Hi Guys

heading back to the very early 70s does anyone remember if there was ever a full grid of the Triumph and BSA Triples as I seem to remember even the Transatlantic Match races had a mix of bikes on the line ups....

Cheers

John

Hi John
The first match race series was in '71 and that was definitely triples only. I'm not certain about the following year, but by '73 they were on all sorts.

Hi Russell

Thanks for that, a couple of questions if I may....

1st would you know how many bikes on the grid for that race....

2nd - if you have a program could you list the riders.......

This is for a little project next year.....(more later)

thanks

John

Hello John

10 machines on the grid at each of the 6 races in 1971. All triples that year as Russel wrote, not so the years after.

Check out this page on Vincent Glon's brilliant website :

http://racingmemo.free.fr/M%20COURSES%20IN...20MATCHUSGB.htm

Thanks Philippe

A great site for info and I think my daughter can even translate it for me, The reason for the enquiry is that we are trying from next year to put on a Triple Revival Race at the Donington Classic Revival Meeting with the CRMC. This year we had 29 Triples in an around the paddock and there is rumours that we could put 40 on the grid from the UK, Europe and further afield.

I think it would be the first time that so many Triples would be lining up on the grid to race each other, imagine watching the flag drop and seeing them at full chat through the Craner's........

The photo below is one I took at Donington this year of 18 bikes lined up in the pit lane.

I would be interested in your thoughts on such a race......

I've dug out the '72 programme which confirms the above was the only series where triples were exclusively used. Both sets of riders were at the Brands open practice session on the Wednesday before the Easter weekend, and I remember being very impressed by the seemingly endless number of factory triples being disgorged from the huge coach sized transporter. I also recall some of the Yanks discussing Ray Pickell's line through Paddock when watching him from the little granstand near the paddock. They didn't profit from this too much though, as didn't Ray win both races?

As for a triples only race, why not; they certainly made a beautiful sound in those unsilenced days. Perhaps even now you could slip in a couple of unsilenced bikes just for old time sake

Hello Does anyone have any connection with or know anything of theTriumph Experimental Department at Meriden in 1970/71 where the triples were prepared?
Thankyou

Yes please I would go to see that!! love the Triples.
Interesting that in the 1971 trans trophy, the bikes were a mix of the older Tall boy machines & the new lowboy? (letterbox faired) machines

Good excuse to see these period pics again!!? well I think so!!

Photo Copyrighted to Graham Etheridge, racebikepics.

Photo Copyrighted to Graham Etheridge, racebikepics.

Photo Copyrighted to Graham Etheridge, racebikepics.

Hi Graham

your well informed and I bet you have a photo in your archive of the most famous one of all - Slippery Sam - which lives in the National Motorcycle Museum, We are hoping to have it at the Classic Revival and maybe get Percy Tait to give it a lap or two at Donington, How cool would that be.................

Another photo of the 18 bikes at this years revival which for all most have the letterbox fairings fitted the seat units are another thing......




http://www.chrischapmanracing.co.uk/images.../image/rear.jpg








Again most of the bikes shown are using the legendry Rob North frame except the very far end one which is a Matisse......

Thanks to everyone for the info and if you know anyone racing a triple especially in Europe I'd be interested for no other reason than we have a target of 40 bikes on a grid next year.....

Cheers

John

Hi John, Have you been in touch with Jens Kroon & the other Scandinavian boys?

Re Slippery Sam, no sadly no pics of that one, but did it not get destroyed in the fire a few years a go?

Very nice pics Graham

Never noticed this before with the triples but the tanks are scalloped in at the front rather than the rear where the riders knees would be tucked in.

Clearance for the bars I assume.

Graham, the answer is probably just that not enough 1971 models were produced to supply all the riders......He're a link to a very interesting piece by Don Emde about his stint as a factory BSA rider , in which he talks about the difference between the 1971 (letterbox) and 1970 version, and how they were allocated.

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2003-Feb/d200de71.htm

This thread gives me the perfect excuse to re-post a question I had asked back in 2006 (!!!) which never got an answer, to my distress.....

Good question Philippe, sadly one I cant answer, but I do know that Pickrells 1971 red BSA was kept and re painted blue and called a Triumph for the 1972 season.

Hi Rod , thanks for your pm Just to tell you there is a Triumph / BSA experimental engine , a triple , not a million miles from where you and I live !!!!

Hello Phil . Sorry pm was a lttle late. Hope you had a good time.Sorry to hear of the Snetterton incident. Where is this engine please?

Yes , surprising what fun can be had at Sandy Bay . The news of Stu is getting better , but still a bit of a shock .
I will have to ask the owner of the motor for his permission , i'll try and see him tomorrow

Not spoken to Jens this season as he unfortunatly broke his back early part of the season, Brian Pederson had Jen's bike a the Donington Revival and reckoned Jens will be up for it next year, and boy is he a fast rider.....

Cheers

John

Thankyou Phil

Well RRT2 , went to see the man today , caught him between his hols . The triple is a much later version i'm afraid , '90's in fact but is in the frame with wheels . I have the frame no . A lot of the internals were retained by the experimental department at Triumph . But would definately be a good project and is up for grabs . He does have a few other Triumph / BSA's................. You know where to find me if interested Seven Stars , Kennford , at 9 for skittles tonight

Forum member Tom Thomson who resides in France, has asked me to post this pic on his behalf, so am pleased to do so.


Here is part of his mail to me identifying who is who where & when. Looks like a great weekend!!

