1973 Triumph Hurricane

In the late 1960s, British 650cc motorcycles were considered to be the most desirable big bikes in America. The introduction of the new strangely styled BSA and Triumph 750cc Triples signaled a change. American riders decided to move up to the new Honda 750 Four.

This was a big problem for Birmingham Small Arms of England, which owned the BSA and Triumph brands. BSA Director of Marketing Don Brown knew he needed help.

He found it in Hall of Famer Craig Vetter.

Brown contacted Vetter, a designer and fairing maker in Illinois, with a clandestine plan to redesign and “Americanize” the Rocket 3.

Over the summer of 1969, Vetter designed what he referred to as the Vetter Rocket 3 and delivered it to BSA headquarters in New Jersey on Oct. 31, 1969. It was air freighted to England where it was copied and put into production for the 1973 model year.

This Triumph Hurricane, serial number TRX75 NH00151, is one of the 1,170 made that year. It was donated to the Hall of Fame Museum by Cal and Lenore Lee in memory of their son, “Fly’n Floyd” Conradi Jr.

Its flowing lines were a stark departure from the utilitarian standard look of the time. To this day it remains a modern, eye-catching example of forward-thinking design.

You can see this rare Triumph Hurricane—along with a BSA Rocket 3 and the original Vetter Rocket 3 that inspired it—at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame museum on the AMA campus in Pickerington, Ohio.