BSA Rocket 3/Triumph Trident
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| Rocket 3 / Trident | |
| Manufacturer: | BSA / Triumph |
|---|---|
| Production: | 1968 - 1975 |
| Predecessor: | none |
| Successor: | none |
| Body style: | motorcycle |
| Engine: | 3 cylinder |
| Transmission: | chain |
| Designer: | Bert Hopwood/Doug Hele/Ogle |
The BSA Rocket Three/Triumph Trident was the first true modern superbike, and the last major motorcycle developed by the original (Triumph Engineering Ltd) Triumph company. It was effectively badge-engineered to be sold under both the Triumph and BSA marques.
The Rocket3/Trident was the first-step development of Triumph Motorcycles plan to move on from the basic vertical twin. The engine was to give the 750 cc power required by the US market over the then standard 650 cc, while avoiding the vibration associated with the parallel twin design and the bulk of a four-cylinder layout. This was the only part of the plan to come into production, while the later four-cylinder Quadrant prototype only shows a glimpse of what could have been later.
During its production run BSA fell into financial troubles and over the course of the official six year model run approximately 27,480 Rocket3/Tridents were produced - the exact number is unsure, as the factory at the end were very poor at keeping reliable records. By comparison, a quarter of a million Honda Goldwings were manufactured during its first seven years.
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[edit] Development
Although designed in the mid-1960’s, the engine of the BSA Rocket3/Triumph Trident, was based heavily on Edward Turner’s legendary Triumph two-cylinder 500 cc Speed Twin of 1937, and the next years sports model Tiger 100. Because of this, the three cylinder Trident is sometimes know as the “Tiger 100 and a half”. This basic design was one of the most long-lived in motorcycling history, being used for 50 years in Triumph's entire range of vertical twins, including the Triumph Bonneville.
The three-cylinder design was started in 1962 by Bert Hopwood and Doug Hele. While design continued, test engineers developed the handling of the chassis by loading lead weight onto a standard 650 Bonneville. With the first running prototype P1, which is now owned by the Trident and Rocket 3 Owners Club (TR3OC), produced in 1965, it suggested that Triumph could have a machine in production by 1967. However, the decision to produce a BSA version with sloping cylinders, and employing Ogle Design to give the early Trident/Rocket3’s their modern ‘square’ look; robbed the prototype of its ‘lean’ looks, added 40 pounds in weight, and delayed production by a further 18 months. During 1966 a P2 prototype was produced with a more production-based Trident engine, with changed bore and stroke arrangements over the P1 and improved cooling. Later, Doug Hele would get 90 bhp out of a Trident engine, suggesting that if development had speeded up in 1964, a 140 mph British SuperBike would have been reality in 1972.
[edit] The first true Superbike
The Rocket3/Trident’s were immediately labeled “superbikes” when introduced in the summer of 1968 - an apt description, since the Rocket3/Trident was the first modern, multi-cylinder production motorcycle and one of the very fastest then available. They were also labelled the best road bikes of the time - a label they held for a mere four weeks, before Honda’s CB750K was introduced against it in the important USA market and at a cheaper price. Although the Rocket3/Trident did not have the 5-speed gearbox or electric start of the CB750K, it did have a great handling frame and so established a track pedigree through racing Rocket3’s. To overcome US sales problems against the CB750K, in 1970 Triumph re-styled export versions with the original ‘rounded’ look.
Although all the three-cylinder engines (and the Rocket Three) were produced at BSA’s Small Heath site, final assembly of the Triumph Trident model was carried out at Meriden in Coventry. The major differences were limited to the engine and associated frame; a double loop for the BSA and single downtube for the Triumph. The rest was essentially cosmetic badging and painting. Racing success allowed the Rocket3/Trident to continue with a four-speed gearbox, as models T150 and A75 respectively. Triumphs sold better in the US despite BSA’s Daytona racing successes of the early 70’s, due to easier riding position. BSA’s sold slightly better in the UK/Europe. However sales did not keep up with expectations, and in mid-1971 a fifth gear was added, creating the model Triumph T150V. With mounting financial pressure, very few genuine five-speed Rocket3’s came off the assembly line before production of them ceased entirely. In 1973 a front disk brake replaced the original drum, resulting in the final form of the T150V.
