1968 Triumph 650 TR6
This photograph was taken in the fall of 1969 by a friend on top of Engineer Mountain (road now closed) above Engineer Pass. Unfortunately, it is the only picture I have of my 1968 Triumph 650 TR6.
This 1968 Triumph TR6R was intended to be my street bike. My interest in Triumph was inspired by several factors such as the desert wins of Bud Eakins and a Canyonlands Lathrop Canyon ride I had made on a 500 twin.
I also thought the '60's Triumphs were beautiful. Street riding, though, wasn't my thing yet. I installed high-pipes, folding foot pegs and a steel skid plate on my TR6. The Triumph was great fun to ride and I loved it. White Rim Trail and Slick Rock Trail in Utah; Black Bear, Imogene, Engineer and other passes in the San Juans; Ute Trail (now long closed to motorcycles) and other high-mountain single-track trails west of Boulder; Rampart Range single track trails west of Denver: all yielded to Triumph torque, even with street tires and stock gearing. Nearly all of this riding was easy although riders who never tried it on a Triumph were sometimes disbelieving then and now. My passion for riding trails on TR6 Triumphs was heavily influenced by the owners, employees and customers of Rocky Mountain Motorcycles in Boulder, Colorado. There were several riders in this group -- I was nowhere near the best rider among them -- who rode serious high-mountain single-track, first on TR6C Triumphs and later on 650 Triumph powered Rickmans. Because I often rode my Triumphs to Utah from Boulder, the dirt-oriented Rickman seemed inappropriate for me and it would be 35 years before I finally owned a 650 Rickman Triumph. I still think it's one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever made.
This Internet picture of a blue 1968 TR6 looks exactly like mine did when I bought it.
1970 Triumph 650 TR6C
My 2nd 650 Triumph had a trials gear set with lower 1st and 2nd gears. This TR6C model added Lockhart Basin, Elephant Hill in Utah and numerous forgotten trails to places I rode on a 650 Triumph. The "C" model TR6 was the bike of choice for Triumph trail riders and this should have been my best bike of the two 650s I owned but I always missed the larger fuel tank on my first TR6. For years, I thought there would never be a motorcycle I would like as much as that first TR6 although I do think this one looks the best. The ugly wire basket exhaust-shield has been removed and the big mufflers, first used in 1970, have been replaced with earlier stock mufflers. I can't believe I rode Lockhart Basin, White Rim, Elephant Hill (perhaps a different trip) and other Canyonland-area trails without a bash plate. I know I had one on the first TR6.
The BSA 500 Single in this picture would be Jon Callihan's.
This photograph was taken in the fall of 1969 by a friend on top of Engineer Mountain (road now closed) above Engineer Pass. Unfortunately, it is the only picture I have of my 1968 Triumph 650 TR6.
This Internet picture of a blue 1968 TR6 looks exactly like mine did when I bought it.
My 2nd 650 Triumph had a trials gear set with lower 1st and 2nd gears. This TR6C model added Lockhart Basin, Elephant Hill in Utah and numerous forgotten trails to places I rode on a 650 Triumph. The "C" model TR6 was the bike of choice for Triumph trail riders and this should have been my best bike of the two 650s I owned but I always missed the larger fuel tank on my first TR6. For years, I thought there would never be a motorcycle I would like as much as that first TR6 although I do think this one looks the best. The ugly wire basket exhaust-shield has been removed and the big mufflers, first used in 1970, have been replaced with earlier stock mufflers. I can't believe I rode Lockhart Basin, White Rim, Elephant Hill (perhaps a different trip) and other Canyonland-area trails without a bash plate. I know I had one on the first TR6.
