Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Custom Corner A SPEEDMASTER CUSTOM

A late Hello from one of the rookies involved in the Metric Revolution television build off. John, Soren and several others from this forum have been so kind to drop an encouraging email from time to time as I have been busy with a ground up custom derived from a new Triumph SpeedMaster. We had the unveiling in Las Vegas last week and now I am allowed to show my stuff. I wanted to do that first here because of the support.

I suspect this bike will not be everyone's cup o' tea but I ask that you consider the fact that I was fortunate enough to get a crack at this from thousands of applicants and it is my first rodeo. Not my first custom bike...just my first ground up job. The images you see will not resemble your own beloved SpeedMaster but if you take a gander at the powerplant, you will see where the heart is. Study it and you will see what I've done for the sake of custom...and the engineering challenge of it. Yep...keep in mind that I had this one chance to go all out and I wasn't interested in building another retro or bobber or even a Rick Fairless imitation. This is my own original design and as much as I like the bobber and ape hangers that sits in my shop tonight (along with several other style customs), this was my design decision for the show that is to come soon. I simply wanted to do something that has not been done with this great Triumph platform. Big Thanks to Jojje in Sweden which I know many of you will recognize the name. The guy is a jewel.

I call it RATIKUL...and it was well received in Vegas. Now that this is past, I am able to continue on with my next project which is the BootLeg Bonnie frame that Big Daddy has on his frame page at Bitter End Old School Choppers. I had Big Daddy make that frame for me in an effort to give it a no downtube look. For this design, Big Daddy admitted to me that at first, he thought I was crazy. After progressing with the design on the frame, he told me I was a genius. Coming from Big Daddy, that is a large compliment but if he thinks I'm genius material, someone should check in on him from time to time to make sure he is doing OK after the lick to the head. This BootLeg frame has a very low seat height and the potential for a very wide rear tire...I have had a 330 x 17 in there and there is room for a 530 chain using a jackshaft to keep the tire centered.

After disassembling the SpeedMaster, I quickly fell head over heels for the Triumph stuff. If y'all don't mind, I'll be hangin' my hat around here to learn a little more about 'em. Thanks, guys and gals. Be safe.

Carl in Kentucky USA
MoonShineSteel.com

About the pics...

First image I am really proud of...that's Kyle Woods...Triumph's factory rider and stunt guy extraordinaire sitting on RATIKUL...what a great guy.

Second image is the CycleTrader.com crew that worked the Fremont Street Experience unveiling there in Vegas. They were a lot of fun and like most everyone I met there those 2 days on Fremont...some of the nicest people you could ever meet.

Third image I shot here at my small shop trying to ready it for the road trip to Vegas. It just shows a different angle and the other side of the bike. I'm kinda proud of the Triumph name and logo in case you can't tell...it's hand-tooled into the leather seat and on both sides of that new valve cover as well as the belt cover.

holy cow - isn't that something. What the heck is that ahead of the engine?

It's amazing man. I'm a huge fan of this art form and of course of Triumph. I can't imagine it's as nimble in the bends as the original Speedy ???

Hey the motor is backwards!! I umagine the giant thing in front of the pistons is a blower of some sort? You're right, it isn't my cup of tea (altho I LOVe that you went low and long and not high and stretched), but I sure do appreciate what goes into one of these things and I think you did a great job! It's always nice to see something other than a V twin.

Sick Moonshine... SICK!
Keep 'em coming!
I don't see Kyle getting that rear wheel off the ground anytime soon.

Better than anything I've seen on TV. Love the giant Triumph logo.

Oh!! that is awsome ! anymore words would just be chaffe.
That is just simply awsome !

Man, that is completely awesome (not a word I use lightly either)! You have done some incredibly beautiful work there! While I can see the benefit of having the air intake at the front for the RAM tube, I really gotta ask if it was worth the amount of effort involved in turning it around?

