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Slippery Sam is a British
"Slippery Sam" was one of three similar motorcycles initially built by Triumph built for the 1970 Isle of Man Production TT. The bike was created by the engine's designer, Doug Hele, who joined with frame expert Rob North to produce the successful works Formula 750 race bikes. One of these was ridden by Malcolm Uphill, who won the TT at . Other riders included Mick Grant; and in 1971 Percy Tait and
Bert Hopwood urged BSA's managers to make a production version of the racing triple, producing at 8,250 rpm – but this suggestion was ignored, partly due to financial concerns.
Further racing development in the USA was carried out at the Duarte, California, facility under Racing Manager Dan Macias. USA BSA/Triumph dealers had access to factory race parts, but due to difficulties in obtaining race frames from the UK, Macias built his own jig and the frames were manufactured by Wenco. The main differences from the factory North frames were TIG welding instead of brazed, flat plate rear engine mounts instead of built-up formed sheet and 4130 Cro-Mo steel material. Dick Mann's win at the 1971 Daytona 200 was on a US specification bike.
Slippery Sam kickstarted and warmed-up, Isle of Man TT appearance in 2012
F750 start up
Racing motorcycles {{motorcycle-stub
Slippery Sam is a British production class
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a sta ...
racing motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruisin ...
from the early 1970s that used a carefully prepared version of the 750 cc Triumph Trident ohv (pushrod) three-cylinder engine. The "Slippery Sam" name was acquired during the 1970 Bol d'Or
The Bol d’Or is a 24-hour endurance race for motorcycles, held annually in France. The riding of each bike is now shared by a team of three riders.
History
The Bol d’Or, first organized by Eugene Mauve, in 1922, was a race for motorcycles ...
, a 24-hour race for production-based machines held in France, when engine difficulties and escaping oil covered the bike of Triumph employee Percy Tait
Percy Tait (9 October 1929 – 17 November 2019) was an English professional motorcycle road racer and senior road tester for Triumph motorcycles, where he was estimated to have covered over a million miles of road testing. He later became a ...
and co-rider Steve Jolly who managed to finish in fifth place to winners Paul Smart and Tom Dickie on another works Trident.
'Slippery Sam' is known for winning five consecutive production 750 cc class TT races at the Isle of Man
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, anthem = " O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europ ...
between 1971 and 1975. The machine, which was displayed at the National Motorcycle Museum, was destroyed in a fire during 2003, but has since been completely rebuilt.
History
"Slippery Sam" was one of three similar motorcycles initially built by Triumph built for the 1970 Isle of Man Production TT. The bike was created by the engine's designer, Doug Hele, who joined with frame expert Rob North to produce the successful works Formula 750 race bikes. One of these was ridden by Malcolm Uphill, who won the TT at . Other riders included Mick Grant; and in 1971 Percy Tait and Ray Pickrell
Raymond Pickrell (16 March 1938 – 20 February 2006) was an English short-circuit motorcycle road racer who won four Isle of Man TT motorcycle races.
Pickrell was born in Harrow Weald, Middlesex.
During his early career, Pickrell rode fo ...
won the Bol d'Or
The Bol d’Or is a 24-hour endurance race for motorcycles, held annually in France. The riding of each bike is now shared by a team of three riders.
History
The Bol d’Or, first organized by Eugene Mauve, in 1922, was a race for motorcycles ...
24-hour endurance race on a Triumph triple. The motorcycles were prepared for races by Les Williams and his team. (Williams went on to develop the Triumph Legend 964cc).
In 1974, racer and journalist ''Ray Knight'' stated in UK magazine ''Motorcyclist Illustrated'' "Isn't it amazing how the evergreen Trident 'Slippery Sam' keeps on winning the big production races? For the last four years that bike has had enough performance to blow everything else into the weeds. Not just mph but sheer 'bikeability', now part of current jargon and defined as the optimum combination of handling, braking and torque characteristics that makes it a winner".''Motorcyclist Illustrated'', October 1974, p.22 ''On track, Ray Knight'' Accessed and added 2015-03-09
F750 racer
Bert Hopwood urged BSA's managers to make a production version of the racing triple, producing at 8,250 rpm – but this suggestion was ignored, partly due to financial concerns.
Further racing development in the USA was carried out at the Duarte, California, facility under Racing Manager Dan Macias. USA BSA/Triumph dealers had access to factory race parts, but due to difficulties in obtaining race frames from the UK, Macias built his own jig and the frames were manufactured by Wenco. The main differences from the factory North frames were TIG welding instead of brazed, flat plate rear engine mounts instead of built-up formed sheet and 4130 Cro-Mo steel material. Dick Mann's win at the 1971 Daytona 200 was on a US specification bike.
F750 Specifications
References
External links
Slippery Sam kickstarted and warmed-up, Isle of Man TT appearance in 2012
F750 start up
Racing motorcycles {{motorcycle-stub