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I've been shopping around for a classic Triumph & came upon a 650 Trophy TR-6 SS. I'm not familiar with the "SS" any answers?

The Triumph Motorcycles book by Timothy Remus mentions.....

"By 1962 the TR6 was fast becoming a single carburetor Bonneville".

The picture shows what looks like a standard Trophy with upswept exhaust on each side.

Kind of like this '58

Mike, what model year is that particular TR6 "SS"?

I ask because I just Googled that model designation and the only thing that I could find in reference to the "SS" part of it was this question posted on another website's forum about such a machine....

http://www.ianchadwick.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php?t1080.html

And also this beauty that never reached its reserve asking price on eBay a while back...

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Triumph-Trophy_W0QQit...%3A1|240%3A1318

Both of these "SS"s came up as model year 1963, so at first I thought maybe that designation as only particular to the 1963 models, but later I did see some other references on the web to the "SS" in other years such as 1958, '63, '65 and '66, so maybe my first thought here wasn't correct.

And seeing as how that "bone stock"(as the seller advertised it on eBay) one had lower exhausts on it, I doubt that the "SS"s designated high-piped models.

The bike I'm looking at is a '63. It's posted on craigs list in Yuma,Arizona

This picture disproves the high pipe theory.

Looks like your standard Trophy, single carb roadster.

Hmmmmm....that's pretty interesting then. I wonder if my first thought about that "SS" designation might have been right afterall?!

(though I still have my doubts about that, AND maybe somebody who REALLY knows their stuff around here will see this thread and chime in...let's hope)

I had a 1970 Blue and White Trophy TR6 with upswept exhaust on the left side, single carb. and a skidplate. Also the main frame backbone served as the oil tank. I bought it new but there was no "SS" designation. This is the first time I have heard this.

If you are looking for a very ridable but fast classic Triumph go with a mid 60s TR6C. That model had a hotter cam and the single carb was better all round as far as idle and no need to balance. That isn't to say the twin carbs ran bad or idled bad but you had to get them dialed in together. Almost all my classic triumphs have single carb heads on them and I have several dual carb heads just sitting on the shelf. Pre-units are fun but need quite a bit of tweeking to keep things adjusted. If you get a pre-unit pay particular attention to the primary, they had a single row chain like the final drive chain and were notorious for chewing up the inside of the primary when the chain would get loose. Bell Engineering can rebuild the magnito if needed, if you don't care about keeping it origonal there is a point distributor you can install in place of the magnito if you can find one, I doubt they still make them. They stopped making parts for the magnito and generator on the pre-unit in the early 60s and haven't heard of any after market stuff. I haven't looked in quite a while since those units run for 50+ years once they are in good condition. Just some point and brush tweeks now and then.

I think you are right Dwight. It was a 71. Kick start on the right and Lucas electrics. Believe it or not I never had a leak or problems with the electrics.

I still have a 69 Trophy and yes it did leak a little oil but nothing to be concerned about and never had any electrical problems for about 10 years then the wires up around the steering head began getting brittle and cracking and intermittantly losing contact. That is when I started rewiring then turned into a ground up rebuild, which is now sitting in the spare bedroom. It got put on the back burner when I bought my brand new TBA in 02. I do believe that the single carbs run better and are easier to keep tuned and running great!!! Mine would smoke the Bonnevilles that I used to ride with as well as a 1000cc Sportster!

As most of you know I have quite a few old bikes. I have always thought the leaking depended what day of the week it was made. The first engine I had in my 66TR6C didn't leak a drop. The engine I had in it while I rebuilt the first one leaked no matter what I did. I even tried gluing the outside of the seals, it just leaked. My one 72 T120V leaked almost everywhere but my other 72 T120V hardly leaked at all, but it did leak some from the seal behind the sprocket. Even after I had to rebuild that tranny.

Yep Dwight, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout.

Well, in THAT case Ian, I think you'll be happy to know that Nigel is now retired and living comfortably in NE Pennsylvania.

(in fact, you might have seen him...I hear he drives an old Spitfire that was once owned by John Bullen!!!)