Trackday Triton
For Ian Williets, building bikes is as big a pleasure as riding them. He’s created this low-compression special with the intention of letting his mates enjoy thrashing it round a circuit, too
We’ve featured Ian Williets’ work before in Classic Bike, mainly in the form of restoration projects based on pre-unit and unit Triumph road bikes. He has also been the catalyst for creating an entire group of desert sled enthusiasts after building a really neat 1959 Triumph T100 for his mate Andy Noakes.
With the shackles of nut-and-bolt restorations thrown off, Ian relished the freedom of building something with a bit more artistic licence (you can see the bikes in our On Any Sunday special in the June issue of CB).
Now his past has caught up with him – in his younger days, Ian was a pretty handy road racer on 125cc solos and open class sidecars, something he’s never quite got out of his system. Having built a brace of 500cc twin-based racers for Ace Classics, he took the opportunity to track test them and, not surprisingly, it re-ignited his old passion.
“I’d done a trackday on the 500. It was my first time back there on track since my racing days, which I’d packed in around 1992,” he says. “Then I’d gone to the Café Racer Festival at Montlhéry with Kev and the rest of the Ace Classics crew and got a chance to ride one of the 500s. I had a great time and I suppose it rekindled my enthusiasm for being able to ride on the track – though I realised straight away that, while it was fun doing a trackday, there was no way I’d want to go racing again.
“It’s all about fun these days. Yes, I could go racing again – I could join the classic club – but what’s the point? It involves a lot of hassle and pressure when you race, plus it takes so much commitment, it takes over your life. For me, now, it’s all about fun.”
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What did happen, though, was Ian got to thinking about his own trackday bike when driving back from France – and hit on the idea of building a Triton.
“It all started when my mate Harry took a frame to France in 2019 to sell at the Café Racer Festival, but had no takers. On the way back, I decided to buy it. It’s a Featherbed replica built by Richard Adams, which I’ve modified to take a Triumph motor by making my own engine plates and footpeg hangers.”
Ian added Manx Norton short Roadholder forks and yokes from Andover Norton and fitted a pair of Falcon shocks at the rear. The front brake is by Ceriani. “I got it off ebay – it’s a double-sided twin-leading-shoe and so smooth and progressive,” he says.
The rear hub is a conical Triumph and the rims are Akront, with the wheels laced up by Ray Hinton, a mate of Ian’s and a wizard when it comes to wheel building. Tyres are Avon AM22S.
“Harry got me the fuel and oil tank,” says Ian. “The oil tank is one of Patrick Walker’s Works Racing products and the fuel tank is from Molnar. I made the breather tank on the right-hand side. It’s a bit nicer than a Fairy Liquid bottle.”
The motor consists of T110 cases with stock crank, shells, rods and pistons – there’s literally nothing fancy in the bottom end and it’s got a 1971 nine-stud 650cc Triumph cylinder head because Ian wanted bolt-on carburettor manifolds. He stuck with a Lucas Competition magneto, and the carbs are 930 Amal Concentrics.
“The exhaust was made by Tony Taysom at Lamb Engineering. I wanted to have the exhausts tucked in tight to the keep the bike as slim as possible, so if I decide to fit a fairing I can get one from a 125 single to fit. I aim to fit a half-fairing at least.”
The gearbox is a six-speed Summerfield Manx Norton which he bought from Harry, while the clutch is also Manx Norton with a belt-drive primary.
“I run the motor at 9:1 compression,” he explains. “I could have gone higher, much higher, and would need to if I was going to use it for racing, but the idea is to use it
at trackday-style events like the Café Racer Festival, and with a softer, useable engine it means anyone can jump on it who comes to the track with us and enjoy riding it. That was always my ambition – it’s not a bike built purely for me, I wanted my mates to be able to enjoy riding it.
“There’s no reason why anyone who is capable of riding a motorcycle can’t just get on this and have a go. Plus, being a bit softer in tune, it’s more reliable and less hassle to maintain. Not only that, but it’s also very light – it weighs 141kg [310lb] and Harry’s super-trick Manx Norton is only 135kg, plus this Triton has really strong brakes. If I ever change my mind and decide to race it, I’ll just build a full race engine which I could drop in – but that’s doubtful!”
The bellypan, in glassfibre, is a requirement for race track use to act as an oil catch tray should there be any oil leaks – which is unlikely on one of Ian’s builds, especially given the gentle compression ratio of this particular one!
There’s a lot of bare metal on this bike, with good reason. Ian explains: “The frame’s not painted. I like the bare metal because I love to see those beautiful bronze welds. It’s the same with the stainless exhausts. I love to see all the workmanship and artistry that’s gone into making them. And, without paint, it looks like it’s a workin-progress, which I suppose it is. I love the right side with the oil pipe work, the footrest, the linkages.”
The plan now, though, is not just to enjoy riding the benefits of his labours. “I do enjoy building bikes. I was working really late into last night on the Ace Classics bike that broke during the On Any Sunday photoshoot. Was it work? Of course not, it was pleasure being in the workshop getting my hands dirty! But riding at Montlhéry was magical for me – and I want more of that – but I also want others to get that same pleasure and discover how much fun can be had at a classic event.
“I’m hoping to go France next year for the Café Racer Festival – and when I do, it’ll be on this Triton I’ve built specially for it. It handles well, brakes well, goes well and is superlight. And hopefully other people can enjoy the experience of taking it round a track, too.”
‘BEING A BIT SOFTER IN TUNE, IT’S MORE RELIABLE AND LESS HASSLE TO MAINTAIN’