Triumph
Trident Gallery
The three-cylinder
Trident epitomized motorcycling's shift of power
in the late Sixties away from old-style British
parallel twins toward the new world of Japanese
fours. Launched in 1968, the Trident was fast,
fine-handling and arguably the first ever superbike.
But it lacked the refinement, the reliability
and the sheer glamour of Honda's CB750, which
arrived a year later to take the wind out of
the British bike's sails and its sales. Typically,
BSA Triumph (formed by a merger between the
two companies) did not capitalize quickly enough
on the three-cylinder format, which had been
mooted by engineers Bert Hopwood and Doug Hele
several years earlier.
By the time the bike was put into production,
its pushrod valve operation, drum brakes and
lack of electric start were on the verge of
becoming old fashioned. The 60bhp triple, however,
was certainly no slouch. The factor)' initially
produced two separate models, the Triumph Trident
T150 and the BSA Rocket-3, which were near-identical
apart from the Rockct-3's angled-forward engine.
Both were capable of close to 120mph, with acceleration
to match and a thrillingly high-pitched exhaust
wail. Triples dominated the racetracks in the
early Seventies. The Meriden factory's bikes
finished first, second and third at Daytona
in 1971 (Dick Mann winning, as he had the year
before on a Honda), and in the following seasons
notched up dozens of victories at the hands
of riders such as John Cooper, Ray Pickrell
and Percy Tait. The most famous triple was the
production racer nicknamed 'Slippery Sam,' which
won consecutive Isle of Man
TTs from 1971 to 1975. Roadster development
did not always benefit from the factory's racing
commitments, and was further hampered by the
firm's growing financial problems. One variation,
the X-75 Hurricane, was a custom bike with high
bars, a sleek one-piece seat-tank unit and three
mufflers aligned up its right side. Stylish,
yes - but expensive, impractical and years ahead
of its time in 1973. The Trident's first serious
revision did not come until 1975 with the T160,
which combined handsome new looks of fte own
with overdue refinements such as an electric
start and disc brakes. The 125mph T160 was the
definitive British superbike, but it still lacked
the speed and sophistication of the best of
the current Japanese opposition. And, to make
matters worse, it could do nothing to reverse
Triumph's headlong slide toward financial disaster.
| Bike |
Image |
Description |
Triumph 3 Trident
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This Triumph example has been built
using a new frame housing a rebuilt engine
which is fitted with a Norman Hyde cylinder
head. She is attractively presented in
the blue and white Triumph livery and
is fitted with twin Lockheed front discs
at the front, a single rear disc and alloy
rims.
More Triumph
3 Trident info...
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| Triumph Trident 750 |
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Engine - air-cooled 740cc OHV transverse
triple
Horsepower - 58bhp @ 7500rpm
Top Speed - 120 mph
Brakes - 2LS drum/drum (1972-on; disc/drum)
Frame - tubular twin cradle with single
front downtube
Transmission - 5 speed
Picture kindly provided by www.vintagebike.co.uk
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| 1960 Triumph Trident T160, 750cc |
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| 1969 Triumph Trident T150 750 |
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| 1969 Triumph Trident Record |
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| 1969 Triumph Trident Rob North Replica,
750cc |
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| 1970 Triumph Trident T150 750 |
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| 1971 Triumph Trident 750cc |
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| 1972 Triumph T150 Trident |
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US-spec Trident. |
| 1972 Triumph Trident T150 750 |
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| 1972 Triumph Trident T150 |
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Slippery Sam replica, Norman Hyde 1000cc
conversion, Lockweed twin front discs. |
| 1972 Rob North Triumph Trident, 750cc |
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| 1973 Triumph Trident T150V 750 |
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| 1973 Triumph T150 |
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| 1973 Triumph Trident |
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| 1973 Triumph Trident T150V |
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Exported to Canada when new in 1973 and
repatriated to the UK in 1991. |
| 1973 Triumph Trident T150V |
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Three cylinder, 750cc motor with five
speed gearbox. |
| 1973 Triumph Trident T150 Rickman cafe
racer |
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750cc. It is a 1973 Rickman frame number
R1332 which was originally supplied on the
18/4/73 to RGM motorcycles who were a well
known specials builder. SMAG alloy wheels,
Braided brake hoses, triple disc brakes
(unusual on a brit of this age), clip on
bars, 3 into 1 exhaust, koni shocks, tubular
swinging arm, external oil cooler and rear
sets. |
| 1973 Triumph T150V Trident |
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US Export Model. |
| 1973 Triumph Trident T150V, 750cc |
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| 1974 Triumph Trident T150V |
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| 1974 Triumph Trident T150 US |
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| 1974 Triumph Trident T150 |
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750cc. |
1975 Triumph T150 Trident
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Triumph revised the T150 Trident for
the 1971 model season. The mechanical
components benefited from minor revisions,
but the appearance of the model was considerably
altered, losing the "heavy"
styling of the earlier machines and adopting
a style which reflected the twin cylinder
Triumphs of the period. The side panels
were changed as was the exhaust system,
which adopted tapering, megaphone style
silencers. New blade type mudguards and
slimline forks were adopted and indicators
were fitted. The model continued in this
form until 1972 when a five speed gearbox
and a 10 inch front disc brake were fitted,
the T150V, as the model was now typed
continued unaltered until 1975 and the
introduction of the considerably revised
T160.
Image provided by www.classic-auctions.com.
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| 1975 Triumph Trident T160 |
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| 1975 Triumph Trident T160 750 |
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| 1975 Triumph Trident T160, 750cc |
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US import. |
| 1975 Triumph T150V Trident |
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| 1977 Triumph Trident T160ES |
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Triumph T160 ES (ES stands for electric
start). |
| Triumph Trident Endurance 750 ‘Rob
North’ Racing |
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The Triumph and BSA 750 triples did
more than enough on the racetrack to ensure
their place in motorcycling history. BSA-Triumphs
Chief Engineer Doug Hele spearheaded engine
development throughout 1969, while frame
builder Rob North devised a chassis that
would stand the test of time like few
others.
The team narrowly missed victory at
the 1970 Daytona 200, its first major
event, Gene Romero finishing second on
a Triumph. Dick Manns BSA won at Daytona
in 1971 and John Cooper, also BSA-mounted,
at Mallory Parks Race of the Year, vanquishing
the hitherto unbeatable combination of
Giacomo Agostini and MV. Percy Tait and
Ray Pickrell had won the 24-hour Bol d'Or
endurance race the preceding week on another
Triple, and Cooper wrapped up a memorable
international season for BSA-Triumph with
victory in the 250-mile race at Ontario
in October.
Financial difficulties meant that there
was no works effort in 1972, but privateers
kept the Triples winning for many years.
Miles Engineering later acquired the rights
to the North chassis and continued production,
ensuring that the BSA-Triumph triples
remain a potent force in classic racing
today. The Rob North frames are currently
produced by Trident Engineering.
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