Re: Triumph Seeing Red Ink
So I read the great reviews on the Speed 4 last Spring, took a local demo for a test ride, found it really was more fun than a barrel 'o monkeys, decided to buy one, then waited and waited as they searched all dealerships east of the Mississippi for a black one. There were none so they checked to the west and again, nothing.
I liked the pix so I decided to check into the Thunderbird Sport. Nothing at the 5 dealerships in my region.
I was left with the impression the dealer network had a lot of leftover inventory they wanted to unload before getting too deep into the '04s. I wonder how many other sales were lost because of dealer hedging.
As to the '05 model line, I think its a smart move to migrate away from the 600 class. I don't know the economics behind being the winner there, but it seems to be a huge drain on the rest of the model line. I continue to be impressed by the YZF-R6, for example, but have been frustrated by Yamaha leaving the FZ1 untouched for 5 years or not improving on complaints with the FZ6.
Anyway, I'd shop a Daytona hard because they weren't jumping out of dealerships last summer.
The Speed 3 looks pretty neat and may even help legitmize Buell's stubby look. Look for that rear fender assembly coming soon to a landfill near you.
The Rocket III is too easy to imagine in John Deere green and yellow. I've also been wondering why I've yet to see any Triumph cruisers on the road.