Filings in CARB website shows 2020 Triumph lineup.
Some very interesting models are afoot.
Triumph have been busy with introducing 2020 models.
Triumph Motorcycles have announced a number of exciting bikes for 2020 lately but a recent filing with CARB shows that there are actually more in the pipeline.
In the space of just a few months, Triumph had unveiled the new 2500cc Rocket 3, Moto2-inspired Street Triple RS, plus the upcoming limited-edition Daytona Moto2 765 sportbike. Those are besides the Triumph Factory Custom (TFC) models. All new bikes, geared up for 2020 and Euro 5 compliant.
And those don’t include the models that were teased such as the Thruxton RS and Bobber TFC that will be unveiled at EICMA.
But you have to also wonder about other models such as the Tiger 800 and 1200, in addition to the Bonneville T100 and T120 lineup.
Thanks to CARB (California Air Resources Board) who always publishes filings by manufacturers, we can see that there are a number of interesting models being planned.
Let’s start with the Tiger 1200. The current generation was able to challenge the BMW R 1200 GS in terms of handling, comfort and equipment, before BMW moved the goal post by introducing the new R 1250 GS. But Triumph isn’t a company that sits still. So, for 2020 there will be the Tiger 1200 Alpine and Tiger 1200 Desert to complement the 1200 XCA, XCX, XR, XRT, XRX variants.
Over to the Bonneville T120 range. One name popped up like the colour red in a sea of black: Bonneville T120 Bud Ekins. This great man’s name has appeared plenty times along with his buddy Steve McQueen in BikesRepublic. Ekins was the stuntman double for McQueen who did all those incredible jumps on the Triumph TR6 in the movie The Great Escape. He also raced the Baja Rally together with McQueen and won a few along the way. We’d love to see how this bike will look like and wonder if it will be like the “regular” T120s or based on the Scrambler 1200 platform.
But bless you, Triumph, for there will also be a T100 Bud Ekins.
You want a café racer? Oh yes, Triumph’s got the perfect factory café racer in the Thruxton R. But for 2020 there will be the Thruxton RS which we saw the teaser video. But there will also be a Thruxton RS Showcase. If our imagination was running wild after the RS teaser, we’re now slack-jawed to learn of the RS Showcase!
There are a number of other models listed in the CARB website but are unfortunately password-protected — we guess at the manufacturer’s behest. We’re really curious to see what they are!
Anyway, the models listed above will be unveiled at EICMA 2019 next week.
Another teaser, but it’s for the 2020 Triumph Thruxton RS this time.
The Thruxton R was one of the best bikes we’ve tested.
But it was the best factory café racer of all.
Here comes another teaser video. But oh dear, it’s for the 2020 Triumph Thruxton RS.
It’s a very short video, showing the Thruxton RS badge on a side panel and telling us to that it’ll be launched on 5th November. That’s the second day of EICMA 2019. No other detail was presented.
If there’s any indication of what’s new, the previous bike was called the Thruxton and Thruxton R. But the “R” was so good, so entertaining, so satisfying to ride that we don’t know what to expect of the “RS.”
The previous model had super smooth fuelling, predictable and linear throttle, and a punchy 1200cc liquid-cooled, 270-degree crank, parallel-Twin engine. The power plant is marked as “HP” for “High Power,” instead of the Bonneville T120 and T100’s “HT” (High Torque) variety.
And as with all Triumph’s the handling was superb right out of the box. The “R” version we tested had Öhlins shocks at the back and Showa BPF forks up front.
We wrapped up our tests by pronouncing the Thruxton R as the best factory café racer, bar none.
Triumph then followed up with the limited edition Thruxton R TFC. Clad in carbon fibre, only 750 were made.
It also receives updated looks and lost some weight.
The 2020 Triumph Street Triple RS breaks cover after Triumph’s teases over the last couple of months.
