jenkinov Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 (edited) Always fancied a WW2 motorcycle and acquired a triumph 3sw on E bay ...Photos hopefully enclosed interested to know if anyone has spares for a 3sw ..In particular the rear rack which appears smaller than that used on the 3HW Any tips or advice appreciated Regards Chris Jenkins Willys MB Bantam t3 trailer Triumph 3sw Edited June 21, 2011 by jenkinov Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ford 369 Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 nice looking bike ,I have to say in some ways I prefer the stripped down no pillion or panniers look and remember panniers were on ly fitted later in the war,biggest tips would be bring it to armour and embarkation next year and join the dispatch riders on convoy duty,you will be very welcome and I am sure you will have a great time Nigel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenkinov Posted June 22, 2011 Author Share Posted June 22, 2011 Ford 369/Nigel Must admit to being exceptionally pleased with the bike it needs a little bit of work bit was in far better condition than i had hoped for ,,The only part that I saw on army photos that was missing from mine was the small rear parcel rack and for completeness i thought i would keep an eye out for one. But I also agree it looks quite good withour a rack... interested in hearing more about armour and embarkation .. Any triumph owners sw or HW in the club ....? Regards Jenkinov Willys MB 1942 Bantam t3 1942 Triumph 3sw 1940 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ford 369 Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 check out the pics and reports on a and e and also check the you tube vids,have a look for g506 on the forum,a 5sw owner who was there last year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefano Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 All WW2 Triumphs are brilliant machines. I've never ridden a 3SW but a mate of mine had one and it went like stink. Your bike should have the small rear carrier which sets the bike off nicely I think. Spares are getting a bit thin on the ground, but there's very little to go wrong as long as you've put oil in the tank. Here's a picture of my 3HW in front of one of the British cemeteries at Anzio. Good luck with your new bike, Stef Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenkinov Posted June 22, 2011 Author Share Posted June 22, 2011 Stefano ...your 3hw looks stunning ..and from what i understand 90% of the spares would match a 3ws ..can i ask where did you source the canvas grips ..or did you make them ? and the blackout lamp any idea on how best to trace an original .... Comment appreciated Jenkinov Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ford 369 Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 there was a supplier for canvas grips on ebay with the user name yellobirdscustard,a good place to enquire would be via the wd m20 forum Nigel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
79x100 Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 (edited) Chris, your Triumph would not have been fitted with canvas grips originally. They were introduced due to rubber shortages once the Japanese had taken over the rubber plantation areas. Production of 3SWs is a bit complicated as production was stopped by the bombing of the Triumph factory in November 1940 (all factory records were destroyed also). Some 3SWs were built later in a temporary factory but the latest dates for this would seem to be early 1942 when 3HW production took over. The early Triumph rear carrier is quite a scarce thing and not the easiest to replicate as the top part is a pressing rather than of tubular construction. If you're really serious about accuracy, it might be worth making a lot of noise over on the WM20 forum and trying to attract some other owners as there are certainly some people there who could make a small batch but it's never going to be worthwhile making even simple tooling just for one. Blackout masks do turn up and there have been replicas but if you're going to portray 1940 / 41 then all that was done at that stage was to paint out half the reflector and fit a black manilla paper mask with a small cutout behind the glass. This is a nice early war shot dating from the period when the DR pulp helmets were only issued to CMP and R.Sigs DRs, not ordinary motorcyclists. The 3SW is marked up to Eastern Command and '603' Should indicate an RAMC Casualty Clearing Station. The 3SWs were not generally issued to frontline units and this is reflected in the RASC census number rather than an RAOC series. The bike has the paper blackout mask (nice and cheap to make !) and what appear to be rubber grips. Edited June 23, 2011 by 79x100 Added photo / comments Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenkinov Posted June 23, 2011 Author Share Posted June 23, 2011 79x100 Thanks for the feedback ...I have looked at some other early photos including the famous armoured 3sw and you are correct they do look like rubber Grips.... As soon as i got my 3SW i was inspired to search the web for info and one site advised that the frames date was stamped and visible just below the seat ..if you get a good torch and look under the seat from the rear you can see the