Triumph Trophy TR6 650 Classic Motorcycle, Year 1959.
ABOUT THIS MOTORCYCLE
This bike is an original UK example and comes with an incredible history file going back to 1965 listing every owner, and including correspondence with many, along with period photos. This is wonderfully rich social history and provenance, worthy of the National Motorcycle Museum, or any decent collection.
A Total Car Check for this bike shows a date of first registration of October 1959 and 3 previous keepers until coming to the current owner in June 2019. In fact, there have been at least 12 keepers since 1965, which we know due to the detailed history book this bike comes with. The history book dates the keepers from 1965 to the present day, but no history is recorded from 1959 to 1965.
Since the last owner's death in 2019 this bike has been kept covered in an indoor garage and no maintenance has taken place, so some work will be required to bring it back up to rideable condition. It was however well-used, loved and maintained by my father throughout the ten years he owned it.
Mileage at the most recent MOT in April 2012 was 4, 289 miles. There were some advisories for brake effort, steering bearings and wheel alignment. The bike presents in very authentic condition. Finished in cream and orange, the condition is not over-restored and the bike has clearly been used. The odometer shows 5, 166 miles, which is 877 miles since its most recent MOT. This is more use than most average classic bikes. The engine looks dry and the rest of the bike is well preserved.
Tax and MOT exempt.
ABOUT THE TRIUMPH TR6
The Triumph TR6 was produced from 1956 to 1973, when it was replaced by the fivespeed 750cc Triumph Tiger TR7V. During this time it was a successful model, particularly in the US. The TR6 grew from the success of the 650cc Thunderbird in America, where the higher engine capacity was desirable. The success of the 1954 500cc T110 and later TR5 Trophy led to the creation of a 650cc TR6 'Trophy-bird' model, developed and produced specifically for the US market, including California desert racing. The TR6 was introduced in 1956, with the same engine as the T110, but a new alloy cylinder head giving 42bhp. The power delivery made it ideal for off-road competition, and the bike had a Siamese 2-into-1 exhaust system and a 7-inch front brake. The following years saw a bigger front brake and a move to a Lucas Red Label Competition Magneto as standard. For the 1959 model year, the Trophy was offered in two variants, the TR6/ A and TR6/ B. The TR6/ A was the roadster model with low exhausts and the TR6/ B was the highpiped street scrambler.
Trophy-bird became Trophy in 1961, with home models renamed the TR6, while the US export models were named TR6C for the competition model and TR6R for the road model. Ruby Red and Silver were used for all models. For 1962, the US models were renamed TR6SR and TR6SC. Unit construction arrived in 1963. Introduced in 1962 and offered through 1966 was the pre-unit TR6SS model, which sported a two-into- one exhaust, but was otherwise similar to the road model. The Triumph TR6 was perhaps the last example of an all-around motorcycle. Capable of being raced successfully on mud or desert tracks, or ridden daily on errands with just a single carburettor to maintain, many consider the Trophy a more desirable machine for road use than the Bonneville, as their real-world performance is on a par.
This bike was in my father's collection for ten years until he passed in 2019. It was my favourite of his bikes, and indeed two of the previous owners have been in touch since to say they had loved it so much they regretted parting with it. It comes with a fascinating book which charts all keepers since 1965 and includes period photographs of the bike over time.
