Wes White's 1957 Triumph Pre Unit

We popped by Four Aces Cycle in Pacoima Beach the other day for a visit with our friend Wes White. The Shaman of all things Triumph in SoCal's smoggy industrial valley is an affable fellow who's always ready to shoot the bull over industry gossip, firearms and of course motorcycles. His crusty pre-unit Triumph is just about ready for the El Diablo Run coming up in May; all it needs is a battery and chain and she'll be ready to go. Anyone who's too scared to ride his bagger to San Felipe should take one look at what Wes rides, then admit he's is a pussy.

Owner: Wes White

Location: Pacoima Beach, CA 

Bike name: The 1950

Engine, year and make, model, modifications: 1957 Tiger 110 motor, 750 Sonny Routt big bore kit with ported dual-carb 9-bolt head.  Harmon and Collins TT track cams

Frame: Stock rake and Stretch 1948 Triumph SpeedTwin Frame, chromed in the 1950's

Fork: Stock 1950-1955 Triumph front end with nacelle style top clamp and Superior fork covers

Chassis mods: None

Tire/wheel size and style: 19" rear wheel on stock Triumph sprung hub; WM 21" front wheel with 1950-1954 Type 7 drum brake

Favorite thing about this bike: The old chrome frame. I just love it when guys chromed the whole frame back in the day

Next modification will be: Switch out Flanders handlebars to Biltwell Aces bar and Barnett dual throttle to replace the problematic pre-unit Triumph throttle

Other mods, accessories, cool parts, etc: Bates rear fender and custom Jeff Leighton bent sissy bar. Tricor racing gas tank and swoopy Superior header pipes. Webco extra spark plug holder, Superior sidestand, Webco alloy license plate and MCM Lucas style taillight assembly. Original black plate still registered to the bike

Cool back story: Bike was bought from a crunchy granola nerd in San Jose, complete with fleece jacket and college sticker on the fork. I rebuilt the motor and trans and changed out the seat, tank, fender, sissy bar, handlebars etc. First time I rebuilt the motor it was a hopped up 650cc. Bike has been through two or three incarnations. Incarnation number two made it through the El Diablo Run in 2008. That was a proud moment. Blew up the motor about a year after that and now have a hopped-up 750 motor in it. 

Thanks to: Thanks to my buddy Jeff Leighton for making the sissy bar and pegging me home that night from Sunland when the motor went south and gently bugging me to get it done. Thanks to Frankie B. my Triumph guru and friend for porting the head and helping me channel Jack Hately's ridiculously fast ghost into the bike