1949 Triumph Speed Twin 5T

In England, Standard by AbhiLeave a Comment

Post Listing Update: this Speed Twin did not meet reserve despite 14 bids up to $9,700 on eBay.


Triumph introduced the 5T Speed Twin in 1938, and it immediately set the standard for other English manufacturers when it came to parallel twins. It was one of Edward Turner’s most notable designs, and it had a long production life – it sold until 1966 with several revisions, though there was a gap in production from ’40-’47 due to WWII.

The Speed Twin was the first civilian bike that came out of Triumph’s Meriden factory. The 498cc air cooled twin produced 28 horsepower, good for a top speed of 90 miles per hour. This bike is quite a legend as many consider it responsible for the survival of Triumph when it was introduced, and it inspired many similar bikes from British competitors. The Speed Twin obviously yielded more power than the more common singles of the time, but it also weighed less.

This example (VIN: 15598) looks to be in good shape and it’s equipped with classic Rodark hard bags. This example was originally sold in Australia, and it was exported to the US in 2001 by the current owner – it still has an Australian tax disc on the left front engin emount. The previous owner in Australia restored it with work that included a repaint (and the current seller calls “nice but not perfect”), a new seat cover, and a “mechanical refresh”. The current seller says the paint is not a perfect match and instead considers it a 10 footer. It’s not a concours bike, which is fine with me – that just means the next owner should have no qualms about riding it and getting it dirty! Mechanically, everything you need to go and stop works but the speedometer does not indicate speed and the generator does not seem to have an output. I love the style of the Rodark panniers, which are designed to match the curvature of the rear fender. Per the seller, the lids of the bags were made from “original Triumph fender blanks”. It has a recent service that includes fresh oil, adjusted points, cleaned clutch plates, and more.

Find this Speed Twin for sale in San Jose, California with bidding up to $7,601 and the reserve not yet met