1951 Triumph Drag Bike

Firstly I cant tell you how good it felt to be back in my car at Wilby Raceway, once I had everything packed away I relaxed for a few days and then set my sights on finishing a few things in the garage.

Before I show you what I have been up to though I want to let you know about the things that drive me, everything I do is 100% passion driven, if I am not fully into something then I wont attempt it at all, a lot of what happened way before I was born drives me to re-create that era, I struggle to comprehend why I love what happened in the 1960’s but I just do, vintage drag racing and the machines that rocketed down the quarter mile just make me weak at the knees, I didnt realise this until I started planning the Flats Movie Bike Build, the more I researched what I wanted the more I found myself in love with an era long long ago.

It’s a common thread throughout my life, I sold my motorcross bike to buy my first car, researching my first car led me to love Ford Escorts, Ford Escorts led me to drive sideways, driving sideways led me to love Drifting, getting too deep into drifting made me find motorcycles as a release, riding motorcycles led to the need for a ute, I loved my first Hilux, it towed my drift car, carried my motorbike and then it all suddenly snowballed. I combined my two automibile loves into one, the drift Hilux, I traveled to Japan for drifting, I saw vintage choppers for the first time in Japan, then somehow all of those experiences led me to this moment.

My garage is full, I have more projects than time and its now my moment to finish what I had started.

Photo 3-05-2016, 10 00 42 AM

So I am happy to let you know that the 1951 T100 Triumph is nearing completion.

Photo 3-05-2016, 9 56 19 AM

It started with the fuel tank, as impractical as this bike is I wanted it to reflect the era it originated in, some drag racers simply fitted tubes that had capped ends filled with fuel, just enough to get down the 1/4 mile.

Photo 3-05-2016, 9 54 34 AM

I shaped and welded up a 1.6mm thick alloy tank that fitted within the confines of the original chassis, I dont want to cut anything off the stock chassis.

Photo 3-05-2016, 9 59 07 AM

With a lot of the other components dummied up its really starting to take shape.

Photo 3-05-2016, 9 56 48 AM

The Joe Hunt Magneto takes care of all the electrical work, in love with the Morris Fairbanks Magneto on my Harley this had to be the same.

Photo 3-05-2016, 9 57 21 AM

If its not needed its not there.

Photo 3-05-2016, 9 58 18 AM

The hardest thing was building everything but keeping it within a cirtain era.

Photo 3-05-2016, 9 52 30 AM

Once the front end gets chromed it should be a spectical.

Photo 3-05-2016, 9 55 47 AM

Tight at the front and wide at the back.

Photo 3-05-2016, 9 53 31 AM

Its mechanically slim profile is built for pure speed.

Photo 3-05-2016, 9 54 03 AM

Leaving no room for comfort.

Photo 3-05-2016, 9 59 48 AM

Im super excited to be getting into the tail end of this project, it’s been trying at times, it presented some unique challenges but everytime I glance at it I can feel the history that it represents.

Photo 28-04-2016, 8 03 54 PM

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>