– the new Triumph Trident has arrived in Chicago and have already sold out at Motoworks. I haven’t seen one in person yet, but will no doubt see one darting around the urban environment.
March 25, 2021
Port & Starboard
– Blueberry speedwagon. Sharpened tool for knife edge track performance.
January 30, 2020
Pocketed Brass
The Great Pretender | “Let’s talk with Pete Farndon. When he’s not playing his electric bass, you can probably find him on his bike.”
Bassist from the original line up of the English American rock group The Pretenders Pete lived life in the fast lane on his Trident.
November 20, 2019
Take Flight
Percy Tait (1929-2019) – when it comes to the history of Triumph motorcycles one man is noted in the very foundation of that company. Beginning his career with Triumph as a 21-year-old factory worker he quickly rising in the ranks and started racing for the works team on the latest machines. It is reckoned he amassed over 1,000,000 miles test riding cutting edge motorcycles under the engineering eye of Doug Hele. As well as Grand Prix races he took part successfully in Isle of Man TT competitions. 750cc triple Slippery Sam is one bike that is forever connected with Percy. In his later career he went on to develop the 500cc Suzuki GP bikes for Barry sheen. In retirement he became a champion sheepsheet breeder. A giant of the history of British motorcycling, Percy Tait sadly passed away last weekend. at the age of 90.
August 24, 2019
Five for Fighting
Pentagon | an errand in the City allowed me to drop my new panniers off to Johnny Scheff’s Motoworks to have their looks keyed to my ignition key. The new Triumphs looked splendid in the August sunshine. The current line-up are all cracking looking bikes.
July 26, 2019
The Avengers
Kinky Boots | As Patrick Macnee (John Steed) & Honor Blackman (Cathy Gale) sang back in 1964:
“Full length, half length,
Fully fashion calf length,
Brown boots, black boots,
Patent leather jackboots,
Low boots, high boots,
Lovely lanky thigh boot,
We all dig those boots..”
Nice Trident & Commando too!
January 10, 2019
Vignette
Miniature Portrait- Before the advent of photography people would have a small painting of their loved one prepared and mounted in a suitable pendant. Here is someone’s rendition of a Triumph Trident T160.
December 5, 2018
How many sugars luv?
Three lumps please pet. Here’s a splendid cafe hybrid set up in the grandest of traditional style. A three cylinder Trident shoehorned into a Norton featherbed frame. Ray gun silencers, rear-sets, clip-one, alloy rimmed 19″ wheels and a muckle tank. The stern looking owner looks the part too! Leather vest badged like some knights chainmail armour. The white silk scarf completes the cafe racer ensemble to grand effect. I bet this machine can move!
December 1, 2018
A foursome of quarters
Passage of Time – I’ve decided to clean up this blog a bit. By subscribing to the WordPress platform I eliminate the daft ads that appear at the bottom of the page and get a dedicated address. Put it in yer favorites for an occasional dabble down the rabbit hole of the 2,800 or so posts… that eight years worth…
Look out for further improvements in the New Year!
August 8, 2018
Forked Tongue
Chopper Wednesday – stretched and wrung out: these Brit iron have been chopped into next week. Including a rosy red hardtail Trident with double decker headlight and stepped king and queen seat, as well as a ape hangered Bonnie with taller than an elephants eye sissy bar seat with quilt buttoned saddlework. The Norton in the lower right frame could be restored to original fairly easily but you’d be brave to keep the flamed tank.
Easy Rider? Sure ask Captain America for directions!
July 24, 2018
Twanen
When Two is Three – more paired motorcycling capers with a couple zooming along aboard an early BSA Rocket Three. The anorak jacket emblazoned with the marque logo gives the image period quality.
July 15, 2018
Proper Job
Road Racer – sharp corners and hard stone walls. It’s the TT circuit on Man’s Island in the Irish Sea. This is none other than the Kirmo Kid Guy Martin taking a Triumph Trident through its paces under leaden skies.
June 25, 2018
It’ll buff out!
Rocket Three B&W – seem better days and in need of TLC; this 1970 BSA Triple is languishing at Ed Zender’s. A decent project for some unsuspecting soul willing to trade sanity for the chance to own a fairly rare motorcycle.
June 17, 2018
Orange is not the only fruit
Hurricane – in an attempt to win over a flagging US customer Triumph and BSA employed industrial designer Craig Vetter to create bodywork for the new and fast triple that would appeal to the American market. Though a BSA Rocket Three at heart, by the time the X75 was released it was emblazoned with a Triumph badge. The deep orange with yellow swoosh are inspired with an hourglass shape that provides a sexy line to this muscle of a motorbike. Triple stacked silencers on the timing size are keenly futuristic. This example was built by Ed Zender for a customer. He says it runs well with a powerful and tight power unit. In the sun it’s a sublime example of a special British motorcycle.
May 17, 2018
The Rocket
A Full Head of Steam – Fill the boiler, stoke the fires, crank the flywheel, spin the governor. The Age of Steam Power fed the Industrial Revolution the explosion of society that would eventually become modern times. Some inventive folk like to adorn Victorian garb and assume an air of a contemporary age still driven under James Watt’s engines. Steampunk! Here’s a custom Triumph Triple set up as as if it were a 19th Century era Motorcycle.
