The company Triumph was not the first, which sorted its models by letters. The initially optional ignition had established itself meantime without the bothersome battery.The front fork was sprung. One of the suspension fro adjustable saddle was even series from 1908.
Winning the Tourist Trophy in 1908 showed the reliability of the machines and increased sales enormously. It followed the usual program of racing participation and evidence of long distance capability, thousands of kilometers on only partially constructed roads of Britain.
Deliveries of Triumph in World War I probably have a decisive influence on the reputation of the company. There were mainly machines with a cylinder, 550 cc and about 3 kW (4 HP) that were sent to thousands at the front from 1915. The drive with leather straps to the rear has remained, the treadle abolished.
Although the operating elements were attached to the handlebars long ago, the three-speed transmission the gears were changed via a lever next to the tank. Also these were manufactured of triumph itself after the war. In addition, the leather strap was replaced by a chain.
Yet during the war seemed to be the time for a two-cylinder twin. The was developed indeed, but did not go into series. Instead, convinced the experts, the Ricardo-Triumph, named after its developer at the beginning of the twenties. It had an air-cooled single cylinder as before, but four valves. But most of the 50,000 motorcycles that were manufactured in this decade on average annually by over 3,000 employees, were the standard machines.
The technique of motorcycles has been refined. They received a brake for the front wheel just like also the four-wheelers. The front wheel has been thoroughly revised on this opportunity because of the thereby substantially modified conditions of the suspension. Obviously, the unsprung masses were now to control so much harder that lever dampers were built-in.
One even made a cheap flop (P-model) in the middle of the decade, but could iron out again the loss of image roughly within a year. In the program always remained next to the 500cc also the 350cc. Then there was still the 250cc, a motorcycle with two stroke engine. That came from the Triumph family from Germany.
Founded in 1896, inter alia, by Bettmann the company Triumph was rather supplier of bicycles and smaller machines, even began by purchasing a suitable company to manufacture typewriters. Although of Triumph Motorcycle separated since 1913, one still did active business with one another: small two-strokes to England, larger four-strokes back.
So something is only good as long as the trade is flourishing. In the recession that followed the stock market crash of 1929, sales were declining rapidly and one argued about naming rights. The German plant renamed at times in Triumph Werke Nürnberg, but then again returns back to the old name. One would still offer four-strokes to 1938. 12/13