Early BSA Chopper Survivor!

I was sifting through a killer photo set of 60's and 70's choppers that Paul posted on his blog, and immediatedly recognized this BSA as an old chop that Ton Up Tim (Trophy Motorcycles) had rescued a while back from the original builders basement in Ocean Beach. He built it in San Diego in 1965 and supposedly, that picture was taken at the "San Diego Motorcycle Show". Check out the rotary payphone in the background! A few things were changed while the previous owner's brother owned it, but the paint and general build style remain intact and this bike will soon be back on the streets of San Diego. Amazing bike!

King of Clubs- Car/Bike Show and Drag Racing!

I know it's kinda late to post this, but it's that time of year- 6th Annual King of Clubs Car/Bike show! Drag racing, music, girls, and booze- good times! My ol lady made the flyer and forgot to put bikes on there (I know...) Hopefully the cool weather will last til this weekend. As always, pre-evo bikes are welcome and can drag race on the 1/8 mile strip. You gotta have a helmet and a leather jacket to run. There's gonna be a bunch of bikes this year- Trophy Motorcycles has put together a Triumph 750 dragster that they're going to run. There's also a trophy for best bike. Trust me- you'll want this trophy!

1955 Triumph Tiger 110 Bobber

If this isn't a Triumph bobber, I don't know what is. A friend turned me onto it, and I drove 9 hours to Nor Cal to pick it up. It's a running 1955 Tiger 110 with matching numbers and the original iron head that was bobbed for racing in the 50's. It's got a Joe Hunt mag, Webco dual carb adapters, scalloped 8" brake, 19" wheels front and back, and an cheesy old flamed Trophy tank. The black plate has a 1969 reg sticker on it, so I suppose that's the last time it was used. The guy said it used to be a race bike with green paint and shamrocks, and I believe him since it's got green paint under the black, and a factory block off plate where the generator should go- no wiring to the lights. Supposedly, it sat in a barn until recently, and the guy needed money so had to let it go. I prefer to bring bikes back from the dead, so I normally don't buy runners, but for the price, I couldn't pass this one up. It should clean up nicely.

You need pre-unit Triumph parts?

Let me know if you're looking for pre-unit Triumph parts- I may be able to help. I recently sold quite a bit of stuff (frames, motors, and anything Wassell), but still have lots of stuff. I'm not getting rid of everything, but I have too much stuff for a 2-car garage. I'm all about trades too, so if you have pre-unit stuff to trade, let me know.

Catalina Grand Prix Footage from the 50's!

I just found out about this from Geoff Patrick that does the American Triumph tech videos. I'm pretty excited about it and I just bought the first available copy and can't wait for it to show up. This is the real deal- an hour of pre-unit racers hauling ass across Catalina island as well as Torrey Pines here in San Diego and other races. Here's the link- http://www.americantriumph.tv/store/

It's been a good week...

As my ol lady always says, "Yes...they're real." I've been looking for a nice Bates seat for a while, but I refuse to pay thousands of dollars for an old seat, or $500 for a repop. Even if it is the last piece of the puzzle for a bike that's absolutely screaming for an old leather seat. It looks like my patience paid off. I worked out a sweet trade for the pleated one, and a really good cash deal on the smooth one. I wasn't looking for 2, but that's how things go. Kinda funny- the same thing just happened with a pair of 1959 Bonneville gas tanks. I've been looking for one for a few years, then found two nice ones the same week. When it rains it pours I guess.

Anyone know the origins of this oil tank?

I've been looking for one of these center-mount oil tanks for a while, and finally found one. It's at least 20 years older than any of the chopper tanks. It's undoubtedly the same kind of tank as Rich Richards was running on his record breaking Thunderbird in 1954. It fits the profile of a rigid Triumph perfectly, and the plumbing, cap, and mounts are right where they should be. The real question is, was this a one-off tank that came off Rich Richards bike, or were these manufactured and sold by an early shop- JOMO? Any info is highly appreciated.