International Six Days Trial successes in the late 1940s prompted Triumph to develop their range of the 500cc TR5 and then for the 650cc TR6, introduced for 1956. The larger capacity bikes retained their sporting character but became more of a roadster as time passed, ending up, in effect, as a single-carburetor T120 Bonneville, whose specification in all other respects it closely followed. More tractable than the Bonnie and more economical too, the TR6 gave little away in terms of outright performance, its standing quarter-mile time and top speed being within a whisker of its twin-carb sibling’s. 

However, although the pair possessed an impeccable engine, Triumph’s larger models were widely recognized as lacking in the handling department, especially when compared to rivals Norton. Following the wholesale changes of frame layout in the late pre-unit era, a single down-tube design was introduced on the 650cc ‘unit’ twins for 1963, although even this would undergo several detail alterations over the next eight years. By the decade’s end the 650 Triumphs had arrived at what most enthusiasts agree is the models’ ultimate incarnation, and today these late, pre-‘oil-in-frame’ 650s are becoming increasingly sought after by collectors on both sides of the Atlantic.

This very nicely presented matching-numbers example of the one of the last year sof pre-oil in frame bikes.  It is offered in metallic blue over white with gold pinstripe. It has been in the vendor’s collection for several years. He purchased it in the condition you see here – a nice, older restored machine. It was then placed on static display in a climate-controlled environment alongside classic British bikes and high-end American 4-wheeled muscle. Fresh from a re-commissioning by marque experts, Glory Motorworks, the bike is offered in good riding condition.