First offered in 1938 the Triumph 5T Speed Twin was designed by Edward Turner and was the first successful English parallel twin motorcycle and was the standard for every other English manufacturer. Sold in 1938-40 and 1947-66 (WWII intervened) it was originally manufactured in the Coventry plant which was completely destroyed in an air raid in 1940. The 5T was the first civilian motorcycle released from the new Meriden factory.
The 1948 5T used a 498 CC air cooled overhead valve vertical twin motor fed by a single Amal carb to produce 28 HP for a top speed of 90 MPH. Post war telescopic front forks and a ‘sprung hub’ rear suspension coupled with a 4 speed transmission and a weight of 361 LBS made a very rideable motorcycle. The Speed Twin was by far Triumph’s largest seller in 1948.
This particular Triumph (VIN # 24292) is in San Jose, CA is listed as a quite nice original or older restoration that runs as it should. The exposed battery makes me think that the original magneto system may have been replaced, but that is pure speculation on my part. The bike has a ‘Buy It Now’ price of $13,000