c1969 Triumph Trident 750cc Motorcycle

Description

The early 1960s was a fantastic period for Triumph, with great success on the track and sales booming both in the United States and at home, thanks to a range of stylish, powerful bikes. The threat from Japan was still over the horizon and under Bert Hopwood's direction, the company seemingly couldn't put a foot wrong. The Trident was a to be a key part of this success - designed in parallel with BSA's Rocket Three, the new triple was launched in 1968 as a 750cc rocketship but an unecessarily protracted gestation period saw the arrival of Honda's superb new CB750 four on the scene and the Trident struggled to gain a foothold in the all important US market. Using an air-cooled pushrod triple-cylinder designed by Hopwood and Doug Hele, the new motor was housed in a conventional Bonneville-style frame and was equipped with a four-speed gearbox, albeit with a dry single-plate clutch housed between the gearbox and primary chaincase. Styling was less conventional, with Ogle Design responsible for the initial square-tank and 'ray gun' exhaust look that was dropped in favour of a return to the 'classic' Triumph look in 1970. From 1969 the Trident (and Rocket Three) began racing and the triples acquitted themselves well enough. Indeed, the Slippery Sam, built to contest the PR Tourist Trophy on the Isle Man, won outright on the second attemt in 1971 and went on to finish unbeaten there in 1972-1975, remains one of the most famous British bikes of all. Sadly, the Trident was also the last motorcycle of any significance built by Triumph Engineering at Meriden.