In the end, yes. Clive had rather good results in 1968 and '69 on a Tiger 100 racer, and bought a used road Trident from W. White Auckland, for $1100. He then stripped the road gear off, had a 3-into-1 built locally with a BIG megga, and fitted a race seat, plus a set of alloy wheels with a lovely 9" Fontana front brake, and TT100 Dunlops. Thus equipped, we headed off in the Thames van to the Napier roadrace, home town of the returning local hero Keith Turner, who'd just finished second to Ago in the world 500 championship. In short, IT RAINED, and after looking the goods in practice, Clive beat Turner's TR500 hansomely on a sodden track, and the wheels began to turn. Our oldest brother was a handy lad with metal, and knocked up an alloy race tank and seat, and a fairing was fitted, and although still in the heavy stock frame, the howling Trident proved an amazing handler, and a hit with the fans on a sojourn to the South Island summer series.
Colemans, the NZ BSA/Triumph distributors, were very keen to see the brands represented on the NZ tracks, as in the UK the Beezumph triples were wowing the crowds. The original offer was the supply of a full works BSA Rocket 3, but as time went on the Meriden race effort was all turning to custard, and the excesses of the original Transatlantic series and the Daytona race forays were replaced by doom and gloom as reality set in. Snookered by appalling timing, the Colemans offer was periodically diluted, in the end becoming no more than an opportunity to purchase a North chassis through them. Still and all, the bike, fitted with a Suzuki front end, looked and sounded the part, and proved a popular and entertaining addition to the fields of TZ Yamahas and TR Suzukis so prevalent in those days.
Edited by GD66, 18 October 2012 - 11:27.