I've gotta ask you a few technical questions about this build... just to satisfy my own curiosity. Firstly, how'd you go about reversing the gearchange mechanism? That's got to be a rat's nest of linkages just to get it working normally? And where've you hidden the clutch on this beast? Finally, I can see you've fed the output into what's masquerading as a primary drive cover (beautiful work there btw) but where's it go from there? I can't tell how the drive gets to the rear wheel?

Again, beautiful work.

Hi Carl,

While not a fan of these types of bikes, I can appreciate the engineering beauty. You did an outstanding job on it and I'd love to see more pics, especially some close-ups.

Congratulations and well done!

Wow! What they all said. Outstanding!

Not something I would ride or own but that sure doesn't mean I can't appreciate what you've done. Amazing amount of fabrication there and you've done a fine job. Soooo, there is a friction drive on the azz end? I assume you'll be releasing the conversion kit for our bikes shortly, hehehehe

Keep us the great work Carl, hey, why don't you bring that down to Georgia, pics are great but I know most of us are the "hands on" type. Love to get a better look at it...


Steve

AHHH! So YOUR the man behind the Bootleg!!!
Fantastic design!!
I may just have to hunt you down and chat with you
before I head to see Big Daddy!!
I've contacted him already about doing one of those frames for me!!!
With a few mods of course.
Can't wait to see what you do with it!!!

@ Carl
the yellow one on your HP that you driven ...More Pics ?
BTW ...an awesome well done Bike , wow
PETER

Thanks for coming back by and giving us an update. Like you said, for some of us this isn't our cup of tea, but then one of the big selling points of our bikes is the handling through the curves compared to other cruisers. But I look at it like this is a good thing for Triumph. It gets the brand exposure to a lot of people that might not think about Triumph otherwise. And maybe some aftermarket companies will see the possibilities this bike brings. So thanks Carl for putting our bikes in the limelight.

So how did the voting go? Any word yet on when the TV show will air?

Carl,

Have you considered seeing a mental healthcare specialist about these "wild flights of fantasy"?

Well...if you have, PLEASE perish those thoughts IMMEDIATELY, 'cuz I'D LIKE to see MORE of these fantastic creations o' yours, dude!!!(especially with Triumph engines powering them)

VERY COOL!!!

Cheers,
Dwight

Sal & All,

In advance, apologies...it is a long post but I'll try to cover it here. Man of few words here...yeah, right. ;-)

I appreciate the replies, each and every one, and I completely understand the sentiment that it's not everyone's cup of tea where that applies. It's not going to be my favorite ride but it may very well be my favorite design...at least for now. Sal, you nailed it...it will be an attraction for those that have not looked at Triumph. That's my opinion after what I experienced with the bike unveiling in Vegas. It drew so much interest that my jaws ached from talking and my voice was all but gone the first day. Thanks again for your kind replies.

It does have the engine reversed...you caught that obviously. Many not familiar with this engine did not know that. It looked like it belonged there. There is my own design friction drive to clean up the rear wheel area. I honestly tried to Google some info on a friction drive to save time and there is nothing to be shared out there. So I made my own. How hard can it be, right? :-) Not too bad and I am glad to report, with the limited miles to date, it works out great. No slip and no balance/vibration problems. I'll put more miles on it soon as Jojje and me can get this fuel injection dialed in. I have not had the chance to ride it that much cause I was at my deadline and had to stuff it in the trailer to go to Vegas 2K miles away. I rode it for the event out there and I have put a few miles on it here...it handles great, well balanced and the only drawback is the obvious long wheelbase which requires some 3 point (maybe a 5 point) turn sometime when turning in a tight spot. Not a prob...I'm an old truckdriver shuffling around 80 foot-plus car carriers all over the place so long vehicles and tight spots are my favorites anyway. :-)

It's got the latest tall wheel/tire sizes...23 up front and a 20" tall x 280 out back. Avon's new stuff just out. Matter of fact, when I got this front tire, it was air freighted from the factory in England and word was that there were only 2 in the US and I got one of 'em. Ego Tripp cut my wheel design (the half moon arch shape for the MoonShine theme) from blanks.

