The best of the British?
By Mick Duckworth Pics John Noble

Fast, powerful and desirable, Triumph’s pre-unit 650s made the British twin into an icon. Forty years on, their appeal is as strong as ever.

Who needs a Bonneville? That’s what I’m thinking as I have a whale of a time riding a 1961 pre-unit 650cc triumph Trophy. It may only have a single carburetor, but what the TR6 lacks in top-end speed, it makes up for in mid-range poke and overall flexibility. The fact that the Trophy runs out of steam just beyond 100mph is not going to be a problem for most classic road riders.

One a mix of A and B roads, the TR6 can be docile or sharp, depending on your mood. The tractable engine has no problem burbling along at 30pmh, or even walking pace, but open it up and it takes off in a really exhilarating way, emitting the classic Triumph snarl as we accelerate through the gears.

Once in top (fourth) the wide power band allows me to stay there, even through the twisties, and there is always grunt available for overtaking. The Triumph’s pre-unit 650s have a loose, free-spinning feel, not shared by all Brit parallel twins

To read the rest of this review, history lesson and general overview of Triumph Pre-unit 650’s, click here to download the PDF file: Triumph Pre-Unit 650 Dossier