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Ex RAF Triumph .


LuckyTrucker

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Hi there , I have a 1950 ex RAF Triumph TRW , some of you will know it is a 500 twin side valve . I bought the bike about 10 years ago not because I have a particular interest in WD bikes but because it has a rigid frame and to enter the Arbuthnot Trial a rigid frame was needed . It was entered in the colonial class . I completed the trial and used the bike locally and took it to various Traction Rally shows .

I bought it off a friend who passed some history onto me verbally , it turns out it did its bit for King and Country at RAF Aquatari in Cyprus . It was demobbed in 1960 , it looks like it had dark blue paint applied roughly , hiding all the RAF markings , it must have had some new wheel rims because they are in such good condition and they are chrome , I suspect they might have been painted originally . It has the canvas panniers but again I don't think they are original because of their condition , I will post some pictures in due course . The question is do I keep it with the 56 years of patina or restore it just so it looks like a new bike ? TBH I'm leaning towards just preserving it , keeping it in running condition and enjoying it , what do you think ?

 

Paul. K

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Inevitably you're going to find a majority on a military vehicle forum who favour a service finish. The choice is yours but if you restore it in military trim then you have a foot in the motorcycle camp and also one in the MV scene. Certainly with the WW2 bikes, that's pretty lively.

 

If you have an interest in military history and service life then it can add to the hobby...but it's not for everyone.

 

There is a specific motorcycle sub-forum on here and you may also have come across a separate WD motorcycle forum where many of the posters here also appear. There are a couple with TRWs.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Hi there , I have a 1950 ex RAF Triumph TRW , some of you will know it is a 500 twin side valve . I bought the bike about 10 years ago not because I have a particular interest in WD bikes but because it has a rigid frame and to enter the Arbuthnot Trial a rigid frame was needed . It was entered in the colonial class . I completed the trial and used the bike locally and took it to various Traction Rally shows .

I bought it off a friend who passed some history onto me verbally , it turns out it did its bit for King and Country at RAF Aquatari in Cyprus . It was demobbed in 1960 , it looks like it had dark blue paint applied roughly , hiding all the RAF markings , it must have had some new wheel rims because they are in such good condition and they are chrome , I suspect they might have been painted originally . It has the canvas panniers but again I don't think they are original because of their condition , I will post some pictures in due course . The question is do I keep it with the 56 years of patina or restore it just so it looks like a new bike ? TBH I'm leaning towards just preserving it , keeping it in running condition and enjoying it , what do you think ?

 

Paul. K

Hi

 

You can get a copy of your Triumph's RAF MT Vehicle Record Card from the RAF Museum at Hendon if you have the RAF registration number, this will give it's full history, do you have the number? For parts etc. I can recommend Burton Bike Bits who specialise in Triumph TRW and BSA WD B40 parts. I have a ex RAF BSA WD B40 myself.

 

By the way, it's RAF Akrotiri, I served there in the 1980s ;)

 

Dave

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Hi Paul and Dave I would love to see some photos if you have some as a TRW is on my potential shopping/wish list and I have a WD B40,RAF bikes are pretty thin on the ground as they didn't have that many to start with.

Thanks Simon

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Hi Paul and Dave I would love to see some photos if you have some as a TRW is on my potential shopping/wish list and I have a WD B40,RAF bikes are pretty thin on the ground as they didn't have that many to start with.

Thanks Simon

 

Hi Simon

 

Only 135 RAF WD B40s were built by BSA between 1968 and 1970, I only know of 8 that have survived intact, including my own RAF WD B40.

 

Dave

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