Triumph Motorcycles Type C Roadster 1914
Triumph’s well-engineered 3hp single-cylinder motorcycles earned the company a reputation as a manufacturer of reliable products that were capable of sporting speeds.
A factor in the reliability of the motorcycles was Triumph’s principle of controlling all aspects of the design and construction to the extent that it developed its own twin-barrel carburettor and its own magneto. In 1907, the 3hp model was superseded by the 453cc, 3.5hp, side-valve, single-cylinder models that included a direct-drive Roadster, a Deluxe Roadster with a three-speed Sturmey-Archer hub gearbox and a foot-operated clutch, a sporting TT Roadster and a full TT racing model capable of 75mph (121kph). The engine was enlarged to 475cc in 1908 and then to 499cc in 1910. The front forks are of a unique Triumph type that is sprung to move backwards and forwards.
In 1914, the engine was enlarged to 550cc and the 4hp model introduced of which this is an example. It is a Type C which denotes that it is equipped with the gearbox and clutch and the frame geometry differs from the earlier frame by having a curved top tube at the rear of the fuel tank. It was acquired for the NZ Classic Motorcycles collection from the Phil Aubert Bedard collection in New Zealand via an auction in October, 2011. It is believed that it once belonged to the Bank of New Zealand and was used to deliver the payroll to the Taringamotu sawmill from the bank in Taumaranui.