1960 Triumph Tiger

H15029

Clear

Triumph Tiger T100A’s are quite rare in the US; I’ve seen just one for sale in the last five years. This particular example is in excellent, completely original condition, has great provenance, and known history with only three owners from new. Tigers like this one just about never come up for sale. These “bathtub” Tigers were very popular with California desert racers in the early 60’s. They gleefully trashed the bodywork, thus making it the lightest, most powerful 500 Triumph for off road racing. For this reason, very few survive today; this may well be the last original survivor. It has less than 9,000 miles from new and has always been a cherished motorcycle. The original owner, a local dentist, bought the bike in 1960 from Bud Ekins’ Triumph of Hollywood, at the time the premier Triumph dealer in the US. Subsequently the bike was serviced at Triumph of Burbank, another famed dealership owned by Jack Hately. Jack’s son, John, maintained the bike. Both the Hately’s and Ekins are members of the desert racing Trailblazers Hall of Fame. John was one of the Ascot Park flat track aces; he later became AMA National #98, and continues to this day to race vintage flat track. John always wanted this Tiger, and after a decade finally convinced the owner to sell it to him. Through 1986 John kept the Tiger registered in California, using it gently, and “maintaining it like race bike”, as he told me. After that it was kept at his Agua Dulce home with his other collectible bikes. In 2009, John decided to formalize his collection into a small museum. He wanted to specialize in older race bikes, so sold the Triumph to me to help finance his plan. Now about the bike. Paint and chrome is, to my knowledge 100% original, and the panels are totally rust free. There is some patina, but far less than would be expected of a near 60 year old motorcycle. The paint has a nice shine with just a few chips and minor scars marring the finish. The chrome is a bit thin in places but very serviceable, only the handlebars show some pitting. The engine has never been apart. As a true survivor, there is no way this bike should ever be restored. I showed it one time at a major Concours d’Elegance where it won an Award of Merit as the best unrestored British bike in the event. I also participated in a couple of vintage motorcycle rides, and then on one ride a few years ago, it just stopped. The T100A uses the infamous Lucas’ Energy Transfer (ET) 6V system which combined AC and DC output. That system worked OK on race bikes, not nearly so well on those with lights. With a team of friends, I converted it to a 12V modern electronic system. This was not easy as wiring diagrams were nonexistent and there was no kit available for this model. It now starts and runs great, has better lights and is all around better. None of the modifications show. We wired it up such that the original ET switch now serves as an ignition and headlight switch. When replacing the battery, I installed a 12V dry cell unit to eliminate any possibility of acid spillage. This is the only change I’ve made to the Tiger, other than replacing the petcock. The original petcock uses cork seals which dry out and leak. I found a machinist who made a new one that looks almost identical but uses o-rings instead. It is pictured here with a new reproduction seat from Burton Bike Bits of England. I have the original seat, it’s in pretty nice shape but the foam is dried out from the desert heat and I want to preserve it. I also installed a pair of brand new Avon Speedmasters in the correct size and pattern, sourced from Vintage Tyres in Britain. I have just changed the engine and primary oil, and cleaned and adjusted the Amal carburetor to be sure the Tiger is right and ready for its new owner. You will also note the original California black plate and the registration holder containing John Hately’s original pink slip. The factory toolkit is included; I believe it is complete, along with a reproduction rubber tool tray that replaced the rock hard (desert heat again) original. I have the original rubber sleeve for the distributor, it’s in fine shape, but I have removed it for ease of service, it is included as are all the parts, including the alternator, coil, etc., that were replaced in the electrics conversion. In addition I have the original owner’s instructions manual, a factory parts manual, a couple of reproduction service manuals and some digital files. The Tiger is housed in the climate controlled shop at my home. I am selling it to concentrate on my growing collection of Bultacos. I’d be open to discussions of trades for some models of Bultaco, but no other brands. Please look at all the photos as I think they do a better job of describing the Tiger than I can with words. I have a clear Florida title in my name. Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. I will not ship this motorcycle, nor will I crate it. I will, however, work with your shipper and have no problem holding it for a reasonable amount of time until shipping or pick up can be arranged. I will expect a $500 deposit via Paypal within 48 hours of the end of this auction with full payment before signing over the title and turning over the bike. Interested parties with less than 10 positive feedbacks, please contact me before bidding. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE