Best Bonnie ever?

**Voltaire** · 28th May 2009, 10:12

Originally Posted by PeteJ

Ah, The Bonneville record breaker.

Built by Big D Cycles, I think.

Coincidence here...?

Was it a US made machine...as Big D don't sound very British...

**PeteJ** · 28th May 2009, 12:00

(This is entirely from an aged memory, so could be incorrect...) Big D was the biggest Triumph dealership in Dallas, TX, and my recollection was that they built the Bonneville record breaker. Iron head motor, ran on methanol, full streamliner.

**Big Dave** · 28th May 2009, 13:54

Stormy Mangham.

**Motu** · 28th May 2009, 18:27

Most of the performance development on Triumphs was done in the US - they were used in a lot more variety of sports than Britain.Not a lot of road racing,but flattrack,desert racing,drag racing,speed records at Bonneville,and anything else they could do with them.Prior to 1970,ohv bikes were limited to 500cc in most AMA events,so the T100 came under a lot of development - after Gary Nixon won the Daytona race in 1966,a new model was named after the victory.Once the capacity was raised to 750cc,the big twin really got the push....and that's why the 750 twin was made.

**Paul in NZ** · 28th May 2009, 19:42

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Stormy Mangham.

Yes - and no....

Stormy built the bike and was the instigator of the project. Jack Wilson (Big D Cycles) built the engine and was probably the greatest Triumph engine tuner race bike builder in the classic period. Johnny Allen rode it...

**Paul in NZ** · 28th May 2009, 19:52

Originally Posted by PeteJ

(This is entirely from an aged memory, so could be incorrect...) Big D was the biggest Triumph dealership in Dallas, TX, and my recollection was that they built the Bonneville record breaker. Iron head motor, ran on methanol, full streamliner.

Yes - but by the standards of Texas Big D was a disgusting hovel in a dodgy as neighbourhood. This was early 90's from memory and I was lucky enough to meet jack Wilson and get the guided tour. That was lucky because if Jack didn't like you you had no chance...

Anyway - the place was a bloody shrine to me and I was just awestruck - they even had the dyno that he used to build the engine and were still using it - there was a pile of broken streamliner bits that were not good enough for the bike they rebuilt for the english national motorcycle museum...

Their storage facility out the back was mind numbing. 3 'beauty kit' Tridents parked in a row... (I'd never seen 1), Flat trackers, race bikes, restorations, originals - god!

This was when everyone in the world was plundering all the old triumphs from the USA and the shop had been on hard times. I arrive just as the first 'new' Triumphs appeared and attended a launch party texas style - Hillarious! I was introduced to the lads 'cos I'd come fro Noo Zeelaand to see jack...

Had a friggin ball.... Coolest place EVER...

**PeteJ** · 28th May 2009, 21:30

[QUOTE=Paul in NZ;1129232621] they even had the dyno that he used to build the engine and were still using it - there was a pile of broken streamliner bits that were not good enough for the bike they rebuilt for the english national motorcycle museum...

QUOTE]

And I believe that they reconstructed the streamliner from those bits after the NMM fire.

Great experience, yours (who, me jealous???)

**Voltaire** · 28th May 2009, 21:41

cool pics and story Paul, thanks for posting.

**Paul in NZ** · 28th May 2009, 21:59

Yes - they did reconstruct the streamliner.

I'll check around for the link to a tributr to Jack, and some place here I have their catalogue of stuff for old Triumphs (go faster stuff). Jack also built some seriously fast triples (road racing) as well as flat track. When he was quite past the age of reason he still set a record on one of his Tridents at Bonneville...

Man the stuff they had in that place just made my eyes pop out of my skull... I should have taken more pictues but it seemed a bit rude and they couldn't understand the fuss... The shop forman rode 100 miles a day to work and back on his 1970 T120R (the one with the screen) - he didn't think that at all odd....

All around the shop were pictures of Jack with famous people, movie stars etc that had come to that shop to get a bike of the great Jack Wilson - he died not long after and it was just one of those lucky lucky things...

I still say - Triumph, if they had half a brain ought to make a Jack Wilson 'special edition' - I've always considered him the real father of the Bonnie.. Christ, I might even buy one...

**Indiana_Jones** · 29th May 2009, 08:21

If I were to buy a Bonnie I guess I'd get a 'new' one, seeing as it'd be the same price as an old one lol

-Indy

**Big Dave** · 29th May 2009, 12:10

Mangham's family sent me that pic for a story on the bike. Was published in the UK in '02.

Note he's wearing a Big D tee

**Big Dave** · 29th May 2009, 12:14

Originally Posted by Indiana_Jones

If I were to buy a Bonnie I guess I'd get a 'new' one, seeing as it'd be the same price as an old one lol

-Indy

When you are ready for a test ride I'll go with you.

**Indiana_Jones** · 29th May 2009, 16:21

Originally Posted by Big Dave

When you are ready for a test ride I'll go with you.

Well I just got my Daytona 600, So I don't think I should be test riding many new bikes just incase I feel a change of heart lol

*test rode a Street Triple today, was mean!*

-Indy

.......so when you wanna go?