Significant Motorcycles in Triumph History ¶
Από: bonnie στις 15/02/2010 3:20 πμ.
παμε κανεναν αιωνα σχεδον πισω και κατι παραπανω ...
aaa... για να μην μου κουραζεστε, εχω κανει μπολντ τα σημαντικοτερα της καθε παραγραφου..
In 1902, the 'No 1' (as their first motorcycle was known) was built. It was designed by Mauritz Shulte, using a strengthened bicycle and a 2.25bhp one-cylinder Belgian Minerva engine driving the rear wheel by a belt from the engine crankshaft. The bicycle pedals, chain and crank were retained to both start the engine and provide power in the event of engine failure. The Minerva engine was chosen as it was one of the best available. These powered bicycles proved a great success so their next challenge was to build a motorcycle of entirely their own design.
In 1905, the first all British completely Triumph designed and built motorcycle was built. It was designed by Mauritz Schulte and Charles Hathaway, who was the Triumph works factory manager and an enthusiastic motorcyclist and gifted engineer. The new Triumph motorcycle had a 3 bhp 363cc side-valve engine with, unusually, the crankshaft mounted on ball bearings. It was also equipped with alternator ignition (with an option of the Simms-Bosch magneto for an extra £5). The motorcycle could cruise at 35 mph and top speed of 45 to 50mph. They produced 250 in their first year.
At the outbreak of the First World War, Triumph were producing their type A, which had an output of 4bhp from it's 550cc engine. From late 1914, the Type H was bought in large quantity by the British Government to equip the army dispatch riders and by the end of the war in November 1918, over 30,000 had been produced for military service. The Type H had a chain driven primary drive and a belt driven final drive. It used a Sturmey-Archer three-speed hand operated gearbox, a multi-plate clutch and a kick-starter.
Even though the slogan "Trusty Triumph" had been used in Triumph advertising as early as 1910, The Model H is the bike that earned that moniker. It was this motorcycle that won the nickname 'The Trusty' through it's great reliability under difficult conditions. It was also the first Triumph motorcycle not to be equipped with pedal power.
1937 proved a landmark year for Triumph with the launch of a range of revamped singles (known as Tigers) together with the remarkable 498cc Speed Twin (T100).
The Speed Twins and Tigers would be considered the definitive British bikes and would set the trend for all motorcycle manufacturers and the styling cues can still be seen on modern classic Triumphs (Bonneville, America and Speedmaster) today. The Speed Twin revolutionized motorcycling - it started well, ran well, had a reported top speed of over 90mph and simply defined everything a modern motorcycle should be.
The 650cc Thunderbird launched in 1949 with three models racing 500 miles at 90mph. The Thunderbird quickly becomes favorite of police forces worldwide. Nacelle headlamp enclosure is put on all models
The Wild One is released in 1954, starring Marlon Brando riding a 1950 Triumph Thunderbird 6T. It is the first Hollywood film where a motorcycle's tank badge is clearly displayed.
Essentially the Tiger T100 & T110 are a 'sports' makeover of the 649cc Thunderbird twin. They were Triumph's fastest motorcycles to date, nicknamed the "Tiger-Bird" in the USA.
The Tiger T100 is the first motorcycle to use a swingarm rear suspension.
The beginning of a legend for 50 years. Named for Johnny Allen's 193mph World Record run at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1955 in a 650cc Triumph powered streamliner.
The Bonneville would be the basic platform for many other land speed world record attempts and for setting several other world land speed records on a motorcycle.
The three-cylinder 750cc Trident is first introduced in 1968. The T150, with four speed gear-box, was the first, modern, multi-cylinder, (in this case a triple - hence the name Trident), production motorcycle.
In 1970, Tridents take the top three qualifying speeds at Daytona with a highest speed of 165.44 mph. Tridents win the second and third place in the race.
The 1972 Trident/BSA Rocket III, now with five speed transmission, is the basis for the world famous, U.S. only release, Triumph Hurricane X75.
Les Harris of "Racing Spares," a Triumph parts supplier in Devonshire, South West England, was under contract by John Bloor, the new owner of Triumph, to continue manufacturing Bonnevilles on behalf of Triumph.
Because of the Les Harris Bonnevilles, Triumph has been in continuous production of motorcycles since 1902, making Triumph the oldest continuous production motorcycle manufacturer in the world.
του μπι κοντινιουντ...