Triumph Legend Takes on 81-Mile Ride for Dementia UK

Former Triumph development engineer Norman Hyde is taking on an 81-mile ride as part of his Ride to Recall campaign for Dementia UK.

At 81 years old and living with dementia, Hyde is using motorcycles to raise awareness and money for the charity.

Hyde has already completed his own 81-mile ride around the North Cotswolds, joined by 20 friends and colleagues from the motorcycle industry.

The wider Ride to Recall campaign is running throughout 2026, with other riders encouraged to take on their own 81-mile challenges and support the fundraising effort.

Hyde's challenge is intended to highlight the importance of memory while raising money for Dementia UK.

Who is Norman Hyde?

Norman Hyde is a former Triumph development engineer and record holder who has played a leading role in creating some of the UK's most famous bikes, set world speed records, and then spent decades making those same bikes faster.

Hyde joined Triumph as an apprentice in 1964 and eventually qualified as a mechanical engineer, moving into the company's racing development department.

Working under legendary chief development engineer Doug Hele, he was involved with some of Triumph's most important twins and triples, including the T120, T140, T150, T160, and T180.

He also worked on Triumph's racing programme, including with riders such as Percy Tait.

Hyde was an accomplished racer himself, setting world records on Triumph-powered machinery in the late 1960s.

His biggest achievement came in 1972, when his Roadrunner III sidecar outfit, powered by an 850cc Triumph Trident engine, set a world sidecar land speed record with an average speed of 161.8mph.

That record stood for more than 35 years.

When the Meriden Triumph factory closed, Hyde didn't walk away from British motorcycles.

He established his own business in 1976, developing performance parts for Triumph twins and triples, before creating the Hyde Harrier in 1987.

Based around Triumph engines and a Harris Performance chassis, it became an iconic example of the specialist British motorcycle scene.

Hyde continued developing parts for Triumphs after the marque's rebirth at Hinckley, effectively maintaining a link between the old and new generations of British-built bikes.

The Ride to Recall Campaign

Hyde has challenged himself to ride 81 miles without using a Sat-Nav or other electronic navigation aid.

The challenge is intended to highlight the importance of memory while raising money for the charity.

You can support the Ride to Recall campaign by taking on your own 81-mile challenge and making a donation to Dementia UK on the JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/page/ridetorecall.

Ride to Recall merch is also available for purchase on the official website.

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