The TR5T name represented a continuation of an exciting legacy for Triumph in the early 1970s. The TR5 Trophy had debuted back in 1949, as an attractive and versatile trials machine with an achingly cool aesthetic: Fonzie in Happy Days rode a modded ’49 TR5, and James Dean famously bought one after being inspired by Marlon Brando’s Triumph Thunderbird in The Wild One. And while the TR5 Trophy was discontinued in 1958, the Trophy name was revived in 1971 for the TR6, which ultimately led to the bike you see here: the 1973 TR5T, aka the Trophy Trail. So this was a bike with a vibrant legacy to carry, and it did so with panache and aplomb.

The Triumph Owners Club factory register shows that this particular example was built on July 12th 1973, and exported to Baltimore, USA on August 16th 1974. Indeed, the documentation intriguingly highlights that ‘this machine was one of several that were released early from the Triumph factory during the workers’ unofficial occupation of the factory between September 1973 and March 1975’.

The bike was repatriated to the UK a decade ago, and registered as a historic vehicle with the DVLA in 2022 and issued with an age-related registration number. The current owner bought the TR5T as a sort of running project soon after it was re-imported, and over the years since then it has benefitted from a steady restoration and recommissioning to original specifications. Today it presents as a beautifully finished and eminently usable example.

The bike is in lovely condition throughout, with all trim present and correct. The tank ‘flash’ and logo have been resprayed and lined, with red being the correct colour for this production year. A gentle patina can be found on the headlamp casing and the paint on the rear shocks, as befits a machine of this age, but everything is straight and true and it really is an attractive machine to behold. The wheels are straight and solid, and both of the tyres are in good condition and, crucially, are era-correct for the bike to complete that iconic Trophy look and feel.

The seat is in excellent condition, and has most likely either been replaced or re-covered. The dials are in good order, with the speedo still wearing the timeworn sticker that probably detailed the running-in instructions when new.

The engine starts happily, idles evenly and runs just as it should. The fluids have been flushed and renewed. For the most part it’s all in correct original spec: the original exhaust system had been badly fitted by a previous owner and has been replaced; the silencer box is original along with the sought-after Krizman KS500 spark arrestor, as well as the rare exhaust bash plate which was an option in period.

The engine and gearbox are all original and the owner suspects they’ve never been apart; all is in reassuringly leak-free condition. The air box, which is correct for the year, has a new filter fitted, and the only notably non-correct part is the rubber tube connection to the carburettor, as original items are unobtainable! The float in the carburettor has been replaced to make it suitable for E10 fuels. Electrically speaking, all is original and the bike has been fitted with a new battery and fuse.

The ignition is a Boyer system which has been tested by the company and is fully operational.

This really is a rare groove – an original early-1970s Triumph that’s ripe and ready for modern use. Its years in the States have given it a few tales to tell, but it’s the loving care the bike has received throughout its time back in the UK that really gives it character. With a wonderful period specification, a gentle and sympathetic restoration, and a little tweak to help it run happily on modern fuel, it’s a chrome-bejewelled stunner that’s ready to play.

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