Long Term Thident Cafe Racer Project Coming Up

Burgs · Jan 7, 2019

Hi ALL
I have a post 1970 Trident (4 speed gearbox) engine mostly complete, and a chopped frame that I have for a café racer project, no other parts.
The frame has been cut and shut to a rigid/bobber and is matching numbers with the engine, why he /she did this god only knows.
I am not sure which way to go but as it is long term project (3 other projects to finish first) I have time to sort out what I am going to do, and it will give me time to collect the parts I need.
One thought I have is to retain the front half of the frame for the serial number and make up a new rear end and modify the top half of the frame as well.
There are no forks, wheels or fuel/oil tank so I am open as what to do here.
I would have liked to do a Rob North build but the cost may be too much, I do have an old faring late 1960s to early 1970s that I got when I bought my 1963 650SS Norton that I could utilise.
Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
And I do have a machine shop in the back shed to carry out any build.

Best regards
Burgs

Fast Eddie · Jan 7, 2019

A North is too expensive to build?

£7500 for a complete rolling chassis inc exhaust and fittings seems bloody good to me:

https://robnorthtriples.com/frame.aspx

If you’re the right build, a good North has to be close to motorcycling nirvana IMHO !

Or... you could find an old featherbed and build a DIY Triton.

Or... a Commando frame and built a Rodent!

Or... cheapest and easiest of all... a Trident frame and build a, well, Trident.

But whatever you do, there’s no way to build a cheap triple!

Burgs · Jan 8, 2019

Hi Fast Eddie
Yep the Rob North would be top of the list, I need to check over the engine first as it is an unknown quality and quantity, we bought it as a job lot (deceased estate) it doesn't owe me anything yet as parts we have sold and divvied out between ourselves have made it cost neutral.

There is a rear frame section that may belong to the frame or it may have come from a donor, there is also a spare middle crankcase section that makes me thing it may have had a bit of a mishap, the cases are loosely bolted together, head is complete with valves etc.

I am going to bring it home in the next week so I can start to have a better look, if it is no good I will clean it up and make an ornament out of it!

I am not even sure if there is a gear set and clutch, it's been about five years since I last had a good look at it, I do remember the oil cooler was there.

There are a few Triple Tritons around but I am not really impressed with them, nice but no been there with a 1958 Featherbed and a 1959 Bonny engine, Fibre glass tank and seat back in late 1960s/early 1970s still got the tank and seat, ornaments now.

Not sure I like the Rodent idea, just on the name alone

Trident no, I need a Café Racer in the stable and sourcing all the missing bits could be costly as I have found out in the last two builds.

Yep no cheap way but you cannot beat the sound of a Triple on full noise.

Burgs

Fast Eddie · Jan 8, 2019

You can still do a Cafe Racer with a Trident frame Burgs, think Slippery Sam replica...

Esmerela · Jan 8, 2019

Burgs said:
Yep the Rob North would be top of the list,

Trident no, I need a Café Racer in the stable and sourcing all the missing bits could be costly as I have found out in the last two builds.

Yep no cheap way but you cannot beat the sound of a Triple on full noise.

Hi Burg

If your mad for a cafe racer, why not get a local snake charmer to build you a Seeley replica frame. There are no hideously tight radius bends in the construction. If you build it from CDS2 tube you can tig weld the project.

Burgs · Jan 11, 2019

FE Slippery Sam was something special alright.
I made a couple of racing speedway cars in my time and have a far bit of information of building

motorcycle

frames, so it is not out of the question at this stage, one thing about straight lines I did find out is they don't like vibrations unless correctly gusseted, I have been offered a few lengths of chrome moly though

.

The frame of my little TR250 Suzuki is made of chrome moly and it had cracked up near the steering head, didn't notice it until we went to paint it, talking to other owners and this was a problem with them.

Would like to get my hands on the dimension of a Rob North frame.

I should be able to pick all the parts up tomorrow so I will have a better idea on what I have got myself into.

Best regards
Burgs

Fast Eddie · Jan 12, 2019

Slippery Sam used a stock frame with, IIRC, a raise engine.

I doubt most replica builders bother with the raised engine though, as for most of us it just ain’t necessary.

So, my reason for suggesting it, is it’s an easy and low cost option Burgs.

Onder · Jan 12, 2019

Well I have a stock Trident and a Rickman Enfield. They sit in the garage next to each other. You would think I was smart enough to
have Trident engine migrate over to the Rickman.....

Fast Eddie · Jan 12, 2019

Yeah, but then you’d also be left with a highly undesirable EnfUmph...

Hillbilly Bike · Jan 13, 2019

I've seen old Brit engines in late model sport bike frames...Might be something to think about

Fast Eddie · Jan 13, 2019

Hillbilly Bike said:
I've seen old Brit engines in late model sport bike frames...Might be something to think about

Isn’t that just extreme de-tuning ??

