My father-in-law had a late ’60s Triumph Bonneville when he was a young man in the 1970s ─ hurtling down country lanes in England’s West Country and occasionally strapping a bag to the seat to make his way to France to watch the Bol d’Or.
“I loved that bike,” he once told me. “But I was replacing parts on a weekly basis. I eventually got rid of it because I couldn’t afford to keep it running.”
This is the curse of anyone riding a classic Triumph: you have to put in a lot of effort, but when they are running they are magical things. This particular bit of magic, the Tiger 650, is arguably a little less fussy than its more famous sibling. Built in Triumph’s Meriden factory from 1969-1972, the Tiger 650 was effectively a rebadged Trophy aimed at road use.
Driven by the same 649cc four-stroke parallel twin engine that powered the Bonnie, the Tiger distinguished itself in its use of a single carb (the Bonneville was twin-carb). The end result, according to a 1969 review from Cycle World, was a bike that was all-in-all easier to ride.
“The stereotype Bonneville rider is a short-haul sort of guy who slicks his hair back and ‘gases it’ incessantly; he’s not out to really enjoy motorcycling, he’s out to flog himself and his machine,” the magazine suggested. “The rider of the single-carburetored (Tiger) seems more the person who wants to enjoy his motorcycling, hour after hour, day after day, on a machine that allows itself to be forgotten, yet always remains ─ in its troublefree brutishness ─ a memorable bike to ride.”
Equipped with a four-speed transmission, the Tiger 650 was perfectly capable of doing the ton, according to Cycle World, but equally happy to “boil sweetly all day at 70 or 80 mph” for those interested in covering big miles (perhaps my father-in-law should have chosen one of these over his Bonneville).
According to the seller, this particular example was restored at some point in the late 1990s but remains in “very good condition.” He continues, “the paint is in very good condition but does have a few scratches on the front fender. the wiring is very nice all lights and gauges work as they should. The tires do have some cracks from age.”
You can find this Tiger 650 for sale in Elgin, Illinois, with a BIN of $8,000 here on eBay.