Triumph Maitresse
When I first saw this rare and lovely little trials motorcycle, I fell in love with it. It was at the ‘54 Years Race Classic Trial’ meeting which was held at Linkoping, Sweden, the first weekend in August 2019. This unique motorcycle is as innovative now as it was when Bengt Ostervall, from Stockholm, built it in the late 1950s and early ‘60s. Sadly, Bengt passed away a couple of years ago so we can’t ask him, but we can enjoy looking at it in more detail.
The machine is an extremely good example of its period in time. It’s not a Triumph Tiger Cub frame, no — it started life as a Husqvarna Silverpil which was a road motorcycle, two-stroke, 175cc single-cylinder model produced between the years 1955 and 1965.
A skilled man
Bengt Ostervall was a skilled mechanic and draftsman, so he did all the drawings by himself — the whole frame includes his innovation and ideas. As you can see in the pictures, he made a really good job. It has the oil in the frame, which on reflection must have been quite modern back then. Then he purchased a brand new engine direct from Triumph England and had it tuned there especially for trials use. You will see many holes drilled everywhere in the constant chase for weight saving; for example, you will find drilled holes in the upper front yoke and
right through the handlebars! A part of the steering head has also been cut away and has holes drilled.
Also, look at the front shock absorbers, which have holes drilled into the mounting points. Note the little speedway-style fuel tank, rubber band secured, under the top frame tube, and the front forks are of the Earl’s type. The front fork is not of the common ‘banana’ style; instead, they are made of straight tubes.
Husqvarna parts
The wheel hubs are also from the Husqvarna Silverpil — Silverarrow — as is the carburettor, which has two throttle positions with one of them for extreme engine idle. The low and high ignition is by wire and once again operated from the handlebars. The saddle is quite big, just as they were back in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, and nice and comfortable for long journeys. You must remember that the working-class man was very much a motorcycle fan who used two wheels for the ideal mode of transport.
The footrests are of the folding type made from 5mm aluminium; the right one when folded up allows the kickstart pedal to rotate free.
Just look at the aluminium mudguards with the rolled edges being cut away, once again in the chase of weight reduction. Turn your focus to the front number plate holder, and all the bolt tops are turned down to be thin and light. In all, it was a successful hunt for weight saving. For its time, the machine is really light and easy to ride.
British racing green
And what about the selected green colour, can it be British Racing Green? And a Union Jack flag on the fuel tank. Could Bengt have been an Anglophile? Yes, I have been told. He also had a Greeves trials model and a Lotus super seven sports car.
The machine had been forgotten for so many years and not started up or ridden for over 30 years. Those who have tested the machine many years ago have now told the present owner that it is too fast for today’s sections! I know that Bengt competed in many trials with his own Maitresse trials machine and enjoyed it.
Tiger Motor Club
He and his friends were members of and competed for a trials club in Stockholm called Tiger Motor Club; what a coincidence and the club still exists. They were training every weekend in a place called Glado Kvarn. The training area also still exists beside what is now an old city dump just in the middle of Stockholm.
The name Maîtresse is French, which when you translate to English is something like ‘housewife darling’ or ‘darling wife’. When building this ‘Special’ Bengt was away every evening from his wife after work, and she naturally suspected Bengt was seeing a lady lover. When he, at last, understood his wife’s concern, he baptized the machine as the Maîtresse. This word is very similar to Triumph’s Metisse, and of course a tribute to his darling wife. Classic Trial Magazine would like to thank the Swedish motorcycle enthusiast Lars Gerestad for supplying us with this article to publish.