The Triumph Model H (also known as the 'Type H' and 'the Trusty') is a British
motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruisin ...
made by
Triumph Engineering Co Ltd in
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
.
A total of 57,000 Triumph Model H motorcycles were made from 1915 until production ended in 1923.
Development
At the start of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...
in 1914 the
British Government
ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd
, image = HM Government logo.svg
, image_size = 220px
, image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
, image_size2 = 180px
, caption = Royal Arms
, date_est ...
needed effective communications with front line troops and replaced messengers on horses with
despatch riders on motorcycles. A number of models were tested for suitability and the Triumph Model H was selected. With the rear wheel driven by a belt, the Model H was fitted with a 499 cc air-cooled
four-stroke
A four-stroke (also four-cycle) engine is an internal combustion (IC) engine in which the piston completes four separate strokes while turning the crankshaft. A stroke refers to the full travel of the piston along the cylinder, in either direct ...
single-cylinder engine. It was also the first Triumph not to be fitted with pedals, so was a true motorcycle.
Engine differences from the previous Model A included a single cam wheel with two cams replacing separate cam wheels for the inlet and exhaust valve, and new design of cylinder casting. Valve head diameter was enlarged and the valves were spaced further apart. The Model H was fitted with a Sturmey-Archer three-speed countershaft gearbox operated by a hand gear change lever.

More than 30,000 Triumph Model H motorcycles had been produced by the end of the war in 1918.
The
Triumph Engineering Co Ltd had been using the advertising slogan ''Trusty Triumph'' since 1910 and the Model H became known as 'The Trusty' as it proved reliable in wartime conditions, despite a weakness in the front fork spring. This was prone to break on rough ground, so despatch riders would strap a leather belt around it as a precaution.
After the war, the motorcycle didn't have enough speed for racing, which was one of the principal markets for motorcycles at the time, so Triumph moved on to a motorcycle designed by
Harry Ricardo, known as the Model R Roadster.
When the Model H was discontinued in 1923 a total of 57,000 had been produced.
See also
*
Norton 16H
*
Triumph Engineering Co Ltd
*
List of Triumph motorcycles
*
List of motorcycles of the 1910s
*
List of motorcycles of the 1920s
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
References
External links
Triumph Model H restorationTriumph Model H running (video)
{{WWI British Soft Vehicles, state=collapsed
Model H
The Triumph Model H (also known as the 'Type H' and 'the Trusty') is a British motorcycle made by Triumph Engineering Co Ltd in Coventry, England.
A total of 57,000 Triumph Model H motorcycles were made from 1915 until production ended in 1923. ...
World War I vehicles of the United Kingdom
Motorcycles introduced in the 1910s
Military motorcycles