Concours 2014 - Triumph

Concours - June 2014

Members & their motorcycles

The winner in the Classics category

The Legend displayed here is one of only 61 made if you include the prototype. It is not officially a Triumph model as the factory didn't build it. It is the creation of Les Williams, who was an engineer and race manager for Triumph from the 1950s to the 1970s. Like many of his colleagues at the time, he lost his job during the 1976 collapse, and so started his own company, called "L.P Williams" to sell parts for the BSAs and Triumphs of the day. Les was not only selling standard parts, he was also offering upgrades such as dual front disc brake kits and Mikuni carb conversions. Using his knowledge from his years working for Triumph, he was also building race replicas of the famous Slippery Sam, the 750 triple which had won five TT races between 1971 and 1975, as well as the Bol d'or at Le Mans and the Daytona 200, both in 1971.

Originally a side venture, between selling spares and building replicas, Les turned his mind to the Trident with a view to creating the best "street bike" money could buy, by "fixing" the errors made by the factory when developping the BSA Rocket 3 and the Triumph Trident. In the early 80's, he built a Trident for himself, using some of the best components available at the time, and called it the Triumph Legend. Some of his customers saw it and, of course, asked Les to build one for them. So between 1984 and 1992, he built 60 more Legends, a motorcycle that sounds like a T160, but rides and handles much better.

Given the rarity of these bikes, the difficulty in servicing them due to some one-off components (like the pipes), and the high value they fetch on the market, it is a credit to Ralph that he rides his, whilst keeping it in showroom condition. A deserved winner in the Classics category.

The winner in the Hinckley category

Steve's motorcycle started life as a standard 2005 Thruxton. However, the list of modifications is quite
extensive, as you can read below.

Mechanical Specification:
Wiseco forged aluminium high compression pistons and cast iron liners.
Bore 92mm +6mm oversize, Stroke 68mm. Displacement: 904cc
Camshafts re-profiled for higher lift and longer duration.
Keihin FCR 39mm flat-slide race carburettors with open velocity stacks.
Modified Airbox.
Cylinder head gas flowed, ported and skimmed (10.8 to 1)
Fly wheel balanced and lightened -440g.
Heavy duty (+10%) clutch springs.
Predator stainless steel race exhausts. (supplied by British Customs, USA.)
Norman Hyde steering damper.
Drive sprockets changed from 18/43 to Renthal 19/41.

Cosmetic Specification:
TAB II Classics Alloy Sprint Tank & Seat Cowl
8 Ball Custom Paint Job – Circular Grind Effect
Alloy Monza fuel cap.
Aprilia RSV-R Front Mudguard.
Rear mudguard replaced with Fender Eliminator.
MAS Engineering aluminium chain guard.
Full HID Xenon Headlamp Conversion
LED indicator lights. (Supplied by Oberon)
Billet aluminium LED rear light. (Supplied by Motrax)
Triumph Speed Triple bar end mirrors.
Pazzo Adjustable Levers.
Motogadget  motoscope tiny 49mm analogue speedo.

Rolling Chassis Specification:
2 x Brembo 4-pot calipers, Galfer Floating Discs and pads with Goodridge Hoses.
Radial front brake master cylinder with Triumph black anodised reservoir.

Maxton Suspension
Front End – Aprilia RSV Mille Showa USD Forks with spring preload and
adjustable rebound / compression damping.
Rear End – MaxtonTwinshocks with alloy bodies with externally adjustable rebound damping and pre-load, sprung to match rider weight.

Wheels
Standard Front Rim 18"x2.5"-100/90-18 Tyre
Standard Rear 17" x3.5"-130/80 -17 Tyre
New Front 17"x3.5" – 120/70-17 Tyre (sharper steering)
New Rear 17"x5.5" – 170/55-17 Tyre
Laced with Stainless Spokes and Polished Aluminium Rims

Performance Data (rolling road tested @ rear wheel):
Stock motor: 60.5bhp, 48.08 ft/lbs torque.
Tuned motor: 92.6bhp, 68.5 ft/lbs (open velocity stacks and 150 main jets)

(Pictures by Sarge & Les)