The Pre-1941 Triumph Motor Cycle Pages

1913 Type C ~ 3-speed Roadster

By 1913 Triumph, and Charles Hathaway, had their motor cycle pretty well sorted out. The engine size was settled at the quite common size of 500cc, and by then this was a recognised capacity in competitive events, but improvements continued to be made to it. Also the troublesome springs of the front fork had been replaced with a single spring, which although not foolproof was certainly a big improvement.
Triumph had been experimenting with gearing for a number of years, in the rear hub as well as various frame mounted devices. The final agreement was to settle for the well proven Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hub in the rear wheel. It had been used with Triumph's TT Race bikes the previous June, although with just a 2-speed selection, as that was considered all that was necessary for the particular requirements of that race circuit.
So Triumph's range for 1913 gave no less than SIX different options. There were three Roadster Models, with choices of; no clutch or gears, just a clutch, or with clutch and 3-speed selection!
The three TT Models came with no clutch or gears, or with just clutch options.
With, now, six models from which to choose, each was given its own identity. So there were TYPES A through to F.
An additional, and separate, brake rim, was needed on the right-hand side when a 3-speed hub was fitted, for there was no point in braking a free-wheeling belt rim!

1913 was a further 'defining' year for Triumph. It was to be the last year with two straight horizontal cross-frame members, and sometime during the year the Silver of the tank was replaced by what is now the more commonly recognised French Grey.
(A grey with a greenish tint.)
For home-market machines the silencer cut-out was discontinued due to a regulation which had been announced in October 1912, to come into force from March 31st, 1913, whereby exhaust gases were not allowed to be expelled without first passing through a silencing type device.
This may well not have been applied to the manufacture of machines for the export market, for my very unmodified December 1912, 1913 model, was still fitted with the cut-out (as well as the new long 1913 tailpipe) which allows more speed and noise when out of sight of the law!

1913 was also the year when Triumph produced their first twin-cylinder engine, but for reasons too lengthy to mention here it did not appear fitted to a production machine.