I’VE BEEN TRYING TO REMEMBER WHEN TRAIL BIKES became so popular – popular enough to persuade manufacturers to build actual trail machines, rather than lightly disguised roadsters. Can’t work it out, despite wasting far too much time trawling countless histories of the major British manufacturers. The problem with a faintly bonkers mini-quest like this proves to be finding a workable definition of a trail bike. Is it when the factory fitted lightweight mudguards and added a ‘C’ for Competition to the model designation? No, of course not. I tried several other notions too, but eventually retired hurt. I’m also not sure when trail riding – as opposed to trials riding – became popular in the UK. Was it as late as the 1960s?
Anyway, pushing aside lofty dreams of historical accuracy, what is a certainty is that although Triumph’s utterly excellent Trophy was described by its manufacturer as a trials iron, today it works far better as a trail machine for any would-be classic green laner. Classic Dirt Bike editor Tim Britton will, obviously, disagree! And it was quite probably the first parallel twin trials bike offered for public use, which is possibly historic, or something. As well as being surprisingly competent in competent hands, Triumph’s TR5 Trophy – seen here in early pre-unit form with an actual rigid frame – is genuinely an outstanding ride, and it certainly laid down a serious challenge to other British manufacturers at a time when they were all struggling to regain former glories after the end of the 1939-45 conflict. Time for a little history.
