1973 Triumph 744cc T140 Trackmaster Café Special

Frame no. T150V0H03865 Engine no. T140VCH27269

· Ex-Barry Weiss, from the collection of David Edwards
· Multiple concours winner, featured in magazines and books
· Blueprinted five-speed T140 motor, Dell Orto carbs
· Dry clutch, belt primary drive, milled cover

When your job description entails riding virtually every new production motorcycle made over a quarter-century, your personal bikes can run towards the weird and wonderful. That's how former Cycle World magazine editor David Edwards amassed a collection of choppers, bob-jobs, café-racers and street-trackers, including this exquisite, award-winning Triumph 750 special bristling with drilled alloy, carbon-fiber and British Racing Green paint.

Credit for the Triumph goes to two people. First, builder Danny Erikson, a Southern California aircraft technician with experience in composites—hence the tightly woven carbon-fiber fenders, taillight, sidepanels and gas-tank inserts. There's lots more to look at, including Barnes dirt-track brake rotors, a front-mounted ARD magneto and a zoomy pair of exhaust pipes. The nickel-plated frame is an original chromoly Trackmaster intended for a Triumph T150 triple. The handiwork of Ray Hensley, Trackmaster oil-carrying frames were the hot setup for AMA flat-track racing starting in the late 1960s. This one was tailored for street use with a modified with rear frame loop and Ducati 900SS-style swingarm.

Barry Weiss purchased the bike from Erikson in 1995. Best known today as one of the stars of the cable TV reality series "Storage Wars," Weiss is a noted custom motorcycle and car collector in his own right. He gave Erikson a 'to-do' list that included polishing and Swiss-cheesing the alloy mounts for the rearsets, chroming the exhaust and fitting a leather 'bum-stop' seat done by American drag race hero Tony Nancy, a world-class upholsterer in his spare time.

After the makeover, the Trackmaster won the Street Specials class at California's Del Mar Concours and was featured in Cycle World. "To my eyes, this was—and is—about as good as a special gets," says Edwards. "The lines are impeccable and the build quality, the attention to detail, is beyond extraordinary. When the bike came up for sale a decade after our story ran, I couldn't say no."

There was a small discount involved as Weiss' hard riding on his infamous midnight bombing runs along L.A.'s Mulholland Drive had left the machine with blown shocks, a dimpled rear rim and a pranged exhaust pipe. Edwards returned the Triumph to original builder Erikson for refurbishment. "It took some convincing as Danny was overloaded with airport work but I didn't want anyone else touching the bike," says Edwards.

In Edwards' care, the Triumph has been ridden sparingly and shown only a few times, including at the prestigious Legend of the Motorcycle Concours, where it nabbed a second-in-class trophy. It has been featured on two magazine covers, BikeCraft and Germany's Klassik Motorrad, and was chosen for a 2013 exhibit "Ton Up: Speed, Style and Café Racer Culture" and the accompanying hardcover book. Copies of the magazines and the book are included with the sale. On static display for the past few years, the Trackmaster will require a light recommissioning before use.