Racing triples are something in the image of road triples : not very current but mythical ! At the begining, there was the revolutionary, but ephemeral 1955's 350 DKW. But 10 years later, which of you won't follow the Agostini-MV epopee between 1965 and 1975 ? For nearly 10 years, this duo, Ago-MV3, will control the 350 and 500 GPs ! In 1970, Kawasaki joined to the fight with its 500 H1R with a title of vice-world champion for the successful conclusion. Triumph wins at the Bol d'Or in 1970 and 1971 as well as the results of "Slippery-Sam" came to enrich this top list. Thereafter, Laverdas 1000 in endurance races, Kawasaki 750 H2R, KR and Suzuki XR 11 in 750 cc class will have quite mixed results. In 1977, Takazumi Katayama will win the title in 350 with a 3 cylinders Yamaha, developed in Holland by the importer. Then, we should have to wait 1982 to find a triple at the top level again with Spencer's, Gardner's, Mamola's and Roche's Honda 500 NSR. This bike was World champion with Freddie Spencer in 1983 and 1985 (alternate with V4). After, it would get a long era for V4 in GPs! 1999, finally, a 3 cylinder comes back at top level, thanks to Kenny Roberts and his KR Team. The KR3, a two stroke V3, born Modenas and renamed Proton, will make some glorious actions for leaving the tracks in the course of 2003. With the come back of 4 stroke in the MotoGP class in 2002, Aprilia will be the first, with the RS³, to try one's luck with a 3 cylinders in this new category. Other projects would be shelved by some manufacturers!! And don't forget the Superbike class, where Benelli and Foggy Petronas try to power a triple.

SUMMARY :

MV - AGUSTA OR MV-3 MYTH !
TRIUMPH / BSA
KAWASAKI
SUZUKI
DKW
HONDA
YAMAHA
KR - MODENAS / PROTON
LAVERDA
BENELLI
APRILIA
FOGGY PETRONAS
SHORT LIFE !
PROTOTYPES
A LITTLE HISTORY... THE FIRST TRIPLE WAS FRENCH !
GUEST STAR (2 x 3 CYLINDRES !!

Click on the thumbnails to enlarge the pics. Click on legends on yellow background for comments and technical datas.

MV - AGUSTA
OR MV-3 MYTH !


AGOSTINI AT THE T.T. - 1965	AGO - HAILWOOD AT BRNO - 1967	1968, FINALLY THE TITLE !	AGOSTINI AT THE T.T. - 1969
MV 350 - 3 CYLINDERS


1966	AGOSTINI AT THE T.T. - 1967	BERGAMONTI & AGOSTINI AT IMOLA - 1970	AGOSTINI AT SPA - 1970	AGO & READ AT IMATRA - 1973	DOCUMENT !!!! AGO-HAILWOOD'S DUEL
MV 500 - 3 CYLINDERS

AGOSTINI ET LES MV-3

I found most of the informations about 3 cylinders MVs in the reference work "AGOSTINI ET LES MV-3" (in french) from Jacques Busillet. This book is a gold mine and abounds in informations, anecdotes and technical datas of this mythical duo : AGO - MV. Moreover it is superbly illustrated like this splendid photo of Jan Heese from Agostini at Monza in 1968.

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TRIUMPH / BSA


BOL D'OR 1970	T.T. 1975	PERCY TAIT 1971	24H OF LE MANS 1980 - 1981
TRIUMPH 750 TRIDENT "SLIPPERY SAM"		TRIUMPH 750 TRIDENT ROB NORTH	TRIUMPH TRIDENT DHEP


MALLORY-PARK 1971		DAYTONA 1971
BSA ROCKET 3

All the technical datas about TRIUMPH and BSA were pleasantly given to me by RICHARD HAAS, a former pilot of these bikes. He has, among other things, been from the "DHEP adventure" and has restored the 1971 BSA Rocket 3 " Mallory-Park " before giving it up to the Allen Vintage Motorcycle Museum.
Visit his site : HG Racing

