The Triumph Tina also known as the Triumph T10 was a small and low-performance scooter with a

two-stroke engine A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a power cycle with two strokes (up and down movements) of the piston during one power cycle, this power cycle being completed in one revolution of t ...

, an

automatic transmission An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving c ...

, and a handlebar carry basket.

Development

In 1962, despite internal opposition from those who felt it would dilute the macho image of the brand,

Triumph The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...

introduced a new scooter, designed by Edward Turner, to tap into a strong demand that had been identified by market research for a simple and easy-to-ride "shopping basket" vehicle. The Tina used a

continuously variable transmission A continuously variable transmission (CVT) is an automatic transmission that can change seamlessly through a continuous range of gear ratios. This contrasts with other transmissions that provide a limited number of gear ratios in fixed steps. T ...

(CVT) system with a

centrifugal clutch A centrifugal clutch is an automatic clutch that uses centrifugal force to operate. The output shaft is disengaged at low rotational speed and engages more as speed increases. It is often used in mopeds, underbones, lawn mowers, go-karts, chainsaws ...

; the system had been patented by Turner and Triumph in May 1959. The engine was mounted on the

swingarm A swingarm, or "swinging arm" (UK), originally known as a swing fork or pivoted fork, is a single or double sided mechanical device which attaches the rear wheel of a motorcycle to its body, allowing it to pivot vertically. The main component of ...

. An extensive marketing campaign was carried out, fronted by a pop star of the era,

Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...

. The Tina was marketed to women, and advertising focused on the ease of its operation. Despite this the Tina sold in small numbers. The Tina's patented drivetrain had technical problems. The CVT drive belt would derail and seize the transmission and the rear wheel, disabling the scooter and also preventing it from being pushed. Also, the starting procedure for the Tina required moving a switch on the handlebar to "start" before

kick start Kick start is a method of starting an internal combustion engine (usually that of a motorcycle) by pushing a ratcheting lever with one's foot. Kick start mechanisms were almost universally a part of motorcycle engines before the mid-1970s, and w ...

ing the scooter; this activated a

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to keep the engine speed too low to activate the transmission. If the switch was in "drive" on starting the scooter, it would accelerate immediately; this happened to Turner, causing a crash into a kerb and a broken ankle. Triumph T10 Automatic

T10

The Tina was replaced by the Triumph T10 in 1965. The T10 included an improved CVT and the "start/drive" control moved from the handlebar to inside the seat, with the "drive" setting activated automatically by the rider's weight, so that the drive was only engaged once the driver was seated. This led to an embarrassing incident while demonstrating the T10 at its press launch. The switch had been set at , but the woman who was to ride the scooter away weighed only , the switch was not activated, and the scooter would not move. The T10 was discontinued about 1970.

Three-wheeled prototypes

Triumph made a series of twelve prototype Tina tilting three-wheelers, similar in concept to the Ariel 3 moped. Disagreements between Triumph and the system's designer ended any plans for production.

References

{{Triumph motorcycles Meriden

Tina Tina may refer to: People *Tina (given name), people and fictional characters with the given name ''Tina'' Places *Tina, Iran, a village in Khuzestan Province, Iran *Tina, Tunisia, a town in Sfax Governorate, Tunisia * Tina, Guadalcanal, Solomon ...

Motor scooters Two-stroke motorcycles Motorcycles introduced in 1962

Development

T10

Three-wheeled prototypes

See also

References