Recently our cult had it's monthly sacrifice in Eastern California, so naturally I made it a point to attend. It turned out to be a rather dull event, as the sacrificial maiden was well over 40, not a virgin, and was tired enough of this life to not make much of a fuss of the event. With pretty much no fanfare, that event was put behind me and I wound up over the border in Nevada to check out an old Triumph.
It was a 1967, and I have decided to add it to this blog in hopes of playing the role of "Motorcycle Archaeologist" So here are a few things worth mentioning.......
Starting off, one must first put their heads back into a circa 1967 frame of mentality. Back then, the chopper phase was really starting to make a strong movement. Often headlights and taillights were swapped out for a more smaller and custom type style. Then next step would be to extend the front end with 6 or 8 over tubes, a smaller peanut type tank thrown on, shocks switched to hardtail struts, and the seat and exhaust both traded in for something very long and wild looking. With that frame of mind in your head, it's time to look over what is sitting right in front of you today.
Starting with the numbers, both frame and engine indeed check out to be 1967. The paint seems to be 1968 style of blue and silver, where as the "book" calls for a mist green colour. Well, depending on exactly when it was built in the factory, there is a chance that the tank and rear fender actually left the factory with this bike. Looking at other points, my guess is that it is about 85 to 90% stock per its' original build. Some of the details to look at are: Matching frame and engine numbers, the stamps on the engine cases belly side are both matching- indicating that the cases are a matched set and everything here left the factory in one piece. To help ascertain that this was mostly all factory, other details were needed. In 1967, at that point in time, an immediate clue is that the original cheesehead screws holding the timing cover in place had not been switched out for the allen head type, a change that often occurred on the owners end within a few years. Other little and insignificant points that lead to the estimation of the bikes' originality include the clamps around the rubber boots on the front forks, the metal clips used to secure wiring to the frame, and larger details such as the headlight with all of it's warning lights and amp gauge intact, (often swapped out back then for a cheaper aftermarket version), the sticker still on the speedometer, the original Lucas taillight, the correct Triumph passenger pegs, the lock in the steering fork, and overall the extremely minimal addition of American thread nuts and bolts. Although the primary cover is missing, the alternator itself is of the non encapsulated type, leading to the correct vintage for this year. Under the seat, the battery box, oil tank and side cover are intact, showing no wild changes to a Harley type oil tank. Wiring though out is clean with proper Lucas end pieces, another clue that electrical has not been fucked with too much. Even the side cover and ignition switch are correct for the year. Handlebars and switch gear are all correct and blessed by Lucas, the prince of darkness, again often swapped out for 10 foot tall ape hangers back then.
Another basic starting point is the license plate. Although it is of the 1969 and later blue variety, there is a possibility that the bike was not purchased until late 1968 and wound up being registered with a first time plate being of the blue and gold, rather than the earlier black and gold. In either case, the year sticker is 1975, showing the last time the bike was registered was perhaps sometime in 1974- a span of 7 years since being built at the factory. As a road type model, this is a short span of time and in the hands of someone who wasn't into the chopper scene, it would have still been a relatively new and low mile bike that was not in need of repairs at that point in time. (Speedo indicates about 25,000 miles, still within range of no major repairs yet needed.) As the basic over view is continues, notes should be taken of the bolts themselves, seeing if the heads have been rounded by use of a poorly fitting American sized wrench on a Whitworth headed bolt. Not too much of this is visible, telling me that it had not been horribly attacked by a neanderthal mechanic with the wrong (non Whitworth) tools: most of the bolt heads had not had a wrench on them since leaving the factory. The wiring harness seems to be wrapped in black tape, yet closely follows the lines of where an original harness would be routed- also there are little if any cuts to it and other wires spliced into play. Sadly someone has switched the head for a Bonneville twin carb type,- another let's make it faster mod of the time. With all of the points added together, the basic machine appears to be a relatively unmolested 1967 model.
So why is it dead? I have determined that the last registration date is 1975 by the license plate, so it probably hasn't been on the road since about that time. Thankfully it was found in Nevada, so not much damage due to a much drier yearly climate, even if stored outdoors. I was able to shove a wrench on the crank and turn the engine over, so no seized motor at 70 miles an hour! A sense of intuition comes into play, and looking at the clues I'll take my best guess. When I bought it, the last owner told me he had to put the trans gears back into the case, As we can see, the clutch basket is removed , the chain and chainguard are off, and there is no primary cover. My first major clue is the hunk missing on the left case just where the chain would have fed into the cases to run on the transmission drive sprocket- a thrown chain. This in turn with the rest of the bike looking so original leads me to believe that some idiot had enough money to buy the bike new, but knew nothing about basic maintenance- chains stretch within 1000 miles, and if not looked at regularly will cause exactly this type of damage. Looking at the axle nuts, they don't have much wrenching done to them, and although the adjusters are set set different lengths for each side of the wheels, neither is pulled all the way back to the end, leaving the possibility that the chain was not well adjusted and cared for. With the trans gears having been put back into the tranny by the guy I bought it from, I will even venture to surmise that the chain was so slammed into the engine case that to remove it someone had to pull the mainshaft to enable the trans drive gear to have enough wiggle to finally get the chain back out. So in a quick summary, I tend to believe that back in 1975 a not so mechanically inclined owner had the bike, rode it, and locked the chain into the case from lack of proper maintenance.
I'll see what progresses over the next few months, I've gotta open it up to check the crank sludge tube anyway, so this will give a more thorough look at the inside of the motor.
