This photo’s a little artsy but we will let it go. Tom’s 1970 Triumph 100C is a reminder of that age just before the Japanese came in and deaded shit, to use Ja Rule’s phrase. He also has a ’77 Yamaha RD 400 and a late-model H-D Sportster 1200S.
If you haven’t sent in your bike photos now… please do so. I’m thinking we can carry this all the way through October!
Love the front drum brake!
Classic. The RD reference reminded me of my friend’s RD when we were kids. He had a 175 Yamaha and I got my SL350 Honda. He got the RD and of course we raced. I could pull him in the first three gears, then he was GONE. And he had far, far, far better brakes then I did too.
Never had a Triumph. *sigh*
The drum brakes on my dad’s SL350 never felt like they were very strong. I’m glad it wasn’t just me.
Never had a Triumph. *sigh*
Plenty of time to pick one up!
Gorgeous bike! The drum front brake looks good but dangerous.
What a great time for a Ja Rule reference. After this last string of terrorist attacks, I needed Ja Rule to help make sense of all this.
The drum works very well, I’ll have you know. It’s a larger one than found on other triumphs of similar vintage. 7″ I believe. …twin leading shoe.
On the RD, when it’s not in boxes from a 5 year long rebuild, it’s hard to keep the front wheel on the pavement. Magnificent in the twisty stuff.
Drum brakes work fine.
Once or twice.
If they don’t get wet.
On a level grade.
If it were much heavier or faster, I’d be less comfortable. It only weighs about 300 lbs. I certainly wouldn’t trust drums on a 500 lb bike…
I had one of these ~ a 1967 T100C .
It has been assembled out of spare parts (cherry picked) so it looked great but was a true ” BITSA ” . had a rebuilt engine and ran strong but was geared low so the single carby didn’t make off - idle performance suffer .
The flip side was that by 50 MPH the poor little 500 CC engine was howling and it’s not a Jap bike that’s O.K. to rev. to the moon so it wasn’t my cuppa tea no matter how glorious those twice pipes sounded .
Nothing sounds like a parallel twin and being a real Trumpet is icing on the cake .
FWIW, those Dual Leading Shoe brakes can’t get wet in the rain and they only fade on the Race Track where you’d best have a proper disc brake anyways .
This sweet Moto brings back some fond memories .
I traded it and an M1 Garand for a 1968 BMW R60US, a bit slower but a vastly better bike I rode the living snot out of without worrying about frying the pistons in 20,000 miles like you do in vintage Trumpets .
Yes these shake like paint mixers and the seat is truly an ” upholstered brick ” but the fun is off the charts on this bike .
-Nate
Nate, I think we can be friends. I completely approve of your trade. I’d do the same thing depending on the condition of the M1 (and the bike….)
I’ve always wanted my very own copy of “the greatest battle implement ever devised”.
“Your comment is awaiting moderation.”
_NOW_ what ?! .
No bad words or anything…..
-Nate
Not sure what’s going on. I found and approved all the comments
WordPress is crazy, yo.