	Here is the Daytona 955i from the team STRIKE-MOTOS which took part in some World Endurance championship races in 2002. This team had unfortunately a lot of problems (gear box, amongst other things) and didn't finish the season. Presentation of this bike on Erick's site "tripleinside"
955i DAYTONA "STRIKE-MOTOS" 2002

	Come back in 2006 for the team STRIKE-MOTOS with a "little" Daytona 675 ! This bike, with a spanish crew, took part at Bol d'Or 2006 and finished at the 31^st place.
675 DAYTONA "STRIKE-MOTOS" 2006

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SUZUKI


SUZUKI 750 TR (XR 11) 1972 - 1976

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DKW


DKW 350 - 3 CYLINDERS 1955

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HONDA


500 NSR 3 CYLINDERS 1982-1985

COLUCHE EN 1983 ESSAYANT LA MOTO DE RAYMOND ROCHE !!!

WHO'S THIS GUY ????

SPECIALS NSR 500


ELF 2 - 500 1984 - 1985	ELF 3 - 500 1986	CHEVALLIER - 500 1984 - 1985			FIOR 500 1984 - 1985

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YAMAHA


YAMAHA 350 – 3 CYLINDERS 1977

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KR - MODENAS / PROTON


MODENAS 500 KR3 1999 -2000


PROTON 500 KR3 Mk3 2001 -2003

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LAVERDA


LAVERDA 1000 ENDURANCE - 1972-1975					J.P. HAEMISCH BOL D'OR 1984	RGS 1000 TT1 270 km/h top speed !

Thank's to Jean-Louis for all the informations and the pics of endurance Laverdas and for the pic of the TT1.
Visit his site LAVERDAMANIA : This site is devoted to 750 and 1000 cm3 LAVERDAS.

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BENELLI


BENELLI TORNADO 900 TRE

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APRILIA


APRILIA RS³ 2002 - 2004

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FOGGY PETRONAS


FOGGY PETRONAS FP1 900 - 2002 -2006

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PROTOTYPES

DUCATI 1971
	Here is the engine ordered by Ducati to Ricardo in 1971 to try to beat the powerful 500 MV's. In spite of its innovating technical solutions, the first tests will reveal an alarming fragility and the project was quickly abandoned. Ducati will then prefer to concentrate its forces on the twin-cylinders in L, which had shown their capacities.
AERMACCHI HARLEY-DAVIDSON 1977
	Aermacchi Harley-Davidson Proto 3 cylinders engine 350 ou 500 ? about 1977 ? If somebody has informations about this engine, thank's to contact me : webmaster@triple-passion.com
MZ 125 1964-1967
	With its 2-stroke one-cylinder, MZ had difficulty to power its way past the japanese 125 multicylinder. At autumn 1964, Walters Kaaden and his team decided the construction of a 3 cylinders engine. The first version, air cooled, tested at the end 1965, known cooling and ignition troubles. A new engine was get started and was finished mid 1967. Alas, the decision of FIM to limit to 2 the number of cylinders up to 1969, put a stop to the project.
SUZUKI RP 68 1968
	3 cylinders - 2 stroke, liquide cooled, 50 cm³, 19 HP at 20 000 rpm, 170 km/h, 14 speeds gear box. Still a plan destined to fail, because of FIM's decision to restrict to 1 the number of cylinders and to 6 the number of speeds for the 50 cc class for 1968. This bike was ready in the course of 1967, but Suzuki didn't find it useful to continue its development and was shelved indefinitely < br> Unfortunately no pics available. If somebody has some in his possession : webmaster@triple-passion.com Merci !

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A LITTLE HISTORY...
THE FIRST TRIPLE WAS FRENCH !

