Nostalgia

Model:

31/2hp..

Years in production:

1907-1914

Engine type:

Air cooled side-valve four stroke single.

Capacity:

499cc.

Weight:

82kg.

Compression ratio:

11.2:1.

Power:

4PS.

Transmission:

Single-speed with belt.

Suspension:

Front: girder fork. Rear: none.

Top speed:

55mph.

PIONEERING RELIABILITY.

Triumph's reputation was established with a simple, single-cylinder design that provided customers with something they prized above everything else-absolute dependability. In Edwardian times, bikes were expensive playthings expected to break down at any moment. But Triumph, a Coventry firm established by German immigrants, changed all that the 3.5hp horsepower Triumph was successful because it rarely broke down, and within two years of its 1907 launch, 3000 a year were being sold. The model was gradually refined, gaining a three speed hub gear that incorporated a clutch, and spawning a racing version that could top 75mph. Many examples set endurance records, including the last officially recognized Lands End to John O Groats run - 886 miles in just 29 hours. As a measure of the significance of the Triumph , it set two major firms on the road to future success. When the Birmingham Small Arms company built the first BSA motorcycle in 1912, it was a blatant copy of the Triumph original.