Top left : Triumph Tiger 85 1947 350cc Top right : Triumph Tiger 100 1947 500cc Bottom left : Triumph Tiger 100 1955 500cc Bottom right : Engine detail of 1958 Tiger
Triumph had gained an unparalleled reputation for building sporty twins and generally fast motorcycles , and with the war over began building fast motorcycles again . In 1946 Ernie Lyons with the assistance of the Triumph factory won the Senior Manx Grand Prix in the Isle of Man . He rode a race-kitted version of the Tiger 100 , known as the Grand Prix Triumph . This may seem surprising as Edward Turner , designer of the original Speed Twin , was opposed to racing . In retrospect it may be that he was opposed to factory involvement in racing , rather than private owners competing . Apart from engine modifications Lyons race bike , at 140kg , was 25kg lighter than the road going version . It also reached
speeds in excess of the old 120mph , or 192kph . Syd Jensen from Palmerston North went to the Isle of Man in 1949 with Jim Swarbrick and John Dale as part of the New Zealand team . He rode a Grand Prix Triumph into fifth place in the Senior TT , and that was more prestigious than the success in the amateur Manx Grand Prix . The factory was so impressed that Edward Turner himself presented Jensen with the successful machine . The 1947 catalogue featured a 350cc Tiger 85 and 500cc Tiger 100 . The 1950s saw more new and improved models than at any other time in the history of the original Triumph factory . Most notable changes came with the new engines , especially the top-ends .
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