The Triumph Bonneville Triton was the union of the best engine in the best frame at a time when the word “hybrid” only meant unparalleled performance and excitement.
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World’s Best Motorcycle Made Better
Few foreign machines have a respected place in American motorcycling history, like the Triumph Bonneville. Released in 1959, it took its name from the exploits of US racer Johnny Allen - opens in new window or tab. at the hallowed Salt Flats in 1955. Allen took his torpedo-shaped “Devil’s Arrow” to an AMA-ratified speed of 193.3 mph. Now consider that he managed this with a wildly modified Triumph motor with just 650 cc.
In honor of this feat, the Brits named their next offering the Triumph Bonneville. The new bike immediately started winning almost anywhere it raced. It also became famous on the street for its performance and tuning. Triumph provocatively described it as “The Best Motorcycle in the World.” It sold like hotcakes.
However, as popular as the machine became, those in the know viewed the Norton Atlas Featherbed frame as superior. It was only a matter of time before the Triumph’s lauded vertical twin found itself surrounded by Norton metalwork.
Triton
Naming this new machine took a little imagination and set a trend for hybrid motorcycles where builders combined the names of the different frames and motors. There was the TriBSA (Triumph/BSA), NorVin (Norton/Vincent), and NorBSA (Norton/BSA), to name a few, but the most popular was undoubtedly the Triton.
Whether the Triumph was, in fact, the best engine can be debated. But there’s little doubt that it was an improvement over the Norton and BSA motors, which had difficulty staying in one piece when pushed hard. In contrast, some prominent US bike builders have described the Triumph twin as “the small block Chevy of the motorcycle world.” It’s tough, tuneable, and fast.
The Right Stuff
This exquisite example recently offered on eBay is based on a Triumph frame from 1959, the first year of production. It comes from the sensational Throttlestop - opens in new window or tab. collection in Elkhart Lake, Wisc.
The fuel and oil tanks were apparently hand-formed in the UK, while the motor is exceptional, even by Triton standards. The 650 ccs were replaced with a Morgo 750-cc kit. Morgo, by the way, even started supplying the Triumph factory with its 750-cc big bore kit in 1971.
The gauges cover only the essentials and are the correct Smiths - opens in new window or tab. items. The front brake is a way cool and sought-after Grimeca - opens in new window or tab. piece whose four leading shoes offer a servo effect, at least at lower speeds.
The details are handsome: metalwork, the monoposto cafe racer seat - opens in new window or tab., the twin exhausts, the low-rise clip-ons - opens in new window or tab., those brakes, the motor, its carburetors, the proportions… We could go on.
This Triumph Bonneville Triton is a beauty to behold. If we could only hear it screaming past.
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This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.