Triumph Motorcyles 2nd

This is one of many illustrated classic motorcycle guides I've created for the community. I hope you enjoy it. If you wish to find out more about the classic Triumph motorcycle art featured in this guide please click here.

The motorcycle may have been invented in continental Europe, but it was Britain as much as any other country, that helped give it its modern form. It is also a fair bet that no other motorcycle maker outside of Milwaukee has been so discussed, written about and photographed as Triumph. This guide celebrates classic Triumph models of the 1960s and 1970s. Included, of course, is the legendary Bonneville, for many the sports twin, and the Triumph Trident, which made a genuine impact when released in early 1969. At their best, Triumphs looked terrific, performed well and gave the motorcyclist in the street exactly what he was looking for - it is no wonder that they are viewed today as the quintessential British machines.

Triumph Thunderbird 6T

The year 1963 saw a major revision to the Triumph range, when unit construction was adopted for the 649cc models. The Thunderbird was the most docile, fitted with a single carburettor. Alone among the big twins, it retained the nacelle headlamp, but its bathtub treatment was much abbreviated.

Triumph Bonneville T120

The most famous of all Triumphs, the Bonneville was released in 1959 as a sporty 650cc twin. The original T120 Bonneville was basically a Tiger 110, fitted with optional splayed inlet ports and twin Amal carburettors. Its name came from the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah where a streamlined Triumph was ridden to 214mph in 1956.

Triumph Daytona T100R

A 500cc unit twin, the Triumph Daytona motor bike was launched in 1967 following the company's win at the prestigious Florida race venue. By far the quickest sportster of the period, it used a push-rod engine but would easily rev into double figures.

Triumph Trident T150

Possibly the world's finest roadster when released in 1969, the T150 motor cycle featured a new 740cc pushrod-operated three-cylinder engine, capable of producing a healthy 58bhp and propelling the Trident to a top speed of 125mph. A feature of the T150 is its slab-styling and distinctive ray-gun shaped silencers.

Triumph Hurricane X75

The X 75 Hurricane motorbike was unveiled in 1972 at Earls Court. It used the BSA version of the three-cylinder engine with a five-speed gearbox mounted in a Trident frame. Intended to cash in on the chopper craze created by the movies Wild Angels and Easy Rider, the limited edition X75 motorcycles were dropped however in 1973, leaving the Trident as the sole triple in the range.

Triumph Tiger TR7RV

By the 1970s the name Tiger had been part of the British motor cycling scene for four decades and had become synonymous with engineering quality, strong performance and character. Growing to 750cc in 1973, this single-carb stablemate of the Bonneville continued to sell well despite strong competition from the Japanese multis.

Thank you for reading my guide and I hope you found it interesting!