Tale of two Triumphs

It was the beginning of the end. At least, that’s how former trials rider, restorer and motorcycle journalist Don Morley describes the two International Six Day Trial (ISDT) Triumphs which went up for auction in April at the 39th Carole Nash International Classic MotorCycle Show– one of which he became very well acquainted with, but more of that later.

These twins, registered NEA 1F and HUE 256D, are the ex-Triumph works gold-medal winning ISDT motorcycles ridden by Roy Peplow and Gordon Farley.

And like many trials machines, the Triumph twins emit that aura of muscular confidence and formidable agility – qualities tried, tested and proven in ISDT events of the mid to late 1960s. But such confidence stopped at the motorcycle and their pilots. Behind the scenes at Triumph, it was a very different story altogether: while NEA 1F and HUE 256D