![]() “It was cool, but I wasn’t going to leave it like that because it wasn’t good enough,” Jeff says. Cosmetically, it was rather challenged, too. It really was as simple as that.”Īs delivered, the Triumph was complete, but it appeared somewhat cobbled together in some aspects of its construction. “I asked him what he wanted for it, agreed to the price and asked him to crate it up and drop it off at a Roadway terminal and had it shipped to Canada. “I was able to reach the seller, though,” Jeff says. I emailed it to Jeff, but by the time he’d found it the auction had ended, without reaching the seller’s reserve. In 2007, while scanning eBay I came across a listing for a Triumph drag bike. ![]() ![]() I’ve known Jeff for years, and he’d mentioned to me his interest in locating a period-built Triumph drag bike. Here’s where I play a small role in this story. Not having much success in locating an original example, he was getting set to build his own machine based on a 1/8 scale 1964 Revell plastic model kit of a Triumph drag motorcycle. A flat tracker, road racer and drag bike.” Two out of threeīy the mid-2000s, Jeff had a period-modified Triumph flat tracker and a road racer in his stable but was without the drag bike. But it was my relationship with that 1970 Bonneville that set me on a quest to collect race bikes based upon the Triumph 650 twin platform. “I love that bike and think 1967 to 1970 Triumph Bonnevilles represent the very best in motorcycle style. I’ve owned that bike for 25-plus years, and it gets ridden at least weekly. “During Triumph’s glory years, their 500 and 650 twins were the ultimate multipurpose bikes,” Jeff explains, and continues, “One of my favorite motorcycles in my garage is a 1970 Triumph T120R. Jeff Thompson of British Columbia, Canada, owner of the drag bike featured here, considers Triumphs built between 19 to be the most versatile motorcycles ever constructed. With some mechanical ingenuity and parts from aftermarket retailers such as Webco and Harman & Collins, the Triumph 650cc parallel twin engines could be hopped up to offer tremendous power in a lightweight package. But surely, back in the 1950s and 1960s when backyard builds were common at tracks across North America, one would be wondering if all the components of their machine would remain together at maximum velocity while hurtling 440 yards to the finish line.ĭecades ago, many ambitious drag bike builders based their racing machines on commonly available motorcycles, such as Triumphs. Seat height: 24in at the lowest, 28in in at the highest (609.5mm – 711mm)Ī competitor needs to focus solely on making it to the end of the run, everything else is just a distraction.Tires: 3.00 x 21in ribbed Avon front, 4.00 x 18in rear M&H drag slick.Brakes: Front N/A, Rear 7in (178mm) drum.Suspension: Triumph telescopic fork front, rigid rear.Seek out the ferocious Hayabusa for a mere $18,799 price tag before you add on a few thousand dollars in superchargers and NOS systems. This machine is poised to kill with a luggage hook, frame sliders, and its notoriously poignant rear seat cowl. Ironically this bike is intended for sports touring and comes in a very comfortable package. The modern iteration of the Hayabusa also includes more premium upgrades to the seat, suspension, exhaust, rider modes, livery, and frame weight. With a commonly supercharged and NOS-infused 1340cc engine and duel fuel injectors firing into the heart of this horror, the Hayabusa, named after an attacking falcon, roars its way to victory. This bike is engrained in biker culture as the end is all street races until the following bikes hit the scene. The 'Busa is begging to be ridden at your local track, an airport, or perhaps the nearest highway. You thought we forgot the Hayabusa?! No, sir. The Suzuki Hayabusa is one of the most popular motorcycles in the world
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