Butch's Triumph 750 Chop
This is my monster. It is a '70 or '71
frame (bolt on front motor mount) with a '75 750, 5 speed motor. Obviously the
bike isn't finished, but man, it is sure a long way from where it started back
in late '94 when I bought it.
I removed the 650 motor
when I found the 750 and sold it to my friend Dumpster. The obvious mods
include a bolt on rear section, and a different gas tank. The not so obvious
mods include a ported and polished head, new top end, the custom machined
Kawasaki 550 Ltd. rear wheel, the Kawasaki Police 1000 front end with dual
discs and a FAT 18 inch tire, the right side brake pedal modified from a late
model Triumph Disc brake pedal, and my pride and joy is the 1939 Pontiac Tail
light. I think that sets it apart from your normal scoot. No matter that I
could have bought about three billet aluminum tail lights… yeah
right… for what I paid for that one, I wanted to have something really
different.
The mirror for any of you who weren't around during the hey day of
chopper mania is a custom cast pewter unit that was available during the early
70s through any of the multitudes of chopper magazines and even at a few shops.
My traditional Chopper values can also be witnessed by taking a close gander at
the peanut tank.
You will notice that the gas cap is molded into the tank. Well, back in the day, there were people who took pride in what they rode, and some of them (companies included) produced tanks like this one. There is a ridge molded into the tank and cap that allows the cap to be turned. The tank has never been run. This is a rarity down here in Texas.
Now, you are probably wondering why a sane chopper God like myself would put a pair of Kawasaki wheels on my prize. Well, I like to be able to stop. The brake surface area of the brake shoes on the rear is exactly twice what a stock Triumph rear wheel has, and well, dual discs speak for them selves, besides, that front end just looks viscious.
Obviously, I am
not into the flash of chrome and radical paint. I do however have a paint
scheme planned for the tank that will look righteous. I avoided the use of
chrome at every turn, and rebelled against having to use the few pieces I have
had to use. The oil tank is new old stock Santee, and unfortunately, the chrome
is perfect.
The bars are a very rare 18 inch rise 7/8ths ape hanger…again, chrome I couldn't avoid. And the foot pegs being chrome is just a temporary situation. My bro Pack Rat and myself will be manufacturing my forward controls out of stainless angle iron, and I will be able to do away with the chrome foot pegs.
The oddball pipes that turn up behind the bitch rack are a throwback to my Bro Badger's first motorcycle, he had a BSA spitfire with those turn-ups on it, and they have remained in our family ever since. I ended up with them through some horse trading and general biker type manipulating. Under other circumstances, I probably would have had the chrome stripped from the entire exhaust system (the front part of the pipes are really nasty) but the history of these turn up pipes I feel, must be maintained, so I will leave them as they are. I may even get a pair of cleaner head pipes to run to make the entire exhaust system at least look like it belongs together. As with every chopper project, this one will never be completed. Changes will occur as I find new things I want to try, but all in all, this is my bike as it will be run. The only major change I see coming down the pike will be the replacement of the current seat with a leather seat that I am in the process of designing. It will be a hand tooled seat with something righteous on it. Below is a sample of my work on a friends seat.
This is a tedious process, so the current seat will be on there for a while.
As the "technical editor" I am always open to ideas on a better way to do things, or even some ideas on custom parts for obscure motorcycles. If you have designed something for your bike that you would like to share with the internet public, feel free to send me the specifics and preferably some pictures of your invention so that we can all share in your imaginative design. Keep in mind that most of everything being done today to "custom" motorcycles was pioneered by people like myself back in the 70's. So fire up yer imaginations and send me some good stuff.