Triumph Tiger T110

The Triumph Tiger 110 is a British sports motorcycle that Triumph first made at their Coventry factory between 1953 and 1961. The T110 was developed from the Triumph Thunderbird and first appeared in 1954.[1]

Triumph Tiger T110
ManufacturerTriumph
Production1953–1961
Engine649 cc parallel twin OHV four-stroke
Transmission4 speed / chain
Wheelbase57 inches (140 cm)
Seat height31 inches (79 cm)
Weight420 lb (190 kg) (dry)
Fuel capacity4 imp gal (18 l; 4.8 US gal)
Fuel consumption70 mpg‑imp (4.0 L/100 km; 58 mpg‑US) at 60 mph (97 km/h)

Although it was supposed to be the sports model of the Triumph range, the Tiger 110 was later fitted with the rear paneling that was introduced with Triumph's 350cc 3TA twin in 1959. This rear cowling earned it the nickname 'bathtub' from its shape and made the T110 look somewhat staid. In any event, from 1959, the T120 Bonneville was now Triumph's leading sports model and before the introduction of Edward Turner's unit construction 650cc twin in 1962, the T110 was dropped from Triumph's range.[2]

Development
1961 Triumph T110 with rear 'bathtub' fairing

The Triumph Tiger 110 650 cc OHV Twin was Triumph's fastest production motorcycle to date because it was developed for the American market, which wanted more power. The T110 was first built in 1953 and introduced as a 1954 model. The originally cast iron cylinder block and head soon were replaced with a light alloy cylinder head with special airways to improve cooling and austenitic iron valve seat inserts. The external oil feed pipes were also replaced with internal oilways via the pushrod tubes.[1]

The Triumph Tiger 100 was named because it was capable of 100 mph (160 km/h), so it was an obvious marketing idea to call the new bike the Tiger 110 - although technically the best one way speed obtained by The Motor Cycle magazine in tests was 109 mph (175 km/h) - but the speedometer was reading 114 mph (183 km/h), so there was a margin of error.[1]

By 1959, the Tiger 110 was no longer Triumph's fastest model, the dual carburettor Bonneville T120 having taken its mantle. Triumph added the enclosed panels from the Twenty One which, resembling an upside-down Victorian slipper bathtub, earned the bike the nickname 'bathtub'.[2]

World Speed Record

On 6 September 1956, at Bonneville Salt Flats American racer Johnny Allen secured the motorcycle land-speed record on a heavily modified Triumph T110 with a top speed of 214.17 mph (344.67 km/h).[3] This success led to the development of the Tiger T110's successor - the Triumph Bonneville.[4]

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References
  1. Currie, Bob (1980). Great British Motorcycles of the Fifties. Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd. ISBN 978-0-86363-010-1.
  2. Bacon, Roy (1988). British Motorcycles of the 60's. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85648-166-3.
  3. Mick Duckworth: 1956 Triumph streamliner, Classic Bike, October 1999, p. 34
  4. Kemp, Andrew; De Cet (2004). Classic British Bikes. Mirco. Bookmart Ltd. ISBN 978-1-86147-136-9.

See also
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