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1971 T150 Trident

Specifications

Type: Air-cooled OHV pushrod triple

Capacity: 740cc (750cc)

Bore & Stroke: 67mm x 70mm

BHP: 58 @ 7250rpm

Compression ratio: 9:1

Transmission: 4-speed, multi-plate dry clutch

Brakes: Disc front, drum rear

Electrics: 12-volt, alternator

Front Suspension: Telescopic

Rear suspension: Swinging arm, twin shock absorbers/dampers

Wheels: 4.10 x 19-inch front & rear

Weight: 460lbs (dry)

Maximum speed: 115-120 mph

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IF LIFE BEGINS AT FORTY, then the T150 Triumph Trident is where it all kicks off, because this superlative piece of top-flight British motorcycling engineering has just entered its fifth decade and is faster, more surefooted, more reliable and better value that it ever was—or is ever likely to be.

From the moment you prod into life the 740cc, 67mm x 70mm, all-alloy engine, you get your first inkling that all the doom & gloom propaganda commonly bandied around about these classic pushrod triples is long past its sell-by date, while the delicious surge you feel when you first wring the throttle heralds one of the best threesome experiences you’re ever likely to get, taking you all the way up to around 120mph—and beyond—depending on what state on tune has been dialled in on the assembly bench and whether you’re riding with your knees in the breeze, or your feet in retreat.

The handling, if not as taut and sharp as its race-bred brethren, is nevertheless Triumphantly predictable and gives ample warning of an imminent breakaway—which you’re never likely to get even close to due to the low-slung footpegs and a grinding centre stand that’s guaranteed to set alight any roadside tinder on a hot, dry summer’s day.

That said, modern tyres and suspension tweaks have revolutionised what was once a slightly wallowy ride, while braking upgrades (for both drum/drum and disc/drum variants) have long since got all that heavy metal momentum on a short leash.

At low revs, the engine throbs and pulses in a manner quite unlike any other Triumph. It's a big dog straining to sink its teeth into something, ideally in big chunks. By the time you hit the mid-range, the engine note takes on a hollow, anxious rasp and you get your first inkling of the real appeal of these back street bruisers. At 85-90mph the engine isn't merely singing; it's a full blown choir filling the air with a delicious three-pronged blast of mechanical music.

There are vibes. Plenty of them. But you don't notice them on a short, fast, fixed-speed run. Or, rather, you do notice them, but you don't care. You're too busy enjoying the lusty induction scream and howling exhaust note that belongs to no other motorcycle in the world, except another Triumph/BSA triple.

On longer hauls, say 120-150 miles, your fingertips begin semaphoring a signal that these vibrations will ultimately take their toll if you don't spread the power around. So you naturally look for a winding "A" road, safe in the knowledge that you can straighten whatever bend comes at you and eat up those open sections like a bulimic on a bender.

First produced in 1968, the T150s trickled off the Meriden assembly line as the bastard child of Bert Hopwood and Doug Hele, two of England’s most forward thinking engineers who rightly saw the rising multi-cylinder Honda 750-4 threat from the Far East and were determined to pre-empt it.

Which they did, if only by a few weeks.

And “bastard” was the appropriate word, because the Trident was always a complicated bike to produce and a difficult one to sell with its asking price being almost double that of the T120 Bonnie which was at the height of its popularity.

The Trident also suffered numerous technical failures that were expensive and time consuming to fix. And its early slabbish “breadbin” styling was an added bugbear that prompted rapid revision in response to American sensibilities, who, in many respects, proved to be even more conservative than the Brits. It was amazing that the bike ever saw volume production at all.

Where the Trident excelled was on the world’s racetracks where, along with its BSA Rocket Three counterpart, the T150 trounced all comers on both sides of the Atlantic at Montlhéry, Ontario, Daytona, Mallory Park, Brands Hatch, Le Mans, Talladega and Thruxton. To cap it all, these awesome triples won the 750cc Isle of Man Production TT no less than 6 times.

Great Trident/BSA virtuosos include Dick Mann, Bob Heath, Percy Tait, Ray Pickrell, Paul Smart, Tony Jeffries, John Cooper, Mick Grant, Malcolm Uphill and Dave Nixon, each of whom found the Trident to be both challenging and exhilarating, and always a machine to be reckoned with.

In 1972, the four-speed T150 became the five-speed T150V. In 1973 a front disc brake appeared. In 1974 the T150 was dropped from the range giving way to its successor, the heavier and therefore slightly more ponderous electric-start T160 Trident.

