Triumphant Hooligans
Growing up in Huntington Beach, California as a motorcycle racer, Costa Mesa served as our Wrigley Field. A place to come watch the best pitch it sideways for the fans and for the glory. I was never a speedway racer nor have I ever tried it, I was a desert racer, which is just about the opposite. But whenever Harley night came around at Costa Mesa Speedway we were always there to spectate. Harley Night soon became the biggest night shows of the summer at CMS and before long the guys like Jason Klements of Fast Js were building bikes that were better suited to racing flat track and soon thereafter Hooligan Racing was born. I dabbled in a few races here and there for fun, but the Hooligan racing really grew into a legitimate race series over the last couple years and the dudes got way fast!
When I got word that Superhooligan Series next stop would be at Costa Mesa Speedway, I of course called up Julian at Deus ex Machina in LA and asked if he had a bike laying around that I could race. He did and it wasn't just any slapped together hooligan bike it was a beautiful 2018 Triumph Street Scrambler built in conjunction with Deus and the crew over at BA Moto in Signal Hill, Ca. The bike had Co built Triple clamps, custom saddlemen seat and tail section. Excel wheels with Dunlop flat track spec tires, Vance and Hines exhaust, Mika Metals bars, and all the right things in all the right places. BA moto and Deus really killed it on this one and had Ornamental Conifer custom paint job to tie it all together.
I picked up the bike from BA Moto just a couple days before the race, having not ridden or raced flat track or hooligans since a year prior at Costa Mesa and a year prior to that the time before, I figured at least one day of practice might be a good idea…
We headed out to Milestone MX for a day of practice and the first thing I noticed was how much lighter this Triumph was compared to other Hooligans I had ridden in the past. It really is the best Hooligan setup I have ever had the fortune to throw a leg over. After spinning laps till the sun went down I was about as ready I was going to be. The chance to ride a great bike and getting to go out and have fun racing with some rad dudes on motorcycles is what its all about anyways. Of course winning is the goal, but sometimes dead last can be just as fun.
When Race Day came around, the buzz was high and everyone had something to say about the Deus BA Moto Triumph. Being that it was the only triumph in a sea of Harleys, was a good feeling for me. In heat 1 I realized that I had missed my gearing setup just a little bit. Second gear was too tall and first gear not enough. I made the best of it and tried to find my pace. I was able to lead a few laps of Heat 3 and with that made into the B main. Not where I wanted to be exactly but had a Hell of a time trying! Anytime I get the chance to race anything, anywhere, Im always all for it. Because hell, if you're not having fun, then whats the point. Sworn to fun, Loyal to none!
Text by Forrest Minchinton
Images by Monti Smith, Dustin Humphrey, Harry Mark
