RealClassic – August 2019

(Nancy Kaufman) #1
Triumph’s triplesare greatbikes.
Theymust be becauseeveryone
says so.Frank Westworthawoke
some old memories withaday
outonaT 150

T


ridents andIshare alove/hate
relationship.Itry to love them;
they manageto hate me.It’sbeen
this wayfor averylong time.A
very long time indeed.Thefirsttriple Isaw on


the road wasactuallyaBSA Rocket Threeina
bizarre shade of bathroom blue.Iwas trolling
along the old A4 aboardmyMatchles s, and
sawanoutfitparked up inalaybyenveloped in
clouds of smoke.Ofc ourseIstopped andwent
to offer assistance.
Thebikewas almost new.This was1970,
maybe 1971, and the triples had been in
productionforsome time,but although
NortonCommandoswereto be seen around in
schoolboySomerset,the triples were not. But
anyway –whatwas onfire?

Nothing.The‘smoke’was in fact steam.Proud
Ownerhad ridden through adeluge and had
parked upforacuppa from hisflask and a
sandwichto maintain theinner man.Thesteam
wasrising from his gloves, whichwere resting
on thecylinder head andfizzing gently.Iwas
bemused.Why buy an amazing sports bike
like the blue BSA and stickasidec ar on it?The
sidecarwasempty,too.The owner just smiled
and offered me somecoffee,while pretending
to admiremyown machine.
Andalot of Tridents have passed through

TRIUMPH T150 TRIDENT


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