1974 Triumph TR5MX

TR5MXGH75459

No Reserve!!! This is a rare find indeed! I’ve reluctantly decided to part with my all original 1974 Triumph TR5MX survivor. I’ve had this bike for many years and swore I’d never let it go, but life has a way of changing one’s plans. It was sold new by Colonial Cycles, a long defunct Triumph dealership in Orlando, and it has remained in Florida since new. It still sports the original dealer’s decal on the rear fender. It has never been raced or abused and was ridden gently in the pastures of the family’s cattle farm. Tragically, the original owner passed away in 1975 and the family rolled the bike into their equipment barn where it sat until I acquired it. Fortunately, they had the foresight to drain the tank, run the fuel out of the carb and to crank the engine over on a regular basis. I had known of this bike and had been pursuing it for quite some time but every time I’d inquire I was told, flatly, that it was not for sale. When the original owner’s mother passed away, the bike was left to a nephew who obviously didn’t have the same sentimental attachment to it, and he agreed to let it go. Since this is a 100% original, matching numbers bike, complete and unmolested, my intent was to use it as the basis for a concours restoration. However, once I began looking it over, I realized that it was an absolute time machine and in superb condition. As an originality buff, I felt it would be a crime to destroy its perfect patina. They’re only original once. If you’re familiar with the TR5MX and BSA B50MX, you'll realize how difficult it is to find one this original and factory correct, especially a TR5MX, which was only available in 1974 as a means of clearing the pipeline of B50MX’s after BSA went into receivership. I have had many B50MX’s and can attest to the fact that most have been ridden hard, as they were designed to be, and have either long since met their demise or have been modified beyond recognition. This bike is a true low-hour survivor and has none of the typical issues associated with vintage competition bikes. As far as original components go, it is exactly as it was when it left the BSA assembly line. It still wears its original Dunlop Sports knobbies and, as you can see from the photos, they show very little wear. The tires hold air, but they do have some checking. The wire harness is untouched and still retains all of the original wire connectors and Lucas electrical components as well as the points ignition and Champion spark plug wire and cap. The cables, levers, grips and throttle are original as are the fuel lines and the ferrules. The factory three snorkel air cleaner is still in place as well as the original Amal carb. If you know these bikes, you know that any kind of spirited riding results in a vertical crack extending from the lower lip up to the middle of the rear fender and dents in the front of the fuel tank from the fork tubes hitting on hard turns. Both stainless fenders are perfect without any scratches or dings and the tank is pristine save for one small ding in the top toward the rear. I tried to get a pic of the ding, but it wouldn’t show in the photos. The seat is in perfect condition with no rips, punctures or loose threads. The bulky and gaudy chrome twin silencers were usually the first parts to be tossed by owners back in the day and are extremely difficult to find now. Those that were left on the bikes are typically scratched and dinged up from encounters with the ground, trees, fence posts, etc or are rusted through. This bike shows no signs of ever being down and the silencers are pristine – another testament to its easy life. Also, the silencers still retain their original Krizman spark arresters. These are even more rare than the silencers as some owners simply removed them to decrease exhaust restriction and left the silencers in place. It took me three years and lots of $$ to locate a set for my last B50MX project. I wound up having them shipped from Australia. Other than a quick dusting off, I have not cleaned or detailed this bike – it looks as it did when it was removed from original owner's barn. I did try some aluminum polish on a small section on the top of the fuel tank and it easily removed the specks of oxidation visible in the pics. If someone were to spend a few hours with some aluminum polish, steel wool and cleaning products, this bike would look incredible and still retain its lovely patina. The only parts of the bike that might not clean up with some elbow grease are the levers and rims. If the new owner decides to go the route of a restoration, these bits would require rechroming. I have an NOS WM3-18 rear rim, a perfect used WM1-21 front rim and a set of NOS TR5MX handlebars that I will offer to the new owner at the prices that I paid for them many years ago. The sale will include some bits of memorabilia that I have collected over the years - a 1974 Triumph dealer TR5MX sales poster and a TR5MX promotional sign as well as a factor shop manual, parts manual and owner's manual. What I did do when I brought the bike home was change the lubricants, perform a quick cleaning of the carb, added some fresh fuel and fired it up. The engine runs better and pulls harder than any of the big British singles that I have owned or ridden. There are no unusual noises, it doesn't smoke and there is no clutch slippage. The transmission shifts smoothly and crisply. The torque produced by this engine is incredible and you have to make a conscious effort to keep the front wheel on the ground. The bike feels extremely solid and the suspension is nice and tight. I've only ridden it twice since it's been in my possession, once when I got it home and now for a total of about one hour. I'm not touting the ridability of this bike in the hope that it becomes a trail bike or an AHRMA racer, but rather to highlight its status as an unmolested example of a low-production, low-hour survivor. My preference would be that it goes to someone who can appreciate it for the rare piece of British motorcycling history that it is. In the next week or so I will begin listing my stash of good used and NOS B50MX/TR5MX parts so stay tuned. Please ask all questions prior to bidding. If you have zero or negative feedback, please contact me before placing bid or your bid will be canceled. Buyer is responsible for all shipping costs and arrangements. I am willing to deliver the bike to a shipper within 50 miles of Palm Beach, Florida for my fuel cost. Paypal okay for deposit only, balance to be paid in cash or cleared funds before bike is released.