HIGHLIGHTS:
*From the Hamilton Triumph Motorcycle Collection
*Cosmetic restoration of an original, complete machine by Dave Wedlake of Portland, Oregon
*Original engine and gearbox disassembled, inspected and reassembled
*Original odometer with 8,400 miles
*April 2018 Triumph Calendar motorcycle

This beautifully restored 1968 Triumph T100R Daytona has a magic name from American racing, and Triumph staked a justifiable claim on the Florida track with the 1966 win with factory rider Buddy Elmore in the 200 mile race. The Daytona was the hottest of Triumphs' unit-construction 500cc twins, with the Daytona featuring a special twin-carburetor cylinder head, large valves, racing camshafts and high compression pistons to give 42 HP and a top speed in excess of 110 MPH. The T100R Daytona was introduced quickly after Elmore's win halfway through the 1966 season, as it was a publicity coup for Triumph. Elmore won the race at a speed of 96.6 MPH on what was effectively a factory special T100.

The production version T100R was developed by Triumph Chief Engineer Doug Hele, and the Daytona incorporated the racer's twin Amal Monobloc cylinder head although the valve angle was reduced by two degrees and the intake valve size was increased slightly to prevent valve overlap in clumsy hands. With its high state of tune, the Daytona has a thrilling power surge at 3,500 RPM, which made it faster than Japanese twin-cylinder machines of the same capacity. Sales were not hurt when Gary Nixon repeated a win for Triumph at the 1967 Daytona 200 race on the T100R Daytona model.

The Daytona was a reliable and quick machine, and it remains the most desirable of the unit-construction 500cc. Triumphs as it's the fastest and best handling of them all and remained in its original good-handling frame until the end of its production in 1974. This 1968 Triumph T100R Daytona was cosmetically restored to exceptional standard by Dave Wedlake of Portland, Oregon. It's original odometer shows just 8,400 miles, and the original engine and gearbox were disassembled, inspected and reassembled. It was featured in the Triumph Owner's Club calendar for April 2018, and it looks magnificent in its nut-and-bolt-correct trim and blue and white color scheme.