Today, the T150 is overshadowed by both its T160 brother and any of the BSA Rockets thereby making it absolutely the best value Meriden Triumph on the market.

Prices have, if anything, slipped in real terms over the past few years to the point where good, honest, rough-and-ready road legal examples are still available at £2500 (2008-2009 prices). But you'll have to hunt around. More typically, you'll probably pay around £2750-£3250 for a good example with the right mods.

If the T150 has a weakness, it’s an expensive engine to rebuild at around £2000-£2500, and it’s heavy on fuel at around 40mpg overall. But once you turn on the gas, you just won’t care. It's a powerful, confident and comfortable bike (both solo and two-up) and has plenty of road presence for the rough and tumble of modern motoring. True, the controls are a little heavy when stationary. But on the hoof, you quickly make the necessary adjustments except, perhaps, in the heaviest traffic.

According to Triumph, the Trident was “The most challenging example of primeval power on the road”.

But to the rest of us, it’s simply a British muscle bike at its best.

Triumph Trident T150 ownership tips

1. Good carburettor balancing is crucial, and you will need a set of vacuum gauges to do it accurately, so factor that in. The centre carb, incidentally, is difficult to "tickle", but extensions levers (as fitted to later models) are available.

2. Check the pedigree when buying. T150s are only as good as the last builder, and an "amateur" build may not be good enough to rectify many of the known problems with factory built Tridents, which include poor top-end assembly and poor cylinder machining - but when sorted, it's sorted.

3. The three sets of ignition points are trouble-prone and tedious to adjust. Most bikes will have been converted to electronic ignition, so check when buying. Conversion, however, is relatively simple.

4.The T150’s engine is comprised of 14 castings and ought to leak like a sieve. But amazingly, the castings are generally reasonably oil tight. That said, check carefully all around the bike particularly between the main vertical crankcase joints and gearbox joints which could result in a full engine strip.

5. All T150s are right-side gear change, so factor that in when buying - but keep in mind that even if you're used to left-side changes, you can usually adapt fairly quickly and confidently.

6. The valve gear on T150s takes a pounding. So check for exhaust oil smoke on the overrun. Oily bores are typical on non-sorted models. Oil seals on the inlet valve stems help conserve the black stuff.

7. T150 oil tanks are rubber mounted and are prone to cracking. So check regularly.

8. A clonking noise on tickover could be clutch cush-drive rubbers failing. This is a weak spot on Tridents. Relatively easy to fix, if a little time consuming.

9. Generally, Tridents consume a lot of oil - which can be reduced by fitting O-rings on the valve guides (not all owners agree that fitment is wise). Modern valves and guides, however, are a must on the next rebuild. Ditto for modern pistons and rings, and an expert rebore and hone from a Trident specialist.

T150 Trident  timeline

1963: Doug Hele (Triumph development engineer) proposes a three cylinder flagship.

1968: US launch of the T150 Trident and (similar) BSA Rocket Three. Angular styling and "ray gun" silencers aren't popular, but the bikes are generally well praised and boast top speeds, under some conditions, of 125mph - although 115mph to 120 mph is more typical, largely due to manufacturing irregularities and quality control issues. Production commences in August.

1969: Tridents are on sale in the UK.

1970: Improved crankcase sealing, improved lubrication, and lowered gearing. Revised "Bonneville" look for the US market.

1971: "Ray gun" silencers are canned. New megaphone exhausts are in. Conical hub drum brakes replace full-width hubs. Indicators are fitted as standard. Wire mudguard-stays are introduced. New warning lights are incorporated into the headlamp.

1972/1973: The T150 becomes the T150V with the introduction of a 5-speed gearbox. Conical front hubs are replaced by a 10-inch cast-iron disc and Lockheed hydraulic caliper and master cylinder. Original steering damper is deleted. Longer silencer with "restrictive" gas flow is fitted.

1974: T150 Trident dropped from the range.

1975: T160 Trident (with electric start, forward sloping engine, front and rear discs) is launched.

1976: T160 Trident dropped.

Over 27,000 Tridents were built (figure includes later T160 electric-start Tridents).

T150 Trident  Contacts

P&M:

Unit 8, Set Star Estate, Transport Avenue, Brentford, Middlesex TW8 9HF.

0208 847 1711.

Norman Hyde:

Norman Hyde Ltd, Rigby Close, Heathcote Industrial Estate, Warwick, CV34 6TL

01926 49 73 75

www.normanhyde.co.uk

L P Williams:

http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/slippery_sam/frames.htm

Trident owners club:

www.tr3oc.co.uk