Sammy Miller MBE was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in1933. He had a highly successful career in dirt/grass track racing and trials. He won over 1,300 trials, nine gold medals and the International Six Days Trial, as well as coming 3rd in the 1957 250cc Grand Prix championship.He also won the British Trials Championship 11 times and the European Trials Championship twice, and three 250cc North West 200 events (1956-1958).
Sammy rode a variety of machines including AJS 7R, Mondial and NSU, but is best known for the 500cc Ariel HT5 that he lightened considerably from standard ex-factory condition. It’s now on show at the Sammy Miller Museum.
When Ariel were absorbed by BSA in 1964, Sammy formed a partnership with a Spanish firm, Bultaco, and went on to become the lead developer of modern two-stroke trials motorcycles. The bike he created was the Sherpa T.
During the 1960s he won the Scott Trial six times, twice on an Ariel and four times on a Bultaco.
Sammy set up his own motorcycle parts business in 1964 in New Milton, Hampshire, and put a few of his old racing motorcycles in the corner, later to become the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum with a collection of hundreds of bikes.
