1930 Triumph Model X, 174 cc. Registration number CSU 600 (s...

Hammer

£1,900

1930 Triumph Model X, 174 cc. Registration number CSU 600 (see text). Frame number X4959. Engine number X3787.
With the whole world suffering the effects of the 1929 Wall Street Crash in America, those fortunate enough to still have a job were 'feeling the pinch'. Those with cars were thinking of more economical motor cycles for transportation to work, and those with motor cycles were seeking something smaller and cheaper to run. Triumph's solution was very basic two-stroke - the 174cc Model X.
As if following the lead of BSA's ultra-lightweight two-stroke Model A, which had arrived in 1928, Triumph introduced a model with similar specification - the Model X - for 1930. Like that of the BSA, the Triumph's unitary engine/gearbox unit was of unconventional design, featuring a forward-facing carburettor and choice of two speeds in the transmission, which were driven directly off the bob-weighted crankshaft and selected by means of a rack-and-pinion operated selector dog. No forgings were used in the frame, which consisted of a combination of curved tubes and pressings. A 150cc version was soon added to the range, but both were gone by 1933.
The Model X was available for 1930 to 1932; some 5,000 were believed to have been built.
Nothing is known of the history of this machine and there is no paperwork although it is on the DVLA register since 1987, possibly the year it was restored.