Triumphrat

eightvalve · 07-04-2008, 02:03 AM

Hi all! I just traded bikes for a '64 Triumph rigid chopper (I'm assuming) and have more than a few questions since I have never owned a Brit bike. Heres the story:

I bought a '74 CB360 off a neighbor for $200 with almost no miles (3K) and in decent shape. I rebuilt the carbs and tore the bike apart. Clubman bars, lowered front, bobbed the rear fender, hid the tail light under the seat, opened the exhaust and just made a nice little cafe bike. After a month of riding it my ADD kicked in and it went on Craigslist. Guy nonstop e-mails me to trade for an old Triumph. I blew him off for a while till I decided to go with it. Since he was a hour away , I ran thru the bike over the phone. He bought it and threw it in the shed as a project. It was an old show bike from the mid 80s. He said the rigid rear was welded on and glassed in but the rear down bar was still present. The frame was smoothed all around so I can tell if its even usable. I want to chop that rigid crap off, bolt or weld in a rear and a swing and cafe it. I can't tell if the front was raked or not. The wiring is gone and the tank is shot. Good wheels and forks but I can't tell if they are stock or not.

Can you folks tell me if the frame is even able to go back to stock or close to it?

I did the trade mostly for the engine and other stock parts. Worse comes to worse I only have $225 in the bike ($325 in my CB and the guy gave me $100) so I could wait around for a frame. The engine is free and has a crappy spray job on it. It coming out and getting broke down anyway.
Any help would be appreciated!!

GrandPaulZ · 07-04-2008, 11:29 AM

There's no way to tell if the frame is unmolested until you clear the filler off of it and have a clear look at the metal.

sam-buca · 07-04-2008, 11:32 AM

You did good in your trading for sure! Bobbers are really popular these days and sometimes sell for way more than a stock bike. I think this one looks cool as is. There is nothing wrong with a rigid frame. Usually there is enough flex in them that it is pretty comfortable with a spring seat.

It is what it is and that is not a bad thing.

Somebody would probably give you $2500 easy if you got it running and cleaned it up a bit. Then you could buy something closer to what you really want.

eightvalve · 07-06-2008, 12:49 AM

Rigid/chopper/hardtail type types just aren't my thing. I'm more of a sportbike guy. I've gone from a TL1000s and a Busa (pre-marriage) to a CB360. Oh how the great have fallen!
I've got the engine out, the wheels off, and the forks off. I'm getting the feeling its a bolt on rigid tail. At least I hope. I'm taking it in to work on Sun. and grinding the Bondo and crud off to see what I'm dealing with. If its a bolt/weld on rear thats no big deal. If its raked then I don't want anything to do with correcting that. Worse comes to worse I redo the fill and sell the frame. No biggie. I'm sure I can find a frame before I'm done with the engine. This is what I traded:

eightvalve · 07-07-2008, 12:01 PM

Update:
I ground the frame and found it was a bolt on rigid. The neck was untouched and clean with #s. The rear had been bolted then tacked on. After some grinding, the rear is free and the frame and rear are in good shape. Anybody want to buy a rigid rear? What years subframe/swingarm can I use on a '64 Bonnie Trophy frame? Thanks!