1957 Norton ‘Wideline’ Featherbed frame with short Roadholder forks
Triumph T120R engine enlarged to 750cc
Lightly renovated in the present ownership
Engine rebuilt in 2020 and top-end freshly overhauled
The Appeal
Back in the early 1960s, when mechanical tinkering was a popular pastime and half the men in Britain were content to go around smelling slightly of engine oil, the leading motorcycle racers of the time were cultural heroes to many. Motorcycle-obsessed young men read of the exploits of figures like Geoff Duke and Alf Hagon in circuit and sprint racing, and dreamt that they might experience such thrills for themselves.
Necessity being the mother of invention, it came to pass that some of the more practical motorcyclists were turning their bikes into road-going replicas of racing machines, thereby making themselves the fastest, best-looking and most envied people who ever set foot inside a roadside café. The café racer phenomenon had begun.
Popular opinion has always held that the best café racers were made by putting one of Triumph’s powerful twins into a Norton Featherbed frame, famed for its handling qualities, the result of which is the Triton, a fine example of which we see here. From what we know of its history, the machine offered for sale was originally built in 1980 using a 1957 frame, short Roadholder forks and 1969 Triumph T120R twin, and it has received plenty of attention since.
Owned and enjoyed since 2018 by a very enthusiastic motorcyclist, it has been gradually improved over the years. Offered for sale following light renovation and a top-end overhaul, this is an excellent opportunity to buy one of the best examples of a 1960s-style café racer, which sounds as good as it looks.
The History and Paperwork
Originally assembled in 1980 and issued with the registration SGB 257W
Rebuilt c2007 and reregistered as a historic vehicle with an age-related plate, reflecting the frame’s 1957 manufacture
Engine rebuilt 2010
Purchased by the vendor in 2018 and greatly enjoyed
Top-end overhaul undertaken in 2022
Reluctantly offered for sale due to a change in circumstances
Sold with the current V5 and two historic V5s, various past MoT certificates, a Number Plate Authorisation Certificate from the DVLA, certificate of frame and engine dating from the Vintage Motor Cycle Club, and a large collection of invoices detailing new parts purchased since 2018
The Condition
Excellent cosmetic condition
The full café racer look: racing tank, racing seat, clip-on handlebars and megaphone exhausts
Seat newly recovered
With the summer sun bearing down upon it, this Triton is quite the sight to behold. The polished alloy tank shines spectacularly and the sun really glimmers off the chrome exhaust pipes. The vendor stresses that it’s not a concours bike, but it’s certainly an extremely clean one which would look more than respectable at any classic bike rally, or rolling into a transport café.
There is some very light patina in places and a couple of dents in the petrol tank, which are by no means obvious and certainly don’t harm the appearance. Apart from them, it is very difficult to find fault.
The frame has been delugged and powder-coated for optimal protection, and desirable short Roadholder forks have been used. The tank itself a fully-baffled five-gallon alloy unit made by Lyta, and its paired with an alloy central oil tank, both with Monza caps. The front and rear mudguards are both black enamelled alloy, and a racing seat and Tomaselli adjustable clip-on handlebars complete the café racer look. The wheels are 18-inch Akront items with alloy rims and stainless spokes and nipples, and they received new Dunlop K82 tyres in 2021.
If the chrome looks as good as new, it’s because it is virtually new. The racy swept-back exhaust pipes and headlamp shell were both bought from Burton Bike Bits in 2020. The Triton tank decals were new in February 2023, and the seat has also been newly recovered.
The Mechanics
750cc cylinder-barrel conversion
Low mileage following 2010 engine rebuild
Top-end freshly overhauled
Hydraulic clutch conversion
We understand the Triton received extensive mechanical attention around the time it was reregistered as historic in 2007 and up to the time of the engine rebuild in 2010, and we believe it was during this time that the forks were rebuilt. A full rebuild of the 1969 T120R Bonneville engine was completed in 2010, since when the bike has covered less than 4,000 miles, with the top-end freshly overhauled in 2022.
Other work completed in the present ownership has included a conversion to a hydraulic clutch, a change unfortunately necessitated by the onset of arthritis, and the installation of a choke, which the carburettors were previously lacking. We would highlight that the vendor has retained the original clutch parts, along with a selection of other spares and gaskets, should someone wish to return it to a period specification.
Other items used are as follows:
Taper-roller head bearings
Manx bronze swinging-arm bushes
Lansdowne cartridge dampers
Alloy top yokes
Dresda pinch-bolt modification to left-hand fork slider
Dresda 6mm lightweight valve train in twin-carb nine-bolt head
Dural tappet adjusters and locknuts
R&R all-alloy con-rods and big-end caps
Crank balanced by Bassett Down Balancing in 2008
Glacier big-end shells
New ball-and-roller bearings
Morgo high-capacity oil pump
Inline oil filter with spin-on cartridge
Boyer Micro-Digital ignition and power box (all rewired)
3134 inlet and exhaust cams in new bushes with R followers
New pair of Amal 930 carburettors on Dresda flexible mountings
New primary drive chain and sprocket
LP Williams lightweight seven-plate clutch assembly
Modified clutch mechanism with hydraulic conversion
Fully rebuilt five-speed gearbox, including bearings, with right-hand change
22-tooth gearbox sprocket
42-tooth Commando sprocket and drum
T160 Kickstart lever
New swept-back chrome downpipes with short alloy-capped megaphone silencers
After all that, the result is a bike that sounds magnificent. When the vendor kicks it into life, the silence of the countryside is shattered and we are treated to a thunderous bass crackle which rather makes us desire the bike even more than we did already. All appears to be in excellent order and we have every confidence that the vendor, an engineer by profession, has maintained and worked on it to the highest standard over his five years of ownership.
We might add that while the Triton does not currently have an MoT, being exempt from testing, it was last tested in 2012 and passed with no advisories bar one noting the absence of a headlight which, of course, no longer applies.
The Summary
All café racers owe their existence to a time when leather-jacketed ton-up boys would gather at transport cafes by the side of a busy trunk road, where the sound of Johnny Kidd would drift across the linoleum floor and Formica tabletops and onto the forecourt, and vie with one another to show that they had the fastest and best-looking bikes. Of course, the best bikes were always Tritons, and this fine specimen perfectly evokes that nostalgic vision.
The Triton in question is not only faithful to the style of the 1960s, it is also extremely well put-together and finished to the very highest standard. Cosmetically it’s spot-on, and mechanically great pains have been taken to make this one of the best Tritons on the market for the enthusiastic rider. Our words can only do so much for it, though; to really find out just how good it is, you’re going to have to get bidding and take it for a ride…
Notice to bidders
This item is sold on an ‘As is Where is’ basis. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from your own opinion. Photos and listing descriptions are for guidance purposes only*.** Car & Classic do not warrant listing accuracy. Full inspection is recommended. Viewings are at the seller’s discretion. Buyer is responsible for delivery and collection of any item purchased.*
A non-refundable buyer’s deposit is payable on this item, refer to FAQs and T&Cs for the applicable percentage.
UK-registered cars and motorbikes on Car & Classic are run through an online HPI check. On the HPI report, this vehicle shows no insurance database markers for damage or theft. It is currently not covered by a finance agreement.
