Triumph hot rod Cafe project

[hacksawsgarage]

1966 Triumph TR6 frame.

[dgrady77]

tease

[hacksawsgarage]

working on it, friend. had to watch basketball.

teasing would be posting an unfinished A10 skeleton for an avatar.   

[dgrady77]

lol!  it's only part A10.  it's mostly C11G.  looking forward to seeing more of that triumph.  our british bikes seem to be pretty rare around here.

[hacksawsgarage]

yes , brit bikes seem to be in the minority here.
i have my thoughts on that, but i will keep them to myself for now.

[dakine_surf]

Jeeze, just rub it in you two    We love the few Brit's that are here, but yes, you are the minority round here... funny how one of the biggest cafe sites in the world is made up mostly of small Jap twins, lol.  Keep the updates coming, I for one will be watchin!

[hacksawsgarage]

this is the tank that will go on the bike.
actually i will use those bars as well.
its mocked up on another project in the pic.
it will have the badges.

i cant find the pic of my fresh painted frame.  so i will post that some other time.

[johnu]

Jeeze, just rub it in you two    We love the few Brit's that are here, but yes, you are the minority round here... funny how one of the biggest cafe sites in the world is made up mostly of small Jap twins, lol.  Keep the updates coming, I for one will be watchin!

When you compare the cost of older British bikes to the Jap bikes I think you find your answer.  Plus of course the Jap bikes are more readily available.

[teazer]

Is that a T120 head I see before me?  And a Hard tail?

[hacksawsgarage]

yes and no.

that motor will go into this project with a single carb head.
the frame was a stock T120 with a BCS plunger rear section. i was in the process of trading both out to a dear pal, whom since passed away.
that frame was still titled to me.
the guy died suddenly, and his daughter was forced to get rid of all his truimphs very quickly.
by the time i found out about it, the family had only kept "my" bike. so i let it slide of course.

RIP STEVE!!!!

[hacksawsgarage]

When you compare the cost of older British bikes to the Jap bikes I think you find your answer.  Plus of course the Jap bikes are more readily available.

well its true that i many cases, cutting up a clean britbike is both morally and financially repulsive.
but with all the basket cases and half built rollers around, it can be done.

depending on the japbike, i wouldnt want to cut one up either. but as i say, depends on the model and year. 1980's bikes may be much more expendable. and less likely to need engine work.

but here is where i will get into trouble.
let me say, i dont care what anyone else rides. enjoy your machines. i'm good with all of that.
now its obvious that japanese machines are what is fueling the  cafe revival.
this happened with choppers a few years back with xs650's and the like. that still continues today to a certain degree. the jap bikes brought in new blood, just like cafe here.
i love the energy that brings.
all said however, i myself, will never put an ace cafe sticker on a japbike.
   

[johnu]

well its true that i many cases, cutting up a clean britbike is both morally and financially repulsive.
but with all the basket cases and half built rollers around, it can be done.

depending on the japbike, i wouldnt want to cut one up either. but as i say, depends on the model and year. 1980's bikes may be much more expendable. and less likely to need engine work.

but here is where i will get into trouble.
let me say, i dont care what anyone else rides. enjoy your machines. i'm good with all of that.
now its obvious that japanese machines are what is fueling the  cafe revival.
this happened with choppers a few years back with xs650's and the like. that still continues today to a certain degree. the jap bikes brought in new blood, just like cafe here.
i love the energy that brings.
all said however, i myself, will never put an ace cafe sticker on a japbike.
   

I agree mostly with what you say.  A couple of years ago though I bought a 1972 Bonnie to build a special from which would have included hacking the frame and all kind of other surgery.  I couldn't bring myself to do it so I sold it!!  My dad would've done his nut anyway if I did it, he is a Brit bike restorer  Gold Star, Velo, AJ's he just loves em.  I grew up riding in the late 70's early 80's so I like the older Jap bikes and I have no problem with Jap cafe racers.  I actually bought an XS650 a while ago which I was going to turn into a tracker but the thing weighed a ton so I got rid of it.  I am currently working on a 1972 T500 Suzuki which I am turning into a cafe/custom/track bike.

Good luck with your project!

[dgrady77]

Hey, sorry, I didn't mean to get this thread off topic.  It was just an observation.  If anything, I was feeling kind of left out.

Anyway, how's this hot rod cafe thing coming?

[Swagger]

Mr.Garage...where are you located? A couple pics look familiar to me.

As well, regarding your Ace sticker vs. Japanese bike, you're off base mate. While under engineered, leaky, poorly lit and ill performing Brit bikes were the norm in 1960's London, there was already an influx of Japanese bikes some of which were part of the scene back then. Remember that it was about cheap ass bikes so any thoughts of 'purity' are a little silly.

That being said, my main ride is a Triumph SuperIII.

[hacksawsgarage]

i am in hamden, ct.

i dont mind a thread going off topic. it maybe a week or so before i get more done on the bike.
so let me say again, i dont have any issues with jap bikes and the folks whom are into them.
i started on them. i currently have an H-1 i might do something with someday.
i also respect the fact there is so much enthusiasm over the japanese cafe bikes.
god bless them all.

but i still hold certain things to my own personal sense of propriety.
for instance, sportster tanks on brit bikes. thats a huge no. (and i own sportsters)
so i dont care how many benlys were putting around london in 1962.
honda, and i doubt bridgestone or any other jap company, had anything more than 305's at the biggest until the black bomber 450.
i had a 1964? superhawk, and it wasnt gonna do the ton.
besides, the best i recollect the 59 club is 1959. and no japanese bikes i ever saw in pictures of that era.

now i am not arguing a case against anyone doing whatever they wish. beleive me, i am nota purity guy. my bike wont be pure cafe by any means.
i am only referring to my own sense historical propriety. untill i see a vintage picture of a Speed Twin motor stuffed into a YS pressed steel frame, i am keeping my veiw.

i knew i would catch flak on this. sorry about that. but please rock on!!!!!!
keep in mind that when i started on bikes in new england, i rode japanese. this was 1970 and up from there. we didnt have cafe lifestyle then. the bikes we had, even if equiped with rearsets and faired, were more club racers. modeled after the guys whom road raced the old  Laconia track. we were hippies on kawasakis, smoking up the neighborhoods in more ways than one.
britbike guys were a different breed.  they were either chopperheads or AMA straights.
so i didnt come to brit bikes and discover all the cafe stuff associated with that untill the later 80's.
of course i also got heavily into Vtwins in the mid 70's, lol!