[edit] Slippery Sam
Doug Hele’s development work of the Rocket3/Trident in 1971, working with frame guru Rob North, produced Formula 750 machines that won everything in Europe/USA, even including the Isle of Man TT - most famously in its LP William’s “Slippery Sam” guise. Trident "Slippery Sam" won consecutive production TT races five years running from 1971 through 1975. Bert Hopwood later recommended making a production version of the racing triple, producing 84 bhp at 8,250 rpm - but his suggestion is ignored, partly due to financial wories.
Racing development in the US was carried out at the Duarte, CA facility under Racing Manager Dan Macias. US BSA/Triumph dealers had agreements for access to factory race parts and due to difficulties in obtaining race frames from the UK, Dan built his own jig and the frames were manufactured by Wenco. The main differences from the factory North frames were TIG welding instead of braized, flat plate rear engine mounts instead of built-up formed sheet and 4130 CrMo steel material. Dick Mann's win at Daytona in 1971 was on a US specification bike.
[edit] Triumph X75 Hurricane
When the Triples were designed, the original look was sleek and defined with rounded tear-drop tank. However, to compete with the newer designs, BSA/Triumph decided to redesign the look using the OGLE design company. This created an 18 month delay and resulted in a squarer look and less traditional BSA/Triumph look - only the BSA was saved by sloped cylinders and 'RayGun' silencers.
When the Triples were launched to the American vice-presidents of BSA and Triumph in 1969, they were disappointed. They knew Honda had a bike coming along, and felt the price of $1800 was too high and technical details like vertically split crank cases ill-thought - which meant continuing oil leaks. However, they did respect the fact that the bike was fast, and the BSA team lead by US VP Don Brown (Vice President, General Manager and Director BSA, Inc. 1967 to 1969; reassigned as Vice President, National BSA Sales; resigned Jan 8, 1970); decided to set some records at Daytona with a stock A75 for launch of the bike - they were later only broken in late 1971 by the Kawazaki Z1.
Brown came home to America, and felt the bike needed a different look to compete. He wondered where the design styling had gone! A custom bike enthusiast, he engaged later design guru Craig Vetter to give the BSA A75 a face-lift. Vetter flew to Nutley NJ for the job interview, and returned on an early BSA A75 with the brief to make it sleeker, more blanced and with a customised twing! Both Brown and Vetter were classic aeroplane enthusiasts, and so the 1920's sleek bi-plane racers were an inspiration.
Brown had no agreement from BSA group to undertake the resdesign, told Vetter he would only get his fee paid as hours when the project was accepted for production, and swore Vetter to complete secrecy. Vetter had problems resultantly getting his $12,000 fee, but ony because Brown paid external lawyers to create the contract, and was taking Vetter's expenses out of petty cash. Vetter rode the BSA A75 back to Illionois, and described it as a great bike, but like riding a board! In his 1000 mile ride, he tried a few designs sketched onto his own publicity postcards for his existing fairing business.
Vetter was a mid-twenties motorcycle freak, who loved motorcycles because they did more for less. Vetter was also an American from the mid-West - the ideal guy to design a bike for Americans, when he was the target market and America really was riding in a different way to the UK home market. Vetter described himself as the first of the plastic designers, who were happy with free-flowing materials - but he didn't have access to CAD, so had to make his design simple and easy to produce. His design: framed the engine which he loved from his ride home; followed the angles of the BSA's inclined engine position; narrowed at the rear of the tank to allow for a closer more comfortable riding position; and then flowed in to the oil tank, effectively an upside down tank replication. This also created a single a single support for the 1.5 person specified seat, making first one-piece section from head stock to the rear of the seat. Vetter had two further problems to solve. He hated the triples twin exhaust, so he wound the pipes into one outlet and used a stock silencer that would be illegal in the USA market on noise regulations from December 1972 onwards - hence why the X75 was only produced for one year. The second problem was colour - he loved Yellow! But after painting the entire prototype Yellow, he hated it, and followed an AMA Bulletin to use ScothLite reflective tape - the orange umber matched the Yellow ScotchLite.