Fuel injection and EFI controller...Jojje all the way. I made the fuel rail and put together everything from his advice. The Bosch injectors, the MegaSquirt controller, fuel regulator, vacuum hose routing, one way valves, etc...Jojje is a wealth of info and I cannot say enough good about this guy. He was hands on involved from his place in Sweden via my computer plugged into this bike a couple long nights as we rushed to meet my build deadline. This was for real and it was not made-for-TV drama. My deadline was Sept 4th at midnight...we were frantic in my shop trying to get it to fire and Jojje came to the rescue. I logged him onto my shop computer and after poking around and directing me to check for this or that, we found a ground wire that was mistakenly not grounded and she didn't turn over 3 times till she fired. This happened with about an hour to go until my deadline...after 180 days...it was crazy and definitely not a script for TV. More tuning to be done...haven't found a dyno long enough yet. :-) I'm going to backpack my laptop now that Vegas is behind me and log some data and if Jojje can, I'll have him further educate me on the mapping for this application. Oh yeah, I forgot...I turbocharged it too. An Aerodyne oil-less turbo. Boost is set low but it's capable of more when we get it dialed.

Air ride adjustable front end...the pics show it dropped...it was set at ride height of 4.5".

A percentage of the original frame had to be retained. I chose to use it in various places and not all together. The tear-drop area under the seat that outlines that mesh screen area was your original downtubes and bottom frame rails turned upside down and angled to get the look. Top rear engine mount supports the "blower" style scoop which is actually functional as an airbox/plenum for the boost supply from the turbo to pressurize the T595 Triumph throttle bodies I scored from eBay (thanks again, Jojje). The front half of the scoop is used to house some fuel pump relay and electronics.

Oh yeah...somebody asked about the clutch. This has what is possible the first new Bonneville engine "autoclutch". I worked with a gentleman in Ohio that has been doing these for H-D's, ATV's, etc for a long time and when I sent him my clutch basket to see if we could pull this off, he assured me we were good to go. Put it in and it works like a dream. Didn't even have to adjust it (which is possible to alter the lock up at varying rpm's). Mine takes in at around 1500 and the more R's the more it locks. Your deeper SpeedMaster cover allows the use of this clutch but the narrower cover will not. This cover inside had to be gutted and we closed up the clutch pull hole in top of the case cause we didn't need it anymore. Result is the clean handlebars and the jockey shift is kinda cool. Engine reversed means the shifter comes out right front now...no prob. Custom cut shift rod (RATIKUL) comes back to a cross-over rod that is held in position by 2 blocks...one on top of each frame rail and I cut a couple delrin bushings for a firm, no rattle hold on the shaft. Covered that with a 304 stainless steel cover, clamped the custom cut shifter and it's ready to go.

Internal throttle...made my own stainless hard brake lines in conjunction with short sections of Russell Pro-series line to allow for the drop air-ride in front and the suspension travel.

The bike is all steel...no filler...and like most of your bikes...pics don't do it justice.

Once again, thanks for the initial reception. You guys are fortunate to have realized the beauty of these bikes but you shouldn't keep it to yourselves. :-)

O...the BootLeg frame...I can take some credit for the design but all the credit for putting it together should go to my bud, Big Daddy Al @ Bitter End Choppers. I was somewhat cautious when talking to him at first because I didn't want to ****** him off...I had in mind a fat tired rigid and really a lot of old school guys think fat tires are nuts anyway. I just wanted what I wanted and as we progressed he let me know that if it actually pisses somebody off, he loves doing it. ;-) Al is too cool but very serious about his bikes. Midget's scoot was a real eye-opener for me and got me to looking at the no downtube idea...I already knew low seat and fat tire was where I wanted to go with a lot of rake up front. I'm anxious to get back on the BootLeg Bonnie bike...some cool ideas for it in a completely different direction.

