Triumphrat

GrandPaulZ · 05-01-2007

There have been various write-ups concerning the effectiveness, and they went back to the plunger, so that has to mean something...

I'm sure I heard about one of the issues being "popping out of gear"; may have been exacerbated by other gear issues, but the leaf spring couldn't hold the cogs in gear.

Mecchanica · 05-01-2007

The '71.5 to very early (725cc) '73 five speeds were weak due to an undersized first gear drive dog. I use them for low power conversions of 6Ts or 55 preunits.
The leaf spring was a loser and the factory did figure that out by resurrecting the plunger detent. The leaf spring makes timing the shifter more difficult, as it tends to roll the camplate as you push the inner cover into place.
All of the five speeds will work better than four speeds in the leaf spring bikes, as the engaging dogs are back cut to lock the gears in engagement while there is a load on the gears, removing the load from the detent, leaf spring or plunger. That is why it is rare to have a five speed pop out of gear. Fewer and stronger dogs also allow smoother shifting. Five speeds also have much shorter throws.
There are four incarnations of the five speed..the early (weak) used to 73, although the factory made a gear conversion kit (CP1000) and I figure a few of the early bikes must have the conversion installed. Then an improved gearbox from 73 to 78. 79 and later was essentially the same with a relatively minor change to the layshaft and then with the TSS, the mainshaft was changed to have larger threads on both ends, but is interchangable with all earlier five speed mainshafts.
Unit 500s don't make the same kind of power as the 650s or 750s, as they are big bore/short stroke engines. They should have had the five speed, but unfortunately they didn't hang in there long enough to get it. Quaife makes one for them, but it's probably about 2,000 dollars now. The gearsboxes are weaker than the big twin items and the valves and guides, being rather shorter, also wear out faster. Bent pushrods are more common. They are light and agile and can be lightened even more by removing the battery and battery box, fitting alloy rims, all the usual methods.
Bonnevilles are premium priced, but I think the better bike and value is the TR6R. It's essentially a simpler version of the Bonneville, so much of the bike is identical. A '69 TR6R has a larger tank and a single carb head, and those are the important differences. You give up a few HP to the Bonneville, but you get improved tractibility and mileage. It also pulls a little harder at low to medium rpm.

[ This message was edited by: Mecchanica on 2007-05-01 17:19 ]

JEB · 05-01-2007

Euro,

Where did you see the 1954 Tiger Cub? It's a little guy, single cylinder 200cc. I'm in the DFW area and would like to see the one that you looked at.

Euro · 05-02-2007

Quote:

On 2007-05-01 20:34, JEB wrote:
Euro,

Where did you see the 1954 Tiger Cub? It's a little guy, single cylinder 200cc. I'm in the DFW area and would like to see the one that you looked at.

It was at Pate Swap Meet at Texas Motor Speedway. The Meet happens every year during the last week in April. I think it is the biggest swap in the nation tied with Hersey in PA? Can some one help me with that? The meet is over now and I didn't get the owner's name, so I can't really help you out. Sorry 'bout that.

kawtoy · 05-02-2007

Does it claim to be the biggest swap meet for motorcycles? I am pretty sure that title goes to Vintage Motorcycle Days at Mid-Ohio race track. Last year was over 1200 vendors, vintage only!

Euro · 05-02-2007

Definitely not. Pate is much more vintage cars than motorcycles, much more. It's pretty much all vintage american cars too. There were only two Triumph motorcycles at Pate this year and piles and piles of american junk. Corvettes, Mustangs, and Trans Ams galore. The only european related items I saw this year at Pate besides the two bikes were my TR-6, another TR-6 that showed up out of no where, and a Jag XKE rear hatch. (I don't know where the rest of the car was.) When it comes to motorcycle swap meets I don't know what the big ones are. The swap meet in Hersey is mainly cars from what I hear too. What are some big motorcycle swap meets?

JEB · 05-02-2007

HEY! Did it look like THIS? Cause it lives at my house now :-D

I traded for a 1969 Yamaha CT1 MXer. I was at the Pate for about 3 hrs on Saturday, long enough to see both Triumphs, the BSA chopper rustbucket, the T100 frame and the ironhead sportster chopper project. Man, for such a big swap meet, it sucks for bikes.

Euro · 05-03-2007

Yea, that's the one! Yea, it does suck for bikes. There was an old Husqvarna there on Friday I wanted to buy, but the guy went home and never came back. I Pate was started by the Model A club or some other old car club, so that probably influences the auto appeal there. There was a nother Triumph there in the back of a truck. It was less complete than the Tiger cub though and more money I think.