The new bike retains the Street Triple’s classic silhouette, but it’s apparent that Triumph pared it down to look even more purposeful than ever. The headlamps were updated to look fiercer. There are new radiator flanks, exposing more of the frame. Triumph’s scalpel pared away excess weight, ending up with a bike which weighs only 166 kg dry. The manufacturer claims that it’s the lightest bike in its category.
Over to the engine. While the 2020 bike was revealed in preparation for Euro 5 emission, the engine gained power, courtesy of the lessons learned in Moto2 racing. (Triumph is the exclusive engine supplier to the championship.)
The three-cylinder architecture remains the same and includes two catalytic convertors. Despite that, it receives a 9-percent power boost. It now produces 121 bhp and 77.3 Nm of torque, compared to the previous 116 bhp and 76 Nm of torque. That doesn’t appear to be a lot on paper, of course, but you can look forward to a punchier midrange combined with a more responsive throttle (the previous bike’s throttle was already super responsive and smooth!). The gains and smoother powerband are the courtesy of a new exhaust cam, besides the high precision machining of the crankshaft, clutch and balancer.
The previous RS’s chassis and suspension are already in the ballpark, hence carried over to the new bike. The front forks remain the 41mm upside-down Showa BFF, while the rear mono shock is the Ohlins STX40.
Braking duties are handled by a pair of Brembo M50 monobloc 4-piston callipers gripping a pair of 310mm discs up front and a Brembo single-piston calliper out back.
And as we speculated, there is a new TFT screen armed with Bluetooth connectivity. Through the MyTriumph app, the rider can receive navigation prompts, manage music and calls and control his GoPro action camera. The five riding modes i.e. Track, Sport, Road, Rain and rider customisable are also enhanced.
The previous Triumph Street Triple RS remains the most fun bike we’ve tested to this point, so we can’t wait to test this new one!
As the “Moto2” moniker suggests, the bike is reputed to carry some Moto2 components and technology. It is a tribute to Triumph’s role as the exclusive engine supplier to the championship.
The manufacturer will build only 765 units for the American market, while another 765 are allotted for the rest of the world; for a grand total of 1,530 units.
As we reported earlier, the Moto2 engine is based on the 765cc triple found in the Street Triple. It is then modified for racing, but most of the engine remains standard.
The Daytona Moto2 765 features new pistons, camshafts, titanium conrods, intake stacks and modified ports. Maximum revs go up by 600 RPM to 13,250 RPM. The pistons bump compression ratio to 12.9:1. Additionally, there are titanium intake valves and DLC-coated cylinders.
The revisions yield 128 hp at 12,250 RPM and 80 Nm torque. It may look like small gains over the stock Street Triple RS engine (121 hp, 77 Nm), but this Daytona should be much lower than the RS due to a carbon fibre bodywork.
It also features Ohlins NIX30 forks and TTX36 monoshock, Brembo Stylema brakes, race-style TFT screen.
The unveiling of the Daytona Moto2 765 is interesting because Triumph have been introducing limited-edition models then follow up with “regular” models thereafter. That could very well mean the volume production Daytona 765 is coming soon.
Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 Limited Edition is confirmed for 2020.
The engine is based on the Street Triple RS’s but upgraded for more power.
Triumph will only produce a very limited number.
At last! The new Triumph Daytona 765 is confirmed! Capitalizing on their role as sole engine supplier in Moto2, Triumph will build the Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 Limited Edition for 2020.
According to MCN.com, the bike will be available for Asia, Europe, the US and Canada. However, there are two versions: One for Asia and Europe, and another for the US and Canada. Triumph stated that there will be only 765 units available for each market.
The production number of each bike will be laser etched on the top triple clamp.
The engine Triumph supplies to Moto2 teams began life as the same powerplant in the Street Triple RS (765). The stock engine produces 121 hp, but it’s bumped up to more than 138 hp with just a small number of upgrades for Moto2. This street version, on the other hand, should be good for 130 to 135 hp.
