X-75 – 1973 Triumph Hurricane

In England, Sport by Abhi1 Comment

The Triumph Hurricane represented a paradigm shift in motorcycling manufacturing, as it was the world’s first factory custom motorcycle. The brainchild of Craig Vetter (well known as a motorcycle designer and manufacturer of custom motorcycle fairings) and Don Brown (General Manager of BSA), the Hurricane was created when Brown called Vetter up on a secret project to create a better looking British triple. Triumph already had their Trident, and the similar BSA Rocket III, but both bikes were commercial failures in the United States despite the fact that they were decent bikes. Most people attributed this failure to blocky styling which left buyers cold and didn’t encourage anyone to spend extra money compared to bikes like the Honda CB’s.

Triumph Hurricane - Rear Right

The bike was ready to be released as a BSA, however BSA was about to go bankrupt. So it was badged as a Triumph in 1972, and was almost immediately killed off in 1973 after stricter American noise standards couldn’t be met. Want to learn more about the Triumph Hurricane? Check out Classic Bike Guide’s write-up of this wonderful bike. Or, even better, Craig Vetter has a story on how this bike came to be here on his website.

Triumph Hurricane - Cockpit

This specific Triumph Hurricane (VIN: TRX75XH02539) has apparently been fully restored to show condition. The bike has 100 miles since being restored and comes with pictures and documentation of the work, as well as the original owner’s manual, parts catalog, and some period magazines featuring the X-75.

Triumph Hurricane - Right Side

Find this Hurricane for sale in Milford, New Hampshire with bidding up to $15,000 and the reserve not yet met