Gosh, I’ve forgotten how absolutely wonderfull a good trident sounds, here in Aus the heat reeks havoc with the centre cylinder, seizures and like but oh what a sound and feel, I had two and I miss them.
@@TheClassicMotorcycleChannel Seasonal summer heat problems were sometimes a thing for Tridents here in some parts of the U.S. as well, especially if you were stuck in urban traffic. Personally, I like the sound of the 650 twins better, although I'll admit to bias, having owned a couple.
For the middle cylinder, I had the same problem running mine in Hong Kong. It was important to run the middle cylinder rich to keep it cool. I never had any overheating problems in that configuration.
Rose Tinted specs with the Triples.Eye off the ball big time and a cheap sticking plaster fix was never the answer.Nice Sound !! What a great looking bike!!
I am fortunate to have one of these bikes. Wanted one since I first saw it in ‘73. Got it in 2018. Long wait, but really enjoy the look and ride. Brit bikes are somewhat more difficult to maintain, but I feel it is worth the effort. Also have Mark III commando, Trident, Firebird Scrambler, and Bonnie Bobber. The Hurricane is King. Always glad to see the Brits taking pride in their old bikes. There are a lot of us Yanks that also love the bikes from the Mother Country.
In March of 1974 I took delivery of the first vehicle I ever financed, a 1973 Triumph 500cc Trophy Trail. An unsold '73 I got a little knocked off MSRP on the bike and that's the only way I got the payments down within what my budget could afford. Drooled over the 850 Norton Commando and Interstate but they were hundreds more and thus out of reach. In retrospect I should have gone with a Triumph 750 Bonneville if I could have made a higher payment but back then 3 years max I know was the policy on new motorcycles at my credit union. Plus I thought at the time I was getting the best of both worlds. A nice looking enduro bike with chrome fenders and headlight bucket that really made the looks of the bike and with 500cc's I could ride the highway and then the trail when I got there. I was gonna be Steve McQueen and Then Came Bronson (Michael Parks) all in one with a bed roll bungied on. Except my desert where I camped out under the stars would be Spirit Lake near Mt. St. Helens. Well, a couple rock festivals was more like it. Good thing I was a cash strapped wage earner in a paper mill because I am sure I'd have taken one of these home at about another grand if I could have. Always loved that styling. Anyway, mine was a good bike for the first 6,000 or 7,000 miles and then the crank bearings were going. I had no concept of redline or fanatical oil changes. Still a great experience and nary a whimper from the Lucas electrics. Boy, you know you are old when you remember buying one of the original Triumph brand bikes!
A friend of mine and his brother bought 2 of these off of the local dealer. Awesome bike but both of them eventually had transmission failure, 3rd gear if I remember. This was at the time when Kawasaki had released the Z-1 900. The Z-1 was reliable, had tons of power and was selling very well. This might explain the week sales of the XR-75.
Always loved these -- was a young teen when they came out... and an "Easy Rider" fanatic - remember when this was on cover of "Cycle World" -- and the are so beautiful in person - there is a beautiful example at the Barber Museum in Birmingham, Alabama, where I live. Great sounding bike, loved the rider POV.
Personally I would spend and have done in the past the few $$ to use fresh oil for warm up, not 20 yr old. It would be disapointing as the owner to see this clip and that the effort of making a gasket was not warranted on this classic machine. Each to his own i guess - my opinion only.
@@bonkeydollocks1879 I agree knowing what I know after owning a classic Triumph I bought new in the early 70's. Fresh, frequently changed oil is the life blood of these old vintage Brits.
Dave is a top guy, I met him at my local bike night and one of the few people to give a young guy into classic bikes the time of day! Glad to see him in these video, very knowledgeable and dynamic in his speaking. Good stuff!
I remember seeing one in a parking lot back in the day and with that bright red tank it was a real eye catcher. At the time I had no idea what is was but it sure was cool looking.
honda cbx1000? mv agusta F4 1000? owned both and although I also absolutely loved the sound of my Speed Triple 955...well, let's just say they are all AWESOME.
I really enjoyed your lecture when you re-commissioned this beautiful machine again. Wonderful exhaust sound. I would like to know about stability. I believe it is far superior to the Honda 4-cylinder 750. Starting engine requires more than its own weight and gear, a more powerful and heavy battery. For us English purists this three cylinders was a pity to have their project postponed for so long. But North Americans like amenities and a lot of style. If both BSA and Triumph had noticed the inclinations of the North American market and their demands, both factories would not have interrupted their natural course of production and many jobs there in England with very competent people would not have disappeared, although the union troubles to make the Iron Lady no longer offer financial aid for projects that did not offer immediate success to the UK. Grateful for the tasty ride!
