Commando -vs- Triton

acotrel said:
I am beginning to wonder about you Yanks. There are enough of you to start a classic road race class and build bikes for it. And you have the money and so much engineering capability to do it with. That Mk2 Seeley frame in the picture I posted above would not be difficult to copy, and there must be a demand for them. Nor would the Norton Wideline Featherbed frame be difficult. You already have guys like Jim Scmidt making commando engine parts, so Steve Maney's stuff wouldn't be hard to duplicate. I believe that all of this business is a matter of critical mass. When it gets past a certain level, it becomes self-sustaining. I believe that the Seeley Condor had great potential, both as a road bike and a racer. The design was never properly exploited, so that could be a way into the game !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXcNgWqHDNw

Kenny Cummings races bronze welded Seeleys all the time. Fairly successfully too!
 
Is Kenny Cummings making MK2 Seeley frames ? What is he charging for them ? I believe a titchmarsh frame is well over $10,000. The last t ime I spoke to Barber Engineering of Attleborough was in a bout 1990 and they wanted about $3,500 for one. A Seeley with a Norton motor is well worth building anytime. The y are a really great motorcycle. As far as riding a racer on the road is concerned, what do you think most of the Ducatis are ? If you want comfort, ride a flat twin BMW - your choice ! I've just been reading about the Rennsport RS225 compressor BMW. It would be interesting to fit an R100 with a zoller supercharger. You'd make all the guys in historic racing laugh with that ! (I think I must have a really bad streak in me)
 
Read this statement without laughing:

A Sportster (anything, fill in the blank) would be better than a Triton.

I knew you couldn't do it.
 
I was looking at the bikes on 'Why Triton' and one had the generator still in front of the motor. My feeling is that the reason to own a triton is because you cannot afford a Manx. A manx is a much better bike beca use the motor is forward, with the cases down between the frame tubes. I raced a Triton for 12 years, then one day a mate of mine gave me a very original 500cc Manx to ride. It was a world apart from my Triumph engined bike. If you got off line with it, you simply gave it more stick. At the time I was fairly fast on my Triton at Calder Raceway in Melbourne. The Norton was about 5 seconds a lap faster, but the Triumph was about 5mph faster down the straights. As a package, a standard Manx is far superior, especially if the Triton has the motor even an inch too far back. If the Triton has 18 inch wheels and the Manx 19 inch , both with good rubber, the Triton handles like a piece of garbage compared t o the Manx. A friend of mine had an old long stroke Manx set up as a road bike, it was not all bad - much better than any Triton. That particular bike is now being rebuilt as a racer, but a Molnar Manx will crap on it , and that is what the opposition have to play with these days. A featherbed frame with a two valve Jawa racing engine is now the way to go historic racing in Australia.
 
acotrel said:
I was looking at the bikes on 'Why Triton' and one had the generator still in front of the motor.

That's the only place the dynamo fits.

My feeling is that the reason to own a triton is because you cannot afford a Manx.

Is "the bleeding obvious" your specialist subject? That reason is exactly why people ever built Tritons.


What is the relevance of the Manx comparison in your story? A Manx was a Grand Prix racing bike. A Triton is a road engine lashed up in an alien frame.
 
acotrel said:
I was looking at the bikes on 'Why Triton' and one had the generator still in front of the motor. My feeling is that the reason to own a triton is because you cannot afford a Manx. A manx is a much better bike beca use the motor is forward, with the cases down between the frame tubes. I raced a Triton for 12 years, then one day a mate of mine gave me a very original 500cc Manx to ride. It was a world apart from my Triumph engined bike. If you got off line with it, you simply gave it more stick. At the time I was fairly fast on my Triton at Calder Raceway in Melbourne. The Norton was about 5 seconds a lap faster, but the Triumph was about 5mph faster down the straights. As a package, a standard Manx is far superior, especially if the Triton has the motor even an inch too far back. If the Triton has 18 inch wheels and the Manx 19 inch , both with good rubber, the Triton handles like a piece of garbage compared t o the Manx. A friend of mine had an old long stroke Manx set up as a road bike, it was not all bad - much better than any Triton. That particular bike is now being rebuilt as a racer, but a Molnar Manx will crap on it , and that is what the opposition have to play with these days. A featherbed frame with a two valve Jawa racing engine is now the way to go historic racing in Australia.

I couldn't agree more, I can't afford a Manx!
You can't get the Triumph motor any lower than about 1" above the lower frame rails (and I've tried!)
Anyone know how a hotted up ES2 would perform and handle? I'm thinking of building a motor once I've finished my Triton (that way I get 2 bikes for (almost) the price of one:))
Also is there really a big difference in handleing between the 18" and 19" wheels? (I like the idea of 19", but my little short legs think different!)

Thanks in advance

Webby
 
acotrel said:
I am beginning to wonder about you Yanks. There are enough of you to start a classic road race class and build bikes for it. And you have the money and so much engineering capability to do it with. That Mk2 Seeley frame in the picture I posted above would not be difficult to copy, and there must be a demand for them. Nor would the Norton Wideline Featherbed frame be difficult. You already have guys like Jim Scmidt making commando engine parts, so Steve Maney's stuff wouldn't be hard to duplicate. I believe that all of this business is a matter of critical mass. When it gets past a certain level, it becomes self-sustaining. I believe that the Seeley Condor had great potential, both as a road bike and a racer. The design was never properly exploited, so that could be a way into the game !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXcNgWqHDNw

My wifes uncle is a foundry engineer, Hmm.. I need to have a talk with him. Swoosh where are those Kenny Dreer molds again.....
 
daveh said:
Webby03 said:
Anyone know how a hotted up ES2 would perform and handle? I'm thinking of building a motor once I've finished my Triton (that way I get 2 bikes for (almost) the price of one:))
Webby

Webby - Pushrod Performance might answer your question. He certainly has them looking the part.

http://www.pushrod-performance.co.uk/index.htm

http://www.pushrod-performance.co.uk/service9.htm

If you ever do this project, I hope you will keep us posted!

Hi Dave,

That's the web site that got me thinking about it in the first place. So the plan is to finish the Triton and then maybe build up an engine to slot in the featherbed for a new project, I've always liked the idea of a big single.

All the best

Webby
 
A jawa two valve speedway engine is a racing engine , not one designed for a road bike. With one of those you would start w here you finished with old British road bike stuff.
 
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