c.1960 Triumph Tiger Cub 199cc Trials Motorcycle

c.1960 Triumph Tiger Cub 199cc Trials Motorcycle
Frame no. T65749
Engine no. T20S 57408
• Built for pre-'65 trials
• No registration document

'This four-stroke lightweight is game for a genuine 64-65mph; it will cruise energetically all day in the mid-fifties; and it will return fuel consumption figures little short of remarkable, whatever the throttle openings used.' - Motor Cycling.

With the introduction of the 149cc Terrier in 1952, Triumph re-entered the market for lightweight commuter machines. A simple, compact, unitary construction four-stroke with four-speed gearbox, the Terrier was joined in 1954 by an enlarged version, the 200cc Tiger Cub, that offered 60mph-plus performance and 100mpg. A huge success, particularly with learners and younger riders, the Cub underwent continuous development for the next 16 years, gaining 16" wheels for 1956, a swinging-arm frame and hydraulically-damped forks for 1957, energy transfer ignition and 17" wheels for 1960 and points in the timing cover for 1963. Changes to the engine were countless. The Cub finally ended up with BSA Bantam cycle parts before being dropped in 1970. The model remains a favourite with today's collectors, many of whom would have commenced their riding career on a Cub, and is well served by an extensive network of parts suppliers and other specialists.
Trials and scrambles versions had been early additions to the range, and in 1959 Cub-mounted works rider Roy Peplow's landmark victory in the Scottish Six Days Trial emphatically demonstrated that lightweights were not only competitive but also capable of winning major events. Brainchild of works rider Jim Alves, the trials version of the Tiger Cub had debuted in 1957 as the T20C and was steadily improved year by year, becoming the TR20 in 1962, until the Cub range was dropped by BSA-Triumph. The model's competitiveness in Pre-'65 events and the relative scarcity of genuine Trials Cubs has seen a number of road bikes converted for trials use in recent years, the very tidy example offered here being one such.

The engine number's 'T20S' stamping is that of a genuine trials unit, but the frame is non-matching. There is no registration document with this Lot. Accordingly, prospective purchasers must satisfy themselves with regard to this machine's registration status prior to bidding.