is it thunderbird 1965 ?

[davidvak]

hello there,
i am in the final stage of restoration of my 1965 Triumph thunderbird
650, but after reading some triumph books i am a bit confused.
The frame number is DU17610, engine number is 6T 17610.
the problem is, the few photos i managed to find in the books shows  different fork and front mudguard then those i have on my TB 1965.
the photo attached is how my TB looks(only RH foot rest is different), with the difference that this one is 63! and in the other photos (of the 65) the front fork and mudguard looks
like those in this link:

any help would be appreciated.
thanks
david

[thunderbird]

hi nice looking bike, all looks correct to me for that year, triumph changed the forks to the external spring type in 1964 the picture you are showing is a 1963 with the earlier internal spring forks,the front mudguard and stays are correct for a 65.hope this helps cheers steve

[L.A.B.]

The frame number is DU17610, engine number is 6T 17610.
the problem is, the few photos i managed to find in the books shows  different fork and front mudguard then those i have on my TB 1965.
the photo attached is how my TB looks(only RH foot rest is different), with the difference that this one is 63! and in the other photos (of the 65) the front fork and mudguard looks
like those in this link:

Hello David,

According to photos and information contained in Harry Woolridge's "Triumph Speed Twin & Thunderbird Bible" your forks, mudguard and stays would appear to be correct for a '65 model (DU14635-DU24874), as the forks and 'guard changed for '64.
A '65 US model is shown and that still has the cut-down 'Bath tub' enclosure panels that were discontinued from '66.

According to the Woolridge bible, your model should still have the 'mouth-organ' tank badges, as the 'eyebrow' badge design was not used until '66.

Also according to the Woolridge bible, the tank colour listed for '65 would be quote:

"Black upper half and Silver sheen lower , as '63 [and '64] with Gold line joint. Badge Silver lettering on Black background with Black insets on main badge"

Mudguards, stays, rear panels, fork sliders, front hub = all Silver sheen.
Front fork upper and other painted parts = Gloss Black.

The footrest mounting arrangement also changed for '64.



http://www.vintagebike.co.uk/Shopping/Books/Veloce/TriumphSpeedTwin/Triumphspeedtwin.htm
  

[Rex]

Nice bike, and that's one Hell of a Trophy you got there.

How did you get that home on the bike....

Looks like a sculpture of a WW2 era airman. What's that all about?

ps bike looks correct apart from later tank badges.

[Blue]

The front wheel hub is also a 1967 pattern - but who's splitting hairs?  Nice bike, good to see another brit back on the road

[L.A.B.]

Nice bike, and that's one Hell of a Trophy you got there.

How did you get that home on the bike....

I don't think that is David with his '65 6T? After all, he said his isn't finished yet.

Just a photo he has posted showing a bike with a similar front end to his own 6T (-fooled me too for a while).  

Looks like a sculpture of a WW2 era airman. What's that all about?

It's a trophy from the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Concours, I think. http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/news/2005/concourse/Concours.asp

The top photo also appears to come from the Hall of Fame website.

[davidvak]

non of them is my TB...
the one in the photo with the trophy is from the ama vitage motorcycles website,
i just used that photo to show what kind of fork the books say my 1965 TB should use...
the design underneath it shows what fork and front fender i have,

actually the TB in the photo attached now is my own TB in one of the stages.

if you will take a look on "TRIUMPH SPEED TWIN & THUNDERBIRD BIBLE" on pages 131-133 you'll see that the front fork and mud guard are different then what i have on my TB.
and if you'll take a look on page 126 you'll see photos of the 63 TB
that use a front fork and mud guard like i have on my 65 !
as said before The frame number is DU17610, engine number is 6T 17610.
what do you say ?

[davidvak]

closer look

[thunderbird]

hi david the forks in your new photo do look correct to me as they are the external spring type as fitted from 1964.hope this helps cheers steve

[L.A.B.]

if you will take a look on "TRIUMPH SPEED TWIN & THUNDERBIRD BIBLE" on pages 131-133 you'll see that the front fork and mud guard are different then what i have on my TB.
and if you'll take a look on page 126 you'll see photos of the 63 TB
that use a front fork and mud guard like i have on my 65 !
as said before The frame number is DU17610, engine number is 6T 17610.
what do you say ?

On page 126 I see a '63 model with '63 internal spring forks and guard?

Your forks appear to be the '64-on external spring type.
 
If your mudguard matches the earlier '63 type, - then I would think it was changed sometime in the past, rather than the factory using up it's 'old year' stocks of parts on the 'new year models', as the guard changed for the '64 model year?

[davidvak]

so the front fork is different too.
yes, it has outer springs but the bottom tubs are like those of the 63.
on the 63 there is only one point to attach the mudguard to the back of the bottom tube (as in the attached photo, and as on my TB),
on the 65 it has 2, one on the front and 1 on the rear of the tube.
 :-? do i have 65 TB with front of 63 ? do you think it left the factory like this
or it's the result of an accident ?

[L.A.B.]

on the 65 it has 2, one on the front and 1 on the rear of the tube.

OK, what it would have had originally, and what I think you have mistaken as being part of the slider is a separate metal bracket that mounts to the inner lug by an elongated slot in the bracket that fits over the rectangular section on the lug?

The photo below shows a similar assembly, Part 13 is what I think you have mistaken as being an integral part of the slider?

[thunderbird]

david the close up picture of your forks look the same as the 1st picture of the 65 tbird you posted they both have one lug to the rear of the sliders for the lower stay and a lug on the inside of the sliders(this is where the pear shape bracket that LAB pointed out would fit to attach the upper mud guard stay) i can,t see a lug to the front of the forks

[davidvak]

got it ! so i do have the wrong fender only.
so here i am again looking for parts after i thought i finished with spending  
thanks a lot guys !!!!! you've been very very helpful !

[thunderbird]

got it ! so i do have the wrong fender only.
so here i am again looking for parts after i thought i finished with spending  
thanks a lot guys !!!!! you've been very very helpful !

thats how it looks to me, if you get the later mudguard/ stays and brackets they should fit.if the earlier valanced mudguard is in good condition you should get a good price for it.best of luck with the rest of your rebuild