Great video - I'm 72 now and remember these well. In fact I had a new 1981 GSX 1100E and had the paintwork changed to a Vetter inspired paint scheme (professionally) and it suited the bike brilliantly.- Back in the 60's I had a few Triumphs (all twins) but eventually succumbed to Japanese bikes because of the better build quality. I still have my Z1000. Many, many years of happy motorcycling in the UK.
I had one I think 73 or 74 loved the thing! after 3 months a taxi pulled out on me 3 months old written off. No more in the UK was I peed off. Never to be replaced
You won’t find a better sounding engine than a rocket 3 or a trident when it’s on song.....makes the hair on my neck stand up thinking about it. I never had one but a mate of mine did. I had a Suzuki gs550 and chasing him on his trident was brilliant, the sound from the ray gun pipes .......
This bike was built just before I was born and living in the states, I've never heard one run. What an amazing sound! Almost reminds me of a Triump TR6. Great video!
I bought a "basket case" Triumph X-75 and 3rd gear was out (among many other things). It had a good clear title and after several years it came together. Won several trophies and it was finally sold (too cheap) to Baxter Cycle. Lots of help from Engle Motors
I Rode one for only 150 yds In. 79 MY mate PANICKED AS. I Nearly DROPPED IT TURNING IT BACK ROUND !!!As IT Was BLOODY HIGH AND HEAVY !!!AND Fast !!!!LOVELY BIKE !!!g
The Triumph Hurricane was like the Holy Grail of British Iron motorcycling; that along with the BSA Rocket Three. I had a ‘71 Lightning that enjoyed for three or so years. Loved that 360 degree parallel twin!
Good to see the blowing out of grit or other debris around the plug holes. I always like to do this even with engines that have their plugs in raised domes. Quick job to do, and well worth it to stop the bad stuff falling into the bores when you remove the plug. Great sound from that triple. I had a 77 XS750 which sounded almost as good with a Devil exhaust
I love triumph triples but the old tridents are so pricey nowadays. I bought 2 xs750's and bored one out to 900cc with a complete overhaul of everything for the price of half a decent trident. Just love that engine, next generation 120 degree triple.
Went to Oulton Park in 1971, first Transatlantic series! the sound was incredible! Rocket 3s and Triumph Tridents! never to be forgotten. The first three on this video are Tridents ua-cam.com/video/djuNXj7iNcQ/v-deo.html
I so remember being in high school and one of the fellows showed up.one day on a Rocket 3... we were all drooling! I still love the look and sound of that machine. Oh to have one now in mint condition. Really enjoyed this video.
I bought of of these from a guy on an American Air Base. He bought it over then never used it. He was from Texas and couldn't understand the British climate. It was kept inside so it clean and dry. Bought a new battery with me and got some new fuel and she fired right up.
Saw one in the flesh in about 71 or 72. Sounded fantastic but I guess cornering right was a problem with the pipes on that side. Still beautiful. Modern bikes don't come close lookwise.
Mythic bike, especially to me. As a teenager, I worked on a farm on a sharp bend on a 55 mph road. For at least one summer, there was an X75 that, daily, rode through the farm, with a SIDECAR! Not just a sidecar, though. It was a sidecar, when the rider took that turn, it's wheel LIFTED WAY THE HELL OFF THE ROAD! I wish I had more to this little story.
I owned a T150 for over 30 years. What always amazed me was how badly engineered the thing was.It was already outdated by 1969. It was no more than a Speed twin with an extra pot and sort of unit construction. It ate guide valves like they were made of cheese, the gearbox main shaft and crank were misaligned from new, making the triplex primary chain wear like hell, the dry clutch was a nightmare and very often not dry, it was thirsty and those Amals wore out as soon as you looked at them making setting them up an impossibility.Replacing the gearbox sprocket meant taking off several layers of engine covers then fitting new oil seals",O" rings and gaskets as you put the whole shebang back together .And those Rockerbox leaks! Or the ones from the pushrod tubbes! I solved them by making soft aluminium gasktets that didn't get squished out as soon as the engine got hot and used "X" rings instead of normal "O" rings.I had to replace the gearbox insides with those from a BSA, also one of the camshafts from the same source and at 40.000Kms the crank was already twice undersize. In the end I installed a Norman Hyde 1000 kit and a Suzuki front suspension as the original was knackered, with , of course Suzuki disc brakes that, terrible as they were at least made an honest attempt at stopping the thing. The conical hub originals were a joke. I loved the thing, probably because I knew no better and as such resisted selling it despite the insistence of an enthusiast on Facebook. In the end I got fed up with spannering everytime I ventured out and gave in to the guy. He's now the very proud owner of a 1972 1000cc special and doesn't have a bad word to say of the bike. Go figure. Oh, I could go on....
