12th October 2009, 20:44
| #31 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chennai
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|  But as far as my research on the net shows. In 1954 the Triumphs switched to a swing arm suspension so that would not match my bike. |
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13th October 2009, 10:46
| #32 | |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Abu Dhabi (for now)
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| Quote:
You are dead right it is derinitely not an aassumption but a fact that what you have is a Triumph 5T Speed Twin. Now regarding dating the chassis and engine I can't help much on it but will try to find a source for you from the net. You would be safe to assume the build date to be somewhere in 1954 as you have mentioned. | |
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13th October 2009, 11:36
| #33 |
| BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chennai
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| Thanks Wasif, Does anybody have access to repair manuals in PDF format or hard copies that they would be willing to share/sell to me for the Triumph 5T SpeedTwin? /sanjay |
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13th October 2009, 15:06
| #34 | |
| BHPian  | Quote:
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13th October 2009, 19:53
| #35 |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Kolkata/Delhi
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| Mods-Please change the name of the thread to "Restoring a Triumph 5T Speed Twin" since it is not a thunderbird. |
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14th October 2009, 13:36
| #36 |
| BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chennai
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| Managed to find the manuals online in PDF format. Got the Service manual and the Parts manual. Thanks to google. /sanjay |
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14th October 2009, 13:47
| #37 | |
| Distinguished - BHPian   | Quote:
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14th October 2009, 14:33
| #38 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chennai
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16th October 2009, 01:03
| #39 |
| BHPian Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Andheri (East), Mumbai 400069.
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| Sanjay! All the best. The bike definitely looks restorable and you've got nearly all the bits in there. Forget about things like monograms and silencers for now. Concentrate on getting the bike fired up and running perfectly first. The first you do, click a lot of detailed photographs. Then, brush on a mixture of diesel and kerosene liberally on all the nuts and bolts. Keep doing this for a few days. Pour in some of that mixture into the cylinders by removing the spark plugs. Be careful because they could snap and that would be a big problem. Be patient and before you anything, click photos and label all the parts, including nuts and bolts precisely. It might not seem like much, but its hard to remember all the finer details when your rebuilding the bike after a few months. Most of all, be happy with yourself. That is a splendid motorcycle and it should be your aim to get it to do what it was built to do - ride! |
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16th October 2009, 02:06
| #40 |
| BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chennai
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| Scanned manual here is another link to a scanned manual on rapidshare |
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16th October 2009, 16:59
| #41 | ||
| Senior - BHPian  | Quote:
Quote:
Your engine number starting with 5T confirms it is not a thunder bird but a Speed Twin or Tiger. There is no way you can say by the engine number or frame number which year it was manufactured in. Most Tiger's came with a small grille under the headlamp and Speed Twin's came with a parking lamp in the same place. Yours looks like it was fitted with a lamp which is now missing. You have the triangular brass plate (red arrow in pic.) still intact on the timing cover, and if it has speed twin embossed on it under the Triumph logo, you have your answer. It should have a AMAL Mono block carburetor, but in pics it shows otherwise. The horn button and dipper switch are original, but the tail lamp is Royal Enfield. Your (too rounded) bend pipes and silencer domes are not original. Spring hub drum (like on your bike) came on bikes until late 1940's, then came plunger shocks followed by swing arm type. Your seat should be a saddle seat and not a full length one (like on later models) . Finally the rear 'cycle type' stand did not come on the 50's bikes. I may more right than wrong in assuming that yours is a late 40's model. maybe 1946-48. Mine is a 1956 Speed Twin. Regards, Picture taken in 1998.  Last edited by fazalaliadil : 16th October 2009 at 17:01. | ||
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16th October 2009, 19:01
| #42 | ||
| BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chennai
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| Quote:
British Spares - Classic motorcycle parts for Triumph, Norton, BSA, worldwide.. Quote:
The spring drum did come all the way upto 54. I have the workshop manual of the 54 and it discusses the repair of the spring drum. Currently my best guess is still that it is a 1954 5T Speed Twin /sanjay | ||
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16th October 2009, 20:20
| #43 | |
| Senior - BHPian | Quote:
I a m positive that spring drums were outdated by 1954, the repair manual could be of 1954 which is instructing repairs of spring drums on older model bikes. Also, 1950 bikes did not carry forward the rear stand but had moved on to side stand and center stand. | |
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17th October 2009, 10:34
| #44 | |
| Distinguished - BHPian | Quote:
Incidentally that Lucas lamp was fitted to many British bikes of the era, and even some cars like the Daimler fintail roadster. | |
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17th October 2009, 13:36
| #45 | |
| Senior - BHPian | Quote:
Karlosdeville, Earlier models,until late 40's came with the round cylindrical tail lamp manufactured by Butlers and Lucas (first pic.) later ones like Sanjay' s bike came with the wide and angular tail lamp like on my Triumph, which complimented the shape of the top end of the number plate and the mounting bracket. But the one on his bike was not used on any model of Triumph. Much later model of 70's Triumph Commando was fitted with the same model of Lucas tail lamp which is also on my 70's BSA Gold Star B50SS. Like you said, yes these tail lamps were used by other bike manufacturers as well.    Last edited by fazalaliadil : 17th October 2009 at 13:39. | |
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