Source: Bike Bound
[[{“value”:”From Freeland Motorcycles: “The clean cut brother of a desert sled”…
The Triumph TR6R “Tiger 650” was the single-carb version of the mighty Bonneville twin — a bike that had become synonymous with power and style in the ’50s and ’60s. While the twin-carb Bonnies garnered most of the motoring world’s attention, the Tiger 650 had its advantages:
“Everyone wanted a Bonneville, the dual-carb twin with splayed intake ports. But the single-carb machines are much easier to maintain. There’s no carburetor synching. People who bought them used them for transportation, not racing, so when you do find a single-carb Triumph, it is less likely to have a worn out engine.” –Motorcycle Classics
Triumph Trophy and Tiger 650 models (1971)
What’s more, the TR6R was down only 3-4 horsepower from the Bonneville, producing a claimed 47 brake horsepower in 1971 — the first year of the oil-in-frame design in Triumph twins.
The bike you see here comes to us from Ronnie Hansen of Southern California’s Freeland Motorcycles, builder of the highly popular Honda CJ/CB360 “Knievel” we recently featured.
Knievel: Honda CB360 Scrambler
For this build, the client wanted the workshop’s take on a classic desert sled, and Ronnie and team set out to build a bike that would be tribute to the desert sleds of the On Any Sunday era.
“A light weight, ready for anything, on/off road ‘City Sled’ — that’s what we refer to it as. Considering it looks like the clean-cut brother of a desert sled.”
Clean-cut is right. Ronnie detabbed the frame and used an old 60s motorcycle toolbox to house the Tri-Spark electronic ignition and headlight switch under the seat rails for a very streamlined setup.
“The bike runs off of the hidden capacitor, only utilizing the Podtronics reg/rec with built in capacitor as a backup. Which means, no battery.”
This ‘sled now rolls on high-shoulder aluminum rims laced to powdercoated hubs. The polished aluminum desert sled-style fender was fabricated in-house, and Ronnie says the custom leather saddle has a matching bag that can be attached the bike via one of the factory frame mounts — bravo!
Meanwhile Dan from North Hollywood’s Franz and Grubb rebuilt the top end, and the bike is running a new Amal 930 carb and Bud Ekins 141 pipes from our friends at London’s Ace Classics — purveyors of high-quality repro desert sled parts.
The final result is a lovely all-rounder with an understated, classic allure that’s so tough to capture…and utterly compelling when done right.
“I feel we retained the classic ‘blue jeans and white tee’ elegance as well as the timeless beauty of this era of bikes that demands attention but doesn’t scream for it.”
Agreed, Ronnie. You nailed it. We’re apt to think McQueen himself would’ve enjoyed kicking over this rig for a ride around the Hollywood Hills or even farther afield. Below is our full interview with Ronnie himself about the build. Photography credits go to Dillon Lane. Enjoy!
Triumph Tiger 650: Builder Interview
• What’s the make, model, and year of the donor bike?
1971 Triumph TR6R.
• Why was this bike built?
It was a commissioned build for a customer that wanted our take on a desert sled. The only thing he told me is that he wants it black. I feel that we created a bike that not only represents what Freeland is all about, but also something we feel looks timeless.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
The design concept was an homage to 70’s desert sleds made popular by people like Steve McQueen and On Any Sunday. A light and nimble bike that has the ability to navigate the bumps on the trails as well as the cars on the highways.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
We started by stripping it down to bare bones to find the lines and vision for the bike. Given that it’s an oil in frame (OIF) and I didn’t want side covers, I cut all the brackets from the backbone of the frame back. Then found a cool tool box from a 60’s Japanese bike that I mounted under the seat rails that holds the ignition and headlight switch. Capacitor and the Podtronics Reg/Rec on one side and a storage compartment with door on the other.
The entire charging system was replaced and upgraded, Trispark Electronic Ignition, dual output
coil, and custom wire harness. The bike runs off of the hidden capacitor, only utilizing the Podtronics reg/rec with built in capacitor as a backup. Which means, no battery.
Polished aluminum front fender made in house. Custom leather saddle with a matching bag you can remove from a bracket we made utilizing a factory mount on the frame.
The top end was rebuilt by Franz & Grubb, Dan’s the man.
Polished aluminum high shoulder wheels with stainless spokes and powdercoated hubs really brought it all together.
Ace Classics Bud Ekins 141 exhaust pipes and rear fender. Breathing to life through a new Amal 930 carburetor.
• Does the bike have a nickname?
We affectionately refer to this build as “Black Bike” as we have a few Triumphs that we’re building at the moment, and needed to discern between them. The name just stuck.
• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride this bike?
The single Amal carb paired with the Tri-Spark ignition makes for quick and easy starts, and consistent strong spark, making this a light weight, ready for anything, on/off road “City Sled” — that’s what we refer to it as. Considering it looks like the clean cut brother of a desert sled.
The sitting stance with these bars make for a comfortable yet athletic riding position. It’s a great all around bike.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of
All of the polished aluminum bits paired with black paint is something that we love and makes us proud when we see the completed build for the first time. I feel we retained the classic “blue jeans and white tee” elegance as well as the timeless beauty of this era of bikes that demands attention but doesn’t scream for it.
Follow the Builder
Instagram: @freelandmotorcycles
Facebook: Freeland Motorcycles
Web: www.freelandmotorcycle.com
Photo credit: Dillon Lan”}]]