Sorry you had so much trouble with one of these. In comparison, I would like to State how I had a 1975 t160 trident, in 1984 85 and 86. I personally put a new top end on it rebuilt carburetors of course put all new ignition in it, but stock lucas. And I rebuilt all three Amal carburetors,
Sorry about that, accidentally hit send when I wasn't ready. After all that work, then ripped the entire bike down to the bare frame and painted everything, and put it all back together. Painted the oil tank, side covers, and matched the original stock gas tank colors and paint scheme as close as possible. In the course of it all, put several thousand miles on that bike and never had a single bit of trouble. If it leaked any oil at all, it was only one drop here or there. I loved that bike, it was so dependable so fast and so much fun to ride, I am really sorry that finances forced me to sell it. I am really sorry to hear someone like you who has nothing good to say about a similar British triple, but I can't help but wonder if there was some reason that you had so much trouble with yours. My story was just the opposite. I would crawl through hell almost, to find a few more of these British triples, and be able to work on them and ride them and restore them.
As I said I loved my Trident. It had had a very rough life before me but even after making everything good it still gave trouble. I gradually sorted things,like fitting metal rockerbx gaskets and x rings,new(ish) gearbox internals and so on but there was always something wrong. At one point I fitted new Amals from Tony Hayward but still no tickover. Only got a semblance of tickover when I installed a Trispark ignition. Tried a belt primary drive ,again from Tony Hayward, but had to go back to chain as there was no way I could get it to run true. It was basically a poorly engineered engine. Still I kept it for longer than I can remember. I'm not hopeless mechanically speaking which helped. I'm glad people still nurture these bikes as mine had an important role in my life despite it's shortcomings. Cheers.
I've only ever seen two of these "in person"; one was in a local dealer back when I was 19, in 1973. The other was in a museum in Daytona Beach in 1985. I couldn't afford even the regular Rocket 3, and I hated the oil in frame 650's, so I bought a Daytona 500 in 1972.
Remember a guy use to come down to Harlyn Bay with a surfboard on the side of it in the 1970's alway's loved the sound and wanted one but was dreaming back then.
How nice to have found your channel. I'm sure I'll enjoy it although and may even learn something. Most of my years in the trade have involved Honda's and later Hinckley Triumphs. Lately though it's been Ariel's, BSA and Meriden Triumph but not for a while as it was decided I was better off on furlough health wise for now. Not that I can ever afford anything Brit, my bikes have to be under £1000 or so but I am always interested. Keep up the good work chaps.
Using a screwdriver to remove the sump filter!! This is one of the reasons why brit bikes leaked oil so much. They were easy to work on by people with little experience and basic tools.
I had one of these in 1979 still the best sounding Motorcycle i ever owned. A close second was my 1995 thunderbird with Toga's thanks for the video Randytbird
What an interesting video. I enjoyed every minute of it. The sound of the Triumph triple is awesome. I had a 2012 Triumph Bonneville T100 with aftermarket exhausts, I wish it had sounded like that baby.
IMAGINE what Triumph COULD do with the new 2021 Trident to create a tribute "Hurricane" for the 21stC? If I could get hold of one, this would be my initial project!
If I remember rightly a lad build a chop with a chopped up seat and tank unit from one cannot recall seeing it , bought the unit off a lad who was putting bigger tank on .
As a dyed in the wool Z1 owner/fan if I ever wanted a British bike this is the one I’d want. What a fantastic looking bike, why it didn’t sell in the UK very well is puzzling?
Very surprised you did not cover removing and flushing the oil tank, It doesn't matter how little work it has done, if it stool for "many years", there will be treacle in the oil tank bottom, if its an unknown machine double important, and I would also never use old oil, its a false economy, not trying to be negative here, but probably would be good to cover these bases as others may not be aware of this, certainly a way to do the job quickly though, good video, thanks :-)
Such a Wonderful and Great Motorcycle. Superb Video and technicalities by you. I am a huge fan of the Trident and Rocket 3. My Bro in Texas has a 69 Trident which he is currently working on. Enjoyed, 👍 Cheers TC
I remember when this was launched. I didn’t like it then and I don’t think it’s improved with age (my opinion of course) I did however have a T160 at the time so it’s a bit like comparing apples with pears. I think it should have been for the USA market only.
Only commenting, because I restored and then sold a T160 in Colorado, back in the 90s, and I still have one left, with a blown up middle rod. I hope to be getting started on that trident in the next year or two. I've always loved the x75, and wished that I knew where I could find one at an affordable price! All of the tridents are wonderful motorcycles, and in my opinion, are just as good or even slightly more fun to ride than any of the British twins.
I had a R3 1969 and in even the 80's a Triumph triple in Canada was sub $3000 the west coast sort of scoffed at the chopper look as it was interpreted.
All the best matey - just subscribed. Was a little suprised at you not swapping that gasket pal ! - looking forward to more videos. Keep up the good work matey. Dave. Cambs. England
Such a sexy looking bike with a delightful sound! Hey, that narrow road where you did the road test reminded me of the opening scene in Lawrence of Arabia. Ride safe.
