[666]

Triumph can have a One Hundredth Anniversary, but they are not 100 years old. There is no relationship between the original and the current other than the short name of the motorcycle.

Otherwise, I may set up the Daimler MotorCycle Werke - wooden framed bikes for the gentry, and celebrate our 117th. Birthday!!

 

[jamboa]

Yea the bikes they make now are light years better than those little oil leaky bikes they use to make. I will admit those little oil leaky bikes did have a beautiful clean look to them(The bikes not the oil on the floor)

Jamboa

 

[whitetrashrobot]

100 years in our hearts and our minds!

Isn't motorcycling supposed to be about passion?

 

[TheFox]

They're going to be in for a suprise when they get into South Chicago Heights...it's a pretty rough neighborhood despite having a Triumph-BMW-Moto Guzzi-Suzuki dealership. Place even had a Velocette Thruxton on the floor last time I was there. Nice dealership; crap town.



--Foxy

 

[jmeyn]

I think you're wrong. See www.ianchadwick.com/motorcycles/triumph/

for a complete history/time-line of Triumph (and motorcycles in general).

 

[jmeyn]

Triumph Time-line

See www.ianchadwick.com/motorcycles/triumph/ for a wonderful historic view of Triumph and motorcycles in general.

 

[seruzawa]

Having direct experience with the old marque taught me the importance of having good clean looks on a bike that's standing still, a normal condition for the British bikes of the 60's. Though Triumphs weren't generally as bad as BSAs or Nortons, taking a long ride with a group normally required a chase truck to carry victims of the inevitable mechanical failures that plagued those bikes.



Very pretty bikes, though. And the old Bonnevilles were undoubtdely the most beautiful of all. The old non-unit construction Bonnevilles and Tigers were IMHO the pinnacle of British aesthetic design. Few have equalled it since.

 

[mandrake_the_mollusk]

There's a LOT of relationship if you're a lawyer...

since they absolutely and without any contest that I'm aware of own all rights to the name, trademarks and everything else that legally consitutes a brand.

Aside from the legal aspects (the only thing that counts more than your opinion or mine) it's all in how you define a "real" Triumph. Are Harleys made by a spun-off division of AMF, not the original company, real Harleys? Legally they are, but otherwise a matter of opinion. In my opinion they are "real" because they build their own engines, frames and drivetrains (everybody outsources some parts). In my opinion Indian can NOW call itself "real" because they're starting to produce their own engines again instead of using generic S&S motors, but if the courts decide they don't own the name (was still a suit or two alive last I heard) then it doesn't matter what I think. In my opinion today's Triumph bikes are more "original" than Jaguar cars with Ford engines, even though the latter never went entirely out of business.

 

[bigjames]

Horse heathers (I have to be careful or I'll get censored again)! How can a company that has gone belly up more than once with breaks in production each time claim 100 years! Felt the same way about Indian. Kinda like folks who have been married and divorced several times with other marriages and lovers in between then re-married and claiming anniversary numbers from the first marriage!



All trying to steal the thunder from the one company that didn't roll over and die (eventhough they probably should have a couple of times) - Harley-Davidson! I'll be in Milwaukee in 2003, that one will be worthy of celebration!!



I really like Triumph, even live relatively close to Peachtree City (that is where the North American headquarters are - not Atlanta. Quite a few miles away from the big A), but will not take any part in this false anniversary.



Anyhow, they are completely ignoring the place where they are actually located - screw 'em.



Gee, I hope this doesn't hurt my possible job prospects with them...

 

[mandrake_the_mollusk]

Today's Triumphs are the best-kept secret in motorcycling. You get that elusive thing called "character" out the wazoo (the thing that most people pay thru the nose for one of those high-priced brands to get) while the price/performance ratio comes closer to mainstream i.e. Asian bikes that everybody and his brother has. Their only weakness seems to be their dealer network and that should improve as sales keep climbing. People who haven't ridden one don't know what they're missing. I hope this trek gets them some much-needed publicity. If it doesn't, their introduction next year of the most powerful mass-produced motorcycle ever (2.2L/150+lb torque) should do it.

 

[SilverBullet]

I agree with you, Triumphs ARE special.

What worries me is if the introduction of the 2.2 monster will hurt Triumph more than help it. Granted that it will finally get it some media attention, but I don't know if building this silly behemoth (cool or not) will bring it the wrong kind of publicity (the rest of the bikes in the lineup make perfect sense for the street and are well balanced).

 

[SilverBullet]

So this is what the discussion is REALLY about? The fact that another company celebrates their 100th anniversary a year before H-D? Come on, grow up!

 

[mandrake_the_mollusk]

Hey I hear ya re the "silly behemoth" but if the VTX and its ilk sell like hotcakes, and they do, there's got to be lots of people out there who think a 2.2L beastie "makes perfect sense."

 

[xIrvx]

Eh? what's this about?

A 2.2L? What configuration is it? If it is a parallel twin the bike will need a seat belt to keep the rider from vibrating off! I guess if common sense was a factor we would all be driving yugos.

 

[Poser]

Eh? what's this about?

It is an in-line (with the bike) parallel triple. MCN has a picture of it. It isn't what I like, but if Triumph sells lots of them and makes lots of money, then they will stay in business and make more bikes I do like.

 

[Poser]

Prince of Darkness Vanquished

Current Triumphs don't suffer from the curse of Lucas. Festivities for Meriden Triumphs would have to end at dusk, but Hinkley Triumphs can party all night. I have a TT600, and how good they are and how sorted Triumph has gotten them is one of the best kept secrets in the world of bikes.

 

[Poser]

Amen, Brother!

I was cautious about buying a Triumph, because I am a pretty dyed-in-the-wool 600 rider. The TT600 got beat up pretty badly by the press, and rightly so. Triumph supported the bike, and now it works like it should. I finally bought one and have never looked back.

The local dealer has been excellent so far. I had one warranty issue and both the dealer and Triumph bent over backward to solve it. Furthermore, Triumph have contiunally upgraded the fuel injection mapping for ALL recent models, improving performance long after the sale. What other manufacturer regularly upgrades your bike for you at no cost to you? Pretty amazing, if you ask me.

I am not at all interested in cruisers, but the fact that Triumph is now making them shows how serious they are about being a "real" manufacturer. A Triumph dealer is very close to having something for every street rider. Product range like the range that Triumph is putting together ought to generate increased sales for the dealer network, and as a result, a stronger, better capitalized dealer network.

This 100th anniversary is only a promotional stunt, anyway. If it wakes people up to the fact that Triumph is there and making competitive machinery, then it is a good celebration.

 

[Steven_Verschoor]

Re: There's a LOT of relationship if you're a lawyer...

Very well stated, Mandrake.

Your criteria for "real" and "original" are well-defined, but regarding a Triumph Centennial, I think there's one more issue: continuity of lineage.

I am not qualified to comment on lineage. Perhaps other readers will do so.

Steven

PS: I'm not convinced that legal opinion is more important than what's in our hearts and minds (See WhiteTrashRobot below.)

 

[SilverBullet]

Re: Amen, Brother!

True, Triumph WILL now make a bike for every kind of street rider... they were lacking the obese bike with excessive power! Hey, it doesn't even sound bad after all!

 

[SilverBullet]

Best kept secret

I only wish the new Daytona was as sexy as the old T5 (they redeemed themselves with the new S3, though, keeping the sexyappeal and improving perfomance at the same time).