Go Time: 1969 Triumph T120 Trackmaster

Vintage Flat Tracker from Caleb Grisson of Storagebuilt… 

In 1967, Triumph enlisted renowned race tuner Ray Hensley to create a series of lightweight frames purpose-built for flat track racing. These streamlined Trackmaster frames featured race-specific geometry for better handling on the dirt, no tabs or mounts for unnecessary street-legal hardware, and they just so happened to produce a very distinct, beautiful motorcycle as well.

Soon, rival frame-builders like Champion and Redline emerged, and the “framer” concept was in full swing:

“This was the objective of the ‘framer’ as it continued to evolve: a purpose-built frame made specifically for racing. The new chassis placed an engine of your choice lower in the cradle, the rear suspension at a more upright position, and pulled the fork angle closer to the frame.” –Motorcyclist

While framers in the modern era have been largely relegated to vintage and amateur racing classes, they continue to exude a beauty and charisma that modern race bikes struggle to rival…and many of them are treasure troves of stories and history.

Such is the case with this 1969 Triumph T120 Trackmaster from Caleb Grissom of Storagebuilt — an Indiana-born Portlander whose father was there for the glory days of flat track racing:

“My dad raced pro in the golden era of the 70s and it’s always story time when he’s around.”

Believe it or not, Caleb’s dad actually picked up this early 70s Tracker frame from none other than Gary Beach, the father of one of our favorite American Flat Track riders, AFT No. 95 JD Beach. However, it would be ten years before Caleb came into possession of the chassis, engine, and box of parts that would become the bike you see here.

“I didn’t actually lay hands on the bike until 2022 when I drove up to Seattle to get the engine and chassis from Gary. And then it was go time.”

Caleb, who lives just up the road from show organizers See See Motor Coffee, wanted to have the bike done in time for the 2023 edition of the One Moto Show. However, workspace is a challenge for any builder, and that’s especially the case when you live in a big city where every square foot comes at a premium. But a determined builder does what he or she has to do. Says Caleb:

“My shop is ever evolving. I’ve worked on bikes out of my parents’ garage. When I moved out, I set up a shop in a storage unit. I built this bike on my covered patio. Getting creative with space has always been part of the process for me, hence why I started building under the moniker Storagebuilt.”

Yes, working on his covered patio, Caleb did all of the fabrication, assembly, and graphic design himself.

“The inspiration comes from flat trackers from the late 60s and early 70s, which is what the bike is. I wanted it to look like it could roll off the track from that era (but with some modern bits). The number plates were my dad’s, so those have actually seen some action.”

Gary Beach had rebuilt the engine as a 750 with high performance internals, and other highlights include Brembo brakes, Akront rims, and Amal carbs. Not only did Caleb manage to complete the bike in time for the show, he did it while working 14+ hour days between his construction job and architecture school…that’s dedication!

It was well worth it. Caleb’s parents flew in to see the bike in the show, and he’s quick to thank them and his fiancee, Alyssia, for their support through this build and his many other endeavors. Below, we talk to Caleb for the full story on the build, and share more show photos courtesy of Fouad “Moh” Mohiadeen (@astronaut_bear) and Erik Jutras (@mrpixelhead).

Triumph Trackmaster: Builder Interview

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

Motorcycles have been a huge part of my life. I was inundated at an early age and it’s hard to describe the impact they’ve had. My dad raced pro in the golden era of the 70s and it’s always story time when he’s around.

I currently live in Portland, OR. Originally from Indiana. I live with my fiancee, Alyssia, and our dog (Indie) and old cat (Twiggy).

I rode a lot growing up. We had some property and it was a lot of fun. By the time I was in the picture, my dad was retired from racing and was building bikes. That was more of the direction I went with motorcycles, funneling a lot of my passion into building and working on stuff, with an emphasis on design.

After moving to Portland and seeing the scene here, my love for motorcycles just continued to grow. I started riding more and have met some really awesome people. We even have a small displacement group called the Horsegirls, so shout out to them. See See Motor Coffee is also practically in my neighborhood, which is pretty awesome.

I work in construction and am currently in graduate school for architecture. It takes up massive amounts of my time.

My shop is ever evolving. I’ve worked on bikes out of my parents’ garage. When I moved out, I set up a shop in a storage unit. I built this bike on my covered patio. Getting creative with space has always been part of the process for me, hence why I started building under the moniker Storagebuilt. I still don’t have a proper garage, but I am working on fixing that.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the donor bike?

1969 Triumph T120. Frame is a Trackmaster (early 70s).

• Why was this bike built?

The bike was built because I wanted to finish this project for my dad, I really like Triumphs, and I wanted to build a flat tracker. It does have a pretty great backstory though.

The bike came to me as a rolling chassis, an engine, and a box of parts. About ten years ago, my dad did some trading with Gary Beach (JD Beach AFT No. 95’s dad) for the frame while he was working a job in Seattle. This trade deal also resulted in my dad handing the engine, which was found in Canada (also while my dad was working a job) over to Gary for rebuilding. The project then sat fairly dormant for several years.

It was sometime in 2020 when my dad and I had a conversation that resulted in me taking over the project. Wrangling the bike was a logistical nightmare. We had an engine in Seattle, a chassis in Indiana, a box of parts that at one point was left in the pits at the Springfield Mile after a handoff gone wrong, and then me in Portland.

I didn’t actually lay hands on the bike until 2022 when I drove up to Seattle to get the engine and chassis from Gary. And then it was go time.

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

The bike dictated the style. The inspiration comes from flat trackers from the late 60s and early 70s, which is what the bike is.

I wanted it to look like it could roll off the track from that era (but with some modern bits). The number plates were my dad’s, so those have actually seen some action.

The bike has a really raw feel to it, which is what I was trying to achieve. I wanted it to be simple and have a lot of visual weight at the engine with a low and level stance.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

Gary rebuilt the engine and is now a 750 with high performance internals like Carrillo rods. I designed the tank graphics and the fabricated pieces on the bike. It has Brembo brakes, Amal carbs, Akront rims, and TT Pipes. The rear fender is for a Husqvarna.

There is not much to the bike, which is the beauty of it.

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

Honestly, just finishing it for the One Moto. I was working like 14+ hour days during the months leading up to the show between work and architecture school. I really do not know how I managed to throw the bike on top of all of that. My parents flew in to see Alyssia and me and to see the bike in the show. That weekend was also the end of the semester, so it was really just this culmination of everything that had been going on.

Special shoutouts:
My fiancee Alyssia Haymond for being so supportive through all my endeavors.
My dad, Tim Grissom.
My mom, Robin Grissom.

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Website: www.storagebuiltmoto.com