Triumph Tiger T110
Encyclopedia
The Triumph Tiger 110 was a British sports motorcycle
first made by Triumph at their Coventry
factory between 1953 and 1961. Developed from the Triumph Thunderbird
the T100 first appeared in 1954. Although it was supposed to be the sports model of the Triumph range the Tiger 110 was fitted with the enclosed panels from the smaller twins in 1961 which earned it the nickname 'bathtub' and made it look outdated, so was replaced by the Triumph Bonneville
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The Triumph Tiger 100
was named because it was capable of 100 mph (44.7 m/s), so it was an obvious marketing idea to call the new bike the Tiger 110 - although technically the best one way speed obtained by The Motor Cycle magazine in tests was 109 mph (48.7 m/s) (with a strong tail wind) - but the speedometer was reading 114 mph (51 m/s), so there was a margin of error.
By 1961, the Tiger 110 was no longer Triumph's fastest model, the dual carburettor Bonneville T120
having taken its mantle. Triumph added the enclosed panels from the Twenty One
which, resembling an upside-down Victorian slipper bathtub, earned the bike the nickname 'bathtub'.
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Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
first made by Triumph at their Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
factory between 1953 and 1961. Developed from the Triumph Thunderbird
Triumph Thunderbird
The Triumph Thunderbird is a British motorcycle that was introduced by Triumph in 1949 and produced in its original form until 1966. The name was used three more times for new and distinct Triumph models.-Original model:...
the T100 first appeared in 1954. Although it was supposed to be the sports model of the Triumph range the Tiger 110 was fitted with the enclosed panels from the smaller twins in 1961 which earned it the nickname 'bathtub' and made it look outdated, so was replaced by the Triumph Bonneville
Triumph Bonneville
The Bonneville is a range of British motorcycles, made in three different production runs from 1959 to 1983, and 1985 to 1988, by the now-defunct Triumph Engineering in Meriden; and since 2001, by Triumph Motorcycles in Hinckley. It is named after the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, where Triumph and...
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Development
The Triumph Tiger 110 650 cc OHV Twin was Triumph's fastest production motorcycle to date, developed for the American market which wanted a higher power output. The T100 first appeared in 1954. Originally produced with a cast iron cylinder block and head, this was quickly replaced with a light alloy cylinder head with special airways to improve cooling and austenitic iron valve seat inserts. The external oil fed pipes were also replaced with internal oilways via the pushrod tubes.The Triumph Tiger 100
Triumph Tiger 100
The Triumph Tiger 100 was a British motorcycle first made by Triumph at their Coventry factory for 1939.With the runaway sales success of the Triumph Speed Twin, Edward Turner's mind turned to further developing the potential of his new parallel twin motor...
was named because it was capable of 100 mph (44.7 m/s), so it was an obvious marketing idea to call the new bike the Tiger 110 - although technically the best one way speed obtained by The Motor Cycle magazine in tests was 109 mph (48.7 m/s) (with a strong tail wind) - but the speedometer was reading 114 mph (51 m/s), so there was a margin of error.
By 1961, the Tiger 110 was no longer Triumph's fastest model, the dual carburettor Bonneville T120
Triumph Bonneville T120
The Triumph Bonneville T120 is a British motorcycle that was designed and built by Triumph Engineering between 1959 and 1975, when the engine size was increased to .-Development:...
having taken its mantle. Triumph added the enclosed panels from the Twenty One
Triumph Twenty One
The Triumph Twenty One is a British motorcycle made by Triumph Engineering Co Ltd in Coventry. The Model Twenty One was the first of the Triumph unit construction twin cylinder motorcycles...
which, resembling an upside-down Victorian slipper bathtub, earned the bike the nickname 'bathtub'.
World Speed Record
On 5 September 1962, at Bonneville Salt Flats American racer Bill Johnson secured the world land speed record on a heavily modified Triumph T110 with a top speed of 224.57 mph (100.4 m/s). This success led to the development of the Tiger T110's successor - the Triumph BonnevilleTriumph Bonneville
The Bonneville is a range of British motorcycles, made in three different production runs from 1959 to 1983, and 1985 to 1988, by the now-defunct Triumph Engineering in Meriden; and since 2001, by Triumph Motorcycles in Hinckley. It is named after the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, where Triumph and...
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