There’s a special place in my heart for customized old Triumphs. It’s somewhere between the one for spinner girls and the space for M80 firecrackers. All three are much greater than the small package in which you find them.
Wes White and Chris Hamilton at Four Aces Cycle know what I’m rambling about. The Southern California custom shop specializes in Triumph Motorcycles, like this 1953 Triumph custom showbike they spent a year creating.
Its core is a 1957 650cc Triumph Tiger motor set in a 1953 frame. Wes rolled up his sleeves and poured his blood and sweat into bringing it to life. The cases, crank, rods, head and barrel are all the original article, but the piston setup is a Robbins unit while the guides and springs came from Rowe. Wes also switched in a Harmon and Collins cams as well as two Amal 9302 carbs and Lucas Competition Magneto ignition. When we asked Wes about the exhaust, he had three simple words to say about it. “It’s custom, bitches!”
Yeah, thanks, Wes. We got that part. The long answer to our question is that Wes and Richard Reyes started with the Triumph pipes and customized it themselves. The exhaust clamps were Four Aces work too. They started in Wes’ mind but were made by Jeff Leghton’s hands.
Obviously, Wes and Chris didn’t stop with the motor mods. Although they left the frame in its stock dimensions, they changed out the wheels for some spokers from Akront and added in MCM fork covers up front.
Although the front fender got laid off, the rear fender lost its job to a ribbed and bobbed Bates piece and the license plate mount got relocated on the side. The Bates is bookended by a custom sissy bar. Four Aces got rid of the old gas tank in favor of a Wassell peanut style one. Look under the new pleated leather spring seat and you’ll find a stylish Cali Choppers oil tank.
While we bitches were looking at this beauty, we couldn’t help but notice that the handlebars were of the mini-ape persuasion. Four Aces tapped a set of Flanders handholds for that job but retained the Triumph throttle to keep it real. The shop also opted for a svelter Bates headlight and bracket for forward illumination.
Taken all together, the hard work and new parts that Four Aces put into this chopper add up to a really fun little machine that looks great. Much like a good spinner. You can get a hold of Four Aces at (818) 834-1060, or online at fouracescycle.com. STC