E3663 Delta Head

The 500 Delta Head produced from 1957 and 1959 although some casting date codes are reported to run into the sixties.

Note the register around the combustion chambers to allow for the sleeves in the 500 alloy barrel. This head is very similar to the first T120 heads, this register is the difference.

Spigots for the single carb manifold still in place, later versions lost these.

E3663 seems to be a popular part number, there are several head designs that share this number.

1955/56 Triumph T100 RR

The best pictures of the 55 T100 RR showing both sides yet found.

Fitting The T100 Factory Race Kit

 If anybody has any period documentation like this to add then don't feel shy.

GP 500 Top End

Photo from Steve

The fabled GP 500 "square barrel" top end, note the parallel exhaust ports, and the much wider spacing of the fins.

Tiger 100 Road Test From "The Motor Cycle" August 1951

These pictures will open up to aid those who left their glasses somewhere.

1957 Triumph Tiger 100 RS

 In Triumph terms they don't get much rarer than this T100 RS. Produced from 57 thru 59 this was the factory road racer for the States, bearing in mind that Meriden showed very little interest in Britain and Europe regarding road racing.  132 were produced in 1957, with numbers unavailable for the other two production years, although almost definitely fewer were built during those years.

Shown here fitted with the Delta head, the forerunner to the Bonneville head in 1958, it came equipped with 1" GP carburettors and a bracketted remote float chamber on the gearbox post. A Lucas K2FR provides the ignition, while no dynamo is fitted as expected the drive is utillised for the Smith's RC126 tachometer.

E3134 cams and competition shop preparation resulted in 42 bhp out of the crate with a potential of 45 with even more tuning. 

The gearbox carried a close ratio set of cogs, and a reversed lever to suit the factory rearset footrests.

The front brake is the Mk2 8" single leader as fitted to the contemporary T110, the back is the normal 7" SLS unit found across the twin range for much of the post war production period. A one gallon oil tank fitted with a froth tower was also used, possibly unique to this model.

Any additional information or corrections to this post or any subsequent entries will be gratefully received.

New Venture

This blog is intended to bring  together as much information as possible on the alloy engined Triumphs, from the first GP500 of 1948 to the last pre unit Tiger 100s of 1958. Some of Meridens prettiest bikes ever fall into this category, including exotica produced for the race tracks of the U.S. which were never seen in Europe.