Other Moto2-inspired goodies include the titanium Arrow exhaust which looks exactly like that used in the series; new TFT screen with Moto2 welcome message; five ride modes including track mode; and quickshifter.
The Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 Limited Edition will be officially unveiled at the British MotoGP round at Silverstone on 23rdAugust.
The stolen Triumph Tiger 1200 test bike was been returned early this morning.
The bike was returned by the thief’s father and brother.
We were informed that he had done so on a number of prior occasions.
As a follow-up of the Triumph Tiger 1200 test bike stolen yesterday, Triumph Motorcycles Malaysia informed us that the motorcycle was returned early this morning. Triumph also wishes to extend their appreciation to those who shared the news.
The miscreant signed up for a test ride yesterday afternoon at around 3.46pm, but did not return after six hours. Thousands of netizens shared the news in social media.
We were then informed just after 1am that the thief’s father and older brother returned the motorcycle.
There were also netizens who pointed us to the person who rode off with the bike, and we were informed that this person Bro Superbike has done such a thing many times previously. His previous alleged crimes included driving off in his colleague’s car, plus a number of test bikes. Each time, his father and brother returned the vehicle.
His Facebook page shows him on a 2018 BMW S 1000 RR, and purporting to being affiliated to the S 1000 RR and Yamaha MT-07 owners groups in Malaysia and Singapore. There was only 1 posting in that FB account on 13th June 2019, calling on buyers if they are interested in purchasing a superbike.
The case is now handled by the police.
In our personal opinion, provided that he committed the alleged crimes before, this man is a pathological thief and requires rehabilitation.
Triumph Motorcycles Malaysia launched two limited-edition models today, namely the Triumph Bonneville T120 Diamond Edition and the Triumph Bonneville T120 Ace Café.
The Bonneville T120 Diamond Edition celebrates the 60th anniversary of the 1959 Bonneville T120.
The Bonneville T120 Ace Café celebrates the birthplace of café racers, on the other hand.
Triumph Motorcycles Malaysia launched two limited-edition models today, namely the Triumph Bonneville T120 Diamond Edition and the Triumph Bonneville T120 Ace Café.
Both are special commemorative models and were launched as a pair earlier this year. Although they are Bonnie T120 twins, each boasts distinctively different stylistic cues, lending to that good twin/bad twin adage.
The duo are powered by the 1200cc, liquid-cooled, HT (High Torque) parallel-Twin which features a 270o crankshaft spacing.
Triumph Bonneville T120 Diamond Edition – From 74,900
It’s called the Diamond Edition because it commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Bonneville, which made its appearance in 1959 Bonneville T120. The “T120” name is hallowed in Triumph’s history as it was the first bike to hit 115 mph (185 km/h) in stock form and 120 mph (192 km/h) with slight modifications.
Highlights:
Premium one-off Snowdonia Whie and Aluminium Silver “Union Flag” on the gas tank.
Unique T120 Diamond side panel branding.
Chrome 4-bar Triumph badges on the gas tank.
Chrome cylinder head cover, cooling fins, crankcase covers, badges and chain guard.
Only 900 will be built.
Each owner will receive a special certificate signed by Triumph CEO, Nick Bloor.
Only 4 units are available to customers in Malaysia.
Triumph Bonneville T120 Ace Café – From RM 75,900
The legendary Ace Café in London is considered the birthplace of the café racer. Legend has it that the riders there will challenge each other to race on a street circuit and return to the venue before a song ends on the jukebox. Hence, probably why the bike is “blacked out” for that mean, stripped down, hopped-up and “Head Down – Hold On” attitude.
Features:
One-off Matt Storm Grey paint scheme with racing stripes.
Ace Café logo on the front mudguard and side panels.
“Head Down – Hold On” detailing on the fuel tank.
Blacked-out detailing throughout.
Black four-bar Triumph badge on the gas tank.
Black bench seat.
Only 1,400 units will be built.
