E ven among a stellar lineup of greatlooking bikes , the Triumph TR5 is a head-turning stunner . It can rightly claim fame as a watershed in the development of dual-purpose road / race bikes , though it is equally lauded as one of the sweetest-looking Triumphs of all time . The TR5 is no show pony , but a bike with an unrivalled history of competition success on both the tarmac and dirt . As a compromise , it worked so well that , today , the TR5 is remembered as the first true multi-purpose production bike . This bike ’ s owner values it as a link to the historic events that marked the birth of off-road riding : the sport he loves so much . For a machine held in such high esteem , the TR5 had an unlikely start in life as a lightweight , 350cc version of the Speed Twin and it was designed for the British Army . But at the end of the war , British men were intent on recreation and , for many , that meant a return to racing motorcycles . They wanted machines to help cleanse their souls of the vileness and deprivation of the war years , but , despite consumer demand , British companies were still suffering from the shortages of the war and money was also limited . The TR5 was the distillation of these historical circumstances . The model ’ s genesis was in Triumph ’ s decision to field a works ’ team in the 1948 International Six Day Trial . It took the humble 350 and