triumph, Steve McQueen and the desert: when the British motorcycles were queens of the offroad

Master of elegance in the Modern-Classic segment, Hinckley's twin cylinders have been queens of the off-road and adventure companions of legendary celebrities.

triumph with the SCRAMBLER 1200 and participation in the Mexican 1000 2019, American rally that as the name says is run in Baja California, Mexico, she has returned to putting the tires in the desert. Yes, because what many do not know is that triumph it was a undisputed master of the enduro For many years, and has brought names to the triumph then entered the legend. But let's go in order.

triumph: Unchallenged master of the enduro

The second post -war period, the birth of the trophy

Everything or almost starts in 1948, year in which triumph He prepared three specimens of TR5 in a special version for the International Six Days of Enduro, the motorcycle off-road Olympics, which was held in San Remo. Hinckley's house took home Three gold medals, one for each category, and the manufacturers of the edition. The domain lasted for years and pushed Hinckley's house to produce the trophy, inspired by those special versions dedicated toIsde. Download two in one, increased suspension and high mudguard They were the main innovations introduced by the Tr5 Trophy, a model that remained in the range until the 70s and which became famous as a favorite medium of James Dean or daily partner of Fonzie in Happy Days. Trophy contributed to affirming the brand triumph even overseas: just a Hollywood In fact, one of the most important dealers in America decides to focus everything on a young talent of American motocross, Bud Ekins.

The successes made in U.S.A.

Bill Johnson, owner of the dealer triumph by Hollywood He believes in Ekins, and makes him deliver one TR5 Trophy: the pilot thanks and for disrespect the first race in which he participates, the Grand Prix Catalina. Takes taste and podium on the podium is affirmed as the most famous pilot of the American off-road, conquering the second place in the following years in Big Bear Motorcycle Run, a race on almost 250 kilometers of off -road vehicle in California. That year the whole podium is made up of motorcycles triumph, and the following year 20 of the 25 participants will be in the saddle a triumph Tr6 Trophy.

Bud Ekins: the most famous pilot of the American off-road

The motorcycle of the stars

Bud Ekins focuses everything on triumph and decides to open a dealership a North Hollywood: His fame and that of Hinckley's motorcycles attract the celebrities of American cinema as Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood And Steve McQueen, that from triumph He will literally be bewitched. Ekins still continues to be a reference pilot, and in the 1960s he won, of course on triumph, the Hare and Hound, the Mint 400 and the Baja 1000: massacred rally that rise more English motorcycles as capable of everything. In the meantime, however, by friendship with Steve McQueen a passion arises: the King of Cool He spends more and more time in the Ekins workshop, he begins to participate in the races with the American pilot (when the production houses of his films do not allow him to use pseudonyms to register) and learn quickly to be fast and effective.

The big jump

The two become thus inseparable and when McQueen has to leave for Europe for the filming de The great escape, in 1962 he knows that someone like Bud can be very useful to him. Thus was born one of the most famous stunt scenes ever: the leap of the fence that made this film immortal. As much as McQueen wanted to try without stunt double he knew that an exceptional technique was needed for such a business, so he left the handlebar to Ekins. The bike, needless to say, albeit disguised from BMW (the bikes supplied to the German army in the Second World War) was one triumph Tr6 Trophy.

The return to ISDE

History became legend in 1964. Ekins decides to accept the invitation to represent the United States in the International Six Days of Enduro In Germany in the East and manages to bring McQueen into the team. From Hollywood chasing each other the voices of highly concern of the producers for the journey in a hostile nation (the Berlin Wall was still high and divided the world into the cold war), but McQueen The same starts together with Bud's brother, Dave Ekins, Jhonny Steen and the reserve pilot Cliff Coleman. All of course on triumph TR5 And Tr6 Trophy. They did not win but Ekins allowed McQueen to enter the Enduro Olympus.

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