Bonneville America Forums Forums General Motorcycle Forums Other Bikes I think I need help.

I'm looking at buying a scooter.

It's contrary to the whole mod/rocker thing, and I'm definitely a rocker.
BUT


It's a Triumph Tigress


It's not at much on eBay at the mo, and I'm not going to pay too much for it. I'm just more worried that I'm even looking at it, let alone have a limit I want to spend on it.

Yes it needs work, but if petrol goes up too much it'll be for work.
Oh and I'll have to repaint it black of course!!

I'll get you a pair of pointy-toed boots to go with it.

At least it is a Triumph.

I can just hear the used scooter salesperson now ~~ "Just slap a coat of paint on that baby and go. You can pick up a can of spray paint at the ol' hardware store and you are good to go. Deal?"

Gina, I for one would love to have that scooter. If I saw it for a reasonable price I would be bringing it home too.

Put, put, put!!! Hey if its at a good price G go for it.....

Plus it already has "floorboards." Just think what a set of mini apes would look like...

175 2-stroke or 250 4-stroke?

scooters are fun to ride. for a little while. around the block. i wouldn't want to have to go somewhere on it, lol, but they are fun for a trip up the street.

I had the BSA equivalent back in the day. 250cc and snap-your-neck acceleration. I destroyed it with ignorance but it was a tough little bike.

I remember picking that bike out of a dealer's trade-ins in the basement of the showroom - seemed like alladin's cave but the red and white BSA caught my eye and became my unwitting victim.

One thing to consider, scooters aren't so fast that you can avoid being seen by someone you know.
Can you still get those one piece white and blue cover-all things that they used to wear in all the scooter ads?
Oh, you won't have to worry about the mod image unless you add on about 50 mirrors. As it stands, it's just an economic commuter machine. If they ever start rationing petrol again, you'll have to get one of those big Daimler saloons with the pre-selector gearbox to go collect your stamps and use it as a storage tank for your scooter.

Curiosity got the best of me and I had to track it down on ebay. Looks nice. Found another in Texas. Specs indicate that 250 Twin will do about 70 mph in stock form. Good luck on your bidding!

You been watching Quadraphenia and listenin to the Specials G.
you gonna look silly in a pork pie hat and fishtail parka .





interesting blurb on wikiP.

oh geez, that poster. I never owned one of them, nah, not me. The BSA version was WAY more butch.

Now Gina, I'm not saying that's a bad look but isn't it getting a little cool to pop down to the shops in that tiger stripe unitard?

oh yeah, way more butch. I didn't have the panniers though - I drew the line at the panniers.

Um, DO YOUR RESEARCH. I think Triumph only made those scooters for like a year or two -- maybe even shorter. I saw one at a show once and was floored.

Basically, it's either a fake or it's really valuable.

And yes, DO IT DO IT DO IT!!! -- Scooters, in their environment, kick butt.

--Jaeger

I wasn't even aware Triumph (or BSA when they were owned together) made scooters. Cool. I don't think the Barber Museum even has one. I saw my first Harley "Topper" there. One of my Harley riding buddies just bought an original owner 1960 Topper that had been stuck away in a garage for 30 or 40 years. He's starting to restore it.

Run down to the local p[aint supply and get a white jump suit when it's running, little white half helmet and aviation goggles with the white rubber around the eye pieces and you are set!

Hmmmm. I wonder if that might'a been a very young and very HOT Diana Rigg who might'a posed for that there poster?

(that is before she started wearin' that black leather jumpsuit I remember seein' her in when I was a kid way back in the day and thinkin' to myself, "Oh MAMA! I wonder if ALL those british ladies over there look THAT HOT?")

(BTW Gina...that IS a cool little scoot there...I hope you can get it so we could all watch the progression of your restoration process here at the site!)

didn't get it.... even though I went £80 over my original limit.

I had a Harley Topper back when. It was a '59 and sported a 175 CC two stroke motor which would get up to about 75 MPH. It had a rope pull starter, choke and usually started with the second pull. Belt drive and auto transmission. Had 12" tires and ran like stink.

I bought it used for about 400 bucks and ran it around for about 3 years. It is still running. Now my grand nephews and neices are trying to break it but the darned thing is bulletproof if you remember to mix the oil into the gas.

The body was fibreglass and has been repaired many times. Had a good solid ride and was an excellent way to get onto two wheels. I never regretting buying the silly thing. Later on when I was a NYCPD officer I ran into a few of them being used by the PD in central park. They stood up like iron and anybody could ride one. They outdid the vespas and lambrettas both in speed and reliability.

My cousin had a 2 speed Cushman. I used to sneak out on it once in a while. It was faster than a Salsbury in top gear and quicker from a stop in low. I was really lucky that I never got caught or crashed it.