I don’t have many vices. Coffee is one. Bikes another. Together combined – Cafe Racer. Every now and then one stands out. Head n Shoulders. Evil Empire Studio.
I don’t have many vices. Coffee is one. Bikes another. Together combined – Cafe Racer. Every now and then one stands out. Head n Shoulders. Evil Empire Studio.
Jay asked me some time ago if I knew anything about Tracy Bodies. Ya’ein… Produced back in the 70’s. Monocoque. Sleek. Tank and seat. Fiberglass. But not much more. Had never seen one in the flesh … so, off I went. To see what I could find.
I found myself quite an interesting story. Several really. Multilingual. Spanning the Atlantic. Success. Failure. Survival.
One thread starts with a Triumph Thunderbird. Don Browns’ first bike.
Another with Doug Heele and Bert Hopwood. Early 60’s. Triumph Triple Development Squad. From that to this…
BSA/Triumph. 68-75 Rocket 3 and Trident attempting to head off the rising sun.
About this time Craig Vetter graduated from University of Illinois Design School. Turned a passion into a life. A search for handling, comfort and fuel economy became industrial fairing production. By the late 60’s 5 moulds were producing for various models. Desiring for a ‘one fits all’ he ended up mating the generic upper section to a CB750 lower, including a headlight carrier. The ‘Windjammer’ was born 70/71 and he cashed in proper from the Goldwing crowd.
BSA/Triumph presented their ‘Ogle’ designed Rocket 3-Trident to their US Dealers and Distributers in 68. Disappointment. Boxy and Bone-Ugly. Kickstart. 4 speed. A Sales and Marketing non-event against the coming CB750/4.
Don Brown, BSA’s US VP and Director, funded the setting of various Speed and Distance records by Du Hamel, Mann and Hempstead late 68, Daytona. The gods at Bonneville Flats smiled . Wasn’t Enough.
Over a handshake the keys to a Rocket 3 slipped into his possession (E.N: KC-00197 A75R … reportedly one of the Daytona Rocket 3’s speed and long-distance record setters).
His Summer of ’69. The prototype was shipped to England Oct 69. Cycle World got to write about it in ’70.
In ‘71 it was displayed at Houston. Then BSA turned up its toes.
Vetter’s final prototype Rocket 3 featured
So Triumph rebranded her. As the X75 Hurricane. Allocated 1183 engines. Production ran ’72 through ’73 = 1172.
Classic. Iconic
Tracy Nelson. Board-Glasser, O’Neills. Late 60’s, moonlighting with his tanks.
The Fiberglas Works.
Fiberglas Works in Santa Cruz had spotted the action. By 74 their ‘Californian’ Café/Street Racer Bodies were fixed program. Having spent the last 7 years clawing their way to the top of the custom fiberglas world, they wanted some of this. How’s that? US $169.95 with an extra $70 for custom paint.
Damned to be Free … Flowing like Glass, Jim Phillips Poster
Artwork from Jim Phillips featured in many of their catalogues and ads.
Fiberglas Works and later Tracy’s Fiberglas Works or Tracy’s and Friends must have been a stammkunde from way back. Jim went on to make a name for himself in the Band Poster, Surf and Skateboard worlds.
Psychodelic.
Also in the action were Samoto(Rome). Honda Dealer. Playing with the big 4’s. In 73 they produced 15 88bhp CB750/4’s and 2 CB1000/4’s.
Quite a heritage. And we’re only scratching the surface.
Steve from RedMaxSpeedShop bought Jays’ bike. With the Tracy body. Is thinking about doing a replica. If anyone is interested the link is above.
These bodies are now up to 40 years old. There are reports of owners facing problems with cracking and leaking. Originals not likely to be ethanol compatible. Less likely to affect Triumph X75 Hurricane owners. These have metal canisters hidden inside the fiberglass molding.
Interesting thread over at Honda CB750s.
Note: Apparently the original finish is in the epoxy. The outermost layer tinted to replicate candy finishes. Any metal flake would be added before the next layer of epoxy and mat was applied. I always thought my H1 body’s original color was fire engine red but at Tracy’s prompting I stripped it back to the epoxy and found rainbow flake over black gelcoat. Talk about durability. Some people in prepping will mistake this base color for paint and actually sand the top layer of epoxy off. Makes them brittle. {[Geeto67 @ caferacer.net]}
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