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Newark Showground 30th & 31st August 2024
The TR3OC, formed in 1979 is dedicated to promoting the use of BSA and Triumph push-rod engined three cylinder motorcycles, the Trident variants (T150, T160, Cardinal, Les Williams specials), BSA Rocket 3 and X-75 Hurricane, and specials based on the triple motor. The Club is administered from the UK and has over 1260 members from around the world. TR3OC welcomes owners of standard and modified triples built using push-rod motors and publishes a bi-monthly magazine, Triple Echo. The club’s website is at www.tr3oc.com. The TR3OC runs local meetings around the UK and across the world, and runs a machine dating service to assist registration applications. The club owns a version of the first prototype triple, the P1, and the last, the T180 900cc triple. The club also commissioned series of 21 short films, “BSA and Triumph Triples: The People, The Bikes, The Racing”, in which the people who designed, built and raced the triples told their stories. This important historic record gives unique insights into the story of the triples by the people who were actually there.
The first triples, the Trident T150T and BSA Rocket 3 were launched in 1969 to great acclaim and formed the basis of racing machines that were highly successful in short-circuit racing, the Isle of Man, and endurance racing. The most famous IoM winner of all time, Slippery Sam, was built by Les Williams around 1 T150 Trident and won the Production race 5 times in succession. Tridents and Rocket 3s were raced in the Anglo-American Transatlantic Match Races in 1971 and 1972 with two teams of risers competing for the trophy. Eminent riders included Gary Nixon, Dave Aldana, Dick Mann, Percy Tait, John Cooper, Phil Read and Tony Jefferies on teams of six riders. To this day triple-engined bikes are successful in racing, and many owners use their roadgoing Tridents, Hurricanes and R3s over big mileages.
On 7th December 1974 the first of the iconic Triumph Trident T160s, T160 00257, was built at Small Heath, Birmingham, UK. Significant upgrades to the specification of its predecessor, the T150 Trident, included 3-into-4-into-2 exhaust system, rear disc brake, electric start, a forward-canted cylinder block and uprated emissions controls to satisfy increasingly stringent regulations.
Originally slated to be called the “Thunderbird III” it was ultimately named the “Trident T160” following alleged complaints regarding trade name violations!
The TR3OC celebrates this important 50th anniversary, 1974 to 2024, at their annual National Rally at the Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire, UK, NG24 2NY on 30th and 31st August 2024.
The TR3OC has a long tradition of running an annual rally in the UK. Known as Beezumph, the rallies have allowed members and non-members alike to enjoy meeting like-minded triple owners and enthusiasts and to listen to guest speakers who entertain rally-goers with fascinating talks on a variety of topics related to triples. The TR3OC has always welcomed bikes other than triples. Over the years the club has enjoyed vintage bikes as well as classics and modern machines. To name-call but a few: Scotts, Vincents, Velocettes, Nortons, AMC machines, all Japanese marques, Moto Guzzi, Moto Morini and Laverda.
The new-format TR3OC 2024 National Rally at the Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire, UK will feature camping with a limited availability of power hook-ups on the nights of Friday 30th and Saturday 31st August priced at £23.40 for rally ticket holders only. Attractions include a treasure hunt ride-out with prizes, autojumble, bike displays with trophies for category winners, a raffle and band, The Destractors. The club will also be screening the TR3OC’s acclaimed films “BSA and Triumph Triples: The People, The Bikes, The Racing”. There will be catering and bar, and weekend tickets include a meal on Saturday. A rally badge featuring the Trident T160 is available for rally ticket holders. Club merchandise will be available to buy.
The National Rally Guest Speaker
The guest speaker at the TR3OC National Rally 2024 will be Mick Duckworth. Mick is a noted and well-known independent motorcycle journalist who has been writing about bikes for several decades. He is the author of a number of motorcycle books, including Triumph and BSA Triples and recently Triumph Experimental with Norman Hyde. Mick edited Norman’s recent book Winning Ideas published in October 2023. Among Mick’s other notable books several on the Isle of Man TT and Classic Racing Motorcycles, Triumph Bonneville (with James Mann) and Ace Times covering topics on the famous Ace Cafe in London. Mick is also a prolific author of articles for motorcycle magazines in the UK and USA.
Mick was a central part of filming the Club’s film series BSA and Triumph Triples: The People, The Bikes, The Racers Mick was the interviewer over three days of filming and several conversations on the content of the films. It was notable that Mick knew every one of the BSA and Triumph people interviewed in the films and that played a huge part in settling the interviewees down. Mick also took an interest in the Club’s T180 re-creation project and was the author of the piece published about the road test in Classic Bike magazine in December 2023.
The TR3OC is honoured to welcome Mick as our guest speaker at the National Rally.
Tickets and how to buy them
Rally tickets are £35 and day tickets without camping, meal or badge are £15. A meal on Saturday night is included in the rally ticket price. Non-vegetarian and vegetarian options will be available. Select your choice when you buy your ticket. Other catering during the rally is provided by the restaurant on-site at the Showground. A variety of food and drink options will be available throughout the rally.
The TR3OC welcomes rally-goers with any make and age of bike at the National Rally.
Tickets for the National Rally are on sale via the dedicated website on www.tr3oc.com. Click the Events tab to find the National Rally page. You can buy your rally tickets there on line, or download a form and post it to TR3OC National Rally, 6 Beechnut Drive, Darby Green, Camberley, Surrey, GU17 0DJ. Tickets can also be bought at events throughout the summer.
The National Rally is organised by the Events Secretary, Joe Perfect ([email protected]).
Programme of events
Friday 30th August
Morning arrival and set up
Afternoon autojumble
Trips to local places of interest
Talk by Mick Duckworth
Saturday 31st August
Treasure hunt
Bike show and awards presentation
Evening meal
Band: The Destractors
Contacting the TR3OC
The club’s website is at www.tr3oc.com. Membership enquiries should be made through the club website or by email to [email protected].
For more details or to discuss the event please contact Events Secretary Joe Perfect at [email protected] or Jerry Hutchinson, Public Relations Officer, at [email protected] or
