Percy Tait
Encyclopedia
Percy Tait is a former professional motorcycle
road racer
and senior road tester for Triumph motorcycles, where he was estimated to have clocked over a million miles of road testing. He is now a farmer specialising in award winning rare breeds of sheep.
White Helmets Motorcycle Display Team
.
on Triumph's chassis development programme through the early 1960s. He became the main test rider for the development of the three cylinder motorcycles which meant clocking up high mileages in all weathers and grueling sessions at MIRA
and in wind tunnels. Triumph engineer Brian Jones
was watching the Thruxton 500
endurance race for production motorcycles and saw Tait come into the pits after an hour on the track and plunge his blistered hands into a bucket of water. Following this Jones worked with Hele on improvements to the chassis which resulted in an Isle of Man TT
victory.
Testing could be also be dangerous work and he broke his collarbone when he was thrown off a prototype Triumph when the gearbox seized at the 1968 Isle of Man TT
.
Belgian Grand Prix
, on the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in the Ardennes
, Tait was riding Triumph's entry for the 500cc race - a version of the Triumph Daytona developed by Doug Hele
. Percy travelled with the mechanics Arthur Jakeman and Jack Shemans in an old Ford Transit
van, in which the three of them also had to sleep. Percy led the world champion Giacomo Agostini
for three laps to finish second to the MV Agusta
at an average speed of 116 mph. Also in 1969, he teamed with Malcolm Uphill
to win the Thruxton 500 endurance race.
'Slippery Sam
' was one of three similar motorcycles Triumph built for the 1970 Production TT
, one of which, ridden by Malcolm Uphill, won the race at 97.71 mph. The Slippery Sam name was acquired during the 1970 Bol d'Or
24 Hour Race in France when a faulty oil pump covered Tait with engine oil. In 1971 Tait and Ray Pickrell won the 24-hour Bol d'Or
endurance race on a Triumph triple.
Tait was hired by Suzuki
in 1976 to help develop their 500cc Grand Prix bike for Barry Sheene
. In 1976, Tait won the 750 class at the North West 200
race. He continued racing two-strokes and 'Slippery Sam' in his late forties but gave up racing after a serious crash on the 'Son of Sam' production racer in the 1976 Production TT.
dealership business after the Meriden factory closed until 2002.
, the Royal Welsh Show
and Scotland
's Royal Highland Show
with his Blue Demaine and champion Rouge Shearling ewes. His Worcestershire
farm is home to the Knighton Flock.
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
road racer
Road racing
Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...
and senior road tester for Triumph motorcycles, where he was estimated to have clocked over a million miles of road testing. He is now a farmer specialising in award winning rare breeds of sheep.
National Service
Tait gained useful knowledge of motorcycle handling during his National Service, when he was a member of the Royal Corps of SignalsRoyal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
White Helmets Motorcycle Display Team
Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team
The Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team , also known as the White Helmets, is a group of serving soldiers from the Royal Corps of Signals of the British Army, who give public displays of motorcycling skills, acrobatics and stunt riding...
.
Motorcycle career
Tait joined Triumph at the age of 21 in 1950 on the assembly line but was soon promoted to the Experimental Department and was encouraged to go road racing by his manager Frank Baker. Tait joined the Triumph works team and worked under Doug HeleDoug Hele
Douglas Lionel Hele was a pioneering British motorcycle engineer with Triumph and other firms: BSA, Douglas and Norton. He was born in Birmingham in 1919 and died in Hagley, Worcestershire on the 2 November 2001.-Career:...
on Triumph's chassis development programme through the early 1960s. He became the main test rider for the development of the three cylinder motorcycles which meant clocking up high mileages in all weathers and grueling sessions at MIRA
Motor Industry Research Association
MIRA Ltd, formerly known as the Motor Industry Research Association, is a limited company based near Nuneaton in Hinckley and Bosworth, Leicestershire in the United Kingdom, which provides product engineering, research, testing, information and certification services to the automotive...
and in wind tunnels. Triumph engineer Brian Jones
Brian Jones (motorcycle designer)
Brian Jones was a motorcycle designer and engineer born in Gloucester, UK in 1928. Notable for his contribution to the original design of the Triumph Bonneville, he died in Coventry, on 4 March 2001.-Career:...
was watching the Thruxton 500
Thruxton 500
The Thruxton 500 is a 500 mile motorcycle endurance race held at Thruxton Circuit, near Andover in Hampshire, United Kingdom, which is the fastest racetrack in the country...
endurance race for production motorcycles and saw Tait come into the pits after an hour on the track and plunge his blistered hands into a bucket of water. Following this Jones worked with Hele on improvements to the chassis which resulted in an Isle of Man TT
Isle of Man TT
The International Isle of Man TT Race is a motorcycle racing event held on the Isle of Man and was for many years the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world...
victory.
Testing could be also be dangerous work and he broke his collarbone when he was thrown off a prototype Triumph when the gearbox seized at the 1968 Isle of Man TT
1968 Isle of Man TT
-1968 Isle of Man Sidecar 500cc TT final standings:8 June 1968 – 3 Laps Mountain Course.-1968 Isle of Man Sidecar 750cc TT final standings:8 June 1968 – 3 Laps Mountain Course....
.
Racing career
In the 19691969 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 1969 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 21st F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of twelve Grand Prix races in six classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc and Sidecars 500cc...
