Would one of you knowledgeable people identify this, please?
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Happy to be shot down, but it’s a Triumph Trident… the one that was a shared project (BSA Rocket 3) T160 sticks in my head
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Ahh yes, the T150 has vertical cylinders and the later t160 were leaned forward (I finks)
Edit- and a rounded tank for the 160, so google seems to show.
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Yes, it’s an earlyish T150 Trident. The BSA version was called a Rocket 3, and had the engine sloped forwards, as did the later T160. (Rocket was, of course, an established BSA name - Road Rocket, Super Rocket, Rocket Gold Star).
I had a purple 1972 T150 Trident in 1974-76, and very nice it was too: very fast and made a lovely howl when you wound it up. It had the same ‘breadbin’ tank as the one in the photo, but nicer side panels, a conical front hub with a different and very good TLS front brake and long meggas instead of the raygun silencers. Triple carburettors and a kickstart of course. Happy days.
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Yep, a Triumph Trident T150. Originally designed by both Doug Hele (who came up with the compact clutch system we all know and love to keep the engine narrow at the footrest area) and Bert Hopwood.
The design was completed in early 1963, within 12 months they bench tested the engine. The original prototype was ready soon after and could have gone into production in 1965.
But that was not to be - BSA (who owned Triumph) had other ideas.
The very similar forward leaning engined BSA triple (Rocket 3 A75) and upright engined Triumph triple (Trident T150) were launched late 1968.
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In 1975 the T160 was £1215. I really wanted one but that was way too much for a second year apprentice. I bought a 400/4 for £699 instead, and to be fair it was a brilliant bike, almost certainly more reliable that the Triumph would have been. A bit prone to holing the middle piston, ISTR. All the same, I don’t think there was a better looking or sounding bike available at the time. Apart from the Hurricane a mate of mine had…
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Makes me drool, that…
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