Wayne's Triumph Motorcycles

Update May 2024

It has been a while since we last updated this blog so here is what has been happening.

In 2017, my wife Lynne and I decided to build a home in Hawaii to spend our winters at.  This meant that we would be selling our home in Arizona as well as our motorcycle collection that had been on display in our Apache Junction Museum. 

With about 70 motorcycles to be sold we knew it would take some time.  

In all, it took almost seven years. The sale of many of those have been documented in this blog.

In our most recent posting, we announced our remaining Triumphs were going to the Las Vegas Mecum auction in January 2022.

Here are our high bids (excluding buyer’s fee) we received at that auction:

1938 Triumph Speed Twin … $40,000 (Sold)

1953 Triumph Blackbird … $32,000 (Sold)

1962 Triumph T120 Bonneville … $14,000 (High Bid, did not reach reserve)

1969 Triumph T100R Daytona … $13,000 (Sold)

1969 Triumph T120R Bonneville … $17,000 (Sold)

1962 Triumph TR6SS … $20,000 (Sold)

1965 Triumph T120C East Coast … $26.000 (Sold)

1962 Triumph T120TT … $18,000 (Sold)

1969 Triumph T100R Daytona … $13,000 (Sold)

2013 Honda CB1100 … $10,000 (Sold)

In January 2023, we took two of our remaining motorcycles to Las Vegas with reserve prices.  Neither of them reached reserve price nor a sufficient bid price to let them go so we decided to take the bikes home and wait for 2024.   Big Mistake …

1962 Triumph T120 Bonneville … $11,000 (High Bid, did not reach reserve) Was bid to $14,000 in 2022.

1975 Honda CB550F … $5000 (High Bid, did not reach reserve)

It looked like the market had changed for the worse and prices had fallen significantly from 2022 to 2023.   It would continue …

In January 2024, we sent both bikes back to Las Vegas and listed them at no reserve.  As they were two of the final bikes in our collection, it was time to move them, whatever prices they fetched.

Well, we should have sold them in 2022 or 2023, because the prices they were bid up to were far below the high bids previously.  

Here are the results …

1962 Triumph T120 Bonneville … $9,000 (Sold) Was bid to $14,000 in 2022 and $11,000 in 2023.

1975 Honda CB550F … $4000 (Sold) Was bid to $5000 in 2023.

The last production Triumph made ….

We still own the 1983 Triumph TSS that is the final Triumph produced on the Meriden assembly line on January 21, 1983.   We are trying to find that Triumph a suitable home where it can be appreciated for its historical significance.   That bike will be the subject of an upcoming posting.

More from our collection going to Mecum Las Vegas Auction in January 2022

Several more of our Triumphs are going to the Mecum Auction in January 2022.

Included will be several of the most collectible vintage Triumphs ever, including …

1938 Triumph 5T Speed Twin

Restored by reknown expert Terry Clark

https://triumphmotorcycles.typepad.com/my_weblog/2005/07/terrys_speed_tw.html

 

1953 Triumph 6T Blackbird

Authentic Blackbird restored by Bill Hoard, winner of 2011 Amelia Island award, September 2011 Triumph Calendar bike

See our December 20, 2014 blog on this Triumph.   https://triumphmotorcycles.typepad.com/my_weblog/2014/12/1953-thunderbird-blackbird-now-part-of-our-collection.html

 

 

1962 Triumph T120 Bonneville

Restored to factory specs by Garry Chitwood during his best years of restoration.

https://triumphmotorcycles.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/10/garry-chitwood-finishes-restoring-our-1962-bonneville.html

 

1962 Triumph TR6SS

Fully restored to factory specs.  Less than 200 break-in miles since restoration.

 

 

1965 Triumph T120C East Coast

Restored by Dave Wedlake.

 

 

1967 Triumph T120TT

 

Restored by Garry Chitwood during his best restoration years.

 

 

1968 Triumph T100R Daytona

Low mileage engine/gearbox were completely disassembled and quality checked, cosmetic restoration by Dave Wedlake.

Triumph calendar bike April 2018.

 

 

1969 Triumph T100R Daytona

Low mileage, all original with Hutchison repainted tank.