Brown now had to launched his bike on his boss, Peter Thornton - President BSA/Triumph North America, who he didn't get on with and had decided to resign from BSA as a result of their relationship (Thornton was later sacked through gross misconduct in May 1971). Thornton had heard about the design, and demanded details from Brown - or to sack him. Vetter was called from Illinois at the October 1969 Sales Conference, and spent 8 hours in a stock room. Various people came by and looked in, with Vetter getting more nervous - until finally Thornton walked in. There was an audible gasp, and he then blurted out, "My God it’s a Bloody phallus! Wrap it up and send it England!"
The bike arrived in England - just as BSA was about to declare bankcruptcy! Also, BSA had set up a design facility at Umberslade Hall, and the design was seen as too trendy by chief designer Burt Hopwood - who never got market demographics or aesthetic design versus engineering. He should have, as his friend and ex-Chairman Edward Turner said in 1973: "Machines sell on the whims of fashionable young men. These fads are constantly changing."
It was only after an amazing reaction to the design when it appeared on the front of US magazine Cycle World in October 1970 - another first, as it was the first white cover. Norton-Villiers-Triumph realised it had a whole stock of scrap BSA parts that could now be turned into a premium-priced motorcycle, so a young engineer Steve Mettam got the job to productionise it for the 1971 season. The Vetter BSA Rocket3 became the Triumph X75 Hurricane.
Vetter was paid his $12,000 dollars fee for his work in March 1971, but had a difficult time collecting it and it took several months. 1,183 engines were put aside for X75 production but nobody is sure the total number of machines finally produced.
The prototype BSA Hurricane, owned for a time by Craig Vetter, is now on display at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in Pickerington, Ohio, USA.
[edit] Model T160
In November 1974, production of the T150V was ceased for the T160 model. The T160 was the result of a number of changes; some due to market response to the earlier Tridents and some due to legislative changes (mainly in the USA). With forward sloping cylinders (à la BSA Rocket3), electric start and gear-shift moved to the left hand side to comply with American safety legislation NVT made in a last ditch effort to save large scale NVT production and reduce the gap between the Trident and the Honda CB750K. The T160 was produced for little more than a year, at which time NVT collapsed completely. The final batch of T160’s came of the production line the week before Christmas 1975.
[edit] Production
Model Years: 1975 (although some were made in early 1976 and the last bikes were finally sold in late 1977). Numbers: about 7,211 - the final 130 or so were sold as the Cardinal.
[edit] Significant Details
- Forward-leaning cylinder layout derived from BSA Rocket 3 (to allow for larger air box)
- Electric start
- Five speed gearbox
- Left-hand gear-change - USA requirement
- Annular silencers - to meet lower USA noise-level requirement
- Improved centre-of-gravity (frame/engine position, sloping cylinders, tank/seat unit)
- Disc brakes front and rear
- Redesigned instrument binnacle and handlebar switchgear
- Improved 'traditional' styling
[edit] Cardinal
In December 1975, a last batch 288 bikes were destined for Australia and another 224 for the USA. However, NVT diverted them from those highly competitive markets to fulfill an order of Tridents for the Saudi Arabian police force. Police forces in the UK had already switched to BMW motorcycles, but some like the Yorkshire Constabulary still used Tridents. Five shipments, totaling 450 bikes were sent to Saudi Arabia, but the last 130 were still in the UK when the Saudis cancelled the order - so NVT Motorcycles decided to sell them in the UK as the Triumph Cardinal. At the time the list price of a stock T160 was £1,211. The accessories were worth about £150 - including crash bars, spotlamps, air horns, tri-point screen, panniers, single seat and radio rack - but NVT listed the Cardinal for £1,522.80. In 1982, Dealers in the UK began bringing the bikes back from Saudi - then two dealers in Sweden and Finland brought back 180 bikes. The bikes had low mileages, but were poorly maintained and totally encrusted in sand. They were restored, and sold out as 'stock' T160's
[edit] The End
Severe financial and management problems at BSA, along with the rapid disintegration of the entire British motorcycle industry in the early 1970’s, led to a government sponsored merger in July 1973 with Norton. However the re-structuring plans announced by the newly formed Norton-Villiers-Triumph Ltd. (NVT), resulted in a workers blockade of Triumph’s home Meriden works in mid-September. Production of the Trident was eventually transferred to BSA’s Small Heath factory in March 1974, but this lengthy disruption resulted in relatively few 1974 Tridents being produced.
[edit] References
See also: List of Triumph Triples and List of BSA Triples
