1966 T-100 Triumph

September 18, 2020

Anthony Robinson's 1966 Triumph T100 custom chop

Article By: Matt Reel

Photos By: Markus Cuff

Originally Published In The February 2019 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine

Anthony Robinson’s 1966 Triumph T100 custom chop

Bike builds seem always to have a story of what started them. Maybe it’s following a style you saw some time and really like. Maybe it’s because you ended up with an old frame and it sparked an image in your mind. Whatever it is that fuels the build, what gets us in the shop working to get the bike complete. For Anthony Robinson, it was an oil tank. That’s right, an oil tank. You see this wasn’t an ordinary oil tank. This was a glass oil tank with chrome moly and brass accents. Given to him by and friend and placed on a shelf til the right time… the oil tank waited.

Recently Anthony was invited to build a bike for a chopper show, and he knew it was time. Time to pull that oil tank off the shelf and build a bike around it. But, not just any bike. This bike would exude beauty and elegance, just like that oil tank. As you well know, having just an oil tank leaves you pretty short on parts for a custom motorcycle build. So, Anthony went on the hunt. A 1966 T100 provided an engine and frame to build off of. A 1930’s girder front end along with a pre-1960’s front hub got the parts looking like a rolling motorcycle. With the engine torn down for a rebuild Anthony decided it was a good place to add to the appearance. The engine covers were engraved and brought to a high shine. As it was reassembled, an open primary was added. Anthony also built a custom manifold for the Pre Monobloc-carb that everyone told him would never work together. A Joe Hunt magneto was sourced to light the fire without the need of a battery.

The fresh engine now needed a home. The frame was moved to the bench. While on the bench it was stretched, raked, and mounting tabs were made. Now, while this sounds like a quick job, remember this bike was meant to be beautiful. All the frame work was to be precise and graceful. Sometimes mounting brackets would take 2 or 3 days to get just right. But when it was done, it was the elegant design Anthony was looking for.

Now it was time to move on to some sheet metal. A Chopper Smith fender blank was chosen to cover the rear tire. Anthony says these are his “go to” fenders for fit and quality. It was trimmed to his liking, and then he bent up a set of custom struts. A gas tank was taken off the shelf and cut into several pieces. It then was welded back together for the shape and stance he was looking for. Zombie Performance hooked Anthony up with a set of bars. Again, standard just wasn’t going to work. The early girder had an unusual spacing for the risers so Zombie shipped the bars without the risers welded on so they could be placed where needed. A seat pan was then made and upholstered by Moto Haus Cycles. While an odd design for the bike, the seat blends in perfectly when put in place. With everything mocked and ready it was time to pick a color. Now, as everyone knows, there are literally thousands of colors to choose from in paint books, making it a real chore to choose. Worse yet, you may have a color in your head that you can’t find or explain to someone what you want. For Anthony it was easy. He used his wife’s hair color for the inspiration for the bikes color along with its name, Sangria. Well, you may think once color is picked its all downhill now. One small problem, Anthony’s painter, had gone to Australia. So, a problem faces you; you figure it out. Anthony decided he’d paint it himself. A damn fine job I’d say.

Now it was time. The bike was painted, polished, and put together. A couple of kicks and it was running. Just not well. Anthony’s first thought was, everyone was right the intake wasn’t going to work. But, after stepping back and talking to some friends a new condenser was installed in the magneto and all was well, kind of. The freshly engraved and polished primary was rubbing. Next problem, the manufacturer was overseas. The time difference really made communicating a problem. Eventually, everything was figured out, and a couple of spacers were made, and things were turning smoothly. With the issues out of the way, Sangria proved to be an amazing bike to ride. It was smooth and dependable. Anthony has ridden it all over the place at home and shows, turning heads all the way. While most of the work was done in-house, Anthony was quick to mention that it could have never been done without the help of numerous friends and family members. From receiving the oil tank that started the whole thing to his wife who not only put up with the long shop hours but inspired the name and design of this beautiful machine.