Triumph Trident And Bsa Rocket 3: The Complete Story

This story is like something out of Hollywood. In the mid-1960s, BSA/Triumph learned that Honda was to launch a 750cc motorcycle that would clearly outclass its 650cc twins. Luckily, Meriden's top two designers – Bert Hopwood and Doug Hele – have been toying with the idea of a 3-cylinder 750. Could it work? The prototype is fast and intoxicating to ride, but delays mean the Triumph Trident and BSA Rocket 3 have only been on the market a few weeks when the smoother Honda 750 comes along. The British bikes might be fast, but they lack sophistication, and no one loves their oddball styling. Sales are so slow that production is suspended for eight months. BSA/Triumph fights back with a factory race team that sweeps all before 1971, including a 1–2–3 at the Daytona 200. While BSA collapses, Triumph struggles on, launching the factory custom Hurricane and updating the T150 Trident with a 5-speed gearbox and front disc brake. The Meriden factory sit-in stops Trident production, but bikes are