RIDERS’ LIVES
If the story of the Triumph/BSA triples was a screenplay for a Hollywood film, it would be rejected as an unbelievable fantasy. It started in the early 1960s with the gem of an idea and continues today with brand-new racing Tridents still being produced to order. The history of the three-cylinder road bikes is intrinsically linked to the triples’ racing success on circuits around the world. When sales stalled it was victories in prestigious events that helped turn sales around, both in the UK and the USA. The victories became stuff of legend and triple riders became household names, regardless of which side of the pond they lived.
The mid-1960s has a pivotal position in the history of two-wheeled motorised vehicles. Numerous events are labelled pre-65, so something obviously happened halfway through the decade which makes it a landmark. That date marks the introduction of Japanese motorcycles into the west’s marketplace. What followed was a complete restructuring of the motorcycle industry, particularly in Britain where the decline from this point was rapid.
The Triumph Trident, while a radical new
