Triumph motorcycles have a special place in my heart. The first time I saw a Bonneville I immediately fell in love with the bike and the company itself. Triumph makes some pretty cool bikes if you ask me, and they have such a diverse lineup that any one of their bikes is sure to please. Despite their massive lineup, their classic series definitely have some of my personal favorite motorcycles.
The history of Triumph is a bit strange. The original company that was founded as “Triumph Engineering” closed its doors in 1983, however the name and all of their rights were purchased a man named John Bloor to keep the name alive and they are now known as “Triumph Motorcycles Ltd”. Triumph Engineering was founded all the way back in 1885 when a German man named Seigfried Bettman left Germany and came to Coventry, England. The company began selling imported bicycles from German, and then eventually they started producing their own bicycles. After success with producing bicycles, the company produced its first motorcycle in 1902. The companies bikes quickly caught on, leading the company to see more success. Eventually during World War I and World War II, Triumph produces an extraordinary large amount of motorcycles for the allied effort. During the 1950’s Marlin Brando road a 1950 Triumph Thunderbird GT in the film, The Wild One, and the bikes then became popular in America (Steve McQueen would also help with this in later years). In 1959 they created one of their most famous bikes, the Bonneville, a model that lives on today. During the 1970’s and the 1980’s the company saw some financial troubles, which eventually lead them to going bankrupt in 1983. Then Bloor purchased the name and all of their rights and created “Triumph Motorcycles”. Doing so allowed Triumph to be considered the oldest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world. Today they are the largest British manufacturer of motorcycles and their bikes are very popular all around the world.
Triumph produces 28 different motorcycles within six different classes of bikes. Those classes are adventure, classics, cruisers, roadsters, supersport, and touring motorcycle. Like any proper motorcycle powerhouse, they have a bike for pretty much any purpose. In their adventure series they have nine different motorcycles that are ideal for long range trips, where you will repeatedly go off road. They have two supersport bikes for those seeking a thrilling ride and mind numbing acceleration. The have a touring bike, The Trophy SE ABS, for those seeking comfortable motorcycle for long, gentle rides. The have nine bikes in their cruiser line, that are similar to Harley’s. They have four cutting edge roadster bikes, and five classic bikes, which the company is most known for.
Within the classic series, customers will find some of Triumphs most popular and iconic motorcycles. The Bonneville T100 is part of the series that really made Triumph popular, so popular that Harley-Davidson made an entire model to compete with this bike: the Sportster. The bike has an iconic parallel-twin engine with a capacity of 865cc; a pretty decent size. This engine provides the bike with around 68 brake horse power at 7,500 RPM’s and around 50 pounds-feet of torque. Receiving around 43 miles to the gallon in the city and 57 on the highway, this bike is very fuel conscious as well.
The highly popular Scrambler bike is also found within this category. The original Scrambler made such a name for itself that competing motorcycles companies have made it into its own motorcycle class. This bike is a great motorcycle and can tackle some light off roading. Those wanting a bit more performance within a classic bike should look towards the Thruxton, which is Triumph’s Cafe Racer styled bike. The Thruxton and Bonneville were so popular that they literally forced competitors to produce similar bikes. Just look at other motorcycle companies and you will see similar bikes to these, maybe sometimes even better, however it was Triumph that established these styled bikes as a standard. These motorcycles are not for speed chasers, that being said they will give you a terrific riding experience on an iconic bike. These were the bikes that punk rockers were driving across London fighting and disrespecting “Mods” on their scooters. These styled motorcycles are also becoming increasingly popular among first time riders who are looking for great alternatives to Harley-Davidsons.
Triumph produces all kinds of motorcycles for various types of riders, and some of those models are so iconic that they have become a motorcycling staple. Their bikes are down right cool, and personally some of my favorite. They are terrifically understated and you will sure receive compliments riding your Triumph.
Photo from triumphmotorcycles.com
