut recesses break through.

Definitely looks the part.

Some say that's Triumph's prettiest ever motor right there, easy to see why.

Meanwhile Bill slipped a pic in the mail.

Notice the tubes.....................................

Hacking In Some Sort Of Style

Craig sent a picture of his "Hack" down from The Black Country (if that's OK to call it that nowadays). Unfortunately no details on this daily driver, it's obviously a Panther, late '20s early '30s at a guess, pretty damn cool all the same.

Update, Craig has been in contact says it's a '34

They're Still Out There

Andy phoned up yesterday morning, speaking all quiet and secretive, asking about Nortons, and Dommies in paticular. Said he was working in London and there was a pair sat in a garage where he was working..

Back at Andy's within half a day!

Been in there at least 25 years the bloke reckoned. 

They are both 600cc 99s, the standard one is a '56 and showing under 12,000 miles. That's quite believable judging by the overall completeness, and un-messed about with look of it. The nearside footrest is bent right up, looks like somebody came off it, way back when, and then laid it up. Probably got a nice little motor car instead. 

You want patina?

The Cafe Racer is a 1959 Model 99 600cc Dominator with an intriguing C stamped after the 99 on the motor. Added bonus of quite a few original John Tickle parts including a Twin Leading Shoe front brake!

Period correct Cafe Racer ?????

They both turn over fine and the '59 has got what can be described as good compression.

I'm not gonna tell you what they cost, 'cos it won't make me feel any better!