Choppers Australia

[Scouser]

Hi.
I am looking for some advice, I have ridden bikes from Labrettas to ZZR 1100,s last bike was a Triumph Speedmaster which I loved but wife ect, so I no longer have it., the bike or the wife!

I have just finished a 4 year resto on my 1964 kombi, did it all myself apart from building the engine and the headliner.
Anyway, I am now bored and I posted a pic of the below bike about 4 years ago on here.
I would like to build one, I dont know what frame it is, engine ect, any help greatly appreciated, thanks
Dave

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a283/Mrnovan/tristan1.jpg

[XSChop]

Looks like a later Unit triumph engine in a pre unit rigid frame.
PM drewseventyone about it.
There is a pic of his bike here
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It's not about the Bling /:~)>

[hemitech01]

Triumph unit construction in unit frame with bolt on rigid.
PM or call for more info.
Hemitech01
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www.trojanclassics.blogspot.com

[Scouser]

[Cromag]

1973 i think...became legislation in about 75/76..that bikes for road use in the US would have left side shifting......but i suppose if your flat tracking the earlier right siders would give you an advantage?
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Does not work or play well with others

[Brassy]

nice job on the primary case painting them black always seems to highlight the rest of the mechanicals , and hides small oil leaks too

[drewseventyone]

71 was the first year of the oil in frame, at a glance the front end, engine, and front frame loop all look to be 68-70, the axle plates make me think david bird hardtail 4" stretch , US spec tank (3.5 gallon from memory) If you havn't made any headway with identifying it I will have a better look on the weekend.



Cheers

Drew

I have edited this as I worded it badly
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Acceleration is fun, but drum brakes keep life interesting.

[drewseventyone]

Cromag is right They still made RH shift bikes up to 74, but not many bikes out of the factory that year because of industrial action.
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Acceleration is fun, but drum brakes keep life interesting.

[Scouser]

Now its the hard bit.
I am selling my kombi that took me 6 years to get then 4-5 years to restore.
I am now single and can have what I want, na na na na na ,,lol

I want to build a bike the same as the one in the pic but using a later T140 , I would like the left hand gear change.

What is the best frame to look for that a T140 will fit in, or can I just get a normal T140 say a 77 and then bolt a hard tail onto it.
I am a complete novice and would appreciate any help in getting my dream bike.
Also whats the best way to increase the power of a T140 and who does it and the $64,000 question, how much to make a T140 engine more powerful and reliable, or isnt it possible??

Thanks in advance

Dave

[drewseventyone]

You asked a mouthful here Dave !

A stock T140 Frame would be an oil bearing frame(no oil tank Oil in the frame downtube), they can be made into cool bikes, but you won't be able to just bolt on a hard tail, some fabrication is involved.
A pre oil in frame Trident (triple)front loop and a bolt on hard tail will give you the ability to offset the engine, then you can run a wider rear, not so much fabrication work, but still alot of work.
A pre oil in frame unit twin front loop with a bolt on hard tail will be the most straight forward.
Then you could get a frame made, make a frame yourself or Buy an off the shelf frame. 77 is post compliance so you will need to do some research on getting the thing registered.

T140 engine mods !! how much time and money have you got ???, most things will have to be imported from the U.S but the possibilities are pretty much limitless. Big Bore Kits, 8 valve Kits, performance cams, belt drives, forged pistons, steel rods, forged alloy rods, one piece billet cranks (in 360 and 180 configurations, hydraulic clutch kits, mushroom head tappet adjusters, mag ignitions the list goes on and on.

All the Meriden T140's were factory "Detuned" they had bearing issues early on, and the decision was made to reduce the performance, this was made worse by the U.S EPA jetting of the carbs.

The poor mans performance kit was to throw the exhaust cam and followers as far away as possible, replace them with the earlier 650 "spitfire" cam and R radius cam followers, re jet the carbies to European spec, replace the crank bearings with roller type, and fit some mushroom head tappet adjusters, if you can find a T140 engine in good shape, this would be the most bang for your buck.
Other quite cheap mods were things like polishing the rocker arms, lightening the cam wheels, later model or Morgo type oil pump, again the list goes on and on

Three angle valve jobs, and black diamond valves are popular head mod's , the heads don't port well though, but some polishing would never hurt.


I have tons of books on this stuff, let me know if you are interested and I'll start getting some stuff into PDF.

Cheers

Drew
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Acceleration is fun, but drum brakes keep life interesting.

[drewseventyone]

Some figures to think about, a road going 70's T140 750 in a reasonable state of tune, (not talking megacycle full race cams here) should be good for mid 60's to 70 bhp, this is comparable to the 865cc Hinkley made twins of the mid 2000's, and the 70's bikes are at least 50Kg lighter!!!

If you can live with vibration, poor brakes and oil leaks they can be alot of fun.

Cheers

Drew
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Acceleration is fun, but drum brakes keep life interesting.

[Scouser]

That's the sort of info I am after, thanks.
What year was ADR and could you get a 750 before that.
I would love to do as much as poss myself, not including the engine work of course, with being in SA what would the rego be like, would it be easier to get a regoed bike and then alter it??

Whats a Trident frame?? I like the idea of possibly a bigger rear tyre.
I basically want to build something like the bike below but with a 750, left hand gear change and possibly forward controls





I also like the look of this, I posted these pics a few years ago on here


Thanks
Dave

[drewseventyone]

T140V started late 72 or 73, compliance is 1975, they were still making right hand shift bikes in 74 & the factory was on strike so numbers are limited.

I'd have to do some research but a 74 LH shift 750 T140RV export sounds like a rare bike to me even in the US.

Even though the push to LH shift came from America, there was a large market for flat trackers, and they wanted RH shift bikes.

another thing to keep in mind is that you can get off the shelf 750 kits for the 650's Morgo and Routts both still make them.

I don't know anything about SA rego, but I'm sure you will find some help on here.

The Trident & Hurricane were the 3 cylinder Triumph's T150 T160, The Bonneville (twin carby) or Tiger (single carby) were the 2 cylinder T120 T140 TR6 TR7, there was even a prototype 4 called the Pheonix that I guess would have been the T170,

Its late, I've had a few beers & this is from memory so this stuff would need some researching

Cheers

Drew
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Acceleration is fun, but drum brakes keep life interesting.

[ShovelShane]

due to the fact that we don't need roadworthies to re rego here in sa it would be easier to get a registerable bike and then modify it once it is all registered in your name, but then you have to take into account that if you get defected any structural changes you have made to the bike without proper engineering approval are pretty much going to keep the bike off the road for good. with that in mind you really need to have any structural changes engineered to cover your butt
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See no Evo, Hear no Evo, Ride no Evo

[Scouser]

Yes I would like to do it all legally

Dave