Sammy Miller

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Sammy Miller (born Northern Ireland 1935) is a championship winning motorcycle racer, in both road racing and trials. Today, Miller is still winning events.

After attending his first race at the age of 16 in 1951, Miller followed a route involving both road, dirt/grass track racing and motorcycle trials. Miller became British Trials Champion 11 times and won the European Trials Championship twice. In his continuing career, Miller is a winner of over 1300 trials, nine gold medals and the International Six Days Trial, as well as coming 3rd in the World Grand Prix in 1957.

Miller raced mainly for Ariel motorcycles, including both trials events and the Isle of Man TT races. When Ariel were absorbed by BSA in 1964, he 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. This was done in 12 days, realizing his success when he finally cleaned a section on the Sherpa that was uncleanable on his famous Ariel. In his later professional racing career, Miller was involved with Honda.

Miller is most famous for the Ariel HT 500 that he lightened considerably from stock. The bike was GOV 132.

When Miller defected to Bultaco from Ariel, he did it in the most incredible way. He rode in a Saturday trial on the Ariel and won, then the next day switched to the Bultaco, winning again.

He 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.