Triumphrat

Psychlopath · 07-01-2007

Just watched a clip of a 1969 Evil Knievel doing a nice easy wheelie on a Triumph. Looked like a red, white and blue Bonnie.

Anyone know what he did to his bike to make it lift the front tire like it was nothing? He didnt even look like he bounced the front end!

Then he crashed and broke a buncha bones and was KO'd for a month.

panthercity · 07-01-2007

lumpier cams, hicomp pistons and 100 lbs or so less weight...

road_dog · 07-01-2007

Most likely he changed the sprocket(s) on his bonnie. A smaller counter sprocket (and a larger rear sprocket) would give it a quicker take-off, thereby making it easier to pull the front end off the ground. Since he had little regard for his own life, I seriously doubt he was too concerned about his chain life. :hihi:

rodburner · 07-01-2007

Sure,its easy. Strip your bike down to about 320lbs and gear it to about 80mph WFO,so you don`t have to do trajectory/velocity math in your head at take off,and faster than you can say "Sweatmachine" you have an instant wheelie machine. :-D

REVOLT · 07-01-2007

Triumphs were more Hot Rod back then then today. Like Rodburner said...cut the weight...and add a Sweatmachine package...

sweatmachine · 07-01-2007

somebody say my name? :-D

RaceDweeb · 07-01-2007

Ding! Light bulb just went-on. I was thinking about a new paint scheme for a street tracker I'm building. An Evil Knievel-Triumph paint job just might be the business.

I'll get on Google next, but maybe someone out there has something they can post?

/Mike

bgaz · 07-01-2007

I did so many wheelies on the old T140D (1979 bonneville special) I pounded the rear mag so the wheel bearings got loose. It was a very easy bike to do wheelies on.

Gearing is important when power is limited, as you can tell from doing wheelies on a bicycle...

Brett

welshrob · 07-01-2007

Here`s a compilation vid of Triumph Stunt Monkey, Kevin Carmichael.
About half way through, he pulls a '12 o'clocker' on a gold T100. You can see quite clearly he has to bounce the front end to get it up.

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[ This message was edited by: welshrob on 2007-07-01 20:30 ]

05Truxter · 07-01-2007

Can't remember the name of the movie I saw a few months back - an evel documentary from the mid eighties. a good watch - that dude is out there in a lot of ways...
I need a set of RW&B leathers with bell bottoms and tab collars just like evel's for the 4th - must be some on eBay. buy it now and overnight and i'll be set.