Triumph LW, 1914

This good looking Triumph did “Skogsløpet” last weekend.  The oldest bike in the rally but not the fastest….I must have passed it five or six times. The 225 cc two stroke was ridden by owner Harald Raaken.

The bike has an interesting history, once owned by Olympic ice skating champion Ivar Ballangerud.  He had the bike on display in his sports shop.

I had to read me up on this model: the Model LW - Light Weight also called the Junior and by some the “Baby” (hence the smallest of Triumph`s motorcycles).

Made between 1914 – 1922. 225cc 2-stroke 2¼ hp. 64mm bore X 70mm stroke.
Two-speed gearbox. No clutch or kick start.

It is a small bike with low saddle height and easy starting. I read that that caused the model to gain popularity in Britain amongst District Nurses, Ministers of the Church, and schoolboys with wealthy parents! (The legal minimum riding age in those days was fourteen).