Table of contents
- Interview with John Bloor Hinckley News
- New projects – Bonneville Cafe Racer
- Super cruiser
- Super sports tourer
- Super athlete
motorcycles
Interview with John Bloor
Interview with John Bloor
Hinckley News
John Bloor did not fire a single employee because of the catastrophic fire in the spring. Because the Triumph owner still has ambitious plans.
Fred Siemer, Waldemar Schwarz
07/09/2002
??? They had a bad fire in the factory in the spring. How is the reconstruction work going and what about the ability to deliver?
We have decided to rebuild Plant 1 more or less completely in order to be able to manufacture even more modern and high quality from mid-September, when we resume production, which is currently interrupted. The delivery of spare parts was never endangered, unfortunately we have recently been unable to build some motorcycles.
??? Will you enlarge the factory and the workforce?
Insignificant, it remains at a maximum capacity of around 45,000 units. That is the order of magnitude that we can live with very well. And around 650 people will continue to work in Hinckley, around 200 in our new frame factory in Thailand and around 130 in the branches.
??? How long have you been producing in Thailand??
Oh, the factory just opened. We manufacture the steel and aluminum frames for most of our models there.
??? Almost 20 years ago, when you acquired the naming rights for Triumph, such dimensions were out of the question. What is your personal balance sheet?
It was and is a great challenge. But if I had ever regretted my decision back then, I wouldn’t be sitting in front of you today. Then I would have sold the company again. Triumph has done well in the twelve years we’ve actually built motorcycles. Maybe a little slower than we thought at the beginning, but we’re still satisfied. We have tried to gain the experience in a good ten years that others have had in 50 years, and I think we managed to do that quite well. I personally learned a lot about mechanical engineering. That was not intended, but it is part of this business.
??? How is Triumph doing in its most important markets?
In Germany, as you know, the entire market is stagnating. But in the US we now sell 10,000 motorcycles ?? that’s 50 to 60 percent more than two years ago. Especially the Bonneville is well received there, among other things by the many men who already owned one at a young age. And that’s not a few? around 300,000 units were shipped from Meriden to the USA. Our European business too? including Great Britain ?? grows, but more slowly.
??? What is the position of the two Bonneville models in your program??
We sell close to 10,000 units, almost a third of our total production. That says it all, doesn’t it? That is why we want to expand the Bonneville family quickly, in a direction that also ties in with old Triumph traditions.
??? How should that look like?
First of all, another version of the America will be on display at the Intermot trade fair in Munich. Then there will be a cafe racer next year, and a scrambler is also conceivable.
??? These are motorcycles with a special touch. We’ve missed them in some recent triumphs.
We know we made a few mistakes in this regard ??? and will correct them in the near future. Even at the next Daytona, if you allude to it. But don’t forget: building high quality motorcycles has always been our top priority. Now we are so far that we can focus more on character, on the special.
??? The Bonneville is a bridge to the Triumph tradition. And she succeeds. Why didn’t you come with a motorcycle like this back in 1990??
At first we consciously broke with tradition. Because we wanted to create a new quality term for Triumph. No more oil leaks, no more vibration damage, you understand. On the other hand, it was planned for a long time to bring a traditional bike like the Bonneville ?? but in this order: first introduce modern standards, then tie in with traditions.
??? But hardly any other brand has such a reputation, such magic.
We know that, and you will see in the next two years that we see this reputation as a challenge even more. As I said: we learned a lot. We learned how hard it is to make a 600cc engine competitive. But when we learn, we move forward. We now have a wide range of models, and now we want to pay more attention to the brand image.
??? It could be that Aprilia’s Blue Marlin study heralds a trend towards the naked sports motorcycle…
Yes that could be.
??? … because people want speed beyond the autobahn, because they want to experience powerful, undisguised machines.
… I agree with them.
??? It wouldn’t be a big step from a Speed Triple to a motorcycle like this.
I also agree with you there.
New projects – Bonneville Cafe Racer
Busy high-end forges with their sporty Bonnie conversions have already garnered enthusiasm at various trade fairs, and Triumph obviously understood this commitment as inexpensive market research: two years after the Bonneville was introduced, a Cafe Racer is now close to being ready for series production in Hinckley. The almost completed design work shows a stylish, but with relatively simple and therefore hopefully inexpensive means made retro athlete in the style of the legendary rocker bikes from the early sixties. Among other things, aluminum side covers, raised, slim silencers, clamped-on clip-ons, narrow mudguards and a flat bench with a rear cover differentiate the Cafe Racer from the standard Bonnie. A four-piston disc brake is sufficient for the athlete at the front, but it comes from the brilliant Daytona system. Even more promising, however, are the key technical data that John Bloor elicited in an interview with MOTORRAD: The parallel twin is brought to almost 900 cubic centimeters by means of a larger bore, primarily to give it punch in the lower and medium speed range. The top performance increases from 61 to almost 70 hp, and Triumph dealers are expected to be converting anticipation into sales contracts from June 2003.
Super cruiser
There is still a year left to wait for the greatest triumph of all time. In the USA in particular, company boss Bloor is expecting great success from the gigantic 2000 cc cruiser. The hitherto nameless bike plays with elements of several models: It has three cylinders like the Triumph Trident, it has a longitudinally and vertically installed in-line engine like the prestigious Indian Four, a cardan like BMW, a disc rear wheel like Harley’s Softail Deuce and at least the same size from Honda’s VTX. Technical data and price are still a secret, it is still undecided whether the world’s largest production bike will get an ABS brake.
Super sports tourer
A piece of the future, which celebrates its premiere in 2004 at the earliest, but which is already being worked on at full speed: Just as the 1200cc Daytona was able to compete in the top performance league ten years ago, the new 1300cc four-cylinder should enable performance à la Hayabusa and the like . At least. For this reason, Triumph treats yourself to a completely new design, which then has to get other family members on their toes. A big, sporty tourer is likely to follow, both models will not only wear G-Kat but also ABS.
Super athlete
The fastest little ones are called Daytona. That was the case in Meriden with the 500cc twin, and it will soon be the same in Hinckley with the 600cc four-cylinder. A radicalized variant of the TT 600, which remains in the program, with completely new bodywork, new airbox, new injection and probably also a revised cylinder head, is intended to satisfy the ambitious athletes in the Triumph series. With top performance and top drivability. Nothing is changed on the much-praised chassis, the market launch will take place punctually at the beginning of the 2003 season. Whether the angular design is now the new general direction was not to be found out.
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