Triumph X-75 Hurricane

Key facts

Year

1972
Country

Great Britain
Capacity

741cc
Cylinders

3 cylinder
Valves

Overhead valve
Output

58bhp at 7,250rpm
Performance

114mph
Price new

£895
Loaned by

Private Owner
Manufacturer

Triumph Engineering Company Ltd, Coventry

Essentially a BSA Rocket 3 radically restyled by American designer Craig Vetter, the Triumph Hurricane was the World’s first factory custom motorcycle. Around 1,100 Hurricanes were built, mostly for the US market, fewer than forty were sold in the UK.

The X-75 Hurricane was conceived in 1969 amid fears from the US dealer network that the new range of BSA Rocket 3/Triumph Trident triples looked dated compared with new and more advanced competition from Japan (particularly Honda’s CB750). Based around the BSA version of the three-cylinder engine, by the time production started in late 1972 the BSA brand had been dropped and the model was badged as the Triumph Hurricane.