Each owner will receive a special certificate signed by Ace Café Managing Director Mark Wilsmore and Triumph CEO Nick Bloor.
Kerjasama di antara Bajaj Auto Limited dan jenama motosikal Britain, Triumph Motorcycles semakin direalisasikan sekaligus bakal menyaksikan jentera Triumph dengan enjin bersaiz kecil akan dihasilkan.
Kedua-dua nama besar ini mengumumkan jalinan kerjasama mereka pada Ogos 2017 namun baru-baru ini Pengarah Eksekutif Bajaj Auto, Rakesh Sharma, telah pun mengesahkan bahawa perbincangan dua belah pihak telah pun memasuki fasa akhir dan akan termeterai dalam masa beberapa bulan sahaja.
Difahamkan jentera sulung Triumph-Bajaj kini giat dibangunkan dengan segala rekaan hadir daripada ibu pejabat Triumph di Hinckley sementara Bajaj bertanggungjawab membangunkan enjin dan chasis.
Model kerjasama Triumph-Bajaj ini dijangka akan dijual di pasaran India sebelum beralih ke pasaran Asia lain.
Ketika ini masih tiada maklumat mengenai jenis motosikal yang akan dihasilkan menerusi kerjasama ini namun timbul desas-desus mengatakan mereka akan menghasilkan jentera moden klasik (seperti Triumph Bonneville) dengan enjin 300-500cc.
The Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE and Ernie Vigil finished fifth overall at the Mexican 1000 rally.
The bike was stock apart from the necessary rally items such as headlamps, engine protection bars and seat.
Triumph and Vigil went up against dedicated 450cc rally raiders.
Remember Triumph Motorcycles entering the Mexican 1000 rally with the Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE with Ernie Vigil Riding? They have just notched up an amazing result on a stock bike!
Triumph and Vigil had wanted to enter the “Real Deal” (nickname for the Scrambler 1200) in the Baja 1000 rally. The manufacturer was eager to show that they have a realscrambler over the other scramblers. However, they were forced to rescind the plan when the former was injured before the race.
The next best thing to do as entering in the Mexican 1000. The rally is a 1,307-mile (1659.2 kilometres), 5-day event where the competitors use the same route as the Baja 1000.
Triumph and Vigil finished fifth overal against dedicated 450cc dirt-bikes that were further “enhanced” for the event. Remember, the Scrambler 1200 XE was stock except for the necessary rally equipment such as engine crash bars, lights and seat. Also bear in mind that the Scrambler 1200 weighed in at 205 kg dry, while the Honda CRF450R race bike weighed only 112kg wet!
The bike suffered no mechanical failures, but an unfortunate failure with the Michelin BIB Mousse tyre filler. The filler is used to seal punctures during off-road riding. Luckily for team, their support vehicle wasn’t far behind to render assistance. Bike and rider were on their way after a tyre swap. They would’ve finished even higher up the order if not for the unfortunate occurrence.
While fifth wasn’t an outright victory, it is a victory in terms of technical excellence for a bike which is stock. It just goes to show that Triumph’s done the right thing in building the Scrambler 1200.
We visited the Triumph Factory Visitor Experience during our trip to London.
The visit included a factory tour in addition to the “gallery.”
The center featured significant models in Triumph’s history, highlights in R&D, new models, custom bikes, and much more.
Besides witnessing the launch of the 2019 Triumph Scrambler 1200, the other main highlight was visiting the Triumph Factory Visitor Experience, during the Triumph Motorcycles Malaysia London Adventure.
To recap, this writer had won the lucky draw’s Grand Prize during the launch of the 2018 Triumphs that included the two Tiger 800 variants, Bonneville Bobber Black and Bonneville Speedmaster.
