Webby's Triton build

Webby03 · Feb 7, 2011

Hi All,
As I've now got on to the Norton part of my project and I'm starting to ask you all lots of stupid questions, here's the reason why

But first a little history, I finished building a 71 Bonnie in 2009 and started thinking about a new project around December. I started to consider building a Triton, but what frame do you use?, what motor? and a million other questions.

After lots of phone calls and too much time surfing the web I decided upon a unit motor and a wide line frame but not before I considered buying a new racing frame, until I discovered it would be almost impossible to get a title for it, so back to the wide line.

The thought process went on until about June 2010 when I finally bit the bullet and bought this from our forum member here who we all know and love, GPZ!

So now I had an engine to play with, all I needed now was a frame, swingarm, wheels and all the rest!

Webby03 · Feb 7, 2011

So having pulled the motor into tiny pieces so they will all get lost

(Only joking, everything has been labeled and bagged)
I started looking for a frame, I finally found one on flea bay UK in November 2010, it was from "the world's safest motorcycle" a 59 Model 50, it has been modified and raced, but at least it was less for me to do, not bad for 500 quid!

Now I have a frame and a motor, now how do I bolt the two together?

Webby03 · Feb 7, 2011

After a bit of research I decided to fab up my own engine mounting plates, I'm an aircraft engineer so surely there's plenty of 1/4" aluminum plate kicking around!.....er, no!
I acquired the last large sheet of 7075-T73 from the sheet metal shop in exchange for a couple of bottles of whiskey and got to work.

I'd decided I didn't like the Converta plates very much and decided to go with the Dresda style mounts that use the original Norton and Triumph mounting holes and lugs.
Now, there are no Tritons down here in SW France so I had nothing but books and the internet to try and figure out the engine placement, a couple of evenings spent staring at photos on the Dresda website gave me all the info I needed.

I started with the front mounts:

The plate marked out prior to cutting

Both plates cut to size

I had to trim these down quite a bit to get them to fit exactly how I wanted them.

Then it was time to start the rears:
This was the first rough template I made up

The rear plates in progress

Webby03 · Feb 7, 2011

The rear plates (almost) finished and the motor mocked up in the frame.

The oil tank in the photo is a cheap one I picked up on e bay, it's rubbish so I won't be using it, but it's perfect to mock everything up!

Webby03 · Feb 7, 2011

I managed to pick up a pair of Norton short roadholder fork sliders and a Triumph rear conical hub on e bay UK just before Christmas, this saved on shipping as I picked them up when I went to the UK to visit my Father.

What do you do with a perfectly good set of fork sliders? Take the hacksaw to them and remove the fender mounts

Webby03 · Feb 7, 2011

I've been toying with various ideas for the electrics and decided I'd like to run a small battery under the seat hump, but before I can choose a battery I need a seat.

Shame they sent me the wrong one, I'd ordered a 17" long seat and they sent me 21"

The shipping back to the UK would cost almost half of the cost of the seat, so I decided to modify it myself, at least this way I know it will fit!

Now it fits!

Webby03 · Feb 7, 2011

With the seat sorted, now I could mock up the electrical panel and choose a battery.

The frame has a couple of extra mounting lugs welded to the upper rails, I figure I'll use them to help stop the tank from sitting directly on the rails (another idea stole from Dresda!)

Prototype rubber foot

Prototype rubber foot mounted on the frame

Webby03 · Feb 7, 2011

I got bored yesterday, so I fabled up a tank strap rear attachment bracket, I figured as the frame's got a good powerboat job why spoil it, especially in an area in plain view, so I made this hook that will hook under the cross tube

Bracket on the frame

grandpaul · Feb 7, 2011

Glad you got your thread going over here.

THE RACE IS ON!

Webby03 · Feb 7, 2011

That brings me to this evening when I picked this up

A Dresda swingarm

Swingarm loosely bolted up to the frame with the rear hub

A shot from the left side showing the brake stay/chain guard

Now I'm waiting on my rear shocks, brake plate, speedo drive and various spacers etc. to arrive before I can check the chain run and the offset for the rear wheel.

BTW, anyone know if it's possible to fit a 130 section rear tire? I took very rough measurements earlier and although I think it would work, I think the chain would be very close to the tire. Think I'll stick to a 120!

Webby

grandpaul · Feb 7, 2011

As it is, 120 is a lot of rubber that will be sucking Horsepower out of your engine without a decent return on investment!

I'm using 110/90.

Webby03 · Feb 7, 2011

grandpaul said:
Glad you got your thread going over here.

THE RACE IS ON!

Phew! That was hard work, over six months work condensed into a couple of pages!

YES, THE RACE IS ON! hee, hee!

Webby

Webby03 · Feb 7, 2011

grandpaul said:
As it is, 120 is a lot of rubber that will be sucking Horsepower out of your engine without a decent return on investment!

I'm using 110/90.

Thanks for the info GPZ, I think I'll stick with the 120, a 110 would look lost in that swingarm!
BTW, what size wheels are you planning to run? 18" or 19"

I'm planning on 18" as there's a better choice of tires, also because I've got short legs! I've ordered a pair of 11.9" rear shocks they may be too short but again with the wideline frame I need all the help I can get my feet on the ground!

Webby

grandpaul · Feb 7, 2011

At the moment 18" up front, 19" in the rear (the forks are very long, and are slid up the yokes as it is).

I want the bike's attitude to be "neutral"; that is, the top frame rails level with the ground.

Webby03 · Feb 7, 2011

That's exactly what I'm aiming for, you'll notice on my TriumphRAT thread I used a spirit level for everything, even the top of the rear motor mounts should be absolutely level with the ground. I'll be doing this by using Manx stanchions, they're shorter than the other models.

Foxy · Feb 7, 2011

Gday Webby,
great stuff so far mate! I have a long term similar project underway. I definately will be last to complete mine, on a farm theres to much other maintenance and when I have a spare moment the last thing one wants to do is pick up spanners again, but I'll get there. I will be watching your build with great interest!

I just bought IKON 12 " shocks for my slim line, would have liked "Works" items but theres got to be limit as to how much you spend. I also have ground off the fender mounts on the fork sliders for that cleaner look. Currently fiddling with the Grimeca front hub when time allows.

Foxy

swooshdave · Feb 7, 2011

Webby03 said:
The plate marked out prior to cutting

How exactly do you cut plates like that?

pelican · Feb 7, 2011

Nice attention to detail. Looks top notch so far

Webby03 · Feb 8, 2011

swooshdave said:
Webby03 said:

The plate marked out prior to cutting

Click to expand...

How exactly do you cut plates like that?

If I had the proper tooling at home a good band saw would be perfect, but as I don't have a great workshop I used a small handheld jigsaw (the max. thickness you can cut with one is listed at 6mm and 1/4" is 6.2mm ish so you can just get away with it) and then finished off the plates with a rotary file in an electric drill.

Webby03 · Feb 8, 2011

pelican said:
Nice attention to detail. Looks top notch so far

Thanks pelican

There's still a long way to go!

Webby

Webby's Triton build

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