Description
1970 is considered by many enthusiasts to be a pivotal year for Triumph motorcycle design, the last year of an era which saw some of the greatest British motorcycles ever made. Somewhat overshadowed by its big sister the Bonneville, the 1970 TR6 Tiger is amongst the most rider-friendly and versatile Triumphs of the modern era. The Tiger is a four stroke parallel twin 649cc road bike, developing 42hp at 6500rpm and with its single Amal carburettor has a claimed maximum speed of 104mph. The 1970 model had reached the zenith of pre-oil-in-frame development with features such as a progressive and powerful dual leading shoe front brake, lighter throttle operation, a revised rear passenger grab rail, and a significantly improved engine breathing system.
This example was imported from the U. S. and registered here in 2013. We know that the last owner bought the bike from a mechanic in restored condition and prior to our taking it in part exchange against an Austin 7 it had done only 252 miles in the past six years.
There is a typewritten letter from legendary motoring writer, the late Michael Worthington-Williams dated October 4th 2013 in which he confirms that this is a matching numbers motorcycle manufactured in January 1970. As Chairman of the Society of Automotive Historians in Britain, M W-W as he was affectionately known wrote for the ‘The Automobile’ since its inception on an ancient typewriter having learned to touch-type on a 1907 Remington he saw no reason to give up using them. This letter hand typed and signed by him is a nice piece of memorabilia in itself.
The condition of the Tiger speaks for itself, a lovely older restoration. With so few miles covered in recent years we thought it important to give the machine a thorough road test and report for the benefit of a new owner. So we took a Spring Sunday morning ride over the Yorkshire Wolds past Sledmere House and on to the famous ‘Seaways Café’ at Fridaythorpe - a favourite pit stop for touring bikes. Five miles out and a hasty return to base as one of the old Champion plugs was fouling under load. A quick change for a pair of NGK B6ES plugs and the Tiger roared back to life. Brisk and lively would be an apt description. The bike feels taut and responsive with reassuringly competent brakes and a firm ride. Through the gears everything as it should be, a nice quiet gearbox and a smooth clutch engagement make this machine a pleasure to ride. A new battery has just been fitted and the Triumph is an easy kick starter. After a 44 mile round trip, we’re confident it is ready for its next owner to enjoy.
