A Good Day At Bonneville

I ran 109+ early this a.m. without my fairing for a qualifying run in the A-VG 750 c.c. class. Kyle ran 115.77 mph for a qualifying run in the APS-PG 650 c.c. class. We have to do our record runs in the morning if all is successful that will make three world records for the Lowbrow team this week. And it's Kyle's birthday to boot.

Record Run A Success

Record run of 111.867 mph. APS-VG previous record 105 and change set in 1995 on an Indian. Waiting to get bike inspected and displacement checked.

July 1st: Full Race Mode Begins Now

July 1st. That means Bonneville SpeedWeek is next month, which means I am getting my ass in gear and getting my bike dialed in for racing. Above is a video of a run I did on a vintage 650 c.c. Triumph motorcycle last year. I cannot wait!

Thoughts Over the Holiday Weekend.

This time of the day was my favorite out on the salt...On the starting line right as the sun was coming up with mountains looming in the distance, and a clean white track ahead. Quiet and still for a little while longer. 75 days....

Next year.....

We were planning on hitting the road for the Bonneville World Finals this Sunday but due to a family health issue we won't be making it. These things happen, looks like we will just have to go after those records again next August. Thanks to everyone for all the support this race season! Cheers, Kyle and Tyler

A little work on my 67 Triumph Land Speed Bike

I spent a little time in the shop today working to get my bike ready for the Bonneville World Finals, we leave in just over a week so it's crunch time again! I am switching classes to special construction/partially streamlined pushrod gas. The record is actually a bit softer but I had to do a bunch of modifications to put me into the proper class. These changes should help me go faster too! I will finish the mods and mounting my fairing tomorrow. Special thanks to Glass From the Past for getting me a fairing out on such short notice! Cheers, Kyle

First Test Runs On OurTriumph Race Bikes

Here is my version of the story, Kyle will likely tell his own as well. We just got back from testing our bikes at a local county airport just miles from our shop. Kyle went over there and talked to the manager, and he said they weren't allowed to let us do anything like that there. But come back Wednesday at 8am and he would shut down a runway and let us go at it for a couple hours, he wanted to see us run! The runway is about .7 miles, smooth blacktop, slightly uphill. Foggy morning, perfect as there wasn't any air traffic to speak of. I was breathing hard by the time we we ready to fire them up, adrenaline pumping and nervous energy.


My leathers aren't in yet (this Friday!) so I just wore some pants, Kyle's street jacket and my Bates drag racing boots and a pair of Vanson gloves. Bike fired up easily, checked for oil return, made sure my fuel shutoff and kill switch worked, and ready for a run.



Shifted great, I wanted to rev it up but was shifting probably around 4 or 5000 RPMs (my tach isn't on the bike yet, not enough time before this test), I could just feel it wanting to pull like mad when I would let off and shift due to the fresh motor. The power band with these cams is at high revs, I am hoping to be shifting at 7000 RPMs minimum when racing. The brakes suck, that is for sure, I stopped about 20 feet shy of the end of the runway. At Bonneville this won't be an issue though. It is amazing that just sitting on my bike in the shop made my nuts hurt like crazy but with the adrenaline I didn't feel anything til we got back to the shop, and I don't know if my stomachache is from hunger, excitement or mashed testicles.

On my second run up it started faltering just as I was starting to slow down, and upon stopping I realized my petcock was off. I have a bar mounted, spring loaded fuel shut off, and it was mounted to close to the grip and I think I shut the fuel off when starting it or while riding, that has to be moved and the cable adjusted. The trip back down I did the same thing and drained the float bowls half way down the runway. I was kicking it and the right clip-on handlebar was a bit loose and was moving, and I was too tired to know if I was starved or flooding it, so I walked it back down to get my breath and calm down.



I have a couple small oil leaks to fix, and for sure adjust and move my fuel shut off lever. The beauty of this whole thing was two hours of local testing saved us frustration and probably a full day at the Salt Flats waiting for runs just to work this stuff out. The manager and staff at the air field couldn't have been nicer and more accommodating. Kyle has some more good photos and his experience to tell, stay tuned.

Tyler

Kyle Starts his Triumph Race Bike for the 1st Time

A quick video of Kyle starting his '67 Triumph 650 c.c. land speed bike for the first time this Sunday afternoon. Almost ready to ride!

Tiger In My Tank

I woke up this morning with a couple late-night texts from Wes White of Four Aces Cycle. He poured some 105 in his race bike and fired it up, now ready (mostly!) for Bonneville. Wes is a true Triumph guy, and I don't think anyone could think differently. At least one of us has a running race bike! I gotta get back to work...