OMG - just use new sump plate gaskets... and do not spray brake cleaner inside the crank directly to the big end. change the oilfilter after 20 years.. btw. the „red light“ is the oil pressure light, not the ignition light.
British bikes looked good but we're no good I had a Norton Commando took it for a long run on a weekend the points Fell to bits found a bike shop fixed it carried on exhaust fell off fixed it then the whole cylinder came loose rocking about tightened it down the carried on then the big end blew up and the con rod came through the side. I bought a brand new Triumph trident the Speedo clock stopped working the first week it took them 6-months to get me a new one. I braked hard at 115 mph and the bearings in the steering column completely smashed took it to the shop they said that's impossible but that's what had happened it took weeks to fix it I'd only had it about 12 months when the big ends went the Centre bigend completely war out. You couldn't buy a British bike without the advert saying recent rebuild. I couldn't afford to keep repairing British bikes so I had to buy Japanese had a Honda CB 750 nothing ever went wrong on it you could go on a long journey and never break down I had other Japanese motorcycles they were just so reliable. This was back in the 1970s
the problem with BSA and triumph back in the day wasn't the people that work at the factories and built the bikes it was the incompetence of the people in charge that never rode a motorcycle
![1973 Triumph Hurricane X-75 [visit 21 of 31]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/G4UnefHFsTA/mqdefault.jpg)
Gosh, I’ve forgotten how absolutely wonderfull a good trident sounds, here in Aus the heat reeks havoc with the centre cylinder, seizures and like but oh what a sound and feel, I had two and I miss them.
Hello Australia! Interesting about the overheating there...
@@TheClassicMotorcycleChannel Seasonal summer heat problems were sometimes a thing for Tridents here in some parts of the U.S. as well, especially if you were stuck in urban traffic. Personally, I like the sound of the 650 twins better, although I'll admit to bias, having owned a couple.
It’s actually a BSA Rocket 3 engine.
For the middle cylinder, I had the same problem running mine in Hong Kong. It was important to run the middle cylinder rich to keep it cool. I never had any overheating problems in that configuration.
Rose Tinted specs with the Triples.Eye off the ball big time and a cheap sticking plaster fix was never the answer.Nice Sound !!
What a great looking bike!!
I always thought these were the most beautiful bikes of the 70's. In styling it was and still is way ahead of it's time.
I am fortunate to have one of these bikes. Wanted one since I first saw it in ‘73. Got it in 2018. Long wait, but really enjoy the look and ride. Brit bikes are somewhat more difficult to maintain, but I feel it is worth the effort. Also have Mark III commando, Trident, Firebird Scrambler, and Bonnie Bobber. The Hurricane is King. Always glad to see the Brits taking pride in their old bikes. There are a lot of us Yanks that also love the bikes from the Mother Country.
Right on Gratton, thanks for sharing!
In March of 1974 I took delivery of the first vehicle I ever financed, a 1973 Triumph 500cc Trophy Trail. An unsold '73 I got a little knocked off MSRP on the bike and that's the only way I got the payments down within what my budget could afford. Drooled over the 850 Norton Commando and Interstate but they were hundreds more and thus out of reach. In retrospect I should have gone with a Triumph 750 Bonneville if I could have made a higher payment but back then 3 years max I know was the policy on new motorcycles at my credit union. Plus I thought at the time I was getting the best of both worlds. A nice looking enduro bike with chrome fenders and headlight bucket that really made the looks of the bike and with 500cc's I could ride the highway and then the trail when I got there. I was gonna be Steve McQueen and Then Came Bronson (Michael Parks) all in one with a bed roll bungied on. Except my desert where I camped out under the stars would be Spirit Lake near Mt. St. Helens. Well, a couple rock festivals was more like it. Good thing I was a cash strapped wage earner in a paper mill because I am sure I'd have taken one of these home at about another grand if I could have. Always loved that styling. Anyway, mine was a good bike for the first 6,000 or 7,000 miles and then the crank bearings were going. I had no concept of redline or fanatical oil changes. Still a great experience and nary a whimper from the Lucas electrics. Boy, you know you are old when you remember buying one of the original Triumph brand bikes!
A friend of mine and his brother bought 2 of these off of the local dealer. Awesome bike but both of them eventually had transmission failure, 3rd gear if I remember. This was at the time when Kawasaki had released the Z-1 900. The Z-1 was reliable, had tons of power and was selling very well. This might explain the week sales of the XR-75.
Best looking bike ever built, sounds gorgeous aswell👍
It really is isn't it Jon, thanks for watching the video :)
Best looking bike ever...🤣 spec savers are waving you in.
Always loved these -- was a young teen when they came out... and an "Easy Rider" fanatic - remember when this was on cover of "Cycle World" -- and the are so beautiful in person - there is a beautiful example at the Barber Museum in Birmingham, Alabama, where I live. Great sounding bike, loved the rider POV.
