1938 Triumph Triumph

TH5595

I am reluctantly selling my 1938 Triumph Speed Twin. This is truly a milestone motorcycle. Google "1938 Speed Twin" for info. These bikes rarely come up for sale. I have been an ebay member for over 10 years and have never seen one listed. You can only find photographs and posters of this milestone motorcycle. 1938 Triumph Speed Twins have been in the collections of Steve McQueen and Bud Ekins. One has been shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. They are in some of the finest motorcycle museums. I've received several questions about matching serial numbers. For 1938 & 1939 Triumph did not use a matching number system on their twins. They stamped a number on the frame when it was built, they stamped a number on the engine when it was built, and the same for the transmission. These are all in the sequence they were built. They did not stamp the numbers at the time of final assembly. Post war all numbers were stamped during final assembly and all left the factory with matching numbers, the prefixes may not have matched, but the numbers did. 1969 ushered in a new numbering system that used the exact prefixes and numbers on the frame and motor. Do not take my word for it, see Roy Bacon's book on restoring Triumph Twins. The frame serial number is TH5595, the motor is 8-5T 11664, the transmission is TE-11691. These are the correct numbers for a 1938 Speed Twin. They also show that this bike was very early in the production run for '38. Also see there are 6 studs from the case to the barrels. 1939 and later used 8 studs. You cannot fake an 8 stud motor to look like a 6 stud motor. The motor turns over with what seems to be good compression. The transmission shifts through the gears smoothly and firmly, finds neutral easily, the rear brake works but the front has no cable. There is a dent / crease at the top front of the fuel tank. The headlight and supports are not the correct items for a restoration. The original toolbox that is included was set in place and not attached for 1 photo. The dash is NOS, the fork damper knob is NOS, the seat is reproduction but the original with a poor covering job is included, and the pipes are reproductions from British Only. I have additional items also, I will post a list. There appears to be no welding repair or modifications to the frame. Check pictures closely to determine condition before you bid. This motorcycle is being sold as is. Due to questions received, I've added a buy it now price if anyone does not want to take a chance with last minute bidding. I do not necessarily expect the bidding to reach this amount, but???? Some comments on this model: In the book Triumph Motorcycles: From Speed Twin to Bonneville by Timothy Remus "It started with the Speed Twin in 1938 and went on until 1983. During that time the Triumph Motorcycle Company produced everything from singles to triples, but mostly they produced vertical twins. Some of the fastest and best looking vertical twins ever produced. Good enough to be copied first by the other English motorcycle companies, later by Japan and eventually by the New Triumph Company." From Allen Motorsports Museum "The 1938 Triumph twin has to be ground zero for Triumph's performance line-up. Conceived by Edward Turner, it became the standard by which other marques were judged." & "This has to be one of the most significant Triumphs ever built." From MOTORCYCLEUSA.com "The Triumph Speedtwin of 1938 is one of the most important motorcycles ever produced. The Speedtwin, almost on its own, took Triumph from bankruptcy to being one of the most important motorcycle manufacturers in the world." From Wikipedia "Edward Turner, Triumph’s Chief Designer and Managing Director, launched the Triumph Speed Twin at the 1937 National Motorcycle Show. It was a 500 cc OHV vertical twin in a lightweight frame and the first truly successful British twin, setting the standard for many twins to follow." (This was the 1938 model debut) Buyer to be responsible for shipping. There are carriers that specialize in hauling motorcycles. You can look at my feedback for November 2010 for a sale of another historic motorcycle I sold to a buyer in England. I will cooperate with your shipping company to see that it gets to you safely as I did with the Harley Davidson XA. I will sell to the US, Canada, Great Britain, or Japan. If you reside in another country, contact me before bidding. A $1,000 dollar deposit will be required through PayPal within 24 hours of auctions end. On Jul-29-11 at 12:47:20 PDT, seller added the following information: Parts not shown are: A pair of new mufflers, a rear license / number bracket, a NOS OEM 6 stud gasket set, a new reproduction MT 110 tail lamp, a new reproduction trouble light for the dash panel, a pair of new reproduction knee pads, 2 new reproduction horn / kill switches, 2 new reproduction ignition wire magneto contacts, 10 new petcock corks, a pair of new stand pivot bolts, a pair of new reproduction tank badges, a new magneto oil seal, a new reproduction tool box closing bolt, a new primary inspection cap, a new 6 volt battery and the electrolyte to activate, a new clutch key, and the orignal seat springs. I think I have more yet to be dug out.