Post Listing Update: This Hurricane did not get any interest at the asking price of $26,900.
At the end of the 60’s, British motorcycle makers like BSA/Triumph were facing the end of their supremacy. Japanese makers were growing and while the Brits were doing their best with 650cc twin cylinder that leaked oil, the Japanese were preparing 750cc inline fours with electric starters. Trying to resist as much as they could, BSA and Triumph respectively launched the Rocket 3 and the Trident in 1968, both equipped with 3-cylinder 750cc engines. Both bikes were disappointments for the press, dealers, and riders, and obviously became commercial failures Despite a relatively good engine, the rest was the same as before, with four gears and a kick starter. With a higher price, both bikes could not compete with Honda’s CB750.
Everything changed thanks to one man: the Vice President and Director of BSA’s US Operations, Don Brown. In early 1969, he decided to start developing and designing a new bike using the three-cylinder engine implemented on the Rocket 3 and the Trident. The project was secret to British HQ, so Brown asked Harry Chaplin, BSA’s US Sales Manager, if he knew someone that specialized in custom bike building. Chaplin gave him the card of Craig Vetter, notably known for his fairings and a few Bonneville customs. On June 3, 1969, Brown gave a Rocket 3 to Vetter so he could start working.
The initial brief from Brown to Vetter was simple. He wanted something that looked special and attractive with a slim design made for 1-1/2 person. Vetter does not hide it, he based its design on the American definition of seduction, implying the fact that the bike had to be sexy and attractive to women. Thanks to few decisive design choices like the three-megaphone exhaust, the Hurricane prototype was born. Eventually, the project idea made its way to Great Britain where Triumph decided to produce the Hurricane, desperately looking for sales and publicity (BSA had fallen apart in 1972).
The bike was not selling very well but gave Triumph the publicity they wanted. Indirectly, the X75 also gave lines to later cruising-machines and opened the path of customs, as this was claimed by many to be the first ever factory-custom bike. The 1,172 bikes were essentially sold to collectors, more or less well kept. With 58hp and a period test top speed of around 115mph, the Hurricane did not reinvent the sport bike but directly appeared as a well-performing collector bike.
The X75 presented here (VIN: TRX75 XH 02033) is a real survivor showing only 6,596 miles. The bike mostly sat in the seller’s living room, with no oil in it. Owner claims that few years ago, many parts of the bike had been serviced like the clutch plate, oil pump, primary chain, and few bearings and seals. As far as safety, new brake shoes and fork seals had also been put at the time.
Find this X75 Hurricane in Saint Louis, Missouri with a BIN of $26,900 or best offer