Walker Bullpup follow-up
Finally the grey cells remembered the year I spotted the Walker Bullpup (YWA, April 2021) at the annual Banbury Run. It was 1979, the first time I entered the VMCC’s premier event as a vintage novice, riding the 550cc OEC-Blackburne I still have and enjoy, in its, and my, first event.
The event’s results sheet informs ‘Sheldon Trophy (Most Technical Interest) awarded to ‘T Innes’ (980cc Walker Bullpup).
Bob Currie, the then Midlands editor of The Motor Cycle and later founder of our magazine, The Classic MotorCycle ,not only served as the VMCC’s commentator that day, but also penned a report for the following week’s issue.
Of the Walker Bullpup, Bob wrote:
“Every Banbury Run seems to produce a machine of outstanding originality, and this year the Sheldon Trophy was won by the extraordinary 980cc Walker Bullpup, ridden by Australian Trevor Innes. Built at Farnborough, Hants between 1924 and 1927, the lengthy machine represented one man’s ideal. Trevor did have one stop before leaving Banbury town to clear an oiled rear plug, but the big machine ran perfectly thereafter.”
Yours has been one of six contacts so far asking the how fast question Ross, two of whom go on to question my statement that under 40mpg is often a reality.
I’ve always thought claims of 130mph for the Triumph Trident T150 or BSA Rocket 3 in standard trim a bit ambitious, even though I have quoted this figure from time to time. However, a check of the period Motor Cycle road test confirms their tester reached 124.8mph riding a BSA Rocket 3, thus it is not unreasonable to suppose a 10-stone rider clad in racing leathers using a full racing crouch could hit 130mph.
To complete the speed bit for a standard 58bhp at 7500rpm Rocket 3 tester Tedge attained 51mph in first gear, 75mph in second and 102mph in third, covered the standing quarter mile in exactly 14 seconds and stated 54mpg. While the Rocket 3 took under 15 seconds to hit 100mph, it took 5060 seconds to reach its 124.8mph top speed.
American racing engineers were the first to want their specially prepared Tridents and Rocket 3s to exceed 160mph. And while top speed and acceleration claims can be open to speculation (and enthusiasts like me who followed the sport at this time may look back with, as you imply Ross, rosetinted glasses…) hard facts don’t deviate.
Qualifying for grid positions for the
1970 AMA Daytona 200 run annually in March, triples occupied the top three grid positions after qualifying fastest on the 2.5 mile Daytona banked track devoid of the mid field section – the actual race in 1970 was on the full 3.81 mile course. In pole was American Gene Romero, Triumph Trident, at 157.34mph, trailed by England’s Mike Hailwood, BSA Rocket 3, at 152.90mph and Oklahoma born Gary Nixon, Triumph Trident, 152.82mph.
In the 1970 event, fourth place qualifier Dick Mann (Honda CR750) won by 10 seconds from Gene Romero with Don Castro third on another Triumph Trident. Soon after the Daytona 200, Dick Mann, his chief engineer Bob Hansen and much of his crew were sacked by Honda for insubordination. One can imagine Dick Mann and the Triumph/BSA group were all more than pleased by Dick Mann’s 1971 Daytona win at 105.33mph on the full Daytona 3.81 mile circuit astride a BSA Rocket 3, followed home by Gene Romero (Triumph Trident) and Don Emde (BSA Rocket 3). It was stated in the press the Tridents and Rocket 3s were developing between 81bhp at 8250rpm to 84bhp at 8500rpm and some claimed the triples were being taken to 9000rpm through the gears.
As for fuel consumption, I would regard 54mpg for our example as a miracle! But as it runs perfect colour plugs, we’ll leave it as is.