Thanks for your lovely feedback Edwin, since making this video we have discovered many X-75s from people's comments :)
Personally I would spend and have done in the past the few $$ to use fresh oil for warm up, not 20 yr old. It would be disapointing as the owner to see this clip and that the effort of making a gasket was not warranted on this classic machine. Each to his own i guess - my opinion only.
@@bonkeydollocks1879 I agree knowing what I know after owning a classic Triumph I bought new in the early 70's. Fresh, frequently changed oil is the life blood of these old vintage Brits.
The sound of that Triumph triple is music to the ears. Well done.
Nice one Peter, thank for your kind words, yeah, bike sounds lovely eh!
Dave is a top guy, I met him at my local bike night and one of the few people to give a young guy into classic bikes the time of day! Glad to see him in these video, very knowledgeable and dynamic in his speaking. Good stuff!
Beautiful, nothing sounds quite like a Triumph/BSA triple, glorious noise!
So true!
I remember seeing one in a parking lot back in the day and with that bright red tank it was a real eye catcher. At the time I had no idea what is was but it sure was cool looking.
Nothing sounds better than a Triumph/BSA triple!
honda cbx1000? mv agusta F4 1000? owned both and although I also absolutely loved the sound of my Speed Triple 955...well, let's just say they are all AWESOME.
I thought my 1050 Tiger sounded good. This sounds like heaven...
I really enjoyed your lecture when you re-commissioned this beautiful machine again. Wonderful exhaust sound. I would like to know about stability. I believe it is far superior to the Honda 4-cylinder 750. Starting engine requires more than its own weight and gear, a more powerful and heavy battery. For us English purists this three cylinders was a pity to have their project postponed for so long. But North Americans like amenities and a lot of style. If both BSA and Triumph had noticed the inclinations of the North American market and their demands, both factories would not have interrupted their natural course of production and many jobs there in England with very competent people would not have disappeared, although the union troubles to make the Iron Lady no longer offer financial aid for projects that did not offer immediate success to the UK.
Grateful for the tasty ride!
Great video - I'm 72 now and remember these well. In fact I had a new 1981 GSX 1100E and had the paintwork changed to a Vetter inspired paint scheme (professionally) and it suited the bike brilliantly.- Back in the 60's I had a few Triumphs (all twins) but eventually succumbed to Japanese bikes because of the better build quality. I still have my Z1000. Many, many years of happy motorcycling in the UK.
Thanks for sharing Roger, bikes can give us so many happy memories can't they!
Lovely shape, mind you I did love the tear drop trident.
Thanks for posting triumph lover here all 1970 triumph Bonneville my paper hurricane was beautiful way ahead of its time
I had one I think 73 or 74 loved the thing! after 3 months a taxi pulled out on me 3 months old written off. No more in the UK was I peed off. Never to be replaced
I love the X75 it's one of my all-time favorite Bikes . Triumphs are my favorite Bikes . We Americans love these Bikes !
Great Video.
i remember seeing one of these machines at the dealer near my house . Only 16 at the time.
Excellent vlog! The Triumph Hurricane and BSA Rocket Three were the holy grails of British Iron fans.
Thanks for your nice comments and for watching :)
You won’t find a better sounding engine than a rocket 3 or a trident when it’s on song.....makes the hair on my neck stand up thinking about it. I never had one but a mate of mine did. I had a Suzuki gs550 and chasing him on his trident was brilliant, the sound from the ray gun pipes .......
Haha; love these stories! Thanks for sharing :)
Just truly wonderful, there is no sound better. Thank you 🙏🏻
This bike was built just before I was born and living in the states, I've never heard one run. What an amazing sound! Almost reminds me of a Triump TR6. Great video!
Remember watching Paul Smart and Ray Pickeral racing against Mike Hailwood, Jim Redman and Ago in South Africa.
I bought a "basket case" Triumph X-75 and 3rd gear was out (among many other things). It had a good clear title and after several years it came together. Won several trophies and it was finally sold (too cheap) to Baxter Cycle. Lots of help from Engle Motors
What a great bike... I remember seeing a brand new Triumph Hurricane at Big D Triumph in Dallas TX in the late summer of 1972. Beautiful Motorcycle!
I Rode one for only 150 yds In. 79 MY mate PANICKED AS. I Nearly DROPPED IT TURNING IT BACK ROUND !!!As IT Was BLOODY HIGH AND HEAVY !!!AND Fast !!!!LOVELY BIKE !!!g
I have a good friend who is restoring this beautiful bike. Outstanding video!
Thank you for your nice comments!
Now that brought back a lot of good memories.
The Triumph Hurricane was like the Holy Grail of British Iron motorcycling; that along with the BSA Rocket Three. I had a ‘71 Lightning that enjoyed for three or so years. Loved that 360 degree parallel twin!