seat mount 2 letter ..followed by the month and year... my frame is stamped 08 40 The triumph factory in coventry appears to have been bombed on around the 26th or 28th of Oct ..At which point manufacturing was moved I understand they were producing about 300 bikes a month so around 10 a day ..My bike was either in an early batch in the month and distributed before the bombing or was one of a reported 90 built from salvaged bits after the bombing ,,.. In terms of the rear carrier ..I will just keep my eyes and ears open and be patient.. I think your idea of an early 40s bike is very good and the photo you have supplied is Quite inspiring ..I do like the decals and Bulldog on the Tank ..one to add to the possible decals list unless someone has already copied it ..Must ask where did the photo come from ...?..and what is the eastern command ... Lots of great detail on the photos ..the controls appear chromed ...but the horn is clearly different to that fitted on my bike which I think is actually a Matchless horn ...So I need to keep an eye out for a Lucas Horn. Thanks for the help Jenkinov Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenkinov Posted June 23, 2011 Author Share Posted June 23, 2011 79x100 Thanks for the feedback ...I have looked at some other early photos including the famous armoured 3sw and you are correct they do look like rubber Grips.... As soon as i got my 3SW i was inspired to search the web for info and one site advised that the frames date was stamped and visible just below the seat ..if you get a good torch and look under the seat from the rear you can see the seat mount 2 letter ..followed by the month and year... my frame is stamped 08 40 The triumph factory in coventry appears to have been bombed on around the 26th or 28th of Oct ..At which point manufacturing was moved I understand they were producing about 300 bikes a month so around 10 a day ..My bike was either in an early batch in the month and distributed before the bombing or was one of a reported 90 built from salvaged bits after the bombing ,,.. In terms of the rear carrier ..I will just keep my eyes and ears open and be patient.. I think your idea of an early 40s bike is very good and the photo you have supplied is Quite inspiring ..I do like the decals and Bulldog on the Tank ..one to add to the possible decals list unless someone has already copied it ..Must ask where did the photo come from ...?..and what is the eastern command ... Lots of great detail on the photos ..the controls appear chromed ...but the horn is clearly different to that fitted on my bike which I think is actually a Matchless horn ...So I need to keep an eye out for a Lucas Horn. Thanks for the help Jenkinov Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G506 Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Hello Chris/Nigel et al, A&E was a riot, I had the time of my life helping with escorting the convoy on my 5SW. I will post a picture of her next week, I wont try right now, as I'm overseas with work, in the middle of nowhere with dodgy internet signal. You may want to make contact with Brian Tillen, a Triumph specialist in Dorset, who knows 1930s - 1950s Triumph singles and twins inside out, top fella. The comment re rubber work on pre 42 Triumphs I believe to be 100% correct, bikes up to this year having rubber knee grips, foot peg rubbers, hand grip rubbers, etc. There were two luggage racks, with a slight variation, one rare, the other very rare! The slightly more common variation does turn up occasionally at bike jumbles, and as far as I know exactly the same as the civvy version of the 1930s. Nice looking bike you have there Chris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenkinov Posted June 25, 2011 Author Share Posted June 25, 2011 (edited) Gents ..Thanks for the advice so far ..very usefull ..next Question is linked to tyres tyres its,,,, currently fitted with 3.25 x 19 with a good square tread ,unfortunately the tyre walls are cracking with age so best to look at some replacements ..I was recommended to look at Mitas tyres interested in what size is best and any recommendations on a good military pattern Jenkinov Edited June 25, 2011 by jenkinov Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ford 369 Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 mitas are a good compromise between look and price ,they certainly look the part and are easy to source,got a set recently for my Matchless and I think they were less than £30 each Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G506 Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I think I have 3.25x19 front, 3.50x19 rear, Dunlops. Look fairly chunky but with good road holding and rain clearing abilities Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
