Karl Ardo and Josh Winderman’s Custom Racer
The Triumph Motorcycle Company started in 1902 and is considered by many to have manufactured some of the fastest and most beautiful bikes built. They produced bikes for the military; they’ve appeared in major motion pictures, winning many important races and setting a number of land speed records at Bonneville Salt Flats.
Evolving over time, one of their not so popular models was the OIF (oil in frame) produced in 1970-73; the backbone is 3” OD that held the oil. Before and after this period this section of the frame was between 1.25” and 1.5” OD. The thinner tubed frames held a separate oil tank giving the motorcycles a light and more streamlined look. The (OIF) was a heavier looking frame and the engine and transmission at this time was integrated into one case known as a Unit engine and Trans design. This design started in 1963; prior to 1963 the engines and transmissions were separate. This was known as Pre-Units. The (OIF) tends to get overlooked by most people and bike builders because of its large frame, but not by Karl Ardo and Josh Winderman. Karl and Josh are both artists, metal fabricators, motorcycle and hot rod builders. In September 2019 they decided to do a project together, building a Triumph drag bike. Blending a Triumph OIF frame with a Triumph Pre-Unit engine and transmission seemed like a perfect project.
Karl moved to Southern California from the east coast in September 2013. 10 years ago, he was building an OIF Bobber. When he had the bike in pieces, something caught his eye and he thought the OIF frame would make an interesting ¼ mile drag racing bike by dividing the backbone of the frame, making it into a gas tank and keeping the oil tank where it was. He thought with some modifications using a Pre-Unit motor and trans might be a winner – or a mistake.
With the idea now floating around in the universe, Karl was lucky enough to come across a slightly modified 1973 OIF which already had a 2” extended hard tail and a raked neck that his friend at Moore’s Cycle gave him. The idea soon became reality! The men quickly combined their creative efforts into producing this stunning drag bike. The 1973 frame houses a 1959-pre-unit engine with a 9 bolt Bonneville head, Fairbanks magneto and Monobloc carbs. Linked to it is a Triumph slick-shift transmission guided by a Betor 32mm front end. The custom-built Sun rims hold a Greeves front hub with a 2.50×18 Heidenau front tire and M&H 4/26.6×18 slick sits in the rear. Modifying the OIF with many custom touches created an unexpected surprise when all the pieces came together to create this bike. Maybe one day it will see sticky asphalt of a ¼ mile race track, but for now they have no desire to race it. This unique combination of unlikely parts, blended together to create this drag bike, is Art.