The trip coincided with Triumph Motorcycles’ Global Dealer Conference (GDC) and launch of the 2019 Bonneville Scrambler 1200. Thus, the entourage included Dato’ Razak Al-Malique Hussein, the Chief Executive Officer of Fast Bikes Sdn. Bhd. (the official distributor of Triumph motorcycles in Malaysia); his son Rafique; the Tan family of Triumph Motorcycles Bukit Mertajam and Guan How Superbike; and Asep Ahmad Iskandar, the founder of the Art of Speed Malaysia.
The gang at The Bike Shed – credit Rafique Muzaffar
We assembled at the ExCel London at 5.30am before boarding the coaches to Hinckley in Leicestershire, the home of Triumph Motorcycles. It was good to get into the heated buses – the thermometer onboard showed 9oC outside.
The manufacturer’s HQ, factory and visitor centre complex is located 188 km from the exhibition centre but was a direct route via the oft-heard “M1” (Motorway 1). Traffic was heavy even during these early hours.
We were soon treated to the sights of the beautiful English countryside. Rolling hills and expansive pastureland were dotted with farmhouses in the yonder. Factories small and large sprung up intermittently.
We soon rolled up to the complex and an excited murmur went up in the bus. They were Triumph dealers from the world over. I heard Japanese, Korean, Spanish, American accented English.
We were shepherded to the 1902 Café and a staff member welcomed us. They also served light refreshments but more importantly, hot coffee. The café was named so for the year when the first Triumph appeared. Yes, Triumph was established earlier than Harley-Davidson.
At the back was the “wall of engines” which displayed Triumph’s engines through the ages.
Outside was the Avenue of Legends. Significant dates that represented milestones and names of Triumph riders were laid into the path leading up the main doors. I stood out here trying to believe that I was actually standing in front of THE Triumph Motorcycles Ltd. factory in England. The strong wind brought with it chilling temperatures but I didn’t care. I was too absorbed.
We shot a few photos with the Tan family along the Avenue of Legends after waiting for quite a while. He came back and complained that his children had disappeared into the gift shop as soon as they got off the bus. Who can blame them?
It was time to visit the facilities. The doors opened to a Street Triple RS and Bonneville Speedmaster in the foyer.
A new Speed Triple and classic Bonneville hung from the ceiling.
The Factory Tour
The exhibition area was choked up with the dealers, so I “‘scuse me, ‘scuse me” at a whole bunch of human torsos (that was all I saw at my height) and made my way into the factory. NOTE: No photography was allowed so there are a limited number of pictures from this area.
No, this wasn’t where random prank calls are handled. Crankshafts are made here. A case contained the Bonneville T120 crankshafts in different stages of machining.
There were many other areas along the way, of course, including engine assembly, motorcycle assembly and everything else in between. Unfortunately, the factory staff watched me intently as I shouldered a large DSLR. However, the Spanish-speaking dealers ahead were sneaking in shots with their smartphones. Merda!
We came up to a section where an elderly Englishman applied the striping to the wheels. The work was fast but the results were immaculate.
The inspection “booth” is where parts were picked up from the production line and inspected closely. Safe to say that inspection was carried out visually and with tools such as X-ray and ultrasound machines, among others.
At 2294cc, the Rocket III’s engine is the world’s largest production motorcycle engine. Here are three separated pieces of the cylinder head, showing the different stages of production. On the left is the raw casting; partly machined in the centre and; fully machined on the right.
Looks like an IKEA stock area, doesn’t it? It’s the same concept here except that the bikes are fully built, instead of needing self-assembly (although I wouldn’t mind doing that!).
Triumph Factory Visitor Experience
The Triumph Visitor Experience is a gallery adjoining the main building.
It’s divided into different segments, starting with ATTITUDE. It alludes the philosophy that Triumph was built on and what drives the brand. Etched into the wall are these words, “Built by riders, for riders, always chasing perfection, it’s what drives us, it’s what makes us.”
Although Triumph is proudly a British brand, it was started by Siegfried Bettman, who emigrated from Nuremberg, Germany. He sold bicycles originally and named his company Triumph Cycle Company in 1886, before registering it as New Triumph Co., Ltd the next year with funding from the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company. He was joined by another Nuremberg native Moritz Schulte as a partner in the same year.