Triumph calendar bike April 2018.

 

 

1969 Triumph T120R Bonneville

Low mileage, completely original machine.

https://triumphmotorcycles.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/11/original-1969-triumph-bonneville-t120r-is-now-in-the-collection.html

 

2002 Triumph Bonneville 100^th Anniversary

 

One of only 100 Special Edition Centennial machines produced by Triumph before the Hinckley factory fire.

 

 

2013 Honda CB1100

We might also bring an incredible 2013 Honda CB1100 with Japanese sourced fairing, side covers and other parts.   It has less than 200 miles on the clock and has been part of our Honda motorcycle collection since new.   Will be offered for sale in Arizona this fall.

 

More pictures of each motorcycle can be seen in the photo album to the right. 

High definition pictures can be sent upon request.

 

If you might be interested in any of these motorcycles before they go to auction in January 2022, please send an email at [email protected]

2020 Las Vegas Auctions Results…

Seventeen of our motorcycles were taken to the Mecum and Bonhams auctions held in Las Vegas in January 2020.

The Bonhams auction turned out to be a failure for us and virtually everyone else who had motorcycles there. We estimate that only about 10% of the items going across the block were sold and maybe 50% didn’t even get a bid.

Although the auction was held in a new and very nice venue … Caesar’s Entertainment Pavilion … the auction was a flop most probably because Malcolm the infamous Bonhams motorcycle auctioneer had a prior commitment in Europe and his substitute auctioneer was very low energy.   As a result, both of our Bonhams motorcycles … the 1983 Triumph TSS (last Triumph produced at Meriden) and our 1938 Triumph Speed Twin came home with us.

Mecum was different story … we sold 11 of the 15 Triumphs we entered in the auction. We probably would have sold two others … the 1962 Triumph T120 Bonneville and 1961 Triumph TR5AC except the carrier damaged them on the trip from AZ to Las Vegas so they were pulled out of the auction.

When another of our Triumphs …our 1912 Free Engine … hit the block, it flew past our reserve and was set to be hammered down at $17,500. Then one of the auctioneers discovered that one of the bidders was not registered. At that point, chaos ensued … the auctioneer took the bid back to $13,000 which was below our reserve. No explanation was provided to the audience about the problem so they were left as confused as we were. As a result there was no sale and the bike went to the corral. Fortunately for us, a collector family from San Diego negotiated a deal with us to put our bike in their collection. The agreed to sales price was $14,000 and they will take delivery of the bike in March.

Here is a list of our sales at Mecum. Prices include the 10% buyer’s premium …

1927 Model W $13,750
1934 Model XO $13,200
1956 T110 $20,900
1961 T120C $27,500
1964 T120C $20,900
1966 T120C $25,300
1967 T100R $14,300
1967 T120R $19,800
1967 TR6C $17,600
1971 T120R $12,100
1977 T140J Silver Jubilee $16,500

Three of our bikes made it on to the NBCSN telecast this year … the 1956 T110, the 1961 T120C and the 1964 T120C.

The damage to the 1962 Bonneville and 1961 TR5AC is minor and will be involve some repainting that Dave Wedlake will accomplish over the summer in Portland. Both bikes will be back to 100% for the Mecum Las Vegas auction in January 2021 when we plan to take them and another six motorcycles to Las Vegas.

1938 Speed Twin and 1983 TSS Bonneville to be auctioned at Bonhams in January 2020 ....

Two of the most significant Triumphs in our collection will be going to auction at the Bonham's Las Vegas auction on January 23, 2020.

Our 1938 Triumph 5T Speed Twin was restored by Terry Clark and has been part of our collection for the past 15 years.  It has had zero miles since Terry's restoration and is a spectacular example of what many enthusiasts consider the most desirable Triumph of all.

The other Triumph going across the block is our 1983 Triumph T140W TSS which is the actual last production motorcycle to go down the assembly line at Meriden before the factory was closed.  Complete documentation including copies of the actual Triumph factory production records, proving authenticity as the final Triumph produced on January 21, 1983, go with the TSS.

15 Triumphs from our collection go to Mecum auction in January 2020 ….

Fifteen Triumphs from our collection will be auctioned at the Las Vegas Mecum auction in January 2020.

