The Winner
The aim to produce the lightest possible competition bike has always been high in the priorities of any trials rider, balanced of course with the need to make the bike strong. Top line riders such as Sammy Miller, Gordon Jackson, Johnny Brittain and Don Smith, to name but four stars, recognised this and often were at odds with their team bosses over modifications to machines.
Miller for instance, is on record as saying he occasionally had to park his Ariel out of sight in case he was forced to undo his handiwork by the factory. Gordon Jackson too would occasionally have to hand back light bits in order to be seen to be competing on what was being sold. So too did Johnny Brittain, whose Royal Enfield at one time sported all sorts of magnesium bits and pieces, then reverted to standard-ish spec when the edict from above filtered down ‘we don’t sell anything like that.’
Arguably, for the big bike riders, once Ariel disbanded their works team and Sammy Miller could really go to town
