It's Better in the Wind

Scott G Toepfer's short film about "doing what you can with what you have."

Specila Scrambler Kit by Mr MARTINI

Hinckley Bonneville by Sparks

Found of Return of the Cafe Racers, Belgian outfit Sparks Bonnie Cafe Racer. Great first build.

from straightspeed.

TRIUMPH T100 SPRINT BIKE

One of the UK’s top custom and vintage motorcycle builders is The Baron’s Speed Shop, based in South London. They’re famous for their meticulous work on old British iron, both unit and pre-unit—plus the occasional custom build for personalities such as Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman.

This 1953 Triumph T100, however, is extra special. “The inspiration came from Bobby Sirkegian’s ‘Pretty Boy’ Triumph,” says Baron’s Dick Smith. “The bike is designed to compete in the Vintage Motorcycle Club’s sprint events held around the country.”

Baron’s started by working on the rigid frame, a factory item but with the lower rails stretched out a couple of inches. The motor has been very heavily reworked, with a lightened and balanced crank, billet conrods and 9:1 pistons. It’s also sporting lightened timing gear and the ubiquitous race-spec Triumph E3134 ‘Q’ cams. The magneto is an authentic Lucas racing component.

Fuel is fed by twin Amal Monobloc carburetors, with rubber-mounted remote float bowls. Spent gases exit via race headers mated to factory 3” megaphones. An uprated clutch handles the extra power, and being a sprint bike, it’s fitted with a close-ratio gearbox. A vintage Smiths chronometric tach monitors revs up to 10,000 rpm.

Rims are valanced Akronts, 21” at the front and 18” at the rear. The hefty Racemaster slick comes from M&H Tires, the company that “Wrote The Book On Traction.” Other neat touches are a modified Wassell aluminum rear fender, a custom fabricated catch tank and braided lines throughout. The peanut tank from Lowbrow Customs is one of the few ‘modern’ pieces, but fits the bill perfectly.

If you’re in the UK, keep an eye out for this machine at upcoming sprint races. The rest of you will have to content yourselves with the other fine builds on The Baron’s Speed Shop website andFacebook page.

With thanks to photographer Gary Margerum.

MOONEYES 1964 TRIUMPH

Since the 1950s, Mooneyes has been at the heart of Californian custom culture. It’s now an international brand, with a huge presence in Japan and a reputation to live up to. So when owner Shige Suganuma decided to commission a bike for himself, he turned to one of the best: Master fabricator Lucas Joyner, founder of The Factory Metal Works.

Joyner turned Suganuma’s concept into reality. Nicknamed the ‘MQQN Machine,’ the bike is constructed around a 1964 Triumph 650 unit motor. Mooneyes makes some of the classiest components around, so Joyner started by raiding their catalog for parts.

The frame is a work of art: the front section is a custom-fabbed loop, hooked up to a stretched Mooneyes hardtail. That vertical oil tank is a modified Mooneyes item, and so are the bars.

The stock Triumph gas tank has been narrowed and ribbed, and sits ahead of a TFMW vintage-style solo seat. The wheels are especially beautiful: at the front, a 1961 Triumph Tiger Cub brake hub is laced to a 21” rim shod. At the back, a pre-1970 Triumph hub is laced to a 19” rim.

The tires are vintage Avon Speedmasters, 2.75” at the front and 3.50” at the back, and the exquisite paint is by legendary pinstriper Bill Carter.

The result is one of the coolest vintage Triumphs we’ve seen for a long time. A class act from two men at the top of their respective professions.

Images by Fran Kuhn.

from BIKEEXIF

TRIUMPH T120 BOBBER

These days, you don’t often see hardtails getting thrashed around dirt tracks. But this Triumph T120-based machine is not only a daily rider, but also throws up rooster tails on a regular basis.

The bike is owned by a French BMX rider who now runs a surf-and-moto shop in Toulouse. Christophe wanted a hardtail Triumph bobber and was looking towards the USA for the build. Then Vincent Prat of Southsiders MC intervened, and suggested that the bike could be built in France.

