{"id":21891,"date":"2012-08-01T10:04:36","date_gmt":"2012-08-01T14:04:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/motorcyclemojo.com\/?p=21891"},"modified":"2020-02-27T13:58:15","modified_gmt":"2020-02-27T18:58:15","slug":"triton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/motorcyclemojo.com\/2012\/08\/triton\/","title":{"rendered":"Red Rocket"},"content":{"rendered":"

England in the \u201950s and \u201960s was an exciting time for motorcyclists. Developments in the British motorcycle industry included, most notably, Triumph\u2019s reputation as a strong runner in the racing theatre, and Norton\u2019s reputation as the best-handling motorcycle on the road, or on the track, after the introduction of the featherbed frame.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no wonder, then, that the builders of specials and caf\u00e9 racers found the ultimate ton-up road machine by blending the best with the best \u2013 merging the driveline of the Triumph with the frame of the Norton. The result was the Triton.<\/p>\n

Growing up in England at the height of the Mods and Rockers era, Ray Roberts always had a thing for the Triton. His brother and all of Ray\u2019s friends were Mods, so it might have been his love of the Triton that directed Ray to the Rocker side of the fence. With a smile and an enthusiastic English accent, Ray said, \u201cThe Triton was a classic from before my time, from the fifties and sixties, but I always wanted one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"image<\/a>A few years after immigrating to Canada, Ray went back to Britain to pick up parts to build his own Triton, and he proceeded to race it in the vintage class for a few seasons.<\/p>\n

However, one Triton is never enough. A race bike is fine for the track, but not so good for road duty. Ray, having some extra parts lying around, got in touch with his good friend and multitalented tinker, Peter Conway. Ray donated a slim-line featherbed frame, some engine cases and the seat, and also had some input into the build. \u201cI helped with a few things, but Peter Conway built the bike,\u201d Ray said. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing this guy can\u2019t do. We used to call him MacGyver.\u201d<\/p>\n

One look at this Triton special and it\u2019s obvious there is a plethora of exquisitely crafted handmade pieces throughout. Making the engine mounting plates needed to graft the Triumph powerplant to the slimline frame is one thing, but providing the exhaust camshaft with a pressurized oil feed takes some real engineering ingenuity.<\/p>\n

Peter made a hardwood form of the fuel tank, and once happy with the design, he then hand-shaped the aluminum tank over it and welded it up.<\/p>\n

The more Ray talked of his friend\u2019s talents and accomplishments, the more excited he got. \u201cHe made the inner chain case and designed a primary chain oiling system that is fed with engine oil. At a certain level, the oil is directed back into the engine\u2019s sump. He even designed and made the oil tank to have a hidden spin-on filter, which is accessible under the seat.\u201d Ray continued, \u201cPeter felt the oil pump (piston-plunger type) was cavitating and not producing enough oil pressure, so he ported the pump as if it was a 2-stroke, and now the bike\u2019s oil pressure is at 80 psi at idle, and it runs on 100% synthetic oil.\u201d Running synthetic oil on a vintage bike is something Ray would never do for fear of it leaking out of every seal and seam, but he says this engine is oil tight and a very strong runner.
\nPeter handcrafted the aluminum swingarm, which pivots on needle bearings, and even went to all the trouble of making the clip-on bars. Ray said in disbelief, \u201cThey can be bought for around $39, but he made these. There\u2019s a lot of work to make those.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Triton runs a competition magneto and uses a Mighty Max battery eliminator for the lighting and electrical system, cutting out the added weight of a cumbersome battery.<\/p>\n

In order to fine-tune the Triton, Peter built a \u201crolling road\u201d with a pneumatically controlled brake caliper and disc so he could get the bike up to speed under load while fiddling with the carburetor\u2019s handmade adjustable main jets. Once the bike was tuned, the rolling road was never used again.<\/p>\n

The only work Ray had to do after assuming possession of the Triton was to move the footpegs a bit forward, as the original rearsets were too far back to be comfortable.<\/p>\n

Ray hasn\u2019t given up on his first Triton, either. After a few years on the track, it\u2019s looking a little sad and needs a facelift, which it will get as he massages it back to road trim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Owner:<\/td>\nRay Roberts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Make:<\/td>\nTriton<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Model:<\/td>\nCaf\u00e9 Racer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Builder:<\/td>\nPeter Conway<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Time to Build:<\/td>\n2 years<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Engine<\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Year:<\/td>\n1960<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Builder:<\/td>\nPeter Conway<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Displacement:<\/td>\n650 cc<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cases:<\/td>\nT120 Bonneville<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Head:<\/td>\nLate \u201960s 9-stud twin carb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lower End:<\/td>\nT120 Bonneville<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Carburetor:<\/td>\n1-1\/8\u201d monoblocks with extended float bowls and adjustable main jets<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Air Cleaner:<\/td>\nNone, Velocity stacks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ignition:<\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\nBTH competition Magneto<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Exhaust:<\/td>\nHand built<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Transmission<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Year:<\/td>\nEarly \u201960s 4-speed Norton<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Builder:<\/td>\nPeter Conway<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Clutch:<\/td>\nNorton<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Primary Drive:<\/td>\nSingle row chain<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Frame<\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Year:<\/td>\n1960<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Type:<\/td>\nNorton slim-line featherbed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shocks:<\/td>\nStandard Girling type<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Modifications:<\/td>\nNone<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Front End<\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Year:<\/td>\nMid-1970s<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Builder:<\/td>\nCan-Am<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Type:<\/td>\n35 mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Triple Trees:<\/td>\nCan-Am<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Painting:<\/td>\nFrame painted in Emron black<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Restoration:<\/td>\n1997<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wheels<\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Front Size:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Builder\/Manufacturer:<\/td>\nStandard British chrome WM2 with Norton Atlas hub<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tire Make and Size:<\/td>\nContinental Conti-Blitz 3.25-19<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rear Size:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Builder\/Manufacturer:<\/td>\nStandard British chrome WM3 with Norton Atlas hub<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tire Make and Size:<\/td>\nPirelli Phanton 3.50-19<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Essentials<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gas Tank:<\/td>\nHomemade aluminum painted candy-apple red<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oil Tank:<\/td>\nHomemade aluminum with built-in, spin-on cartridge oil filter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fenders:<\/td>\nFront homemade aluminum, rear fender built into seat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Seat:<\/td>\nDresda<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Handlebars:<\/td>\nHomemade clip-ons<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Headlight:<\/td>\nStandard 7 inch Lucas<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Taillight:<\/td>\nLucas built into fender\/seat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

England in the \u201950s and \u201960s was an exciting time for motorcyclists. Developments in the British motorcycle industry included, most notably, Triumph\u2019s reputation as a strong runner in the racing theatre, and Norton\u2019s reputation as the best-handling motorcycle on the road, or on the track, after the introduction of the featherbed frame. It\u2019s no wonder, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":21939,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[79,373],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nTriton Motorcycle Featured Bike Called the Red Rocket<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By mixing the best of Triumph with the best of Norton produced the Triton motorcycle. 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