Triumph Tiger T110

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While Triumph's Tiger 100 was the firm's flagship model from 1939, and tuned versions had set the fastest-ever lap record at Brooklands (118mph, which stands for all time) and even won the Manx Grand Prix in 1946, by the 1950s it was clear that Triumph’s number one export market wanted a bigger, badder Tiger.

America’s road racers and desert racers all demanded more speed from their British supplier and in 1953 the factory responded by hotting up their 650cc Thunderbird to create the Tiger 110. The first Triumph with swinging-arm rear suspension, the T110 came with a revised engine incorporating a stronger crankshaft, high-compression pistons, larger inlet valves and hotter cams.

Affectionately known as the 'Ton-Ten', it was the fastest production motorcycle one could buy new (after Vincent shut its doors in 1955) and was the machine that all the café racers wanted. In 1958, a T110 with an experimental twin-carb cylinder head flew to 147mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats, which led to a new name for the model, the Bonneville. The T110 remained in production until 1961, an aluminium-alloy ‘Delta’ high-compression cylinder head being available from 1956 which increased power and pushed the T110’s top speed towards 120mph.

Our vendor acquired this superb 1956 T110 to join his collection in 2005 at which point it had already been fully restored by a previous owner. He has used the bike only lightly, six old MOTs showing that he rode it barely 700 miles before putting it into storage about three years ago. In 2010 it won ‘Best Post-1950 Machine’ at the Malvern Classic Bike Show and is no doubt capable of winning more trophies should the lucky new owner feel so inclined. In good running order when parked up, it may benefit from a precautionary check-over before venturing forth once more.