John V. Brittain 1932 – 2019
It is with great sadness that Trials Guru has to announce the passing of one of the UK’s finest trials and ISDT riders, former Royal Enfield works rider John Brittain.
John Brittain, or ‘Johnny’ as he was affectionately known, was a regular national trials winner on the swinging arm framed Royal Enfield Bullet, when most riders were still preferring to compete on rigid framed machines. It was not until 1955 when Bob Manns won the West of England national on his AJS scrambler fitted with his trials motor, that the other factories strated using swinging arm frames on their trials machines. Brittain won the SSDT in 1952 & 1957 and the Scott Trial in 1955 & 1956 on the Redditch built machines. He was also a regular in the ISDT.
The SSDT committee made Brittian the ‘official starter’ of their centenary event in 2011 to honour his achievements in the sport.
Son of legendary Vic Brittain who was a pre-war factory rider and rode for Sunbeam, winning the Scott Trial in 1929 and 1931. John started riding on a DMW then a James, his first Scott Trial was 1949, but quickly secured factory support from Enfields in 1950.
In 1956, John won the ‘ACU Trials Star’, the equivalent of the British Championship.
Brittain competed in fifteen consecutive International Six Days Trials winning thirteen gold medals for his country.
Trials Guru extends sincere condolences to John’s younger brother Pat and the extended Brittain family.
TRIALS GURU - The Trials Academy 
A great shame. He was a fantastic rider and a lovely, very modest man.
I so admired John, and a brilliant kisser too.
A quiet modest guy who was a great rider and a teammate in the British ISDT Teams several times from a friend you have not seen since 1963.
RIP Johnny
I’m on my way to England now but can’t be there for your funeral. Tim Gibbes p.s. Gordon Blakeway will know my whereabouts