show me your flat trackers and desert racers

Overall this bike isn't a standout of its kind, not that I can see. Furthermore it's Pinterest flotsam, so maybe everybody who cares has seen it before. It just looks really good to me, maybe because so achievable -- it's only a few clicks nicer than the ones I've thrown together and enjoyed the hell out of. So but anyway:



Is that a BSA front end? BSA half-width brake I'm almost sure, but the sliders are unfamiliar.

Don't think I ever saw one of these before. The Rickmans started the whole Metisse business by putting fierce Triumph engines in stout, good-handling BSA frames; but that was in pre-unit times, when the BSA A7 and A10 engines were milder (less HP) than Triumphs. Still and nevertheless: a BSA-powered Metisse is mighty rare.

Photos swiped from vft.org/for sale a little while back.

Closest thing I've got to a desert sled. 1970 Triumph TR25W. Registered, licensed, and insured, LOL. Ridden on the street regularly. The engine was my Bonneville racing power plant, still holds the AMA record in its class. When I quit racing I couldn't bear to let it go, (WAY TOO MUCH money on trick high dollar parts inside that engine. You don't want to know.) so I put it back on the street. It makes me smile to ride it.

This was at the Classic Motorcycle Day in Mt Airy, MD.

A nice '67. Images pilfered from vft.org/for sale.

I know nothing about this scene, NOTHING I tell you!

Wonder how the photographer talked the riders into doing that, and how many times they had to do it before he got a satisfactory shot.

The accompanying verbiage identifies this as "Ron Wood's #1" -- meaning, I assume, that it was Wood's first Nortoon flat tracker. The oil tank is missing. The new owner put up the image/s with a request for any known history/specs.

Trying to ID this barnfind ( actually was in long term storage in a shipping container in a port facility that didn't do it much good, but has all the good stuff.
Motor is a 1964 Bonnie. But trying to ID the frame, as it looks like a trackmaster but some slight differences. I can't find any info on the business any input appreciated.



If you guys know trackers, TT and period stuff, this bike has all the good stuff

Ratso said:

I was gonna say that's a Champion frame, but mostly by default (couldn't think of any other likely builders). The Cycle Factory sure has a familiar vibe to it but details are unavailable to my decomposing brain. That bike certainly does have a lot of the good stuff, yup. It's yours now, I guess? -- You did good.

Throw your photos up on vft.org (For Sale VFT). I know that's the site's For Sale page, but people post questions there about bikes' histories, specs, etc., all the time. There's a lot of deeply knowledgeable hillbillies in the vft clique who'll be happy to share what they know, remember, guess, or invent.

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I talked to my buddy who owned the bike, he put it up years ago on VFT and actually connected with 2 people who knew that company, and in their brief existence it was considered a better frame than a C & J or Trackmaster, Redline or Champion at least in their opinion. As well another guy responded who worked there and believe he built it originally and gave Hal the name of the racer who rode it, but he wasn't a big name. Hal is looking for his notes.

In the interim visited a friend down the street, who also has some tasty rides. This one is being converted back to a street tracker.

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Ratso said:

Heh heh, nice. I wonder who made the blue bike's triple clamps. ... And are those Norton forks?

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I believe they are Betor, or possibly "Metal profile" but will chk my parts piles as I took in some Betors off Bultacos and wheels ( alloy) for a upcoming BSA tracker project (64 spitfire hornet, too boogered up to restore so street tracker it is).
So, will do some comparisons but I posted on Instagram and a guy on there wants to do some feature on the blue Triumph so asked me to go back and do a photo shoot so I will get the specs then.

Got a couple other interesting ones coming out of storage, TR6SC T100SC, a 66 T120C, and some preunits ( couple TR5 & TR6).

I also have Goldie's, but all 5 are basket cases and parts are so insane going to sell several to fund my keepers.

But, this Catalina Scrambler is nicer than mine ( mine is currently pretty crusty but some cool parts including Flanders bars, BSA Alzina lighting kit and interesting mods. But same guy up the road here with the Blue bike owns this tasty bit of sex on wheels.