Sweet n Sour Chicken - 1968 Triumph Cub IT RUNS!!

No, I' not selling - will have a lot of parts for sale though

That didn't work... 2nd image on here :

www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&client=safari&tbo=d&biw=1024&bih=672&tbm=isch&oq=triumph+cub+tracker+&gs_l=img.12...6523.12279.0.13307.9.4.0.5.0.0.188.544.1j3.4.0...0.0...1ac.1.l6SFNVtdrIo&q=triumph%20cub%20tracker

What a wonderful little bike & an even greater story that goes with it...!!!

I think the first thing you should aim to do is just give it a thorough 'deep-clean' as I am sure that'd make it look a million miles better than it does right now...

After that who knows?! I am sure you'll get a load of inspiration from the good people on here

I shall look forward to the day that this goes back on the wide, open road...

ha!! intereesting, bookmarked!

Glad that it's got a little bit of interest, and you're right, it will be nice to see something being done with it after all those years.
It just needs to be ridden and enjoyed, my strongest memories are it's distinctive slow idle and exhaust note coupled with the noise from the open bellmouth carb.

I was chatting to my mum about it last night and she seems genuinely enthusiastic that it'll be ridden again.

Anyway, on with the saga.....

The donor turned up ,


Sinnis apache - Chinese engineering at it's most average

Sold as a non-runner, no spark - I was advised it could be the CDI or magneto thingy.
However judging by the taped together loom with twisted together wires and abundance of extra red wires it may be something else.
Will be nice if I can get it to run and then be able to sell the motor as a runner


And so to my first problem, the swingarm doesn't look a mile out, but look at this stupid brit sprocket setup,


I know I have the benefit of hindsight but you look at plenty of engine bits on these old bikes and wonder what they were thinking, what kind of muppet puts the sprocket, near enough on the centreline of the engine? Triumph already had to mount the motor about and inch over to the left to allow a chain past a fairly narrow rear wheel - getting it roundthe 130 section on he donor rim is a no go.
Can't offset the front sprocket, could move the motor across, was thinking about a idler gear mounted somewhere but that's nasty, or switch to a narrower 110 rear and hope I can get the chain past.

I never managed to get the engine running so set to work stripping the rest of the bike and ended up with this,

gotta love grinders and big hammers - not sure the neighbours enjoy them as much.

Looks like the rear section of frame can be made to bolt up to the original frame loop and save a load of hassle mounting brake lever, side stand, suspension and the strange frame side plates that triumph used. I may just cut off the head bearing cups and weld them onto the Triumph headstock.

Which brings me to the next issue... gear change...currently on the right hand side.

It sits well forward on the crankcase and was originally operated by taking your foot off the footrests and knocking another ratio home.
I could still do this and leave my left foot redundant (though it's still a bit miffed at me buying an automatic car)

An ideas? leave as is? swap the side over with a messy linkage? hand change?

The engine? Having to guess somewhat at the wires for the ignition, the botched loom got simplified...


I'd assumed that the CDI was toast as I got no spark, and everything else was fine.
At that point I gave up and pulled the engine out of the frame and cut it up.

A bit later on with nothing to loose I picked up the CDI, broke it open and started to carefully cut away the encapsulant hoping to find a duff component or obvious fault

When I got the unit stripped it was soon obvious that the black wire was in fact a 12V supply and not the earth that I had assumed.

The motor was mounted up on the workmate, the mini-loom attached a coil bolted on and I was rewarded with a good strong spark at the plug.

The carb and exhaust were quickly added, and a temporary fuel tank hung from the ceiling. I noted that the throttle was not a mega quick action unit - but the carb slide was fitted backwards and jammed 90% open

A few dabs on the starter, a bit of choke and the engine sprang into life ;D

(it's already on the bay with a load of other bits that were pretty much snapped up straight away)



There will be a bit of cafe styling mixed in, but I'm no hipster, you'll see my plans for the pegs.

Problem with moving the shifter back, is the fact that the brake lever is on the same side....i.e. the proper side

Set to work stripping the rest of the bike and ended up with this,

gotta love grinders and big hammers - not sure the neighbours enjoy them as much.

Looks like the rear section of frame can be made to bolt up to the original frame loop and save a load of hassle mounting brake lever, side stand, suspension and the strange frame side plates that triumph used.

Time for a bit of a mock up, and to see how far things are away from actually fitting.



Not happy with the tank, would be nice to fit the original tank though, it should fit a lot lower especially at the back where the sinnis subframe is in the way.
Maybe some sort of teardrop from something like a SR125 might be more fitting?

The subframe will be angled back a bit more to allow the swingarm to drop a bit lower, but don't really want to loose that kick up on the seat rails.

And the forks as expected are way too long, fitted properly they will sit at least an inch higher in the headstock. Even so I have to loose a lot of the length. There is just over 6" of travel there at the moment, guess I could loose half that???



Yeah right, things change....



Some more grinder action saw the two headstocks cut off, I've warmed up the cub frame and pulled the top rail up to suit the sinnis headstock.

I've drawn up a spacer for the swingarm mount and was going to take it to a local engineers to get fleeced for a part I could make myself if I had a lathe.
I phoned an old mate who used to have a lathe to see if I could use it to sort out a spacer.
He said that it's just rusting in his workshop and if it is any good I can have it and the chest of tools that go with it. Nice!
Haven't got room for it in my workshop but I'll HAVE to make room.

Some progress.....

In finest British tradition the frame has started to be assembled.

With gob soaked rollie hanging out of my mouth and greasy flat cap in place I set to work.

Working to the ancient tolerance of "arrrthat'lldo" - the mentality that made Britain the engineering world leader it is today.

this is proper! no pro jigs here - bit's of rope and wood and a black and decker work mate.

Who needs a laser to line parts up - when you can stand back a bit, and crouch down with one eye shut.

With the geometry meticulously prototyped, tested and developed, the frame tubes have been joined to the headstock using the 'lagiton' welding process.

Cant move the brake easily either - brake hub is opposite the sprocket, besides after 30 years of using (the correct) J layout I'd never cope.

Any chance I could get a pic of the other side of your bike? You see I have that smaller early oil tank which I will use instead of the bantam one and I'd like the cover or whatever is fitted on the opposite side to maintain the symmetry. I take it, it's a cover of some sort?

Useful to hide the minimal electrics I'm intending to fit.

Thank you.

That box doesn't appear to really match the rounded oil tank, not sure what to do know - maybe I could make a mould from the oil tank shape.

I think yours looks so much better with the tub on - not an option for mine though!