Percy Tait

Percy Tait (9 October 1929 – 17 November 2019) was an English professional motorcycle road racer and senior road tester for Triumph motorcycles, where he was estimated to have covered over a million miles of road testing. He later became 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 Signals White Helmets Motorcycle Display Team. Testing could 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. 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 Bol d'Or 24-hour endurance race on a Triumph triple.

In 1975, Tait was hired as a consultant by Yamaha to improve the handling of their XS650 machine. His subtle improvements were judged to make a significant improvement.

Tait was hired by Suzuki in 1976 to help develop their 500 cc 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. His Worcestershire farm is home to the Knighton Flock.