The 1966 Triumph T100C represents an era when desert racing was raw, untamed, and ruled by riders with nothing but skill, grit, and a need for speed. Triumph’s 500cc twin was the weapon of choice for many racers, offering the perfect combination of lightweight handling and enough power to charge through the punishing terrain of the Mojave Desert.

During the 1960s, Southern California became the epicenter of off-road racing, with legendary events like the Big Bear Run, the Catalina Grand Prix, and the Barstow to Vegas desert race pushing both riders and machines to their limits. Factory bikes weren’t enough—racers stripped down their motorcycles, reinforced critical components, and customized them for maximum durability and control. This was the birth of the desert sled. Riders swapped out steel fenders for aluminum, reinforced their front ends with fork braces, and mounted high-exit exhausts to clear deep sand and rocks. Wide handlebars provided leverage in the rough terrain, and lightweight aluminum oil tanks helped keep engines cool in the blistering heat of the desert.

Triumph, recognizing the demand for a competition-ready off-road machine, introduced the T100C. It came factory-equipped with features suited for off-road riding—high pipes, a skid plate, and a responsive 500cc parallel twin engine that was easier to handle in the dirt than its bigger 650cc counterpart. While many of these bikes were raced, ridden hard, and modified over the years, finding one today in true period-correct desert sled trim is a rare sight.