Sammy Miller
I love motorcycle trials statistics and, as editor of Trial Magazine, I find myself in my ideal world constantly looking at who, what, why, where and when. The ACU British Trials Championship has always fascinated me, to the point that I have a very good record of the winners. It was whilst looking at these records to fill in the 2020 details that I noted the glory years of Sammy Miller when he was, without a doubt, untouchable between 1959 and 1969. It’s notable as we close the door on 2020 that 50 years ago this month, Miller was knocked off the top spot in 1970 by Gordon Farley at the season-closing Knut Trial.
Sammy Miller and statistics go together once you start delving into the motorcycle archives. A successful road racer in his own right, he made the career decision that he would pursue his twowheeled dream in the world of motorcycle trials in the late ‘50s.
OLD SCHOOL
In the closing years of the 1950s moving into the ‘60s, Great Britain dominated the world of motorcycle trials. With its mighty presence in the world of motorcycle manufacturing, it had the winning combination of man and machine – very old-school, of course, I might add. Riders were coming through the ranks, many being of quite outstanding off the back of being despatch riders during the compulsory National Service subsequently being picked by the leading manufacturers all being from Great Britain.
Great names had won the ACU British Championship such as Percy’ Jim’ Alves (Triumph) 1950, Bill Nicholson (AJS) 1951 and 1952, Jeff Smith (BSA) 1953 and 1954, Gordon Jackson (AJS) 1955 and Jonny Brittain (Royal Enfield) 1956.
In 1957, the championship did not run due to the Suez petrol crisis. Still, the year becomes more significant as a certain Sammy Miller from Northern Ireland was starting to make his way to the top in motorcycle trials. In 1958, it would be Gordon Jackson on the four-stroke AJS who would once again be crowned the British Champion before it would return to the hands of Miller from 1959 until 1969.
DOMINATION
When Sammy Miller took the first of his 11 consecutive British Championship titles in 1959, it was the start of the domination of himself and possibly the most recognised trials motorcycle in the world, the four-stroke Ariel 500cc, registration number GOV 132. He took the trials world by storm. Not only did he make his mark in the British Championship but he also made an impact at other significant events such as the Scottish Six Days and Scott Trials.
Using his engineering expertise, he turned the Ariel into a winner as he reduced its overall weight and increased its performance. He would win the Scottish Six days in 1962 and 1964 and the Scott Trial in 1958, before a winning double in 1962 and 1963.
Numerous other wins would come in the majority of the events he entered with the Ariel. Not one to rest on his laurels, he became more and more frustrated with the management of the once-great motorcycle manufacturers in Great Britain. They had witnessed first-hand his single-minded development of the great ‘lump’ of the Ariel into a lightweight fourstroke winner. His thoughts fell on deaf ears as he explained which direction the development of the trials motorcycle was going in — lightweight two-strokes was the answer, in Miller’s eyes. He then dropped what I still see as possibly the biggest bombshell ever in the trials world – he handed his notice in at Ariel in late 1964!
SPANISH IDEAS
In secret, Miller had made numerous visits to the Spanish motorcycle manufacturer Bultaco. They had a really nice 196cc air-cooled two-stroke off-road model in their machine range. In December 1964, he announced to the world that he was moving to Bultaco to defend his rapidly growing collection of trials victories. In a short period of time, literally days, he had transformed the 196cc Sherpa into the new 244cc Bultaco Sherpa’ T’ trials model. In his hands, it would be a winner from day one.
Many members of the trials world waited for the ultimate test, the Scottish Six Days Trial. Miller took it all in his stride to win the event; the very first for a foreign machine.
As the year closed, he was still the ACU British Trials Champion, taking the transformation from the Ariel to the Bultaco in his stride. Between 1965 and 1970, he would win a further two Scottish Six Days Trials (1967 and 1968), and four Scott Trial victories.
In the British Championship, the opposition was closing in. Two other Spanish manufacturers were developing new trials models, as Montesa led the way with Ossa following. The old school of the domination of the British manufacturers was falling by the wayside as the top riders slowly followed what Miller had done and moved to the Spanish Armada.
UNDER ATTACK
In 1969, a certain Gordon Farley had moved from Greeves to Montesa. When I spoke with him a few years ago, he was quite open to the fact that at every event he entered his sole aim was to beat Sammy Miller. Once again in 1969, Miller had proved untouchable, but Farley had other ideas in 1970.
Riding the new red Montesa Cota 247, Farley was on a mission to dethrone Miller and Bultaco. When the ultra-reliable Bultaco put Miller out of the penultimate round of the 1970 ACU British Trials Championship with an electrical fault, he knew that it would be very difficult to defend the title with just one round remaining. Sammy Miller and the Bultaco won the Knut Trial, the final round. Still, a very nervous Gordon Farley did enough by finishing seventh to realise his dream — he was the 1970 British Trials Champion.
1970 KNUT TRIAL
RESULTS: 1: Sammy Miller (250 Bultaco) 21; 2: Rob Edwards (250 Montesa) 24; 3: Ian Haydon (250 Montesa) 31; 4: Lawrence Telling (250 Montesa) 33; 5: Paul Dunkley (250 Bultaco) 37; 6: Chris Leighfield (125 Sprite) 39; 7: Gordon Farley (250 Montesa) 41; 8: Mick Andrews (250 Ossa) 45; 9: Dave Thorpe (250 Ossa) 48; 10: Ken Brooker (175 Greeves) 48.
1970 ACU BRITISH TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP
POSITIONS: 1: Gordon Farley (250 Montesa) 105;
2: Sammy Miller (250 Bultaco) 101; 3: Rob Edwards (250 Montesa) 56; 4: Paul Dunkley (250 Bultaco) 53; 5: Dave Thorpe (250 Ossa) 47; 6: Mick Andrews (250 Ossa) 45; 7: Geoff Chandler (250 Bultaco) 42; 8: Lawrence Telling (250 Montesa) 35; 9: Derek Adsett (175 Greeves) 26; 10: Malcolm Rathmell (250 Bultaco) 20.
IT’S OVER
In December Sammy Miller announced in the motorcycling press that he was retiring from mainstream trials. He would continue to be heavily involved, as the new team manager for Bultaco in the UK and the Spanish manufacturer would retain him to help develop a new bigger engine 325cc model. As it happened, Gordon Farley (Montesa) retained the title in 1971.
The Miller years, as a winning rider, did continue, but on a much lower key. What he achieved in the years from 1965 changed the course of motorcycle trials development and the domination of the once-mighty manufacturing of trials motorcycles in Great Britain forever.