Isn't it just the best and most satisfying part of our hobby? Recomissioning so rewarding when the run. Sounds awesome. Top job 👍
So true Pike, so true, thank you for watching :)
Good to see the blowing out of grit or other debris around the plug holes. I always like to do this even with engines that have their plugs in raised domes. Quick job to do, and well worth it to stop the bad stuff falling into the bores when you remove the plug. Great sound from that triple. I had a 77 XS750 which sounded almost as good with a Devil exhaust
So true Mark, thanks for watching :)
had a ride on an XS750 when it first came out and although I'm not keen on shaft drive it did sound great.
I love triumph triples but the old tridents are so pricey nowadays. I bought 2 xs750's and bored one out to 900cc with a complete overhaul of everything for the price of half a decent trident. Just love that engine, next generation 120 degree triple.
I remember the first time I heard a triple at full noise it was one of these back in 1981.
Went to Oulton Park in 1971, first Transatlantic series! the sound was incredible! Rocket 3s and Triumph Tridents! never to be forgotten.
The first three on this video are Tridents ua-cam.com/video/djuNXj7iNcQ/v-deo.html
Fantastic video....there's NO school like OLD school! 😎👍🏻👌🏻👏🏻
I so remember being in high school and one of the fellows showed up.one day on a Rocket 3... we were all drooling! I still love the look and sound of that machine. Oh to have one now in mint condition. Really enjoyed this video.
Right on Lyle, thanks for saying!
I'd have that bike just for the sound and that's coming from someone who rides a Honda Blackbird!!! Superb video 👍
Right on Dominic :)
I bought of of these from a guy on an American Air Base. He bought it over then never used it. He was from Texas and couldn't understand the British climate. It was kept inside so it clean and dry. Bought a new battery with me and got some new fuel and she fired right up.
My old friend "D.J." in California had a Hurricane. If you see this.. hoping you are doing well.
Lovely bike and very pleasant video but, You should always hold the throttle fully open when taking a compression reading.
Hi Gunnar, thanks for your nice comments, point noted about throttle, thank you!
Correct
Saw one in the flesh in about 71 or 72. Sounded fantastic but I guess cornering right was a problem with the pipes on that side. Still beautiful. Modern bikes don't come close lookwise.
Right on Dwight! Cheers for watching!
Mythic bike, especially to me. As a teenager, I worked on a farm on a sharp bend on a 55 mph road. For at least one summer, there was an X75 that, daily, rode through the farm, with a SIDECAR! Not just a sidecar, though. It was a sidecar, when the rider took that turn, it's wheel LIFTED WAY THE HELL OFF THE ROAD! I wish I had more to this little story.
Cool story Marvtarzan, I wonder where that bike and rider are today too!
I really wanted one of these but as a young apprentice it was out of my reach.
They go for about 30k now so still out of reach.
Probably the most beautiful bike of all times.
I'm very envious always wanted one of these never had the money fabulous bike
I owned a T150 for over 30 years. What always amazed me was how badly engineered the thing was.It was already outdated by 1969. It was no more than a Speed twin with an extra pot and sort of unit construction. It ate guide valves like they were made of cheese, the gearbox main shaft and crank were misaligned from new, making the triplex primary chain wear like hell, the dry clutch was a nightmare and very often not dry, it was thirsty and those Amals wore out as soon as you looked at them making setting them up an impossibility.Replacing the gearbox sprocket meant taking off several layers of engine covers then fitting new oil seals",O" rings and gaskets as you put the whole shebang back together .And those Rockerbox leaks! Or the ones from the pushrod tubbes! I solved them by making soft aluminium gasktets that didn't get squished out as soon as the engine got hot and used "X" rings instead of normal "O" rings.I had to replace the gearbox insides with those from a BSA, also one of the camshafts from the same source and at 40.000Kms the crank was already twice undersize. In the end I installed a Norman Hyde 1000 kit and a Suzuki front suspension as the original was knackered, with , of course Suzuki disc brakes that, terrible as they were at least made an honest attempt at stopping the thing. The conical hub originals were a joke. I loved the thing, probably because I knew no better and as such resisted selling it despite the insistence of an enthusiast on Facebook. In the end I got fed up with spannering everytime I ventured out and gave in to the guy. He's now the very proud owner of a 1972 1000cc special and doesn't have a bad word to say of the bike. Go figure. Oh, I could go on....