Here are the Triumphs from our collection that will be in Las Vegas …

 

1912 original Free Engine …

1927 restored Model W ….

1934 restored Model XO …

1956 restored T110 …

1961 restored T120C Bonneville …

1961 restored TR5AC ….

1962 restored T120 Bonneville ….

1964 restored T120C Bonneville …

1966 restored T120TT Bonneville …

1967 restored T120R Bonneville ….

1967 restored T120TT Bonneville ….

1967 restored T100R Daytona ….

1967 restored TR6C Trophy ….

1971 restored T120R Bonneville …

1977 original T140J Silver Jubilee Bonneville ….

These motorcycles will go across the block on Friday January 24, 2020 and can be viewed on the Mecum website at https://www.mecum.com/auctions/las-vegas-motorcycle-2020/collections/hamilton-triumph-motorcycle-collection/.

 

 

Eight of our collection are sold at Mecum Phoenix 2019 auction ….

Eight of our Triumphs were sold at the Mecum auction held at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona last March.

The sold Triumphs and sales prices were …

1935 Triumph 2/1 which sold for $13,200 (including premium)

1947 T100 which sold for $19,800 (including premium)

1956 TR6 which sold for $19,800 (including premium)

1958 TR6A which sold for $20,350 (including premium)

1960 T120 Bonneville which sold for $17,600 (including premium)

1963 T120R Booneville which sold for $18,700 (including premium)

1966 T120R Bonneville which sold for $17,600 (including premium)

 

1970 T100R Daytona which sold for $11,000 (including premium)

Fifteen more Triumphs from our collection will be offered at the Mecum Motorcycle Auction in Las Vegas on Friday January 24, 2020.  Two others will be offered at auction at the Bonham's on Thursday January 23.  

Nine of our Triumphs are featured in the 2018 Classic Triumph Calendar!

In 2017, Randy Baxter and Tim Remus visited our Arizona collection to take pictures of our collection for their 2018 Classic Triumph Calendar.

We didn't know if any of our collection would actually make it to publication but when we were told the published calendar would feature nine of our Triumphs, representing the months of April, May, July, November and December, we were overjoyed.

In April, our 1967 through 1970 Daytona collection was featured.  Randy Baxter was particularly pleased with having the rare chance to photograph four Daytonas at one time.    The picture was taken in our museum by Tim Remus.

May's calendar bike is our 1912 Free Engine model. The photo was taken at the Goldfield Ghost Town in Apache Junction.  In the background are some of the original mining rail engines from the early 1900's that were being used at the time this motorcycle was manufactured in England.

The July bike is our ultra rare 1961 T120C Bonneville.  Again this picture was taken at the Goldfield Ghost Town, but this time close to and on the rails that the old mining equipment ran on.

November features a pair of our 1930s Triumphs ... the rare 1933 Model XO and the Val Page designed 1935 Model 2/1. These pictures were taken at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club where we lived at the time before moving to Hawaii.  The main picture shows Superstition Mountain in the background.

December shows our original 1959 T120 Bonneville, again photographed at the Goldfield Ghost Town.  The 1959 was sold shortly thereafter to a collector in Atlanta Georgia who also purchased our 1973 X-75 Hurricane and our 2009 Bonneville 50th Anniversary bike.

Although several of our Triumphs have been shown in previous years calendars, none were featured when we actually owned them so the 2018 calendar is truly a wonderful treat for us.

 

 

 

Unrestored 1962 Bonneville is sold for $10,000 ... gone to California ... 1962 Chitwood Bonneville for sale for $21,000

In March 2018, our 1962 unrestored Bonneville project bike was sold and delivered to an enthusiast from California who plans to complete its restoration.

 

This motorcycle is an excellent candidate for restoration as it has all of its parts and comes with its original Arizona title. 

 

We already had Electroplate El Paso rechrome all parts requiring it except for the rims which the new owner will have completed in California.

Carlson Creations in Tucson painted the original tank and fenders the correct color and had hand laid gold stripping applied just as the factory originally did them.

Both gauges were professionally restored and included in the sale.