Sal...the voting...I hate all the secrecy around this thing too but I will ask that you keep an eye on the metrictv.com website. I don't want to overstep anyone's authority there. At least the bikes are out now and we don't have to be so secretive about that. I'm sure there will be announcements shortly if not already. I will say this, and not because I am in it, but this is going to be something totally different than what you've seen before in the bike build-off arena. It's about the bikes but it's about the people too...we're all different from different areas of the country and the bikes showed that variation...each and every one deserved to display top honors. That's what made the initial eliminations in Vegas so rough...how can you set someone down that has turned out such a fantastic custom? The 22 bikes on Fremont Street were far and above anything I've ever witnessed anywhere regardless of make or model. I am just blown away to be among such talent...yep...like the kid in a candy store.

Ride safe, guys & gals.

Carl @ MoonShine Steel
Kentucky

Very cool job. I love it. I bet it really hauls azz in reverse eh?
Very unique and stands far above the oCC crap.
Keep up the good work!

@carl
i remember Kodlin ,Fred and his Bikes (look this :http://www.kodlin.com/frameset.htm )
I mean this one is also friction -drive
look at the Model "Shine"
greetz
PETER

Wow, that's soem detailed reply. I knew about your working with Jojje before this thread, but you also sure put a lot of innovation throughout the rest of the bike.

I can see why the Metric TV crew wants to handle all the PR from their gig. I'll make sure I check on their site once in awhile to see when the show will be aired.

Quote:

---

You guys are fortunate to have realized the beauty of these bikes but you shouldn't keep it to yourselves. :-)

---

I know you're just jokin', but it's a running gag around here. When we pull into gas stations and such, somebody is always coming up to us and asking what we call "the usual questions"..."Triumph? Who makes those?", or "You did a good job restoring that Triumph, what year is it?" So you end up spending 10 minutes answering other questions about engine size and whatnot. I think us owners of these bikes do a better job selling them than the dealerships.

So have you planned out what you're doing with the motor in that Bootleg frame? I'm hoping you'll take it to it's normally aspirated limits. Wiseco makes a stroker kit now that'll bump up the displacement to 988cc, but we haven't seen anyone around here take the plunge. I think it'd be cool to see just how much power a stroker kit can produce...probably close to 100hp. Anyways, I'm looking forward to your next project, no matter which route you take.

The stroker kit in the boot leg frame would be cool. You might need the extra torque for that big rear tire.

Sal,
As a matter of fact, I just learned of the stroker kit before Vegas and I already had it in mind for the BootLeg bike. I had an issue with the big-bore kit in the TV build from a local shop and Advanced Sleeve in Cleveland worked a miracle for me...talking with Wiseco through that I learned of the stroker kit. It's the next thing on my menu to get this Bonneville engine torn down and stroke it. No turbo on the next one and I'm going to play around with some carb options. I've done dual Edelbrocks on a supercharger on a Yammie Road Star...I may look into that but the Mikunis are also an option.

I was joking about keeping this secret of Triumph but I got the same thing out west. Guys (and gals) coming to me shaking my hand and thanking me for doing something other than v-twin. I'd tell 'em this is a v-twin...just this time the v is for vertical. Everyone had a Triumph story and I listened to them all....great experience for me and it only solidified my fast appreciation for this bike and the powerplant.

I'm curious what you did to get the power to the rear wheel in the correct direction after reversing the engine. In automotive circles I've heard of people actually reversing the rotation of an engine. Did you do that or handle it within the friction drive?

Bravo! You crazy S.O.*.!
Not only a true GENIOUS but, modest to boot!
I have GOT to hook up with you just to see
if some of it might rub off!
It's not often I stand amazed at a style I don't
like. THEN offer cudos!!!
My hat (if I wore one) is off to you!!!!!