79x100 Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Chris, I'm afraid that I'm no longer sure where that image came from. I almost certainly pinched it from a forum somewhere, just for reference. I know nothing about the image other than what can be deduced from the formation sign and Arm of service marking. Luckily they're both displayed on the same side - a practice which probably dates the photo to 1941 at the latest. The Home Commands in the UK were a pre-war set-up, dividing the country into administrative areas for military purposes. The areas were adjusted slightly during the war. Eastern Command had the bulldog on guard sign indicating tenacity. The wartime HQ was at Luton and it covered East Anglia and the central midlands. I have 3.25x19 Dunlop Uni-Grips on my Norton. These are Indian made copies of the old Dunlop Universals. They seem fine to me for a bike of modest performance but they're not 'e' marked and may not be on sale in the UK (officially at least). The VMCC are now selling Ensign tyres in 3.25x19 and they have a very period looking tread pattern. http://www.vmcc.net/vmccshop/scripts/tyres.asp?cat=18 I think that I'll give them a try once I've scrubbed the Dunlops (this could take quite a long time !) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenkinov Posted June 28, 2011 Author Share Posted June 28, 2011 79x100 appreciate your E Mail and description ..Learning more each day which always helps ..a neighbour gave me a photo of what they thought might be a triumph but examination of the photo showed it to be a BSA M20 ..tank has a 41 on a plain Square ..rider is wearing battledress and a crossed rifle badge above sargeant stripes ... 41st division did not exist in the war ..any ideas .... Regards Jenkinov Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
79x100 Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 (edited) The crossed rifle badge would be the marksman or weapons instructor badge. The point about the Arm of Service marking is that it shouldn't, for security purposes, give any indication as to the unit involved. The allocations changed over time and were dependent on background colour . For example, in a 1944 infantry division, '41' would have been on a green/blue background and indicated the Recce. Regt. In an armoured division, it would have been on cobalt blue and shown an RE Field Sqn. Without a formation sign, it would probably be impossible to pin down the unit (I'd like to see the photo though, if that's possible). Edited August 3, 2014 by 79x100 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Einbeck Bowl Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 I have 3.25x19 Dunlop Uni-Grips on my Norton. These are Indian made copies of the old Dunlop Universals. They seem fine to me for a bike of modest performance but they're not 'e' marked and may not be on sale in the UK (officially at least). Warning - I bought those Indian made 3.25 x 19 "Dunlop Unigrips" and noticed today that they look smaller in diameter than the old 3.25 Dunlop Universal, which was once on the rear wheel on my Triumph 3sw. And indeed those "3.25 x 19" marked tires are only 3.0 wide! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
79x100 Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Most odd. Have you inflated them on a rim yet ? Mine measure 3.3" inflated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Einbeck Bowl Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 (edited) No, they are not on the rims yet. I had ancient Dunlop Universal 3.00 mounted on the front wheel and 3.25 on the rear wheel and have removed them from the rims. The new "3.25" marked tires have the same width as my old wartime 3.00 front tire and my old 3.25 is noticeable wider than the new Indian made 3.25. Edited August 4, 2014 by Einbeck Bowl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 I don't think you can make that comparison! With an old hard rubber tyre that has been blown up for years and a new soft rubber tyre that hasn't yet been inflated. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenkinov Posted November 28, 2021 Author Share Posted November 28, 2021 Curious i was reading an old thread and examined the image of the eastern command Triumph 3sw .is it fitted with a sump guard ? I would value.other opinions ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted November 28, 2021 Share Posted November 28, 2021 Funnily enough Jenk, I can't see the sump guard listed in the 3/5SW parts lists (F1752) But all the images I look at have one fitted. Right back to the line up of bikes from contracts C4631-C5108 where you can just see it on the first bike. I have one on all three of mine. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenkinov Posted April 23, 2022 Author Share Posted April 23, 2022 In June 2011 shortly after acquiring my Triumph 3sw I posted that I wanted an original rear rack ... I was advised it was a rare item ...but had no idea how rare after a 11 year hunt . I am now the owner of an original rack after spotting one on eBay . Always a risk but it’s condition has exceeded my expectation .. it needs a clean up . Kurust and paint but I thought I would share the photos of it in new condition Jenkinov 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted April 25, 2022 Share Posted April 25, 2022 Ah Jenk, I wondered who bought it? We were bidding against each other...Doh! The seller was young Sam Jones (Yeomans) and I bought this one off his dad Steve some years ago. (Steve passed away a few months ago) Mine had a price ticket label tide on with a piece of string with 2/6 on it. Yours had the piece of string I think. I didn't know they had another one? This one is on my 3SW and Jan copied it and made an excellent repro for my 5SW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.