British Motorcycle Manufacturer Triumph produced the Triumph Trident T150 while it was going through its toughest time. The late 60s saw Triumph’s struggling era; bikes from Europe and Japan were taking its toll.
Triumph Motorcycles have been through many ups and downs; in 1951 it was sold to its competitor BSA. The most iconic Triumph Motorcycle was produced in 1959 which was the Triumph Bonneville.
In 1963 Triumph engineering supervisors Bert Hopwood and Doug Hele discussed a radical idea of a 3-cyclinder-road bike. In 1965 Triumph and BSA were completely merged bringing their production lines together. The first prototype Trident was completed in 1965 and it was wrapped in a Bonneville frame. The bike didn’t go into production until the end of 1968.
In 1968 the Triumph Trident T150 and BSA Rocket III finally hit the US showrooms. The differences between the Triumph Trident and BSA Rocket III were more than just cosmetic. Both models used different frames and in the BSA the motor’s cylinder block was inclined forwards.
The first model of the Triumph Trident T150 featured drum brakes; four-seepd gearbox and a kick start only. Triumph Trident T150 was styled by outside designers Ogle. The box-like petrol tank and raygun silencers departed wildly from the outdated Triumph look. The Triumph Trident / BSA Rocket III was the last major motorcycle developed by Triumph Engineering at Meriden. Only the Triumph Trident T150 survived the BSA Triumph Group’s collapse in 1972.
The 1968 Triumph Trident T150 above in picture was Giacomo Agostini’s personal ride and was used for testing on open road tracks. Giacomo Agostini is an Italian multi-time world champion Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.