This photo was taken at Ledenon last September and shows (l-r) me - Rob North BSA , Philippe Banal -Rob North Triumph, Michel Hourdebaigt - P&M Triumph, and Jean-Pierre Piet (2008 French Classic 750 champion) with his two P&M Triumphs. There are one or two more racing triples in France, notably Gerald Faguais and Richard Darby, and quite a few parading, perhaps as many as eight or ten. K21john, keep us up to date on the triple outing planned for Donington in 2011. And a speedy recovery to the two injured triple riders. Tom

Here you go John, found this one from Darley Moor this year,..... when the sun was out!!

Photo Copyrighted to Graham Etheridge, racebikepics.

Nice photo Graham

Just a little backgound on Chris Chapman, he's 50 on the 13th Oct this year and started racing in March 2008, was presented with the Stella Cathcart Trophy for Novice of the Year by the CRMC. He is learning his art quite well at the moment and this year he has taken a big step forward in confidence. Last season he finished 13th in the 1300 National series and this year is currently in second place with one round to go.

He came through the TR3OC's Beezumph like many of the current riders on Triples in the CRMC and has gained a remarkable amount of respect from some very experienced riders. The only thing lacking at the moment is an out and out win but if he keeps making the progress that he is making at the moment it will come in time.

The bike was bought as several boxes of bit's and Chris sold his rather nice Hurricane to fund the project. He originally put the North togather as a road bike about 7 or 8 years ago but converted it to track spec during the winter of 2007 / 2008.

The engine is a 930cc T160 and runs a 130 Avon rear tyre in the wet and a 150 Dunlop in the dry. Chris does most of the spanner work himself but is lucky enough to live close to P&M's workshop where he and Dave have been known to burn a fair bit of midnight oil.

This winter may see the addition of a 6 speed box but we will have to see how finances stand.

Chris was worried when he started lining up on the early grids, He had never done race starts before, but when I explianed to him that 15years as a London motorcycle courier - did he not think that every red light at the traffic lights was a practice start.... It's quite something to see him grab 8 - 9 places by the time they are in to the first corner of a race.

We are off to Cadwell for the last meeting of the season on the 10th / 11th October, Stu Melling will be missed for this one but Chris is hoping that Cormac Conroy is back on form and the 1300 national should be a race not to be missed.....

P.S. all are welcome to Cadwell and if you have'nt been to a CRMC meeting before I can guarantee you won't be dissapointed by the quality of racing.....

Cheers

John

[quote name='picblanc' date='Sep 22 2009, 22:21' post='3875253']
Forum member Tom Thomson who resides in France, has asked me to post this pic on his behalf, so am pleased to do so.


A rare photo of Tom with the wheels UNDERNEATH the bike.
HW

Easy, Tiger, or I'll give them the one of you in your 'mechanics' attire. It's your call. The Maj

How very dare you!
HW

Steady , steady , powder puffs at 50 paces

This would be Chris Chapman as well then!?

Photo Copyrighted to Graham Etheridge, racebikepics.

Another nice photo Graham...

That's from 2008 when Chris was still a rookie..... He's since lost the orange vest.....

John

Hi Graham, sorry I missed this one earlier, you are correct Slippery Sam was badly damaged in the fire but thankfully has been restored and gets a regular airing at the Beezumph.

Many bikes were destroyed in the fire including Norman Hydes land speed record triple sidecar outfit, unfortunatly funds hav not been available to restore this unique triple as of yet

Cheers

John

Not to stray too far off track, but there's a ripping yarn on a website about the restoration of the Texas Cigar streamliner after it was trashed in that tragic blaze.


www.saveourstreamliner.com

From my recently found box of slides

Cant wait to see what you have found!!

Not that good.

All very dirty, scanned some at work today, not even photoshoped them.

or researched them.

But isn't that what the forum is for idle gits like me?

This thread gives me the perfect excuse to re-post a question I had asked back in 2006 (!!!) which never got an answer, to my distress.....
[/quote]
QUOTE (philippe7 @ Jan 6 2006, 12:15)
I've always been wondering something : as we all know , the components of the engines of the 750 BSA Rocket-3 and of the 750 Triumph Trident were basically the same , with the only difference ( apparently purely for marketing reasons....) being that the Triumph cylinder block was strictly vertical, whereas the BSA cylinders were slightly tilted forward . Does anybody know wether those technical difference were kept on the RobNorth framed racing bikes , or if the racing department only used one single engine base for the racers, with only a different branding

Hi Philippe,
the answer to your original question is the technical differences were kept. All the Rob North frames were basically the same. The difference being that the front motor mounts and upper engine mounts were different depending if a BSA or Triumph engine was being used. Rob has the original Dick Mann BSA. When he got it the fairing had been painted to look like a Triumph but still retained the original paint on the nose piece. Sadly it was minus the motor, but Rob has restored it back to it's former BSA glory.

paul

Can someone tell me how to scan slides? I tried once and it ended a tiny dot on the screen. What didn´t I do correctly?

When first scanned it should be a preview, you can then crop it or if want whole slide, set the size, for on here 10x8 is plenty big enough, it should give you that option on what size in preview? set it, then if happy with preview and size, scan and save it.

Thanks Mr Fu. Much appreciated. Bloody computors. I hate them.

. . . . <------- Here are four pics I took earlier of micro dots , the last pic is on the start line of the 1975 125 gp @ Silverstone

I reckon its from 1977?

bloody hell Graham I just checked and your right too