Sorry you had so much trouble with one of these. In comparison, I would like to State how I had a 1975 t160 trident, in 1984 85 and 86. I personally put a new top end on it rebuilt carburetors of course put all new ignition in it, but stock lucas. And I rebuilt all three Amal carburetors,
Sorry about that, accidentally hit send when I wasn't ready. After all that work, then ripped the entire bike down to the bare frame and painted everything, and put it all back together. Painted the oil tank, side covers, and matched the original stock gas tank colors and paint scheme as close as possible. In the course of it all, put several thousand miles on that bike and never had a single bit of trouble. If it leaked any oil at all, it was only one drop here or there. I loved that bike, it was so dependable so fast and so much fun to ride, I am really sorry that finances forced me to sell it. I am really sorry to hear someone like you who has nothing good to say about a similar British triple, but I can't help but wonder if there was some reason that you had so much trouble with yours. My story was just the opposite. I would crawl through hell almost, to find a few more of these British triples, and be able to work on them and ride them and restore them.
As I said I loved my Trident. It had had a very rough life before me but even after making everything good it still gave trouble. I gradually sorted things,like fitting metal rockerbx gaskets and x rings,new(ish) gearbox internals and so on but there was always something wrong. At one point I fitted new Amals from Tony Hayward but still no tickover. Only got a semblance of tickover when I installed a Trispark ignition. Tried a belt primary drive ,again from Tony Hayward, but had to go back to chain as there was no way I could get it to run true. It was basically a poorly engineered engine. Still I kept it for longer than I can remember. I'm not hopeless mechanically speaking which helped. I'm glad people still nurture these bikes as mine had an important role in my life despite it's shortcomings. Cheers.
I've only ever seen two of these "in person"; one was in a local dealer back when I was 19, in 1973. The other was in a museum in Daytona Beach in 1985. I couldn't afford even the regular Rocket 3, and I hated the oil in frame 650's, so I bought a Daytona 500 in 1972.
Great machines...always loved the 3s...distinctive sound..meaty engine
Great looking and sounding bike, pity they don’t make them like that today
Certainement une des plus belles motos des 70's,chapeau Mr Vetter!!!
“Henry Fonda “ , was Peter Fonda ( Henry’s son) and the “other guy” was Dennis Hopper. Sorry to be pedantic !!!! Gorgeous bike , fantastic job!!
There is aftermarket sump plate available that has a drain plug. Much less messy if you have a wet sumper.
Brilliant video and what a bike...
Many thanks David, thank for your nice comments :)
Remember a guy use to come down to Harlyn Bay with a surfboard on the side of it in the 1970's alway's loved the sound and wanted one but was dreaming back then.
Cracking video what an awesome sound from that bike bloody brilliant 👍
Love the sound of the engine on this bike. 👍
Me too Al, thanks for watching the videos :)
How nice to have found your channel. I'm sure I'll enjoy it although and may even learn something. Most of my years in the trade have involved Honda's and later Hinckley Triumphs. Lately though it's been Ariel's, BSA and Meriden Triumph but not for a while as it was decided I was better off on furlough health wise for now. Not that I can ever afford anything Brit, my bikes have to be under £1000 or so but I am always interested. Keep up the good work chaps.
Hey Keep It Running! Thanks for watching along and your nice comments :)
Sounds great on the road.
What a gorgeous bike. Far better than the niponeese of its era.
I would happily own and use this 👍🏻
A beautiful bike, great looking, nice details, very rare. I love it. Thank you for the clip. Ralf Rainfurth, Germany
Another great video. Ah, memories of the glorious 70s 😄
Glad you enjoyed it Malc, thanks for letting us know!
Nice, it has a very distinctive exhaust note.
Peter Fonda. Not Henry
And the other guy was Dennis Hopper.
Using a screwdriver to remove the sump filter!! This is one of the reasons why brit bikes leaked oil so much. They were easy to work on by people with little experience and basic tools.
That sound just so sweet
I had one of these in 1979 still the best sounding Motorcycle i ever owned. A close second was my 1995 thunderbird with Toga's
thanks for the video
Randytbird
Thanks foe checking in Randybird!
The early Hinckley triples do sound nice. I had a set of D&D's on my 95 Daytona. Sounded like a Spitfire!
Great video fantastic bike nice job stay safe looking forward to next one 🇬🇧👍🏻
Thanks for your kind words Richard!
My favourite bike,had a picture of one on my bedroom wall growing up, one day !!! Lottery.
What an interesting video. I enjoyed every minute of it. The sound of the Triumph triple is awesome. I had a 2012 Triumph Bonneville T100 with aftermarket exhausts, I wish it had sounded like that baby.
Sounds fantastic. Unique old machine.
Worth having a good look at the fork yolks.
And the fork bottom end caps. On all these old BSA/ Triumph forks they can crack. It has never happened to any of mine, but it is a known fault.
This bike and a Vincent black shadow are my dream bikes, strange how the bikes you crave are the ones I could and still can’t afford to buy
What wonderful music she makes!
IMAGINE what Triumph COULD do with the new 2021 Trident to create a tribute "Hurricane" for the 21stC? If I could get hold of one, this would be my initial project!
