Canadian Triumph TRWs

Dean (Ajax) · #1 18-11-10, 11:05

I have the front plate with a CFR still on it as well as a mint unissued Manual for the TRW.

Dean

rob love · #2 18-11-10, 15:42

I sent you a PM on those Dean. Perhaps I will have a CFR to adopt for my bike.

There was a good article in CMP magazine #3 on the Canadian Triumphs. It mentioned that used units were selling for $400 to $650, and new in the crate ones were selling for $900 to $1250. There must have been some lower priced lots, as I have read on some of the Bike forums where a dealer in the US was selling the ex-Cdn bikes for $500 each in the crate, and had 15 to 20 of them.

Mind you, I'll take an article that was written closer to the days when they were sold, rather than conjecture from internet forums. The memory can get a bit cloudy after 3 or 4 decades, and legends can grow.

rob love · #3 18-11-10, 15:49

I have migrated this from the CFR request thread. Here is another triumph with some of it's post service history. This one is one digit out from the CFR number of the one listed on kijiji. It would be interesting to know if the serial numbers were consecutive, but I suspect they were not.

From the CFR database:
1957 93874 0122 CFB CHILLIWACK 30901 MOTORCYCLES ALL TRIUMPH B2

I found the following at this link: http://www.britishcyclesupply.com/Bikes/BHicks001.htm

Quote:

Attached is a photo of my '57 Triumph TRW. I acquired this machine in '02 from the original owner who bought it 1967 from Crown Assets. It had 1800 miles on the fine Smiths odometer. It currently has just over 8000. All original, except tyres, tubes and battery; some fittings have been replaced with AN stock, but its a week-end rider. I service it with help from Gary at Carps Cycle in Ladner B.C. It runs well on 100/ll and aeroshell 60w.

Enjoy, I do...
Bill Hicks

Alex Blair (RIP) · #4 18-11-10, 16:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob love

I sent you a PM on those Dean. Perhaps I will have a CFR to adopt for my bike.

There was a good article in CMP magazine #3 on the Canadian Triumphs. It mentioned that used units were selling for $400 to $650, and new in the crate ones were selling for $900 to $1250. There must have been some lower priced lots, as I have read on some of the Bike forums where a dealer in the US was selling the ex-Cdn bikes for $500 each in the crate, and had 15 to 20 of them.

Mind you, I'll take an article that was written closer to the days when they were sold, rather than conjecture from internet forums. The memory can get a bit cloudy after 3 or 4 decades, and legends can grow.

If anyone is stationed in Edmonton and can get access to 7SD and check if they still have them there..Up on the storage racks..
They were there ,in crates ,when I was stationed there ..
But that was '76-'77....
1976-77 Jif..not 1876-77...

rob love · #5 18-11-10, 16:10

I would be very surprised if they were still there. There has been a lot of rationalization of the depot holdings in the last 10 years. If there is not a current application code attached to the stores, they are usually disposed of. As well, if there is nil useage of a line item in a period of time, the Life Cycle managers have to manually save the items from disposal if they are still of use.

It was only 10 years ago that there were still some ferret items in the depots, and it was around then, just as we were ordering them for the museum here, that the supply system went to dispose of them. We managed to catch some of the items by contacting the supply managers before they were all tossed.

servicepub (RIP) · #6 18-11-10, 22:58

If you're into Canadian motorcycles then you may be interested in my book.
http://www.servicepub.com/motorcycle.htm

rob love · #7 19-11-10, 00:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by servicepub

If you're into Canadian motorcycles then you may be interested in my book.
http://www.servicepub.com/motorcycle.htm

Clive
The book is on my wish list. I'm hoping to pick one up off Marway militaria during the gun show circuit next month.

Here is a challenge for the fellow collectors. Does anyone have any suggestions for the British Bronze green? I was talking to Derk Derin who told me when he tried to get some mixed, the paint shop couldn't seem to match that color.

Jon Skagfeld · #8 21-11-10, 15:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob love

Clive
The book is on my wish list. I'm hoping to pick one up off Marway militaria during the gun show circuit next month.

Here is a challenge for the fellow collectors. Does anyone have any suggestions for the British Bronze green? I was talking to Derk Derin who told me when he tried to get some mixed, the paint shop couldn't seem to match that color.

I seem to recall that colour being referred to as "English Racing Green", or "English Race Car Green".

Dave Stapleton · #9 31-10-21, 18:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob love

Clive
The book is on my wish list. I'm hoping to pick one up off Marway militaria during the gun show circuit next month.

Here is a challenge for the fellow collectors. Does anyone have any suggestions for the British Bronze green? I was talking to Derk Derin who told me when he tried to get some mixed, the paint shop couldn't seem to match that color.

The colour is a Land Rover colour and was used extensively on the British Armed Forces soft skin vehicles during the Cold War period, it is BS 381C Deep Bronze Green 224 and is readily available here in the UK.
Dave

Jon Skagfeld · #10 21-11-10, 23:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dean (Ajax)

I have the front plate with a CFR still on it as well as a mint unissued Manual for the TRW.

Dean

Dean: When you write..."with a CFR still on it"...do you mean the CAR i.e.90674 or is it an Ontario F plate, i.e. white on brown as in F 123?

Answering my question in a way, during the service life of TRWs, I never saw anything other than F plates.

Dean (Ajax) · #11 22-11-10, 00:10

The front plate..which mounts on the front fender is green with white numbers...I have not found it yet as I moved a couple of months ago and am slowly unpacking the basement...however I remember the first 2 numbers were 56- foget the rest..they were stenciled on in white paint..the green plate was the same paint as on the rest of the bike.