	In 1905, 2 french manufacturers, Edmond Gentil, founder of Alcyon, and Ambroise Farcot of Ets. Buchet have cooperated in the developpement of the first fan-shaped triple of 1206,32 cm³. It was assembled in longitudinal position in a Alcyon and entrusted to the pilot and tester Alessandro Anzani, called the "Demon of carburation". At the same time, Louis Blériot enquired to Ets. Buchet, like many plane manufacturers before. The latter direct him to Anzani who starts again the study and the developement of the triple. In 1909, the fan-shaped triple of 6400 cm³ took place in a Blériot airplane for the first touristic flight from Toury to Artenay. The 25^th of july 1909, Louis Blériot, got on his Blériot XI, an improbable assembly of wood and canvas. He puts his leather helmet, ajusts his goggles, caresses for the last time his moustache, takes the joystick, full throttle and takes a run-up. The wheels of the frail bird roll, roll… for finally leaving the dry land. After a turn, direction Calais's cliffs, the sea and perfidious Albion. After 37 historical minutes with an average speed of 55 km/h, Louis Blériot, moustache in the wind, land finally in Dover. So to speak, the oldest dream of humanity was realized thanks to a motorcycle ! Extract from Daniel Dupont's excelent site : L'HISTOIRE DE LA MOTO at chapter HISTOIRE DES MOTOS FRANCAISES - L'ERE DES PIONNIERS (in french) Thanks to Didier Mahistre and Daniel Dupont for these informations.
Anzani's race bike

Some bikes were built for "friends".

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GUEST STAR (2 x 3 CYLINDERS !!

HONDA 250
6 - CYLINDERS
1967


KAWA 350 S2 / 400 S3 & KH COUPE 1972 -1978		KAWA 750 H2 CRITERIUM 1972


KAWA 500 H1 R 1970 - 1971			KAWA 500 H1 R LIQUID COOLED 1975	KAWA 500 H1 R "OFFENSTADT" 1971


GUZZI 500 3 CILINDRI - 1939-1940			CARDANI 500 - 1968		MONARK 500 - 1973


MOTOBECANE 350 "Côte-Côte" - 1977	SICCARDI ACS S3 1000 - 1981			BSL 500 - 1999-2000

SUMMARY :

MV - AGUSTA OR MV-3 MYTH !

AGOSTINI ET LES MV-3

BACK TO SUMMARY

TRIUMPH / BSA

Here is the Daytona 955i from the team STRIKE-MOTOS which took part in some World Endurance championship races in 2002. This team had unfortunately a lot of problems (gear box, amongst other things) and didn't finish the season. Presentation of this bike on Erick's site "tripleinside"

Come back in 2006 for the team STRIKE-MOTOS with a "little" Daytona 675 ! This bike, with a spanish crew, took part at Bol d'Or 2006 and finished at the 31st place.

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KAWASAKI

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SUZUKI

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DKW

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HONDA

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YAMAHA

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KR - MODENAS / PROTON

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LAVERDA

Thank's to Jean-Louis for all the informations and the pics of endurance Laverdas and for the pic of the TT1. Visit his site LAVERDAMANIA : This site is devoted to 750 and 1000 cm3 LAVERDAS.

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BENELLI

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APRILIA

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FOGGY PETRONAS

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SHORT LIFE !

BACK TO SUMMARY

PROTOTYPES

BACK TO SUMMARY

A LITTLE HISTORY...THE FIRST TRIPLE WAS FRENCH !

BACK TO SUMMARY

GUEST STAR (2 x 3 CYLINDERS !!

BACK TO SUMMARY

SIGN MY

MV - AGUSTA
OR MV-3 MYTH !

Come back in 2006 for the team STRIKE-MOTOS with a "little" Daytona 675 ! This bike, with a spanish crew, took part at Bol d'Or 2006 and finished at the 31^st place.

Thank's to Jean-Louis for all the informations and the pics of endurance Laverdas and for the pic of the TT1.
Visit his site LAVERDAMANIA : This site is devoted to 750 and 1000 cm3 LAVERDAS.

A LITTLE HISTORY...
THE FIRST TRIPLE WAS FRENCH !