1965 Triumph Sports Tiger T100SC - 3-Page Vintage Motorcycle Road Test Article

Description

1965 Triumph Sports Tiger T100SC - 3-Page Vintage Motorcycle Road Test Article
Original, vintage magazine article
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm) each page
Condition: Good
While it seems logical to classify the 650cc Triumph models
as “heavyweights”, it is just as proper, in our opinion to include
the 500cc Sports Tiger in the lightweight category. The actual
weight difference is not great: 335 lbs. for the Tiger as compared
to 363 for the top-of-the-line Bonneville. But the compactness
of the smaller bike gives it a feeling of agility usually associated
with 250 or 350cc machines.
The Tigers wheelbase is two important inches shorter than that
of the larger Triumph. The short handlebars are another factor
favoring the bike's maneuverability. They are raked back about
3" for maximum rider control.
Another factor of great importance is the excellent rider posi-
tion afforded by the Tiger; Even a short man can reach the ground
with both feet and on the dirt the rider has great freedom of
movment to lean forward or to the side, still maintaining good
balance, even at speed. Exhaust pipes are swept around the en-
gine to the left side where they are smoothly joined into a single
pipe which is tucked neatly alongside the engine. A safety pre-
caution which might have been added is a heat shield, although
it is unlikely that a rider could get burned from the pipe in this
position. Footpegs are high. They are of the non-folding type.
An impressive feature of this machine is the more than ample
ground clearance, achieved via several methods; for one thing,
there is no centerstand, only a sidestand (which is lengthened by
necessity to compensate for the added ground clearance). The
front tire (by Dunlop) is a large 3.25" x 19" and the rear sports
4.00" x 18" rubber. The result is nearly 9 inches of space beneath
the center of the machine; plenty of leeway for big rocks and deep
ruts, the kind of terrain for which the Tiger is intended.
The other type of riding that suits this bike is ordinary street
cruising. We found either type pleasurable on the T100SC. There
is a noticeable difference between this bike and the more powerful
650 models in the Triumph line, not only in acceleration, but in
smoothness of ride. The Bonneville, for example, gives less vibra-
tion and generally a more solid feeling in high speed freeway type
cruising. One contributing factor might be the fact that the 500cc
model does not feature the rubber-mounted handlebars found
on its big brother. And, of course, the 500 requires more rpm’s
to develop its power. Triumph claims 38 horses at 7,000 rpm
compared to 50 horses at 6500 for the street Bonneville, a sub-
stantial difference. But the Tiger is capable of feats that the
larger Bonneville could not.safely attempt. We felt right at home
with the T100SC off the road on trails that are usually exclusive
to all but lightweights. The’torque is there for the steepest in-
clines and the suspension will iron out the choppiest terrain as
well as any off-the-road bike we have tested. The horsepower
creates a tendency for the bike to rear back on its hind wheel
but this is easily controllable by the rider shifting his weight and
working the throttle.
As is always the case with combination street-dirt machines,
there are some areas of compromise; the same tires that perform
well on the road lack proper traction for trail or desert. And
road gearing is a compromise off the road, the rear sprocket
having 46 teeth. Triumph has eliminated one normally trouble-
some area of compromise with a readily detachable headlight.
Five minutes is all the time it takes to yank the unit from the
bike in preparation for a back country jaunt. On the whole, there
are few, if any, improvements that could be practically applied
to this bike to make it more ideally suited to its dual purposes.
Prospective owners of the Tiger should be aware that this...
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