Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

U) . • ~ a.. ~ 0> .... 00 .... .., .... '" • '" "C CI) ~ lo:l ~ lo:l ..:I t.l >.. t.l By DaD Cottennan • , • In view at the moment is my 1966 Triumph TR6SR Highway 7'fophy model. This more docile of the Coventry-brewed forty-inchels is blessed with a bounty of torque responsiveness, yet will climb into the three-digit bracket on the mph counter with amazing alacrity. Transforming this tumultuous teadrinker into a machine that looks as good as it runs involved swprisingly little financial outlay. The principle ingredients have been .personal effort and a thoughtful departure from the gaudy display of too much chrome. The conservative use of additional chrome plating does not however. convert the TR6 into a bike with that eager. ~ride-away· look. The overall silhouette has been appreciably tucked in through substituting a narrow Triumph Bonneville gas tank for the relatively wide 3%-gallon version that comes attached to the bike. There is every possibility that you can do as I did and find a Bonneville owner who feels that extra gallon or so in tank capacity is going to help him. If so. he'll doubtless swap tanks with you. even up. While you're about it. don't overlook the fact that you'll probably also have to trade ignition coils. In the case of my tank exchange. the coils were too long and too widely spaced to fit uP into the somewhat smaller recess in the narrower tank. Switching coils from one machine to the other is. however, a simple matter whicl) involves only minutes of work and shoul:! not affect performance of either machine since the only apparent difference is in the outward physical dimensions of the coils themselves. A marked improvement in both appearance and handling was brought about when drag bars were substituted for the rather unwieldy • goat hom· configurations that came as stock equipment. An advocate of wide handlebars for over nineteen years, I have become completely sold on this narrower type. I should add that this recommendation is limited to road riding where one is bound to experience some improvement in handling characteristics. Comfort and appearance are served by the addition of button-tuck. diamond pattern upholstery on the seat. Like many another. this custom item is subject to the need for some caution on the part of the buyer. For example, it is a good idea to check whether the buttons are held in place by strings pulled all the way through holes in the metal seat plate. If so. they are likely to begin shearing off in a couple of weeks. Buttons which have been fastened beneath the fabric are better. The change to custom upholstery should cost no more than around $25 if you don't go super-fancy and the reward in personal satisfaction will more than justify the expenditure. A purely-for-looks innovation is found in an easy, though significant. change in the rear shock absorbers. It is a simple matter to unbolt these (with the vehicle on the center stand, of course!). clamp them in a vise and remove the half-moon clips which retain both covers and springs. The bottom covers were hacksawed and ground with a disc sander to a length of two inches. then re-chromed. The springs. too, got the mirror treatment with a pay-off in good looks and no loss of performance or reliability. The only other alteration of a major nature involved substituting mediumlength megaphones for the standard mufflers. While appearance is enhanced. there are a couple of distinct objections to this idea: First. if the removable pLugs are left in place a horrendous mulch of back-pressure will result with a consequent loss of engine performance. Second. if the plugs are removed. the Law 'will exert what we might call a negative force on your fillances. In the instance of these megs both obstacles were overcome by the insertion of machine-slotted ,tUbing which is regularly used by muffler manufacturers as core material. It can be purchased from nearly any custom muffler maker at low cost. cut to size and driven in place after having been wrapped with soft glass matting available from boat shops. This Triumph wound up with a pair of good looking· straight-throughs'· that produce an astonishingly low noise level without undue engine strangula~ion. The TR6 stands as a pleasing contrast of highly polished Ford Mustang red. pussy-cat black and sparsely distributed chrome. Color. of course. is a matter of choice. but this brand of red is both attractive and durable. Furthermore. because it is a plain color - not metallic or ·flake - it is considerably less costly to apply and infinitely easier to re-touch when chipping occurs. That stark. in-motion look isn't exactly summed up in mere terms of substituting narrower tank. bars and so on. It seems best described as an accumulation of little things. The small (3~·) Yamaha looking glass. for example. wit'h Us mounting rod shortened to a minimum so as to avoid the awkwardness of a disc dangling in space. Another of these little things that add up is the shortened footpegs. The footshift. aiso shortened by about an inch, not only looks better. but achieves the convenience of more positive gear changing. Chrome-plated wing nuts which hold the license to its mount. while insignificant by themselves. seem to have contributed their mite to this bilte's aura of sedate luxury. .A motorcycle is a kil.•.you re-make it to your own tastes if you want to rise above the ordinary and anyone with sUffi<;ient individuality to want to go ·custom· will surely have an abundance of original ideas. There is beauty in simplicity. You too can discover that highly desirable middle-ground between P1lr-e • stock· and purely overd0De. / 00 4 STAR TT RACE 00 SUNDAY, AUGUST 2I,lS ei,a.pt6. Speefb#tU/ Brisbane. CalUomia (Acron 'rom Candlestick Park) 100·. U fINANCING OAC ' ~ Open 7 D~rs~ "'~!" OSSA Hoclcie's Motorcycles 22025 S /~ Figueroa Torrance L _ "?~ Phone 328-1142 .... fI4~ DSA -HODAKA-~CUJUU14 II MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS WANTED!! Live in beautilul SOuthern Calir_ nia. work afl year round. Openinp ror three (3) experienced HarleyDavidson mechanics: • 512:1.00/51:10.00 per 40 hr. week • _acce.... ~ ""'" ~ __ available if desired Paid vacation &< sick t~ • Blue Cross Hospitalizatioa • Paid public holidays • Annual prorit-sllarinC "III __ J .. A_~"~ -- -V pmhtl.., Calif. Ph. (707) 753·1151 • Speciaf eIqIIoyees' disco..ts , Moville e_ses ror _ who qualiry, ace 21 to 65. • Modern shop facilities, shop clothinc Full Woe for IlDltaeo - Hodaka - H..da H.a If Petll. . O~ertime ~led free. Write or call collect: . .1 ....-$at. H.'e,-Davldsoll Lo. Anpl... (ltlc:ll IIDdell.. Co.....,) 2531 $II. lIain St., Lo. Anple., Call'. 213-74906235 New Venfillf/ r,f/cl( A.C.A. SHOIT TIAcr lACES AUGUST 28" CLASS "A· ItULES FOIt 5Occ, lDOcc: aad 250cc's. VEJlTUItA COUIlTY FAlRGROUIlDS- QATES OPEJI AT 11=00 A.IL DOI'T .,SS IT'

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