BSA/Triumph Rocket 3 Poster

JohnnyCanuck

Supercharged
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Dec 28, 2010
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Vancouver, Canada
When deciding what bike to buy, I knew I wanted a ride with tradition that wasn't part of the cult of Harley. I began researching the history and found out about the original BSA/Triumph Rocket 3 from back in the day. The 1st true super bike and the last motorcycle developed by the original Triumph Engineering Co. It also signalled the move from the basic vertical twin to the inline 3.

Anways, in the course of scouring the internet about the heritage of the Rocket 3 I came across a good poster for the garage of the old Rocket 3 at Red Lizard Classic Motorcycles - a UK website at the following link: BSA Rocket-3-750 Advertising Poster. You can also buy this in a metal sign. Cost me 10 pounds including shipping for the poster - about double for the metal sign.

There's also another poster if you prefer a lady friend draped over your classic Rocket 3: BSA Rocket3 750 Advertising Poster

I have no idea how to post pictures so just cut and paste the link above.
 

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So what'd ya find out?
I first saw a Triumph Rocket in the late 60's early 70's
but forgot about it as I went the suzuki route...
Then came the fateful day in '73 when I first laid eyes on
the Triumph Hurricane...
Man what a sweet bike compared to EVERYTHING else.
Had many harleys through the years, but always remembered that bike with fondness.
Think that'll be the incarnation of my next years mods..
A 21st century Triumph Hurricane....
But the A75 was good too....(original R3)
 
Just happened to have these handy. Taken at the Dania Beach Vintage Motorcycle Show.
 

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The original Rocket3 was a BSA bike. The engine was the first & only collaboration between Triumph & BSA who had actually bought Triumph at that time. The same engine went into both BSA & Triumph frames, BSA called it the Rocket3 & Triumph called it the Trident. The BSA Rocket3 was famously & successfully raced by the legendary Mike Hailwood
 
*****Mann won the 1971 Daytona 200 on a BSA Rocket 3 and it was the LAST TIME a non-Japanese bike won that race! If you can believe it, Yamaha won the next 13 years in a row.

 
The original Rocket3 was a BSA bike. The engine was the first & only collaboration between Triumph & BSA who had actually bought Triumph at that time. The same engine went into both BSA & Triumph frames, BSA called it the Rocket3 & Triumph called it the Trident. The BSA Rocket3 was famously & successfully raced by the legendary Mike Hailwood
I have to say that I didn't remember Hailwood ever racing the 750 BSA/Triumph, so I had a look at the official Hailwood website (The official Mike Hailwood web site) and couldn't find any reference to it there either.He took a hiatus from racing motorcycles from 1967 to 1978. He raced formula 1 motorcars from 67 - 74, when he was injured at Nurburgring, then came back to motorcycles at the Isle of Man TT in 78.
 
The original Rocket3 was a BSA bike. The engine was the first & only collaboration between Triumph & BSA who had actually bought Triumph at that time. The same engine went into both BSA & Triumph frames, BSA called it the Rocket3 & Triumph called it the Trident. The BSA Rocket3 was famously & successfully raced by the legendary Mike Hailwood



While the engines shared many parts they were not interchangeable. The Rocket had its cylinders canted forward while the Tridents were vertical.
The Trident had a better racing history than the BSA with Slippery Sam winning the Isle of Man Production TT class 5 years in a row.
 
I have to say that I didn't remember Hailwood ever racing the 750 BSA/Triumph, so I had a look at the official Hailwood website (The official Mike Hailwood web site) and couldn't find any reference to it there either.He took a hiatus from racing motorcycles from 1967 to 1978. He raced formula 1 motorcars from 67 - 74, when he was injured at Nurburgring, then came back to motorcycles at the Isle of Man TT in 78.

Here is a link with Hailwoods Rocket3. Admittedly it was during the seventy's & it seems he was brought in especially to race this machine. 1970 Mike Hailwood Daytone BSA 750cc Rocket III
 
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