THE TIGRESS BACKGROUND
The Triumph Tigress was created by British motorcycle designer, Edward Turner, and
was manufactured from 1959 until 1964 at the BSA factory in Waverley, Birmingham.
BSA owned Triumph at the time and an identical scooter – the BSA Sunbeam – was
also badged-up with only cosmetic differences between the two (such as the choice of
colours available).
The Tigress was available as a 175cc two-stroke single cylinder, or the more powerful
249cc four-stroke twin, which is Bob’s variant; both versions were force air cooled.
Selecting gears was via a foot-operated pedal to the right-hand side with the rear brake
operated by a floor pedal to the left. There is an additional pedal towards the heel near
the kick-start which is a neutral selector pedal. The clutch was operated via a lever on
the left-hand side of the handlebars with the front brake operated by the lever to the
right, much the same as a traditional Vespa or Lambretta setup, but without the twisting
gear selector.
The structure of the Tigress is a subframe with metal bodywork attached and access
to the motor is via a large opening under the dual saddle which is hinged to the side
(although full access is made possible by the removal of the body).
The wheels are 10-inch with cable o
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As time marched on Bob had seen the new
Lambretta GT and wanted one, but on his
wages couldn’t afford it at the time, so instead
he bought a more affordable motorcycle.
He eventually moved on to motorcycles full
time, finding himself slowly slipping into the
whole Rocker thing, but again still without
animosity and still with a respect for any other
two-wheeled enthusiast.
In the years that followed Bob did some
very serious miles travelling on motorcyclees
and has many a tale to tell about his
adventures and exploits. He also has
a reputation for building and owning
some superb machines especially the
Triumph Bonneville, which led to him been
given the nickname ‘Bonneville Bob’. He’s
also a published author with a bittersweet,
warts and all, account of his life with a boook
called Bypass Cowboy: the Life & Legend oof
Bonneville Bob.
This passion for two wheels has been[email protected] 5533