Schulte encouraged Bettman to turn the company into manufacturing. They moved to a site in Coventry in 1886 and produced the first Triumph bicycles in 1889. Now I know where my Grandad’s Triumph bicycle came from.
Anyhow, they expanded into motorcycle manufacturing and produced the first in 1902, powered by a Belgian Minerva engine. So voila, Triumph No. 1.
This beautiful 1937 Speed Twin had me staring at it for a good 20 minutes. Featuring a 500cc parallel-Twin, it was the first truly successful British twin and set the standards for those that followed.
Next was this X-75 Hurricane. BSA (owner of the Triumph brand back then) wanted a design that could sell in the US and employed Craig Vetter to redesign the BSA Rocket 3. But BSA went bust in 1972 so the bike was sold as a Triumph, thus the Vetter BSA Rocket 3 became the Triumph X-75. Production stopped in 1973 as the bike failed new American noise standards. I love the triple exhaust tips!
Before turning the corner, a Thruxton R sat in front of a large display case. The cubbies were filled with Triumph factory accessories. Yes, the manufacturer has more than 300 accessories to choose from.
Starting the PERFORMANCE area were two race bikes. A 1947 Tiger 100 Grand Prix Mark I Racer sits in front of a 1958 Thruxton 500. The Tiger 100 was also known as the T100, so it’s the Granddaddy of the present Bonneville T100. Ernie Lyons rode the race bike to victory at Manx Grand Prix. Triumph commemorate the win by selling the stripped-down Tiger 100 race replica in 1947, which became known as the “Grand Prix.” The victory at Manx was just one of the many that the Tiger 100 won.
1947 Triumph Tiger 100 Grand Prix poster
The name “Thruxton” actually belongs to a racetrack converted from an airfield near Andover, Hampshire. The track was well-known by 1951 and holds six-event motorcycle races as part of the Festival of Britain. Geoff Duke and John Surtees raced there. Thruxton started hosting endurance races soon after.
Mike Hailwood on a Triumph at the 1958 Thruxton 500 – Photo credit Pinterest.com
In 1958, the endurance race became a 500-mile (800-km) affair. Mike “The Bike” Hailwood a 650cc Triumph. This was the start of Triumph’s reputation as a fearsome competitor. Hailwood’s win was the first of eight Thruxton 500 victories for Triumph.
There weren’t exactly factory-built racing prototypes those early days. Instead, competitors buy their bikes from showrooms and modify them for racing. So, Triumph did the smart thing of producing racing parts (like modern-day race kits) and sold them to mechanics and dealers.
The first factory-built Thruxton racer was in 1964. 52 of these were made to homologate them for racing. The 1958 “Thruxton” may be the start but the supreme Thruxton was introduced in 1969. Based on the T120, it finished 1-2-3 at Thruxton, second in the Barcelona GP, and won the Isle of Man Production TT by a record average of 100 mph (160 km/h). That’s super fast for a 1969 bike!
This is why the current Thruxton model is the racer variant and alpha-bike of the Bonneville line-up. As with its descendant, it’s built on the Bonneville T120 and shares the same engine, albeit with the High Power tune.
Triumph Bonneville Thruxton R TFC (Triumph Factory Custom)
(OMG! We still have 4 more sections to go!)
Gene Romero rode this racing 750ccTrident Triple to second place at the 1971 Daytona 200 race. It was part of Triumph Meridien’s 5-rider team assault on the pre-eminent American race. Romera finished just 2 seconds behind the winner in the 320-kilometer race (200 miles). Just below the fuel tank is the trademark “letterbox” airbox. Intake air was routed through the front of the fairing into the airbox and past the oil-cooler, like the modern ram air system. Gene Romero was a multiple AMA Grand National Champion. His teammates were Gary Nixon, Don Castro, Paul Smart and Tim Rockwood.
