In the search for enjoyment, I have acquired yet another project—and another Triumph at that. Yesterday I picked up a 2000 TT600 that has been, sadly, wrecked. My intentions are to build a strictly drag race bike. Sear’s Point raceway in Sonoma, CA, has Wednesday night drags for a good part of the year. I used to race cars there, but I’d like to have a go on two wheels.

I got a superb deal on the bike, and it is not too badly mangled—although it looks horrendous. The fellow who had the misfortune of going for the ride (not dead) seems to have had some trouble keeping her vertical. It was a low-side wreck on the left side. As far as I can tell, this is the damage report:

Alternator cover warn down
Gas tank is dented on the left side with a small pin-hole
Left foot rest missing
Chassis subframe mounting ear cracked/broken, but has been repaired
Left tail fairing smashed

Other than the above, the chassis, suspension, wheels, seat, and etc, all appear and measure out to be fine. Oh, there is one thing that could be major, or minor. The transmission is stuck in 3rd gear. Upon close inspection, I found that the 'C' clip that holds the shifter lever shaft out from the tranny popped loose. This allows the shift shaft to slide in and out about 1/2 inch. I replaced the 'C' clip, but still no luck. The shifter doesn't feel jammed, as it moves freely, but it's like there is nothing touching the shift shaft mechanisms in the tranny. The bike rolls well when the clutch is pulled in, so the clutch isn't at fault. The engine turns over manually with good compression. The electronics all work and the odometer is showing 18k miles.

Now for the plan—at least the plan for now: I have had the luck of stumbling across some good deals on parts, and I have collected a complete 2002 Speed Triple headlight assembly (including bracket,) a set of cherry Speed Four intake snorkels and tubes, and a Speed Four coolant overflow tank. As you might have guessed, I'll convert her into a S4TT (names are negotiable). Removed will be all that isn't needed to make her run and look good. A hotter ECU map will be installed, either aftermarket or modified muffler will be added, lower final drive gearing, so on and so forth. I also have the idea of possibly running the engine on methanol, as the 12.5:1 compression ratio is high enough—although 15:1 would be great (probably some expensive pistons!) I'll have to see if the fuel system seals will be compatible; and it will also take some major map-tuning. Gas will work for now though.

That's it for now. Allow me to introduce you to this poor derelict... oh, and colors lie.

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The Resurrection: ’02 CE Speedtona w/GSXR Forks

Project Straight-Line: The TT600 Drag Bike

The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point, however, is to change it. - Karl Marx

It's always good to see someone bringing a downed TT or S4 back to life instead of selling the organs on th black market (ebay).

I'm not sure you've got the ideal drag bike there, but if you're just out to he a good time (and it's easy on the strip!) it really doesn't matter.

GL with the rebuild.

Something I've contemplated but don't know the answer to - are you going fast enough for long enough on the 1/4 mile for the aerodynamics of a fairing to come into play?

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Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. -Benjamin Franklin

My 01 was only going 115 @ 12.2 I believe at the 1/4th Aeros do take over some a wind shield would help. If you happen to still have the right rear passenger peg and it still locks in place I would be interested in buying it since yours wont be a two up

It is actually pretty amazing what a difference aerodynamics make at the track. I think it plays an even larger role when dealing with something as light as a motorcycle. But the question would be: does the weight saved from fairings balance out the lack of wind protection? Obviously, speculation is rampant, but the only way to truly know would be through the scientific method.

I would disagree with you, Rustbucket, on your thinking the bike isn't the "best" drag bike Contrary to popular belief, bracket racing isn't all about power/speed, but reaction time and consistency. I've seen people in cars running 17.00 second 1/4 mile times who end up the last man standing, taking home the prize money. This isn't to say that running 17 seconds is at all fun! Now there comes a point where more speed is craved, and then I would agree that a 600cc would need some major modifications to get up to the max power a liter engine can put out. The TT600 is a quick and predictable machine, which will pay off on the line. Also, the higher RPM range will help out.

Loun, it's good to hear someone has run their bike on the strip. And if one puts things into perspective, hitting low-12's in a car is not the easiest thing to do (excluding any sort of off the shelf speed such as nitrous.) The other thing is that 12.2 seconds on a bike is a heck of a lot faster (feeling) than in a car!

Unfortunately, I don't have any passenger pegs; else, they'd be yours.

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The Resurrection: ’02 CE Speedtona w/GSXR Forks

Project Straight-Line: The TT600 Drag Bike

The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point, however, is to change it. - Karl Marx

Once i get thevalves adjusted and some other small maintenance done, those power gains plus my ability to launch better id be in the the 11's now. I had the bike up at the track when i was still learning to ride it. Once this all gets done I will try to get up there one more time this season to get a better idea of where im at. I also went up 3 teeth in the rear.

GL with the bike. If you decided to do an extended swingarm for any reason I have a spare swingarm you can use for stock in lengthening one. I was going to pick up a second spare and then have them cut and welded so it would hold a wider rear tire as well. Consistency is helped by hard predictable launches with solid traction

You're absolutely right about bracket racing - the TT is a great bike for that. Sweet!

__________________
Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. -Benjamin Franklin

Today I got the chance to dig into the bike a bit. I pulled the front suspension off and checked everything. No damaged parts! I then dismantled the tail area and removed the fuel tank. There is a bit of oil from the wreck on all the wires and hoses located on top of the transmission; nothing bad, but it will take some cleaning.

I removed the airbox and had a look into the intake runners. The valves look great, so that was nice to see.

I emptied the fuel tank and removed the lock and fuel pump. After letting the gas residue evaporate, I gave the inside a good flushing with water. Tomorrow morning I'm going to take the tank to my buddy's auto body shop and pull/push the dents out and weld up the pinhole. I'll most likely knock out the bodywork on the entire tank while I'm at it.

I'm still kicking around paint ideas. It's a lot harder to choose a color for a Speed Four than a TT600, as you don't have as much surface area to play with.

Don't work too hard during Labor Day weekend--or just the weekend if you're not in the US.

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The Resurrection: ’02 CE Speedtona w/GSXR Forks

Project Straight-Line: The TT600 Drag Bike

The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point, however, is to change it. - Karl Marx

Looks like a great and interesting project. Good luck!

Thanks Catenaccio.

The weekend has been a relaxing break from the normal every-day grind; but it has been full of projects! I took the fuel tank to my friend’s auto body shop and repaired the damage. I finished the bodywork and primed it. It turned out really nice, and I'm looking forward to getting on with the rest of the fairings so I can shoot the final paint on it.

When I returned home I took out the two tail fairings I got with the bike that were salvageable. Because I won't have a package tray, I decided to fiberglass the holes up. Once the glass cures I'll level the top with "kitty-hair" fiberglass filler. The pictures were taken before the resin set up, so the fiberglass mat looks droopy; but once it set up I moved it around.

I am thinking about modifying the seat. If I cut the seat at the line where the solo-seat cover starts, I can then move the locking pin and lock to that area. I would then make a cast mold of a solo seat and build a fiberglass one. From there, it would be a matter of bolting that piece to the tail fairings. After weighing the stock seat and playing around with different setups, I think I can shave 2 pounds off by doing it the way described above. Not sure if I want to take the time to do it right now though, as "I'd rather be drag racing."

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The Resurrection: ’02 CE Speedtona w/GSXR Forks

Project Straight-Line: The TT600 Drag Bike

The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point, however, is to change it. - Karl Marx

woah - if your speedtona is indication of what this project will be like, this will be fun watching what you come up with for the TT600. keep the photos coming!
jeff h