1958 Triumph 650cc Thunderbird

Registration no. 865 HHN Frame no. 6T 020634 Engine no. 6T 020634

Always a step ahead of their rivals, Triumph followed up the trend-setting Speed Twin 500 of pre-war days by being first in the field with a 650cc parallel twin. Announced in September 1949 and displayed at the Earls Court Show in October, the Thunderbird was Triumph's response to demands for more power emanating from American racers and British sidecarists alike. The model remained in production in fundamentally its original form, though with progressively updated cycle parts, until the arrival of the unitary construction 650 range in 1962. This matching-numbers Thunderbird was purchased as a restoration project in 1978 and restored from 1985 onwards. Works carried out include repainting the frame and cycle parts; rebuilding the forks with new stanchions and seals; line-boring the swinging arm pivot and fitting a new pin and bushes; rebuilding the gearbox with new bearings; and overhauling the engine: re-bore, new pistons, bearings, valve guides, etc. New parts fitted include the following: steering head bearings; stainless steel exhaust; shock absorbers; carburettor; wiring loom; battery; tyres; and seat cover. The private vendor advises us that the engine has not been run since the machine was last MoT'd in 2011. However, the bores have been oiled and the engine turned over since. Accompanying documentation consists of sundry restoration bills; a quantity of expired MoTs; and old/current V5/V5C Registration Certificates.