Dean

DanJahn · #12 22-11-10, 02:47

Hi Group

I currently have three Triumph TRW's. In fact I now own the one that Rob Love mentions half way through this thread that used to belong to Bill Hicks. Ironically it now resides in our museum on the former Chilliwack army base where it was bought surplus some thirty years ago.

Rob, I was communicating with the seller of the TRW you just bought when he sent an email indicating that it had sold 20 minutes earlier. That's okay I really didn't need a forth.

I'm looking for a Canadian Harley MT500 if some one wants to do a trade for a TRW.

Dan

Canadian Military Education Centre

www.cmedcentre.ca

servicepub (RIP) · #13 22-11-10, 02:52

Can't help with an MT500 but would trade a Cdn Mil CanAm and one of the two Honda Trail 90s bought by the Cdn AB Regt for one of your TRW.
Clive

rob love · #14 22-11-10, 03:16

Dan
I learned long ago not to use my hindsight....it doesn't net me much. I talked to the seller, got some pics, and asked him what his bottom line was, which was perfect for me. I drove the 1100 kms the next day and picked it up. Apparently he had been trying to sell it for several months on the buy and sell, but was only getting lowball offers of $500. He is leaving the country soon, and was ready to give it to the Reynolds museum rather than give it away.

I have been after one of these for years, but any that I saw for sale were either 6K, or else they were on the other end of the country.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanJahn

Hi Group

I currently have three Triumph TRW's. In fact I now own the one that Rob Love mentions half way through this thread that used to belong to Bill Hicks. Ironically it now resides in our museum on the former Chilliwack army base where it was bought surplus some thirty years ago.

Rob, I was communicating with the seller of the TRW you just bought when he sent an email indicating that it had sold 20 minutes earlier. That's okay I really didn't need a forth.

I'm looking for a Canadian Harley MT500 if some one wants to do a trade for a TRW.

Dan

Canadian Military Education Centre

www.cmedcentre.ca

45jim · #15 25-11-10, 21:22

Rob,

Earlier this year, I picked up four very nice TRW's. One is now complete and a runner in original MOD green (not racing green or any other type of green). I also got a horde of NOS parts including fenders, internal engine parts, tanks, seats, rims, electrical stuff, an unused engine and a bunch more (2 trailers full). Send me a list of what you need, I may have it or be able to put you on the path. The hardest parts to find are the proper aircleaner, the rubber elbow from the carb to air cleaner, the large voltage rectifyer and the dash switch. Almost everything else is the same as a civilan TR5.The carriers for the panniers and the canvas panniers thermselves, are available as repos from British Cycle Supply in Nova Scotia.

Some points of interest on the Canadian TRW's I have discovered, if you have holes on your front fender for a licence plate then the CFR was not painted on the tank it was on the plate. The blade type licence plate is black with white hand painted letters. Likewise a non-perforated front fender had the stencil CFR on the tank. One of my bikes had the CFR stamped on the frame (like a WLC) check the rear downtubes by the seat.

The paint used varied. I have lots of NOS parts that are what I would call a "forest green" but the bikes themselves are the bronze green 1950's UK "MOD Green, Gloss". I have had luck in the past (with a Ferret) using Sherwin Willams, but I no longer have the code.

I am putting another together for Charlie Fitton and would be happy to supply a TRW to anyone who wants one.

rob love · #16 25-11-10, 21:36

Thanks for the offer Jim, I'll PM you a list of what I am looking for later today.

I was wondering about that front plate. Seems like half the Cdn bikes I see have them, and half do not.

45jim · #17 25-11-10, 21:42

I will try and post a few photos of the bikes I have, here goes.

Jim

Matthew Reid · #18 28-11-10, 19:34

Dan I belive that there are no Canadian Military Harely Davidson built MT500's I think that all the MT500's ordered the CF were delivered by Armstrong before Harley Davidson bought Armstrong.

The Canadian MT500's are actually M50's as they had Electric Starters on them and were some of the very very few MT500's built that had electric starters.

I currently own a CF KLR250 and an Armstrong M50

Eventually I would like to add a CF military Triumph TRW to my collection. (when the funds are avalible)

Matthew

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanJahn

Hi Group

I currently have three Triumph TRW's. In fact I now own the one that Rob Love mentions half way through this thread that used to belong to Bill Hicks. Ironically it now resides in our museum on the former Chilliwack army base where it was bought surplus some thirty years ago.

Rob, I was communicating with the seller of the TRW you just bought when he sent an email indicating that it had sold 20 minutes earlier. That's okay I really didn't need a forth.

I'm looking for a Canadian Harley MT500 if some one wants to do a trade for a TRW.

Dan

Canadian Military Education Centre

www.cmedcentre.ca

DanJahn · #19 29-11-10, 03:41

Very useful information.

I'm trying to collect most/all the motorcycles used by Canadian dispatch riders.

I have a Harley WLC, BSA M20, Triumph TRW (3), CanAm Bombardier and Norton 16H.

A couple of the bikes are on display at the Canadian Military Education Centre and Museum on the former Chilliwack army base in B.C.

I hope to put together a bigger display in the future.

If anyone has any ex Canadian forces motorcycles for sale ( or donate) please contact me.

Dan

CMEC

www.cmedcentre.ca

45jim · #20 30-11-10, 20:34

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1952-...item3f0553fdce

Pretty nice looking bike, just a few problems:

-Wrong spark plugs
-Wrong passenger seat pad
-Non-painted primary cover, should be green
-no air pump
-wrong location for decompression handle, should be close to the grip
-no CFR on tank or on blade
-early serial number for engine 1TRW24885 I will ask fro frame numbers

Not a bad price.

Jim