 

For anyone interested in this model, the beautiful fully restored Garry Chitwood 1962 T120 Bonneville from our collection (shown above and below) is currently for sale for $21,000.

We plan to sell all of the other Triumphs in our collection and hope to highlight many of these on this blog over the next few months.

 

 

.

1970 Bonneville sold for $18,500 and our unrestored 1962 Bonneville listed on Ebay for $10,000

Our 1970 Triumph T120R Bonneville has been sold for $18,500 and is going to California. 

This motorcycle was meticulously restored by the late Les Cook in 2005.  Paint was done by Dave Wedlake.

Our partially restored 1962 Bonneville was put up for sale on Ebay on January 24 for $10,000.  We are including many new parts as well as professionally painted tank and fenders as well as many rechromed original parts.

As we reported in previous postings, we have sold our winter home in Arizona and now reside in Hawaii during the winter months. 

As it didn’t make sense to move the motorcycle collections to Hawaii, we have decided to sell virtually all of the remaining motorcycles in our collection.  We sold about 20 of them in 2017 but still have close to 40 motorcycles remaining to be sold.

We will highlight various motorcycles for sale here on our website.  Others will be listed on Ebay and some will go to probably make their way to auction.

Take a look at our photo album if you are interested in purchasing any of our motorcycles, contact us at [email protected]. 

Any motorcycles in the upper albums are available for sale.  Sold motorcycles are listed in the lower section of the album, showing their sales prices.

Prewar Triumphs for sale …. 1927 Model W, 1933 XO and 1935 2/1

We have now closed our Triumph Motorcycle Museum in Apache Junction, and as reported before, we start spending our winters at our new home in Hawaii beginning this October.

We started selling some of the motorcycles in our collection last fall and so far have sold 18.   We still have almost 40 Triumphs that we will be offering for sale, many of them here on this website.

In this posting, we will be offering three of our pre-war models for sale.

 1927 Model W … $18,000

This Model W came out of the Mario Suerias collection in Guatemala and we have owned it for over 10 years.  It has been a display motorcycle and as a result, we have never attempted to start it.

The overall condition is very good with the exception of some slight issues around the fuel cap.

It was restored by Cottswold Classics in England and shipped to Mario for his collection in Guatemala.

A Model W sold at the January 2017 Mecum auction for $20,900 including commission.

If you have any interest, please respond to [email protected] and we will provide a link to many high definition pictures of the Model W.

1933 Model XO … $18,500

This is one of the rarer models in our collection. As with the Model W, this came from the Mario Suerias collection in Guatemala and has been in our collection for over 10 years.  It has been a display bike only so has not been started. 

The XOs were developed during the depression when the UK slapped a high tax on motorcycles over 150ccs.  The XO was Triumph’s response to the tax with an almost full sized model with a small 147 cc engine. The weight of the XO was kept to a minimum with a very light weight frame.  As a result, few have survive to this day. 

This example was used throughout the war and into the 1950s.  It was left in a barn after 1959, to resurface in 2000 for a complete restoration by Cottswold Classics in England.  It still has its 1959 English license disc.

If you have any interest, please respond to [email protected] and we will provide a link to many high definition pictures of the Model XO.

1935 Model 2/1 … $16,000

This Triumph was designed by Val Page, who was Edward Turner’s predecessor as Chief Designer at Triumph.

Although not a parallel twin like the more famous Val Page motorcycles of the mid-30s, it is very representative of the designs which he developed during that era.  It is a single with very interesting dual exhausts.

It has not been started in over ten years as it has been on display only.   It is a beautiful looking machine that was one of the first models looking and performing like the modern Triumphs that followed on in later years.

If you have any interest, please respond to [email protected] and we will provide a link to many high definition pictures of the Model 2/1.

In addition to these three motorcycles we will be offering many others, including our 1912 Free Engine Model and 1938 Speed Twin.    

Also on offer is our entire Bonneville collection, from 1960 through 1971 (sorry the original 1959 is already sold).  In addition to our road Bonnevilles we have many T120Cs and T120TTs including 1961, 1964, 1965, 1966 and 1967.

If you scan the photo album of this website, you will see all of the unsold Triumphs we will be offering.