Tyler

Shift / Brake Linkage just about done

I have been working on the shift and brake linkage for my '55 Triumph, got the brake side finished, all stainless steel. Shift side is about done, just need to cut the main linkage rod down to length and thread the one end, but I am waiting to do that until I get the seat made so I can make sure I have it right where I want it. I have a 4" 6061-T6 aluminum adjuster there that acts like a turnbuckle so I can adjust an inch or so of play to fine tune the shifter angle.

Tyler

Some shop time, and Christmas gifts! Errrr... I mean Easter!

It's been a great week, we had record highs the last two days here, mid 80's today, it's feeling like summer! When UPS showed today Tyler and I tore into the box marked Bob Newby Racing like kids on Christmas morning. This is what we found, a Triumph pre-unit and a Triumph Unit belt drive with racing clutch discs and drilled alloy pressure plates. Tell me it's not a beautiful thing!
Tyler spent some time modifying the frame rails on his pre-unit hardtail what is this the 3rd or 4th variation so far?! It's gotta be just right.
And speaking of just right the other tank wasn't just what I wanted so I sourced this wassel re-pop out, drilled the frame welded in some bungs (check out our tech article if you haven't seen it), and there it is. That is the look I had in mind for "WFO".
Everyone have a great holiday weekend! Cheers, Kyle and Tyler

Progress on my 67 Triumph LSR bike "WFO"

Today I hit the shop and started doing some frame modifications while I am waiting on my engine parts, oil tank, wheels, and front end. Our personal shop area is getting pretty crowded now with Tyler's projects and mine! I started with a stock unmolested 67 Triumph T120 front frame loop.
I then proceeded to lop off all the excess tabs and mounts. I know someone out there is dying reading this right now!
And the finished loop. I may modify the neck more but not until I have the front forks mounted up. It will go off to sandblasting too, I have stripped enough frames by hand, messy and not fun!
Here is the frame with the David Bird hardtail bolted up. 4" stretch, 2.5" drop. It should give just the right stance and height for the bike.
And for giggles I mounted up one of our Lowbrow Customs Alien tanks and a 7Metal West fender to get an idea of what the finished product will look like. I'll post more updates later this week! Cheers Kyle

Working on my '55 Triumph LSR frame

Got out in the shop a couple hours yesterday evening and finished cutting and welding up all the stock lugs and such I wasn't using. I actually like the cast lugs and on my street bike leave much of it, but on this bike if it isn't being used I cut it off to keep it nice and smooth and drop the little bit of weight.

Some of the welding was a bitch around the neck, I guess there is brazing all up inside of there as I was welding it up it liked to sputter and pop up onto my tungsten. I still have to finish sand some of this stuff, do a little filing, but I think I am going to prime the frame first to keep it from rusting and to see it a bit better

Tyler

Triumph LSR Bike Gets A Beefy New Fork Stop

Cut off the fork stop tab I had welded up before that was only about 1/8" steel, and made a new one out of 1/4". To see the set up I came up with to mate different forks / frame, check out the Custom Motorcycle Fork Stops article I did on it in the Lowbrow Customs DIY Tech Tips section.

This will limit fork travel quite a bit, and in tandem with the hydraulic steering damper I am going to use should stop me from getting any tank slappers and balling up.

My TIG welding is getting better, and that makes me happy.

Tyler

A thing of beauty... Lucas K2FC Magneto

My Lucas K2FC competition magneto, freshly rebuilt and working perfectly. This magneto was a step up from the standard Lucas K2F magneto fitted to Triumphs, BSAs and Nortons. The competition magneto was an upgrade for racing, and apparently is more precise and delivers a hotter spark. These magnetos are great, way to go Lucas, you did something really well!

Yes UPS ships motors!

Today I packaged up and shipped out my cases and covers to Wes over at Four Aces Cycles for some machine work. I also ordered in my megacycle cams and valve springs. I am pretty stoked about this project. Looking forward to doing some frame work this weekend!

We'll just call this project WFO.....

1967 Triumph Bonneville T-120

I have alot of work ahead of me, but the cases are spilt and the engine is fully torn down and the frame is ready to receive a bit of attention. Wes, got some machine work coming your way. I am going home to eat some dinner now and hit the hay. G'nite!

A little inspiration ...

For Salt Flat nuts

Vintage Triumphs and Sunshine

I was out in SoCal last month staying with Wes from Four Aces and working on a new project. Got to meet some amazing people and see some really cool stuff as well. Here we are hanging with Fritz and his son at their place in Fallbrook. Fritz has been racing on the Salt for 40 years, he and his wife rule.

Triumph gearbox cases back from the tumbler..

Sent my cases out to Wes at Four Aces Cycle to get tumbled, here are my gearbox cases back and ready for reassembly. He also did my crank cases and rocker boxes, makes for a really nice motor. Wes also does machining for your vintage Triumph or British motorcycle, head work, cylinder boring, crank grinding and balancing and more.