Triumph Tops 10K Units Sold in the U.S. in '06.
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Funny how things change. Many moons ago Triumph was the conservative unable-to-change stodgy brand while the Japanese were the innovators experimenting with new ideas. Now it's the opposite with tiny Triumph coming up with the 675 while Honduh (yawn) takes the bodywork off of a scooter and calls it the greatest innovation in history. Big Ruckus is more like Big Snoozefest.
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What's going on with Honda? The line up is getting worse every year.
I like cruisers, standards and sportbikes, but Honda really isn't offering anything that make me want to buy anything.
Their cruisers look really plasticy (spelling?). It's really kind of odd, they almost look fake looking.
It seems they dropped the 599 for '07.
The superhawk, that everyone raves about, doesn't look like it's been in their lineup since '05 (and who knows when was the last time they updated it before that).
Their sportbikes look outdated compared to other companies (and sportbike riders are nearly as superficial ad cruiser riders).
Everyone seems to dislike the current version of the VFR and everyone expected it to be redesigned three years ago.
It almost seems like they are just moving away from producing motorcycles (I doubt that's the case, but compare Honda's line up to any other and it really seems possible/odd).
Do they really sell that many Gold Wings that they can let the rest of their line up run stale?
I like cruisers, standards and sportbikes, but Honda really isn't offering anything that make me want to buy anything.
Their cruisers look really plasticy (spelling?). It's really kind of odd, they almost look fake looking.
It seems they dropped the 599 for '07.
The superhawk, that everyone raves about, doesn't look like it's been in their lineup since '05 (and who knows when was the last time they updated it before that).
Their sportbikes look outdated compared to other companies (and sportbike riders are nearly as superficial ad cruiser riders).
Everyone seems to dislike the current version of the VFR and everyone expected it to be redesigned three years ago.
It almost seems like they are just moving away from producing motorcycles (I doubt that's the case, but compare Honda's line up to any other and it really seems possible/odd).
Do they really sell that many Gold Wings that they can let the rest of their line up run stale?
Who says a small company can't compete with proper engines
I think the key lesson for the "Harley, Stay the Course Crowd" of the GPTB is that a small company can build a modern proper engine, put it in a sportbike and beat the big 4. Aprilia is doing it with 1000 V-4 and Ducati does it routinely. But some how the GPTB says Harley can't put a great engine in the Buell.. Imagine if the Buell Firebolt had a world class engine.. Heck I bet they would sell 10 times more Buells...
Congratulations Triumph you deserve it for showing guts and working hard to produce world class products. Products that don't have to rely of marketing slogans, "mystique", or "heritage".. OK HD Buell it's your turn to show that America is still the land of free and home of the brave
I think the key lesson for the "Harley, Stay the Course Crowd" of the GPTB is that a small company can build a modern proper engine, put it in a sportbike and beat the big 4. Aprilia is doing it with 1000 V-4 and Ducati does it routinely. But some how the GPTB says Harley can't put a great engine in the Buell.. Imagine if the Buell Firebolt had a world class engine.. Heck I bet they would sell 10 times more Buells...
Congratulations Triumph you deserve it for showing guts and working hard to produce world class products. Products that don't have to rely of marketing slogans, "mystique", or "heritage".. OK HD Buell it's your turn to show that America is still the land of free and home of the brave
Excellent Point
Agreed... Seems Honda has forgot their roots and gone corporate. It's a familiar scenario i.e. the founder dies or gets set aside (Apple Steve Jobs) and the thing gets ran by Harvard MBA professional managers who have no passion for the product...
Agreed... Seems Honda has forgot their roots and gone corporate. It's a familiar scenario i.e. the founder dies or gets set aside (Apple Steve Jobs) and the thing gets ran by Harvard MBA professional managers who have no passion for the product...
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Re: Excellent Point
...except, Apple did something unheard of and brought Jobs back. Who is now looked upon as a god by Mac followers (and rightly so considering what he's done...just ignore that whole stock investigation thing).
It was really surprising since Jobs left under REALLY bad circumstances. Pirate flag and all...
...except, Apple did something unheard of and brought Jobs back. Who is now looked upon as a god by Mac followers (and rightly so considering what he's done...just ignore that whole stock investigation thing).
It was really surprising since Jobs left under REALLY bad circumstances. Pirate flag and all...
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I'd really like to have a Bonnivelle at some point.
I also liked their Trophy touring bikes. I hope they bring it back.
The Rocket just doesn't look right to me, though. Haven't seen one in person...so maybe that's it...right?
I also liked their Trophy touring bikes. I hope they bring it back.
The Rocket just doesn't look right to me, though. Haven't seen one in person...so maybe that's it...right?
OK, I confess. Right now there are 7 bikes on trickle chrge in my garage. Guess which one gets ridden, even when it's not really riding weather -- a Triumph Scrambler. And yes, there's a nice honest coating of dirt on the skid plate. Great all-around fun bike. Congratulations Triumph!
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Re: Congrats to Triumph
What did you replace it with?
What did you replace it with?
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8,715 Posts
Re: Who says a small company can't compete with proper engines
Triumph plays off their heritage to a certain degree with the Modern Classic line, but they also crank out thoroghly modern designs as well. Triumphs were always cutting edge sportbikes in their day because that was the market they competed in. Norton, BSA and Triumph as well as Ducati and Laverda where and are about performance, not sh*t-barge land yachts.
That's why John Bloor has succeeded where so many others like Indian, EH and the like have failed. Building modern competetive sportbikes and tourers from the start and establishing the brand before paying homage to the past with the Bonneville series instead of trying to one-up Harley with '50's style cruisers.
IMO the only way Buell would survive with out the Sporty engine is as a total stand alone brand. It's a catch 22 for them. The Sporty engine defines the bike but keeps them tied to HD and back corner status at most dealers. Get rid of the Sporty engine and put a modern engine in it and it looses it's cult appeal and has to compete with bikes like the Ducati, 675 Daytona and Moto Guzzi as non-Japanese performance bikes.
Tough call for them.
Triumph plays off their heritage to a certain degree with the Modern Classic line, but they also crank out thoroghly modern designs as well. Triumphs were always cutting edge sportbikes in their day because that was the market they competed in. Norton, BSA and Triumph as well as Ducati and Laverda where and are about performance, not sh*t-barge land yachts.
That's why John Bloor has succeeded where so many others like Indian, EH and the like have failed. Building modern competetive sportbikes and tourers from the start and establishing the brand before paying homage to the past with the Bonneville series instead of trying to one-up Harley with '50's style cruisers.
IMO the only way Buell would survive with out the Sporty engine is as a total stand alone brand. It's a catch 22 for them. The Sporty engine defines the bike but keeps them tied to HD and back corner status at most dealers. Get rid of the Sporty engine and put a modern engine in it and it looses it's cult appeal and has to compete with bikes like the Ducati, 675 Daytona and Moto Guzzi as non-Japanese performance bikes.
Tough call for them.
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