What’s in a name you say? Well anyone familiar with English motorcycles learns to have a love/hate relationship with the name Lucas as in Joe Lucas the famed British Prince of Darkness. Maybe, just maybe, Lucas was destined to forgo a possible huge career in show business or NASCAR because of his love of working on and developing special parts for Old Blighty’s two wheeled wonders. Other than the late Chuck Connor’s role as Lucas McCain in the Rifleman and Lucas Oil, that’s about the only Lucas connections I’ve personally got other than the feared Joe Lucas. Maybe being named Lucas predetermined a life other than a rock star or being the next Smokey Yunick.

  Music’s loss was motorcycling’s gain as far as I’m concerned with one stunning Triumph custom after another coming out of TFMW’s shop. This particular build called Nine O’Clock Gun after a Vancouver, British Columbia, cannon that fires off every night at 9PM houses a 1964 Triumph Tiger 650cc single-carb engine for motorvation which was a slightly de-tuned version of the legendary twin-carb Bonneville engine. The main difference between these two in the real world came out when approaching redline which was not really a fun place to be anyway on a vibrating Brit twin. So it’s a moot point of extra power for the Bonneville versus the ease of keeping a single carb in tune along with easier starting. I do have to admit the twin carb setup is a bit sexier looking so that’s gotta be worth something I guess.

   With the engine rebuilt, Lucas fabbed up and TIG welded one of his super narrow double downtube hardtail frames out of 1.5” and 1” DOM tubing with a 5” stretch. One aspect that makes this instantly attractive is the hopeful goal of most builders, the dead-straight frame line from the head tube to the rear axle. Lucas not only accomplished this handily, but accentuated it with his can’t-miss-it angled rib along the sides of the classic ‘60s Wassell fuel tank. Up front a 1969 Triumph fork with its legs shaved as clean as a Real Housewives of Beverly Hills housewife. Positioned between those legs (not the RHOBH) is a 21” front wheel off a 250cc Triumph Cub that looks just peachy on this bike shod with a ribbly classic tread Avon Speedmaster. Looking aft you’ll find a pre-1970 Triumph wheel with a chunky bring-tear-to-your-eye Firestone 4:00 x 18 Deluxe Champion tire via Coker Tire. 

   Body work consisting of the already mentioned Wassell tank along with a rear fender (or mud guard as Lucas likes to call it) from The Baron’s Speed Shop (who just happens to be another God Bless the Queen Triumph freak) that’s held in place by the cute little TFMW sissy bar/fender strut. My absolute favorite piece on this whole bike right after the in-house brown leather banana seat has got to be that stunner of an oil tank. I just love everything about ti and it looks like none I’ve ever seen. It definitely took some balls and skill to pull that distinctly different shape off so well without standing out like a sore thumb. It just looks right and I don’t think I can say anything more than that, but it just does.

   With everything covered in a quietly shimmering coat of paint, the last thing was to bolt up a set of chromed TFMW super kick ripple drag pipes that you gotta hear to believe. Man I don’t think I’ve ever heard such total fury from a Brit twin before and I’ve heard a lot of them over the years. Good luck with the fuzz, but it sure could be fun lighting up car alarms wherever this bike is ridden.

  A fun fact about this build is that is was built for motorcycle freak and actor Ryan Reynolds who’s added this gem to his most interesting collection of rides. Whether you like him as an actor or not, you have to admit he’s a real motorcyclist and rides the living shit out of anything he owns. He’s not some guy that rides around in his Bentley (I doubt he even has one) and takes the bike out once a month. Nope, he’s a paparazzi’s dream as he’s always caught in the act of motoring about on one of his many bikes. Good for you Ryan, keep riding the crap out of your bikes and I’ll be happily jealous.

   The Prince of Darknees is never going to be able to keep Lucas out of the spotlight with his steady stream of mouth watering Triumph builds. Be sure to check them out at www.thefactorymetalworks.com along with his extensive line of Triumph oriented parts that could make your Brit twin a stunner too.