Hillbilly Bike · Jan 13, 2019

Fast Eddie said:
Isn’t that just extreme de-tuning ??

You mean detuning the chassis with a vintage engine?

Fast Eddie · Jan 13, 2019

Well, if you take a modern sports bike and stick a vintage lump in, that’s de-tuning innit!?

Only tongue in cheek though. I’ve seen some interesting bikes built by doing what you say.

Burgs · Jan 13, 2019

Picked up the bits and pieces yesterday, big job if I am going to do anything with it, but.
Engine

Crankcases T150V NK84XXX – is a 5 speed T150V model built in October of model year 1974/75 if I have this correct
Crankcases not damaged as previously thought
Gearbox is still in the cases and haven't had a look yet
Clutch is missing
Chain wheel is a two row version (T160?), couldn't find the engine sprocket, believe can't get this size, 7/16" pitch chain anyway?
Crankshaft I haven't been able to get specifications for the journal diameters but it is in need of a grind, t/s (no.3) ranges from 1.617" to 1.628", No2 1.618" to 1.623", No1 1.619 to 1.622 is 1.625" the original diameter? No. 1 has spun a bearing by the look of it.
All timing gears and oil pump drive gears in place
Mains timing side 1.918 to 1.919" and drive side 1.919
Cylinders standard bore but No. 1 has a big chunk out of the liner, it's most likely do with the damage on No. 1 journal
Rods none
Head looks ok rockers in place but no valves or springs, which is ok as I would have replaced them anyway, inlet manifold is complete

We have loaded up our the trailer for a swap meet, and managed to put the matching frame into the front of the trailer, so I grabbed a T140E frame to see if I could fit the engine in it, it is the frame that had been chopped.
Bit tight but I see someone at least has done it before by tilting the engine slightly forward and I would think moving the front engine mount down a bit.

Also grabbed a set of upside down forks may come in handy, only thing is I don't have a clue what they are out of, 41mm gold anodised thought they maybe of a Suzuki GSX750 as we have a lot panels, tanks other odd bits from a GSX750?

Long Term Thident Cafe Racer Project Coming Up

Lot of thinking to do here, engine doesn't faze me at all.

burgs

L.A.B. · Jan 13, 2019

Burgs said:
Crankcases T150V NK84XXX – is a 5 speed T150V model built in July of model year 1974/75 if I have this correct

An 'NK' T150V would be October '74 build date (an NK T160 is early October '75).

"84xxx"

PK45793 was the last T150 built (18 November '74).

Burgs · Jan 13, 2019

Hi LAB
Yes your correct I slipped up cut and paste trying to work out the serial numbers looked at several versions to finally come with something I could understand.
Edited it to October.
Burgs

Fast Eddie · Jan 14, 2019

Well, if you like upside forks and triple engines...

Burgs · Jan 14, 2019

Hi Fast Eddie
Yeh don't know if I am that keen on upside down, price was good though

although they need to be re- hard chromed.

That's a nice looking bike, not over done either and that's sort of where I am heading.

Here's a T140 Framed T150 engine bike that looks good I reckon, not overly keen on the body work though, engine tilted in the T140 frame looks good IMO, exhausts also, it' three into three and reminds me of the three cylinder MVs, and apparently that was the look he was after.
At least the T140 frame allows room for 3 exhaust pipes and looks a lot stronger than the trident frame.
The frame appears to be a fare bit higher in the back but that could be a bit to do with racing stand it is sitting on.

The chopped T140 frame, I have the bits to restore the rear section.

The centre crankcase came with the bits and pieces, and has a big inspection hole in the front where a conrod jumped out, probably a warning sign too make sure engine rebuild is good one.

Burgs

Fast Eddie · Jan 14, 2019

I’m pretty sure that’s a T160 motor in the picture Burgs. And yes, that body work is bloody awful!

There’s a couple of guys over on http://www.triplesonline.com/ building Tri-Villes. One is a chap called Dave Maddigan who is a bit of a wiz and makes T150 electric leg kits amongst other clever stuff.

You’ve got a LONG way to go though mate...!

Burgs · Jan 14, 2019

Hi Fast Eddie
I find that a hard site to navigate, will try again though.

Yep long way to go thus the title Long Term Project, but there is an old question and that is "How do you eat an Elephant? one bite at a time sir".

I thought there was a note on his site saying it was a T150 engine, and it doesn't have an electric start, from the right hand side it looks more like a T150 than a T160, but I couldn't find a good photo from the right hand side?
Storik is in

Suffolk

UK.

Burgs

Long Term Thident Cafe Racer Project Coming Up

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