1966 Triumph Other

1967 TR6C

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1966 Bud Ekins Triumph 650 cc TR6C Desert Sled I got this motorcycle from my good friend Bud Ekins some years ago, when Bud had his last workshop/club house in North Hollywood on Weddington Street. I owned the property next door to him back then. Bud would build desert racers for select customers at the end of the sixties and this would have been one of the last he built, as he and Steve were about to get into Husqvarnas. Bud won an ISDT Gold Medal on one with Malcom Smith as a team member (and friend) also winning gold in 1967. Bud Would often buy back bikes, as a dealer would. But in later years as old age crept up on these friends and desert warriors they would return to Bud's shop and sell or gift to him their old desert sleds. This is how this racer found it's way back to him, though the name of the rider escapes me at present. But I do remember Willie Morales, a good friend of Bud's from the 50s had something to do with it. This bike would have been a very expensive ride as the list of parts is extensive and would have been a state of the art weapons grade racer. Not for the novice or light of pocket. Also add to that the fact that Bud built it. When I first saw this bike in the shop it was still caked in desert dust and grime from it's last race. Then unloaded and stored in the owner/racer's garage as it had left the desert decades earlier. A real diamond in the rough. I asked Buds his thoughts on the bike and he said he would keep it a while by his desk to reminisce with friends and visitors who would frequent his shop daily. Soon a carpet of Gaulouis cigarette butts would surround it. Marv, his mechanic at the time, got the bike cleaned and up and running. Marv would later succumb from his habit of putting cyanide drops into his ears to stop "them" crawling into his head and leaving their whisperings. This was Bud's shop after all! This bike originally had a twin disc cable operated Airhurst front disc break set up with Barnes hub and Dunlop alloy rim, and a rear swing-arm mounted caliper cable operated disc break with Barnes hub and alloy rim. These parts were removed from the bike by Marv and sold to a customer before I got the bike. The list of the work and parts: Bates desert long seat. Re-sighted oil tank filler neck to outside front of tank. Pull back desert handlebars to keep the front end light while hauling across the sand. Hacksaw blade kill switch. Quick pull throttle with welding wire taped to stop snagging on the brush. Alloy Magura levers. Stiffer front fork springs. Flat Webco alloy front mudgaurd with steel braces. ARD magneto. Barnes slim clutch cover with alternator removed. Custom made spring-loaded footrests. Two into One tight-fitting exhaust (don't know the maker, but beautiful). Mikuni carburettor and custom inlet manifold. Q filter with coffee can filter cover (awesome!). Webco rocker oil feed. Webco tappet cover caps. Diamond shaped steel swing-arm. Koni rear shock absorbers. Desert bolt over sprockets. Snow shovel engine gaurd crash plate. Original faded paint throughout. Racing roll on/off stand. I added a small Triumph Trophy headlight and an aftermarket tail light to ride this on the streets after I had it registered. They do not work. This bike starts first kick and run s greta with no known issues. This classic desert racer belongs in a museum and should never be restored. These racers and the parts fitted are like hens teeth and tell the story of a bygone time before two-strokes and dayglow paint. The patina and history are unique and today prized by collectorsfor obvious reasons. It is with great regret that this motorcycle is for sale. The bike can be viewed in Hollywood at the Johnson Motors office. A video of the bike running can be seen at Johnson Motors Inc Facebook page. On Sep-01-15 at 22:31:03 PDT, seller added the following information: For everyone who has been asking: Yes, that is Steve McQueen's 278 ISDT Triumph in the background of two of the photos. These two bikes have been together for decades at the Johnson Motors headquarters. Seems only right as the green bike was Bud's, and the red was Steve's. Also, the original lower fork legs that had the double disc mounting brackets welded on are available, if the buyer would like them. A note: the Hurst Airheart brakes came from Buds friend John Steen, who had a business making Taco mini bikes and go karts in the 60s. These w0ere early cable operated floating brake calipers and the very thin steel discs mounted to alloy carriers on Barnes hubs. This bike would look amazing put back in that configuration. The rear swing arm has the tube bracket still in place for the floating brake caliper. Sadly the originals were sold to a chap building a Trackmaster Triumph twenty some years ago. Hope this helps. Good luck everyone!