Triton motorcycle

Triton motorcycles were hybrid motor cycles built from the 1950s to the 1970s[citation needed] that involved fitting Triumph engines into Norton frames.

This pushrod engine gave good performance and reliability and could be more easily tuned for greater power using high-profile camshafts, high compression pistons and twin carburettors.

The BSA 650 had a bronze bush main bearing on the right hand side, doubling as the crank oil feed, with a lack of effective crankshaft end play control, that all had difficulty staying together when ridden hard, even though the rest of the design was possibly more robust than the Triumph.

Whereas the Norton 650SS 646.44 cc had a bore and stroke of 68 x 89 mm giving 49 bhp (37 kW) @ 6,800 rpm, the Triumph T120 Bonneville 649.31 cc had a bore and stroke of 71 x 82 mm giving 46 bhp (34 kW) @ 6,500 rpm.

Road tests showed that the Norton had a higher top speed due to its 3 bhp (2.2 kW) advantage.