Triumph Tiger TR7
IT WAS BORN IN THE ENGLISH MIDLANDS IN A PERIOD of Shakespearean chaos and disorder, and overshadowed by its flashier twin brother. Triumph’s TR7 Tiger was for decades overshadowed by the T140 Bonneville. The single carb 744cc twin was more sensible and a tad less charismatic. My bookshelves groan with tomes about Triumph twins, and in most cases the TR7 only gets a passing mention as writers wax lyrical about the Bonneville.
The Tiger is, however, now getting the respect it deserves. And, whisper it, the Tiger is the better motorcycle of the two. Prices are rising, much to the chagrin of would-be buyers, and the days of £3,000 Tigers are long gone. Indeed, finding any Tiger is no easy task, as most owners would not dream of parting with theirs. At an auction in 2019, a T140 Bonneville Executive, the top of the range of the last Meriden Bonnevilles, all decked out in luggage and luxury livery, was sold for less than
