1935 Triumph TS100 m/cycle

My first motorcycle was a Triumph, a 1952 Speed Twin 500cc with a box sidecar, which I bought in 1974 for £20. Some friends came down to visit from London and, being short of vehicles to transport everyone, one of my friends, Dave, decided he should drive the Triumph, with me in the sidecar. He’d never driven an outfit before, and did not appreciate how a sidecar can make a motorcycle veer to the left. Unfortunately, despite me shouting at him to steer right, as we set out he crashed into a wall and I had to jump out of the sidecar. Luckily it was a low speed accident, but we had to take him to hospital.

The next day I removed the damaged sidecar and sold the solo Speed Twin for £25. The £5 profit was a reasonable sum in 1974. I suppose it was a good indication that, despite working at more mundane jobs, my future profession was calling, and, within ten years I was buying and selling vintage cars and motorcycles full-time.

I bought this TS100 on German ebay in 2005 and still have it. I’ve owned and ridden various other vintage Triumphs as my daily motorcycles, but this is the one I kept after progressing to vintage bicycles.

1935 Triumph Model TS100

98cc Fichtel & Sachs engine

Frame no 589567

Engine no 89095

DVLA Registered 661 XUE

(Now sold)

I enjoy the novelty of owning a vintage motorcycle model that hardly anyone else has seen before. There is another one in the UK, but there are few surviving TS100’s worldwide. This example is in good all round condition, being an old-time restoration. Everything appears to be original and only the gearstick knob is missing. According to the sales brochure illustration, the handlebar grips are wrong, but were on it when I bought it so I left them.

However it needs one important job sorting out. I stopped riding it in 2012 and when I got it out of my storage recently I found the magneto needs attention. I’ve been told that a Chinese electronic ignition kit is the best to use, but I’ve not got round to doing it. So I’m selling it as is, as a non-runner requiring fettling.

TS100 HISTORY: GERMAN LOGBOOK, Etc

PREVIOUSLY FITTED WITH SIDECAR

Without an idea of scale, at first glance you might assume this machine to be a 1920’s flat-tank Triumph. Obviously it’s a lightweight, so it’s very much easier to manage than a heavy old flat-tank, but the ride-height is similar and it definitely chugs along doing an excellent impersonation of a 1920s motorcycle.

I have to admit to not liking sidecars. I love their looks. But they are atrocious to use on a motorcycle. I thought the TS100, being lighter, might handle it better, so I weighed down this Fenton Zip sidecar with bricks to try and improve the handling. Of course the problem is that when you turn any motorcycle with a sidecar, the sidecar wheel doesn’t turn with you, and you have to drag it round a corner. The bricks made no difference, so I removed the sidecar, and rode it solo.

1935 & 1936 TRIUMPH 98cc ADVERTS