The Pre-1941 Triumph Motor Cycle Pages


From Peter Cornelius - Triumph Specialist for the VMCC - of Britain.


Triumph's 1905 offering

1905 Model
Triumph's 1905 Motor Cycle



For 1905 Triumph had a machine with an engine in the 'right place' at the joining of the frame where the pedal cranks of a cycle were mounted, and the name of TRIUMPH was cast into the crankcase.
The engine wouldn't have been designed by Mauritz Schulte, as some books would have you believe, nor even anyone else at the Triumph Works.
The casting of crankcases requires large, expensive foundry facilities, which Triumph didn't have, and never did. The crankcases and cylinders were common with at least three other manufacturers' machines, with direct interchangeability of parts possible. So Triumph would simply have ordered sufficient quantity of the castings that their name was cast into the crankcases, or they paid extra for that marking. However, it did put the name of Triumph on a motor cycle and they made their 'mark' on the growing motor cycle industry in Britain, and compared with the earlier machines I think that you'll agree that the machine was very smart.

However, Triumph did still copy other manufacturers' ideas and their 1905 machine used a twin front down-tube frame as had Rover, earlier. (The tubes were 'in tandem' - one behind the other.)
However, the frame proved not to be a good idea and had a tendency to break. So a change was made to a more conventional single down-tube frame.

Brief Specifications and Variations

Initially introduced as an accumulator/coil model by mid-March there was also available high-tension Magnet Ignition model.

398cc side-valve, 78mm bore X 76mm stroke, 3 hp.

Belt drive, no clutch, no gears.

The combined fuel/oil tank hung from the frame top cross-tube by two clips. The twin front down-tube frame had no under-tank frame tube.

Fitted with a 'lightning stand. Released by unscrewing just one wing-nut!

Fuel capacity "about 100 miles", oil 250 miles.

Production approximately 250 to 300 machines.

I only have knowledge of Triumphs from this period surviving in Australia and Britain.

For more details you really need to refer to the booklet I have written covering the Early Models.


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