Triumph chopper by Robbie Palmer for Born Free Peoples Champ

Enter Sandman: Robbie Palmer’s 1954 Triumph chopper

4 YEARS AGO / CUSTOM MOTORCYCLES

When we hear the term ‘sand cast,’ we think of very early Honda CB750s and their famous sandpaper-rough engine cases. But it’s not a technique restricted to big factories or large-scale production. This elegant, stripped down Triumph 6T Thunderbird is a showcase for small-scale casting, and earned its builder an invitation to the Biltwell People’s…

Triumph 6T Thunderbird

Triumph 6T Thunderbird salt racer

12 YEARS AGO / Comments Off on Triumph 6T Thunderbird salt racer / RACING MOTORCYCLES

There’s something strangely compelling about motorcycles built solely to race down the Bonneville salt flats. Stripped of all fripperies, they’re designed to operate in a hostile environment that tests both man and machine. This Triumph 6T was built by Dick Smith of The Baron’s Speed Shop in the UK, and it has that odd beauty…

1951 Triumph Thunderbird

Bobby Sirkegian’s stripped-down 1951 Triumph Thunderbird

14 YEARS AGO / Comments Off on Bobby Sirkegian’s stripped-down 1951 Triumph Thunderbird / RACING MOTORCYCLES

As a kid, Bobby Sirkegian had better “What I Did On My Summer Vacation” stories than the rest of his school chums. Already making a name for himself in early Southern California drag racing, running and winning against full grown men, 13-year-old Bobby traveled with his bike-dealer father to Wendover, Utah in 1953 to take…