Triumph Speed Twin

The Triumph Speed Twin 5T wis a Breetish motorcycle made bi Triumph at thair Coventry factory. Edward Turner, Triumph’s Chief Designer an Managin Director, launched the Triumph Speed Twin at the 1937 Naitional Motorcycle Show. Costin £75, it wis a 500 cc OHV vertical twin in a lichtweight frame an the first truly successfu Breetish twin, settin the standard for mony twins tae follae. Efter Warld War II the Speed Twin wis responsible for the survival o Triumph - an ivery major Breetish marque affered a 500 cc twin designed on seemilar lines tae the Speed Twin.

History
Edward Turner’s Triumph twin wis a major turnin pynt for the Breetish motorcycle industry, as awtho a 500 cc parallel twin o medium capacity wis no revolutionary, the 5T Speed Twin model wis lichter than mony contemporary singles wi significantly mair pouer an torque. Early models wur ae available in 'Amaranth reid' wi haund paintit gowd pinstripes tae set aff the chrome.  Initially the ane piece iron cylinder wis secured wi sax studs which led tae weakness, sae thir wur replaced bi aicht studs.'' The twa cylinders wur fed bi a single Amal Teep 6 carburettor an mony features sic as the transmission an clutch wur straucht frae the Triumph single.'' Oreeginally wi girder forks, the sprung saddle wis the ae rear suspension as the Speed Twin haed a rigid frame - an aa frae the single cylinder production line. On the nicht o the 14t November 1940 the majority o the ceety-centre o Coventry wis destroyed bi German bombs an the Triumph factory (which wis workin on an order o thoosans o military specification 5T's) wis completely wiped oot, an aw o Triumph's technical records, drawins an designs wur destroyed.

Development
Efter the war the recovery o Triumph at Meriden wis lairgely due tae the Speed Twin, which wis developed in 1947 wi telescopic forks an optional [sprung hub] rear suspension. In 1952, the Speed Twin caused controversy amang traditional Breetish riders as the generator an magneto wur replaced wi a Lucas alternator an battery/coil ignition seestem.

Further development led tae the 5TA wi a 'unit' ingine an gearbox construction an stylin changes includin the 'Bathtub' fairins' which continued in production throu tae 1966.

References

See an aa
 Lunnon Motorcycle Museum

External links
 1938 Speed Twin 
 Triumph Speed Twin review 

Category:Breetish motorcycles
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Category:Motorcycles in The Art of the Motorcycle Exhibition