This Daytona TT600 won the Isle of Man TT in 2003. The bike was built by the famed Valmoto team. This was the early Daytona 600 which uses an inline-Four engine, instead of the triple in the later Daytona 675. But it cemented the Triumph Daytona’s name in the supersport category.
Ah hah. The Triumph Streamliner. Johnny Allen rode (drove?) this machine to the fastest land speed record of 214.40 mph (345.0 km/h) on 1stSeptember 1956 at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA. 345 km/h seems mild now, but this was 63 years ago.
Triumph Streamliner at the Bonneville Salt Flats – Picture credit ultimatemotorcycling.com
But what made the feat even more remarkable was the engine which powered the streamliner. It wasn’t supercharged, turbocharged; not a factory-built one-off special. Only one engine normally-aspirated engine was used, instead of the twin-engine powered sleds used for breaking records. Not only that, the donor engine was a 650cc parallel-Twin which powered the Triumph Thunderbird. It was fettled a little by having larger valves, larger Amal carbs and ran on an 80% methanol/20% nitromethane fuel. But the cylinders were stock!
Oh yes! We’ve come to the bike I really wanted to see! It’s the original TR6 Trophy which was dressed up to like a Nazi’s R75 in Steve McQueen’s movie, “The Great Escape.” This was the legendary bike on which McQueen’s character jumped the concentration camp’s wire fences on this bike, although the stunts were performed by his stunt double and racing buddy, Bud Ekins.
The pair didn’t only use the TR6 Trophy model for the movie. They actually raced the bike in rallies, including the punishing Baja Rally.
The TR6 Trophy is the predecessor of the current 900cc Bonneville Street Scrambler and the new Bonneville Scrambler 1200.
Next to the Great Escape bike is another segment which showcases how Triumph carries out R&D and building their bikes.
The first display showed a raw aluminium ingot before it is turned into an engine casing.
Next was the frame and chassis of a new Tiger 1200. This area showcases the R&D carried out particularly for traction control, ABS and electronic suspension.
Moving on is the section showing how Triumph designs their bikes, in particular the Bonneville Bobber. The exhibit described the stages of development from pre-concept to the clay mock up displayed here. The Bobber is Triumph’s best-selling model of all time.
Roadgoing prototypes were built for real-world testing. These are the stages we see usually see in spyshots. Although it already resembles the production bike, look closer and you’ll see a different instrument display, extra wire looms, a not-so-subtle exhaust O2 sensor, and the unmissable bracket for the GIVI box. Notice the fat wire looms that lead into it. The box carries data acquisition devices (recorders) for various performance parameters.
In the farthest corner was a wall which displayed the components of a Speed Triple like a Lego set. Visitors i.e. me, were free to inspect the intricacy and quality of each piece.
In the centre of both areas was a neon-lit island which highlighted customized Triumphs. A custom Street Twin was joined by a Bobber and were surrounded by beautifully custom-painted fuel tanks.
Opposite the island was the “Wall of Dealers.” Hundreds of displays presented Triumph’s worldwide dealer network. Triumph Motorcycles Ltd. has definitely grown by leaps and bounds since John Bloor acquired the brand in 1983.
Also, near this centre area was an engine placed in a transparent case. The inscription on a plaque said, “ENGINE 000001. THE FIRST EVER HINCKLEY PRODUCTION LINE ENGINE. 1200cc Four-Cylinder Trophy Engine. Built 1990.”
On the way out, I stopped by at a Thruxton R which wore a white and blue bodywork akin to Gene Romero’s Trident Triple racer. It was on closer inspection that I found out it was supercharged!
Just as fascinating was its background. The bike was built by British rider and four-time World Superbike Champion Carl Fogarty to race at the 2016 Glemseck 101 event. Supercharging pumped maximum power up to 148 PS and torque to a huge 157 Nm. Glemseck is the annual café racer event held in Leonburg, Germany, consisting of a bike show and 1/8-mile drag race. Fogarty owned everyone on this bike by winning all 12 drag races he entered and walked away with the overall win in the Essenza class.
