John Giles

Hampshire lad John Giles has been at the forefront of top line British motorcycle sport for what seems like forever. From his trials riding and winning with a BSA in the early Fifties – which got him an invite to join Triumph – John was almost inextricably linked to the Meriden firm. In his career he earned them international accolades in the ISDT, scrambling and trials. There was a tricky moment when needing a better handling scrambler than his factory Triumph, John fitted the engine into a BSA frame and went to the British MX GP. Spotted by Triumph’s hierarchy who were non-too-impressed, John had to step down from team duties for a while. He was soon back though, and it was on just such a special beast he was pounding around the Bonanza course.