Triumph Tiger T110

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Triumph Tiger T110

The Triumph Tiger T110, often called the Tiger 110, is a British sports motorcycle built by Triumph Engineering in Coventry. It was made from 1953 to 1961 and began life as a faster version of Triumph’s Thunderbird, first appearing in 1954. At the time, it was Triumph’s fastest production bike.

Key features
- Engine: 649 cc parallel-twin OHV four-stroke
- Transmission: 4-speed with a chain drive
- Wheelbase: 57 inches (about 140 cm)
- Seat height: 31 inches (about 79 cm)
- Weight: around 420 lb (190 kg) dry
- Fuel capacity: 4 imperial gallons (about 18 liters)
- Fuel economy: about 70 mpg imp at 60 mph (roughly 4.0 L/100 km; 58 mpg US)

Design and development
- The T110 was developed for the American market and became Triumph’s fastest production bike to date.
- Early models used a cast-iron cylinder block, later upgraded to a light-alloy cylinder head with improved cooling and internal oil ways through the pushrod tubes.
- In 1957, Triumph added rear panels from the 350cc Twenty One/3TA twins, creating a full rear fairing that gave the bike a rounded, “bathtub”-like appearance—hence the nickname “bathtub” Tiger.
- By 1959, Triumph’s fastest bike was the new Bonneville T120, and before the switch to unit construction in 1962, the Tiger T110 was phased out.

Performance and records
- The Tiger 110’s name reflected its capability to reach around 100 mph. Tests by The Motor Cycle recorded a top speed of 109 mph (175 km/h), with the speedometer reportedly reading 114 mph.
- On September 6, 1956, Johnny Allen set a motorcycle land-speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats on a highly modified Triumph T110, achieving 214.17 mph (344.67 km/h). This achievement helped spur the development of Triumph’s next era of speed machines, the Bonneville.

See also
- Related Triumph motorcycles and lists.

In summary, the Triumph Tiger T110 was a landmark British sports bike of the 1950s, delivering strong performance for its era before evolving into Triumph’s newer fast models.