Triumph 1910 3½ HP 499 cc 1 cyl SV 3406

Triumph 1910 3½ HP 499 cc with Brampton Variable Gear frame # 152324 engine # 8564 4 2

The first Triumph motorcycle appears in 1902, equipped with a Belgian Minerva engine. In 1903 and 1904 JAP and German Fafnir engines are employed and by 1905 Triumph’s own engine, designed by Charles Hathaway, comes in use. Winning the single cylinder class in the 1908 TT races on the Isle of man gives an enormous boost to sales of Triumph machines. The cubic capacity of the engine grows from 363 cc in 1905 till 550 cc in 1914.
High quality of finish and workmanship are always very strong points with Triumph; year by year details in the design are improved. An important change for 1910 is an upgrade of the cubic capacity by changing bore x stroke dimensions from 84×86 mm to 85×88 mm. Other improvements are heavier rimmed flywheels, lower compression ratio, larger filler caps in the petrol/oil tank, and a new pattern of oil pump placed in an inclined position, dispensing with the tap. The handlebars are also redesigned, they get sloping ends for a more comfortable position. The designers have also thought about the luggage issue: older models have a leather toolbox placed on the rear carrier. The 1910 catalogue states: “We have given considerable thought to this question; and so that the rider shall have the top of the carrier quite free for personal luggage, we fit two very neat pannier tool bags, one on each side of the carrier. (…)”
And finally there is a new saddle, that does not have the 1909 and earlier pattern with the “unsightly projecting spring at the front” as the 1910 catalogue puts it.
Impressive long distance records underline the reliability of the machine. Harry Long rides a 1911 Triumph for 40,037 miles in 44 weeks; Ivan Hart-Davies sets the End-to-End record of 886 miles in 29 hours and 12 minutes and Albert Catt rides his 1911 Free Engine model for six consecutive days to reach a distance of 2557 miles in May 1911, to name just a few remarkable feats. This Trusty Triumph is fitted with a practical Brampton variable gear. Essentially this gear consists of an expanding engine shaft pulley that is operated by a lever on the side of the tank. The inside flanges of the pulley are grooved to give a constant grip of the belt. The machine has given its former owner much pleasure in various veteran runs and has been a regular participator in Pioneer Runs. She is in good overall condition and comes with Gladstone bag, Cowey 60 mph speedometer, bulb horn, acetylene front lamp, Pioneer Certificate and an information file with various photos, documents, and Brampton Variable Gear description.