On the left side of the isle is the riding gear section. Triumph is not only hard at work in developing new bikes but also technology and design of riding gear.
Further up the line were rows of the latest models, including the Tiger 1200, Tiger 800 XRT, Street Triple RS, Speed Triple, Bonneville Thruxton R, Bonneville Street Twin.
It was time to visit the gift shop upstairs.
It was packed to the gills! People were grabbing stuff off the racks, tables, benches… the cashier had beads of sweat on his forehead, while two lady staff members ran around looking for clothing items the dealers asked for. I only managed to grab a cash box which looks like an oil can, an aluminium lunchbox, a couple of teddy bear keychains and a leather card holder. The queue extended from the cashier to outside the door.
The American couple of me had loads of t-shirts and leather jackets under their arms, that the half-dumped on the cashier’s desk in a heap. It took a long time for the hapless clerk to scan through all the items and the Japanese man behind me started to sigh (you know it’s taking too long when a Japanese sighs). “That’ll be £560 pounds please.” The cheerful demeanor of the couple turned to almost-horror. Compared to theirs, my stash cost “only” £50.
Back downstairs, Asep was waiting for me outside while puffing away on a cigarette. Later, we re-boarded the bus to take us back to London.
CONCLUSION
It’s only apt that Triumph calls the centre an “experience.” While there weren’t as many bikes in the gallery as we expected, those there were of great significance motorcycling history and culture, besides to the brand. I for one still could not believe that I actually saw The Great Escape’s TR6 Trophy in front of my very eyes.
The factory visit was just as awesome. It’s almost a spiritual experience to actually step foot inside the very facility which produced my favourite bikes. At the same time, the sense of amazement never ceased as I traced the progression of a piece of aluminium ingot into a complete engine assembly, which in turn became part of a Triumph motorcycle.
Again, we would like to thank Fast Bikes Sdn. Bhd. and Dato’ Razak Al-Malique Hussein for the opportunity of a lifetime.
The Triumph Thruxton R TFC is part of the Triumph Factory Custom range.
As the name suggests, it will be a limited-production, high-end flagship.
Only 750 will be built.
Triumph Motorcycles are definitely on a roll in debuting many exciting models in a short space of time. The Triumph Thruxton R TFC is the next model being tested on the road.
Photo credit MCN
In October, Triumph launched the 2019 Street Twin and 2019 Street Scrambler at Intermot, followed by the new Scrambler 1200 during the Global Dealer Conference (GDC) in London. It was during the conference that the manufacturer laid out their plans to introduce additional models in 2019. The new bikes included the 2019 Speed Twin (launched in early December), new 180-bhp Rocket III and this, the Thruxton R TFC.
The Thruxton R TFC is part of the Triumph Factory Custom range. The range consists of limited edition, flagship bikes. The TFC Bobber and Scrambler show bikes were first revealed in 2014.
The Thruxton R TFC features a hotted-up Hi-Power 1200cc parallel-Twin engine. The use of titanium Vance & Hines exhausts and remapped ECU raises its power from 96 bhp to 106 bhp.
In the chassis department, Öhlins NIX 30 forks replace the Showa BPFs. It should create an even better pairing with the Öhlins dual shocks currently in place. The Brembo front brake calipers will have the fluid pumped into them by a Brembo radial master cylinder. If that’s not racy enough, the Thruxton R TFC will wear Metzeler Racetec RR tyres.
Triumph has also pared nearly 5kg off the bike’s weight.
The Thruxton R TFC will be fitted with a carbon-fibre “bullet” fairing as standard. Only 750 examples will be built. Lucky owners can stare at the production number on the billet top triple clamp.
We named the Thruxton R as the funnest café racer we’ve tested. The TFC should be even better!