Belgian Grand Prix
Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix
The Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season from 1949 to 1990.-Multiple winners :-Multiple winners :-By year:...
, on the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
, Tait was riding Triumph's entry for the 500cc race - a version of the Triumph Daytona developed by Doug Hele
Doug Hele
Douglas Lionel Hele was a pioneering British motorcycle engineer with Triumph and other firms: BSA, Douglas and Norton. He was born in Birmingham in 1919 and died in Hagley, Worcestershire on the 2 November 2001.-Career:...
. Percy travelled with the mechanics Arthur Jakeman and Jack Shemans in an old Ford Transit
Ford Transit
The Ford Transit is a range of panel vans, minibuses, and pickup trucks, produced by the Ford Motor Company in Europe.The Transit has been the best-selling light commercial vehicle in Europe for 40 years, and in some countries the term "Transit" has passed into common usage as a generic term...
van, in which the three of them also had to sleep. Percy led the world champion Giacomo Agostini
Giacomo Agostini
-Non-riding career:Like John Surtees and Mike Hailwood before him, Agostini raced in Formula One cars. He competed in non-championship Formula One races in 1978. He competed in the European Formula 2 series in a Chevron B42-BMW and British Aurora Formula 1 with his own team and a Williams FW06...
for three laps to finish second to the MV Agusta
MV Agusta
MV Agusta is a motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1945 near Milan in Cascina Costa, Italy. The company began as an offshoot of the Agusta aviation company formed by Count Giovanni Agusta in 1923. The Count died in 1927, leaving the company in the hands of his wife and sons, Domenico, Vincenzo,...
at an average speed of 116 mph. Also in 1969, he teamed with Malcolm Uphill
Malcolm Uphill
Malcolm Uphill was a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. His best season was in 1968 when he finished in ninth place in the 250cc world championship. In 1969, he teamed with Percy Tait to win the Thruxton 500 endurance race. At the 1969 and 1970 Isle of Man TT, Uphill won the 750 Production...
to win the Thruxton 500 endurance race.
'Slippery Sam
Slippery Sam
Slippery Sam is a British production class racing motorcycle that used a tuned version of the 750 cc Triumph Trident ohv three-cylinder engine. The "Slippery Sam" name was acquired during the 1970 Bol d'Or 24 Hour Race in France when a faulty oil-pump covered its rider, Percy Tait, with...
' was one of three similar motorcycles Triumph built for the 1970 Production TT
1970 Isle of Man TT
-1970 Isle of Man Production 750 cc TT final standings:5 Laps Mountain Course.-1970 Isle of Man Production 500 cc TT final standings:5 Laps Mountain Course.-1970 Isle of Man Production 250 cc TT final standings:...
, one of which, ridden by Malcolm Uphill, won the race at 97.71 mph. The Slippery Sam name was acquired during the 1970 Bol d'Or
Bol d'or
The Bol d'or is a motorcycle endurance race, held annually in France. Originally, it was an automobile as well as motorcycle race. The automobiles were limited to 1100cc engine capacity until the 1950s when the limit was raised to 1500cc, and later to 2000cc...
24 Hour Race in France when a faulty oil pump covered Tait with engine oil. In 1971 Tait and Ray Pickrell won the 24-hour Bol d'Or
Bol d'or
The Bol d'or is a motorcycle endurance race, held annually in France. Originally, it was an automobile as well as motorcycle race. The automobiles were limited to 1100cc engine capacity until the 1950s when the limit was raised to 1500cc, and later to 2000cc...
endurance race on a Triumph triple.
Tait was hired by Suzuki
Suzuki
is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
in 1976 to help develop their 500cc Grand Prix bike for Barry Sheene
Barry Sheene
Barry Stephen Frank Sheene MBE was a British World Champion Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.-Early life:...
. In 1976, Tait won the 750 class at the North West 200
North West 200
The North West 200 is a motorcycle race meeting held each May in Northern Ireland. The course, made up of public roads running between the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush is one of the fastest in the world, with speeds in excess of . It is one of around fifteen events run on public...
race. He continued racing two-strokes and 'Slippery Sam' in his late forties but gave up racing after a serious crash on the 'Son of Sam' production racer in the 1976 Production TT.
Motor trade business
Tait set up a successful SuzukiSuzuki
is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
dealership business after the Meriden factory closed until 2002.
Sheep farming
Tait went on to become a champion sheep breeder, winning England's Royal ShowRoyal Show
The Royal Show was an annual agricultural show/fair held by the Royal Agricultural Society of England every year from 1839 to 2009. It was held in Stoneleigh Park near Stoneleigh in Warwickshire, England...
, the Royal Welsh Show
Royal Welsh Show
The Royal Welsh Show is the biggest agricultural show in Europe. It is organised by the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, which was formed in 1904, and takes place in July of each year, at Llanelwedd, near Builth Wells, in Powys, Mid Wales....
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
's Royal Highland Show
Royal Highland Show
The Royal Highland Show is Scotland's annual farming and countryside showcase.It is held annually at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston over the second-last weekend in June , the event attracts over 1,000 exhibitors, 4,500 head of livestock, and an annual 200,000 visitors - making it Scotland's...
with his Blue Demaine and champion Rouge Shearling ewes. His Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
farm is home to the Knighton Flock.