Humm,
Your in Kentucky, Yota is there somewhere.
Seems like yoawl me be from the same breeding grounds!

Well how does the friction drive work? If it is basically another wheel that runs the rear wheel, then it HAS to go in the oposite direction anyway, so it takes care of the motor reversal.

Yeah, I suppose there just has to be an odd number of "rollers", whereas a "normal" friction drive has an even number.

Friar John,

The reversed engine made for the correct rotation...in order to throw the rear wheel forward and have 5 forward gears instead of 5 reverse gears ;-), the reversal of the engine did the job. Not really any problems other than getting the shift point over to the left and that was a piece o' cake. The chain drive was converted to a 1.5" standard gilmer belt (off the shelf Yammie Road Star or H-D pulleys) and I used a 130 tooth Dayco Panther belt...again off the shelf and available anywhere. That drove the jackshaft which is mostly contained in that area under the seat and out of sight except for the left side pulley. When the bike is rolled forward, the belt actually rolls rearward. Besides...intake front and exhaust back...seemed like a good idea too. :-) The turbo placement makes for some toasty testicles if boost is up but I'm gonna further insulate that area. Winter's coming...I need the heat.

Yeah like 1 roller Sounds like the belt/chain/drive is hooked right up to a roller which grabs the wheel. I've never seen a "normal" friction drive so I don't know if what I am picturing in my head is right but I'm guessing...

Privateer,

I've been called a lot of things but you wrapped it up pretty well...Thanks for the post. Genius is not fitting...just a country boy that ain't afraid to screw up a perfectly good motorcycle. :-)

I'm here in southeast KY right on the Tennessee border...across the mountain from I-75 and London/Corbin area...great riding roads. Ever in the area, give a shout.

Right on, Bennybmn...the 530 chain off the jackshaft is directly connected to a sprocket which attaches to the friction roller. I never seen one before either and nobody would tell so I made my own. Unlike the others, I tell everything. :-) This ain't new technology...bush hogs and fertolizer spreading equipment, polishing machines (industrial) and many other areas have used friction drive for years. Mine is an aluminum roller contoured to the radius of the 280 tire and bonded with rubber...soft compound much like what is used for retreading tires. I had some old coal mine industrial supply hands in my area (big coal country)bond the rubber and they assured me it was durable and would not be a problem. After all, they moves thousands of tons of coal via belt conveyors with the same bonded rubber on steel rollers and all I'm doing is hauling my big butt down the road. ;-) It's pretty cool and it was for the engineering challenge of it and I am glad to say it works well and it is rideable. The track on the rear tire is 6 inches wide so I've got a lot of coverage for traction vs a small dolly wheel which I heard a big name builder used on a Discovery Channel bike.

Oh yeah...the rear brake...a 7" rotor was placed on the opposing side of the roller under the seat to slow the roller down so the rear brake is hidden as well. 7" is not big enough for a "normal" bike but it is sufficient here because I went with dual 6 piston Hawg Halter brakes up front on the 23" wheel.

How much does this beast weight in at?

******! is the only thing I can get out once my bottom jaw was somewhere near the vacinity of my top jawbone!
Holy smokes also comes to mind.
I gotta see this thing in person and check out this metrictv show.

Al, we could always make a road trip down there and check it out in person! Very, very cool bike. Although, my little heart would just go pitter pat at a more mainstream chopper with a stroker in it!!! You gotta do it Carl!

Well, I wouldn't have thought of that but it sure did come out nice! Congratulations, and I'm excited to see Triumph getting some attention. These are amazing bikes steeped in history, they deserve it. Nice work.

Figures. The year I don't go to Bikefest . (I'm assuming that's where you were).
Very nice. Good to see Trumps being used for customs.

Very Nice !!!

Hey Moonshine contact me and I will give yoy some info on adapting the Edelbrocks (have to do a little machining).....Angelis

Looks great! Beats anything that comes out of OCC for sure.

Dito!

Nick