1954 Triumph Speed Twin

1954 TRIUMPH SPEED TWIN BACKGROUND
In a few short years, the 5T Speed Twin went from being one of the world’s premium performance motorcycles to be Triumph’s entry-level twin. It had been surpassed by the T100 Tiger with its higher compression and hotter cams. And soon it would be bumped down still further when the 650cc 6T Thunderbird came out in 1950. And of course, the rest of the British motorcycle industry were also pushing out bigger and faster machines each year, so the competition was growing fierce. But for now, the '54 Speed Twin was a solid seller, and while not the fastest thing on the road, its performance was adequate for the day.
1954 TRIUMPH SPEED TWIN DESIGN
The 500cc twin retained its cast iron cylinder block and head, and was fed by a single Amal carburetor. It was of non-unit construction, with the timing gear on the right, and the primary chain and clutch on the left, as usual. The 4-speed gearbox shifted with the right foot. The 1954 Triumph Speed Twin continued its use of the tried-and-true rigid frame, but offered a sprung rear hub as an option. The sprung hub used radially-positioned springs inside it to cushion the bumps. It was fine in theory, but tended to move in unintended ways when worn out or under extreme loads (ie: hard acceleration). It was a poor compromise solution, but one that made sense to Triumph at the time. It was a way to get some rear suspension while retaining their rigid frame, a very expensive thing to replace. The front end now had Triumph’s own telescopic forks with hydraulic damping. The previous year, the 1953 Speed Twin dropped its age-old magneto and generator in favor of a more modern alternator with a battery & coil ignition system. Many thought the old magnetos were more reliable than these ‘new-fangled alternators’, but two model years in, they’d proven to be as reliable as anything else Lucas ever made.

---

1954 Triumph Speed Twin SPECIFICATIONS

---

Check out these TRIUMPH BOOKS

---

Vintage Motorcycle Calendar - Classic Motorcycle Calendar - Calendars 2018 - 2019 Wall Calendars - Motorcycle Calendar - Classic British Motorbikes 16 Month Wall Calendar by Avonside

---

Triumph Motorcycles: The art of the motorcycle

---

The Complete Book of Classic and Modern Triumph Motorcycles 1937-Today (Complete Book Series)

---

Triumph Motorcycles: From Speed-Twin to Bonneville

---

Triumph Bonneville and TR6 Motorcycle Restoration Guide: 1956-83

---

British Motorcycles Triumph (Little Books)

---

Triumph Motorcycles in America

---

McQueen's Motorcycles: Racing and Riding with the King of Cool

---

Triumph Motorcycle Restoration

---

Illustrated Triumph Motorcycles Buyer's Guide: From 1945 Through the Latest Models (Illustrated Buyer's Guide)

---

Tales of Triumph Motorcycles and the Meriden Factory

---

Hinckley Triumphs: The First Generation (Crowood Motoclassic)

---

For more like these, visit our

TRIUMPH BOOK STORE

---

Travelling With Mr Turner

---

PLEASE BUY MY NEW E-BOOK HERE 12 Chapters & over 100 original photos. My best work yet. ONLY $4.99! Thank you, Andy Tallone, your humble author Click here to buy now: The Random History of Classic British Motorcycles, Volume 1

---

Please visit our
MOTORCYCLE BOOK STORE

---

Take a tour of our site...

HOME PAGE
Triumph Motorcycles
.....Bonneville
.....Tiger
.....Trophy
.....TR6
.....TR7
.....Trident
.....X-75 Hurricane
.....6T Thunderbird
.....5T Speed Twin
.....Daytona
.....Twenty-One
.....3T 350 Twins
BSA Motorcycles
.....A65
.....A10
.....A7
.....Gold Star
.....Bantam
.....Rocket 3
.....B50
Norton Motorcycles
.....Commando
.....Atlas
.....Dominator
.....Model 7
.....Manx
.....Navigator
AMC-Associated Motor Cycles
Matchless-AJS Motorcycles
.....G3
.....G9
.....G12
.....G80
Royal Enfield Motorcycles
.....Interceptor
.....Bullet
Ariel Motorcycles
.....Square Four
.....Red Hunter
.....Cyclone
Vincent Motorcycles
.....Black Shadow
.....Rapide
.....Comet
.....Egli-Vincent
Velocette Motorcycles
.....KSS
.....KTT
.....LE
.....MAC
.....Thruxton
.....Venom
.....LE
Rickman Motorcycles
Japanese Motorcycles
.....Honda
.....Kawasaki
.....Suzuki
.....Yamaha
Cafe Racers
....Triumph Cafe Racers
.....Norton Cafe Racers
.....Other Cafe Racers
Choppers & Bobbers
.....Choppers
.....Triumph Choppers
.....BSA Choppers
.....Rat Bikes
Classic Racing Motorcycles

Classic Motorcycle Events
.....Auctions
.....Shows
.....Rides
Classic Motorcycle Restoration
Classic Motorcycle Shops
Classic Motorcycle Clubs
Send us Pictures of YOUR BIKE
YOUR BIKE Pictures

HOME PAGE
.....About Us
.....Site Map
.....CONTACT US
.....Please visit our BLOG
.....Subscribe to our FREE e-zine BRIT IRON
.....BRIT IRON E-zine Back Issues

Visit our STORES
.....Motorcycle Books
.....Motorcycle Magazines
.....Motorcycle Calendars
.....Motorcycle Accessories
..........Motorcycle Helmets
..........Motorcycle Rain Suits
..........Motorcycle Locks & Security
..........Motorcycle T-Shirts
..........Motorcycle Diecast Models
..........GoPro Cameras
.....Motorcycle Parts
..........Motorcycle Tires
..........Motorcycle Chains
..........Motorcycle Batteries
..........Motorcycle Handlebars
.....Motorcycle Tools
..........Whitworth Tools
..........Tire Tools
..........Chain Tools

Crazy about cars, too? Check out our sister site:
www.American-Muscle-Cars.net

---

Back to top - 1954 Triumph Speed Twin
Last updated 10/14/18

---

Learn how to BUILD YOUR OWN WEBSITE, like I did.