Doug Hele

13 July, 1919 - 2 November, 2001

Doug Hele's efforts were pivotal to the design and creation of the Triples we know and enjoy so much. His long and illustrious career paralleled the glory days of the British motorcycle industry right up until the very end of the classic line in the late 1970's. While Doug started his career in the motorcar industry he soon became a well respected figure in the world of two wheels. He worked for many of the great names in the British motorcycle industry including AMC, BSA, Douglas, Norton and  Triumph. He was well respected by those that knew him as an engineer's engineer.

Doug not only had a flair for seeing the advantages of a particular engine layout, but he was also willing to take advantage of unorthodox frame and cycle parts as in the case of the prototype 250cc BSA MC1. He was involved in many of the classic achievements of the time including successes with the Manx Nortons and, in  later days, the BSA and Triumph Triples. During his time at Triumph he improved the frame design to give that marque the reputation for fine handling that they are now well known for.

Always looking to try new ideas and designs Doug had worked on plans for a three cylinder motorcycle since the late forties - including more than one project for a 250cc triple! However, it wasn't to be until 1963, when he was working with Bert Hopwood, who was then General Manager at Triumph, that Doug designed the Triples that are the focus of this website. Announced in 1968 they were the first true superbikes of the modern era. Although these Triples were soon overshadowed in the showroom by a plethora of me-too superbikes, from Japan and elsewhere, they captured the public's imagination with a string of spectacular wins on the racetrack.

Doug continued to develop the overall design of the Triples with improvements in various areas. He re-designed exhausts to be quieter and more efficient - which is no mean feat. He also worked on the design of an overhead cam engine which ran as a prototype but was never placed into production due to the financial problems that overtook BSA and Triumph in 1971.