1956 Triumph Trophy

TR682731

Up for auction is a former desert racer from days gone by. It has been stripped down to the bone of all unnecessary equipment. It was found under a tarp in a barn where it had been sitting for 40 years! It took very little effort to get it started after all those years and it runs great! The engine sounds healthy and the transmission shifts well and all four gears are there. That being said, this bike is in need of a complete going through. It is in what I call "ratty and well used" condition... It leaks a lot of oil from a lot of places. I would imagine most of the gaskets have exceeded their life expectancy... There is no electrical system other than the magneto to run the engine. The generator, battery, regulator and wiring are all gone. I put a non-working headlight and taillight on so as not to attract attention from "you know who". I also added a pair of shorty "TT" mufflers for the same reason. Although I must say, the sound of those pipes without the mufflers is sweet music. It appears to me that before it became a dirt bike, this machine may have had a life as some sort of custom street bike. I'm only saying this because of the blue and gold paint I found under the black rattle can paint that was haphazardly sprayed on the frame and swingarm. There's also some pretty cool hand-done pinstriping. The period correct "diamond tuck" custom seat cover in in really nice overall condition but does show a few little cuts and tears like any respectable dirt bike would. The frame has not been cut or modified in any way. The engine and frame numbers DO MATCH! The swing arm bushings are completely worn out which makes for some odd handling characteristics on the street. The rear IRC Trials tire is brand new. It replaced the largest knobby tire I've ever seen. It looked cool but was completely useless on the street. The nicely dented tank is from a later model "unit" Triumph, probably a 500. The amateur psychedelic paint job is priceless... The 8" 2LS front brake is also from a later model Triumph ('69 or '70). The chrome on the front "Jones" rim is excellent. The rear spokes were safety wired together over 40 years ago and are still that way. The hub flange was drilled and safety bolted to prevent the spokes from backing out as near as I can guess??? The chrome on the rear Dunlop rim is so-so. The transmission seems to be from a later model pre-unit Triumph. I discovered this after the clutch cable broke and the new one would not fit without a special type of bracket that this bike does not have. You get to figure out how to make it work... shouldn't be too hard. Since it's a matching numbers bike, it would make a good basis for a restoration project. However you will be spending a lot of money on original body pieces and other stuff. I kind of like the idea of a vintage street tracker. That way you can do whatever you want without having to worry about being faithful to the original configuration. The mileage is unknown but you can bet it was used a lot in it's day before it was put to rest. The California title is clear and in the original owner's name. It was last registered in 1969 so it's no longer even in the DMV system. That beautiful California black and yellow plate is for "appearance" only and not part of the sale. The original plate is long gone... So there you have it... A fun project just waiting for a new owner! It has been sitting since the clutch cable broke. The oils have all been drained in order to keep the oil slick in the garage to a minimum. I am also providing a new throttle cable because the original was stiff and would not get better with cable lube. A parts and service manual CD is also included. All shipping arrangements and costs are the responsibility of the buyer. I will require a $500.00 deposit via PayPal with the balance paid by cash or cashiers check. Happy bidding!