Details
1957 TRIUMPH 500cc 'CAFE-RACER' MOTORCYCLE
Registration No. VKN 668
Frame No. 70043
Engine No. 5T 70043
Engine: overhead valve, two cylinders, 497cc; Gearbox: four speed; Brakes: drum brakes front and rear; Suspension: front, telescopic forks rear, Koni gas and oil shocks.
This Triumph cafe-racer is known as 'Moody Blue' and is a very special machine indeed. In the mid sixties the term cafe-racer was very much a cult trend as owners customised their motorcycles to resemble racing machines and show off to their friends. Moody Blue however has not just been turned into an eye catching machine with merely cosmetic looks.
It is thought that this Triumph did actually compete during the 1960's. The current owner purchased the motorcycle in the early 1980s and has transformed the bike into a thoroughbred of cafe racers with countless hours and years spent to achieve this. The specification has been listed below:-
a) Rolling chassis:
Standard Triumph 1957 frame slightly modified (2in lower) and stiffened. Bolted up with aircraft quality stainless steel bolts, head stock modified to carry front forks on taper roller 'Timkin' bearings. b) Front forks:
Triumph T140 alloy legs, springs hand wound and calculated to rider of 12 stone, adjustable pre load. Hand engineered stanchions held apart by reworked alloy yokes.
c) Front brake:
By Grimeca, 750 MV Augusta Replica twin leading shoe both sides, cable operated and balanced by (hand crafted) lever mouted wivvletree.
d) Rear brake:
1970s type conical hub, lightened and cutaway. Standard action brake with AM 4 linings.
e) Wheels:
Hand built with specially ordered shoulderless alloy rims laced together with finest quality stainless steel spokes-rear offset, front true.
f) Engine:
An all alloy T100 barrel capped with a rare 650cc Bonneville head believed to have been cast by the factory for the racing 500s. Cyanide-hardened steel crank specially made in Manchester. Crankcases were machined and webbed to take extra-large single-lipped roller main bearings and 750cc Bonneville conrods are used. Along with the crank a pair of specially made flat topped 10.1 pistons were balanced by Triumph wizard Freddie Cooper of Greenwich. Rocker gear is polished and balanced, with plain spacers replacing the silencing spring washers in the rocker spindles to cut friction. Norman Hyde valve springs are used with nimonic valves which have stellite tips. Tracks and seats have been opened up. The exhaust port sidewalls cut away to relieve heat build-up and home made carburettor manifolds give an inlet track of 8¾in from needle jet to valve head.
Other features include an alloy fuel tank thought to be a genuine racing part which is fully baffled inside and a hand crafted two into one exhaust system. The bike is finished in deep blue and silver which has been handlined on the tank and seat with Moody Blue signwritten on the oil tank and is quite spectacular in appearance. Two years ago the owner was timed at 125.7mph.
Registration No. VKN 668
Frame No. 70043
Engine No. 5T 70043
Engine: overhead valve, two cylinders, 497cc; Gearbox: four speed; Brakes: drum brakes front and rear; Suspension: front, telescopic forks rear, Koni gas and oil shocks.
This Triumph cafe-racer is known as 'Moody Blue' and is a very special machine indeed. In the mid sixties the term cafe-racer was very much a cult trend as owners customised their motorcycles to resemble racing machines and show off to their friends. Moody Blue however has not just been turned into an eye catching machine with merely cosmetic looks.
It is thought that this Triumph did actually compete during the 1960's. The current owner purchased the motorcycle in the early 1980s and has transformed the bike into a thoroughbred of cafe racers with countless hours and years spent to achieve this. The specification has been listed below:-
a) Rolling chassis:
Standard Triumph 1957 frame slightly modified (2in lower) and stiffened. Bolted up with aircraft quality stainless steel bolts, head stock modified to carry front forks on taper roller 'Timkin' bearings. b) Front forks:
Triumph T140 alloy legs, springs hand wound and calculated to rider of 12 stone, adjustable pre load. Hand engineered stanchions held apart by reworked alloy yokes.
c) Front brake:
By Grimeca, 750 MV Augusta Replica twin leading shoe both sides, cable operated and balanced by (hand crafted) lever mouted wivvletree.
d) Rear brake:
1970s type conical hub, lightened and cutaway. Standard action brake with AM 4 linings.
e) Wheels:
Hand built with specially ordered shoulderless alloy rims laced together with finest quality stainless steel spokes-rear offset, front true.
f) Engine:
An all alloy T100 barrel capped with a rare 650cc Bonneville head believed to have been cast by the factory for the racing 500s. Cyanide-hardened steel crank specially made in Manchester. Crankcases were machined and webbed to take extra-large single-lipped roller main bearings and 750cc Bonneville conrods are used. Along with the crank a pair of specially made flat topped 10.1 pistons were balanced by Triumph wizard Freddie Cooper of Greenwich. Rocker gear is polished and balanced, with plain spacers replacing the silencing spring washers in the rocker spindles to cut friction. Norman Hyde valve springs are used with nimonic valves which have stellite tips. Tracks and seats have been opened up. The exhaust port sidewalls cut away to relieve heat build-up and home made carburettor manifolds give an inlet track of 8¾in from needle jet to valve head.
Other features include an alloy fuel tank thought to be a genuine racing part which is fully baffled inside and a hand crafted two into one exhaust system. The bike is finished in deep blue and silver which has been handlined on the tank and seat with Moody Blue signwritten on the oil tank and is quite spectacular in appearance. Two years ago the owner was timed at 125.7mph.