Been a few done with 90's tridents, just dont look right
@@datadavis the 90's Tridents were HUGE! The new one is more the right size?
I`ve seen some 1970s Tridents converted to Hurricanes and they`re sensational.
I loved that bike back in 1969-70. Stunning motorcycle. It looks 'ahead of it's time.'. Thank you for the video. I learned quite a bit. Sub/Likie
Should make a video on how to build a home made lift that he has there.
I was wondering how he got the bike on it....it was still about 9" off the ground when he lowered it..maybe he has a ramp for it?
If I remember rightly a lad build a chop with a chopped up seat and tank unit from one cannot recall seeing it , bought the unit off a lad who was putting bigger tank on .
That's a proper sounding motorcycle!
As a dyed in the wool Z1 owner/fan if I ever wanted a British bike this is the one I’d want. What a fantastic looking bike, why it didn’t sell in the UK very well is puzzling?
Absolutely BEAUTIFUL bike!!
Another well informative video....thank you Dave.
Very welcome Xtrem luck, thanks for checking in!
Very surprised you did not cover removing and flushing the oil tank, It doesn't matter how little work it has done, if it stool for "many years", there will be treacle in the oil tank bottom, if its an unknown machine double important, and I would also never use old oil, its a false economy, not trying to be negative here, but probably would be good to cover these bases as others may not be aware of this, certainly a way to do the job quickly though, good video, thanks :-)
Such a Wonderful and Great Motorcycle. Superb Video and technicalities by you. I am a huge fan of the Trident and Rocket 3. My Bro in Texas has a 69 Trident which he is currently working on. Enjoyed, 👍 Cheers TC
Glad you enjoyed the video Alistair, thanks for your nice comments:)
The Hurricane was a BSA with a TRIUMPH name. I have a 69 Rocket 3 and Triumph trident, sure like these Hurricanes but so far I hav'nt won the lottery
I have a 1968 BSA Rocket 3 converted to a Hurricane,which is basically what these are.....do it!!
Really enjoyed that and thanks for explaining everything so well. Im new to classic bikes and hooked on the channel now. The bike sounded fantastic! 👍
Hey G R, thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed the video :)
God, theve got a beautiful exhaust sound
I remember when this was launched. I didn’t like it then and I don’t think it’s improved with age (my opinion of course) I did however have a T160 at the time so it’s a bit like comparing apples with pears. I think it should have been for the USA market only.
Only commenting, because I restored and then sold a T160 in Colorado, back in the 90s, and I still have one left, with a blown up middle rod. I hope to be getting started on that trident in the next year or two. I've always loved the x75, and wished that I knew where I could find one at an affordable price! All of the tridents are wonderful motorcycles, and in my opinion, are just as good or even slightly more fun to ride than any of the British twins.
Nice bike Great video!
My dad owns one that has only been ridden a handful of times since he got it imported from america new. runs like a dream
absolurely stunning bike
I had a R3 1969 and in even the 80's a Triumph triple in Canada was sub $3000 the west coast sort of scoffed at the chopper look as it was interpreted.
All the best matey - just subscribed. Was a little suprised at you not swapping that gasket pal ! - looking forward to more videos. Keep up the good work matey. Dave. Cambs. England
Nice one Dave, thanks for watching :)
What a great song!
Thank for watching Trackie1957!
Such a sexy looking bike with a delightful sound! Hey, that narrow road where you did the road test reminded me of the opening scene in Lawrence of Arabia. Ride safe.
OMG - just use new sump plate gaskets... and do not spray brake cleaner inside the crank directly to the big end. change the oilfilter after 20 years.. btw. the „red light“ is the oil pressure light, not the ignition light.
Dead right! Not sure I’d let this fella pump the tyres up on my push bike!!
Gorgeous exhaust system but it cost 10bhp off the stock Trident pipework.
I’ve always liked them. I thought they were Cool when they first came out.
British bikes looked good but we're no good I had a Norton Commando took it for a long run on a weekend the points Fell to bits found a bike shop fixed it carried on exhaust fell off fixed it then the whole cylinder came loose rocking about tightened it down the carried on then the big end blew up and the con rod came through the side. I bought a brand new Triumph trident the Speedo clock stopped working the first week it took them 6-months to get me a new one. I braked hard at 115 mph and the bearings in the steering column completely smashed took it to the shop they said that's impossible but that's what had happened it took weeks to fix it I'd only had it about 12 months when the big ends went the Centre bigend completely war out. You couldn't buy a British bike without the advert saying recent rebuild. I couldn't afford to keep repairing British bikes so I had to buy Japanese had a Honda CB 750 nothing ever went wrong on it you could go on a long journey and never break down I had other Japanese motorcycles they were just so reliable. This was back in the 1970s
the problem with BSA and triumph back in the day wasn't the people that work at the factories and built the bikes it was the incompetence of the people in charge that never rode a motorcycle