In short order, the motor, forks and hubs were sourced from a Triumph T120. After a rebuild by French engine guru Henri Lao Martinez, local custom builder Momo installed the motor into a frame fabricated by Factory Metal Works in the USA.

Everything else extraneous was stripped from the bike, and as befits a machine built for “go”, the rubber is eminently practical: Dunlop K70s on 18” and 19” rims.

Head over to the Southsiders MC site to see more glorious images, including the Triumph in action.

Photography © Guerry & Prat Images.

from bikeexif.com

HAMMARHEAD INDUSTRIES SETS-UP SHOP IN PHILLY’S BOOMING FISHTOWN

James Hammarhead and the rad Hammarhead Industries ’Ninety-Two’ Triumph Bonneville.  –Image by © Jon Patrick

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The last time I saw James Hammarhead and crew was at the Hammarhead x Dunderdon collaboration event at the Dunderdon SoHo shop– where he put the finishing touches on the 2008 Triumph Bonneville that he Hammarhead-ed to perfection. It was time to get to Philly and check out the new Hammarhead Industries shop that is taking shape nicely in Philly’s up-and-coming Fishtown. I was shocked– you couldn’t shake a stick in Fishtown without hitting a hardhat. The amount of rehab and construction happening is really inspiring to those who love Philadelphia and have been waiting for the sleeping giant, and the birthplace of our great nation, to arise from its slumber.

Hammarhead Industries is set right in the thick of it all– snuggly nestled-in on Frankford Avenue next to Lola Bean Cafe, and Stephen Starr’s new BBQ joint is opening soon within a stone’s throw. The Hammarhead Industries new shop is exactly what you’d expect– clean as a whistle, industrial in a modern sense, and all business. The front of the space is currently being readied for a retail installation where they’ll sell set-up shop for cash-and-carry wares. The large open center is where the bike-building magic will happen, and the back-end is command central. James showed me around, and we saw a few surprises and made a new friend, Sam, who’s new to the Hammarhead crew and a helluva guy.

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James Hammarhead at their new Fishtown Philadelphia shop with the ‘Ninety-Two’ Bonneville that’s about to be crated. –Image by © Jon Patrick

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“It’s gonna go like hell…” James Hammarhead showing off the new Fishtown shop and a few projects. –Image by © Ashley Smalley

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Hammarhead x Sailor Jerry x Ural collaboration, Solo-X — check-out the subtle branding on the tank. –Image by © Ashley Smalley

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Hammarhead’s Solo-X Ural– the tough, old-school sensibilities of the Ural bike come shining through. –Image by © Jon Patrick

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Moto Guzzi sent the Hammarhead Industries crew this lil’ beauty to play with– do stay tuned for more… –Image by © Ashley Smalley

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James Hammarhead showing off the front of the new shop that is being readied for a retail installation. –Image by © Ashley Smalley

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Where was this lil’ bad boy when I was a kid? –Image by © Ashley Smalley

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So, this is how I came to meet Sam– checking out his old Harley-Davidson XR-750 tucked in the corner… –Image by © Ashley Smalley

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Here’s Sam’s old Harley-Davidson XR-750 flat-tracker– turns out that our Sam is also a hardcore AMA racer. –Image by © Jon Patrick

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Sam mounted the ‘Ninety-Two’ Triumph Bonneville for one final spin to make sure it was tuned to perfection… –Image by © Jon Patrick

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After a few wheelies down Frankford Avenue, our Sam spots and picks-up a lil’ gal who works at the Lola Bean Cafe next door… –Image by © Ashley Smalley

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And it’s back to work for Sam, as the Hammarhead ‘Ninety-Two’ gets some final prep for its new home. –Image by © Ashley Smalley

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Hammarhead Industries website

from theselvedgeyard.

SALON MOTO LEGENDE : TRIUMPH