Sa clase SO FAR

When they were new, the weird-looking BSA and Triumph triples sold disappointingly – despite US buyers being offered a ‘beauty kit’ to make them look better. BSA/Triumph resisted the obvious ploy of making their Trident look a bit like their bestselling Bonneville right up to 1974, when the final incarnation of the ohv triple was released, the Triumph T160 Trident. Boasting five speeds, disc brakes at both ends and, crucially, a long-overdue electric starter, the Trident looked at last to be a match for the Japanese competition, not to mention the fast-emerging challenge from other European manufacturers. Weighing in at a portly 525lb, it was nearly half a hundredweight heavier than the previous T150 – those discs and electric starters come