1969 Triumph Tiger 500 SS

There are Triumphs, and then there are Triumphs that come with the paperwork to back up every word you are about to read. This 1969 Tiger 500 SS is very much the second kind, and it is the reason we were so keen to take it on. When this one arrived with us we did what we always do, which is go through it properly before it goes anywhere near the showroom floor. What we found was a bike that had been looked after by someone who genuinely cared. The green and silver has real depth to it, the chrome on the exhausts and the mudguards has been kept rather than neglected, and the polished alloy on the primary and timing covers has that soft shine you only get from years of proper attention. The Tiger 500 SS has always been the thinking rider's Triumph. Lighter and more willing than the big twins, it was built for people who wanted to actually use their motorcycle rather than wrestle it. That still holds true today. On Irish roads it makes a great deal more sense than something bigger and heavier, and it is a far friendlier introduction to classic British ownership than most people expect. Mechanically it has been sorted where it counts. A Boyer electronic ignition has been fitted, which takes away the single biggest headache of running a bike of this era and means it starts and runs the way it should. It has been converted to negative earth, there is a Power Box regulator handling the charging, and a fresh Motobatt battery sitting under the seat. The Amal carburettor is clean and set up correctly, and it rides on Metzeler ME22 tyres with plenty of life left in them. The history file is the part we are most pleased about. It comes with Triumph service sheets and technical data, invoices from TMS, parts receipts, wiring diagrams and routine maintenance schedules, along with photographs documenting the ignition work before and after. With a 1969 machine, knowing what has been done and who did it is worth almost as much as the work itself, and this one leaves nothing to guesswork. Some of the highlights: 500cc Triumph parallel twin Boyer electronic ignition fitted Converted to negative earth Power Box regulator and new Motobatt battery Amal carburettor Metzeler ME22 tyres Twin clocks, both working Original Triumph dual seat Chrome exhausts and silencers in lovely order Comprehensive documented history file Irish registered on a 69 D plate Honestly, bikes like this are getting harder to find. Plenty of Tigers have been ridden into the ground or bodged back together, and plenty more have been over restored into something you would never dare take out. This one sits nicely in the middle. It looks the part, it has been sorted properly, and it is ready to be ridden and enjoyed rather than parked in a corner and admired. If you have been waiting for the right Tiger 500 SS, we would be very glad to show you this one. Come down, have a proper look at it, and bring someone who knows their Triumphs. We are confident