1972 Triumph Tiger 650

The Triumph nameplate has graced motorcycles since 1902, making the marque the oldest motorcycle brand still in production today.  While the original company was shuttered by bankruptcy in the early 1980’s, the name and rights were acquired by Triumph Motorcycles, LTD in 1983 and motorcycle production continues to this day.

Triumph enjoyed its’ best years in the 1950’s and 1960’s, but when the Japanese motorcycles became more prominent in the middle 1960’s the brand’s popularity began to decrease.  Along with a lower price point, many of the Japanese cycles were lighter and (thanks to two-stroke engines) faster than a similarly sized Triumph.

The Triumph Tiger and Triumph Bonneville were the company’s most popular machines.  Both were powered by 649 cc parallel twin cylinder four stroke engines, with the basic difference coming with the Bonneville having two carburetors while the Tiger featured a single carb and consequently displaced slightly less horsepower.  Both cycles were a very traditional design—hydraulic forks and conventional dual rear shock absorbers—with a 12-volt Lucas electrical system.

While many competitors had upgraded to five-speed transmissions, Triumph continued to use a four-speed as standard equipment through the 1972 model year which was shifted with the right foot, opposite of most non-British motorcycles, for the first time a five-speed (indicated by a “V” in the serial number) was offered as an option.    Despite the fact many brands were shifting to front-wheel disc brakes on their larger-displacement models, Triumph continued with drum brakes both front and rear.

This 1972 Triumph Tiger is an excellent restored matching numbers example of the final year of the TR6R series, coming from the factory with the optional five-speed transmission.  The two-tone blue and white paint is separated by a black pinstripe.  All of the brightwork shines well and all the rubber pieces appear to be in good condition.  This motorcycle was acquired by the present owner in October 2016 and has been on static display in a humidity-controlled environment since that time.  Production records indicate approximately 3,500 Triumph Tigers were built for the 1972 model year with no indication of how many might have been exported, nor how many were built with the optional five=speed.  The restoration was completed prior to our acquisition.

Evergreen Digital Showroom offers this 1972 Triumph Tiger 650 for sale at a price of $7,900 USD.  Pre-purchase inspection is welcomed and encouraged.  We will gladly arrange shipping at buyer’s expense or work with the shipper of buyer’s choice.  For additional information or to make an offer, call sales manager Steve Russell at 417-532-8000.