Inside Triumph
Triumph is an icon at the core of the English automobile scene and is the sole remaining all-British-owned major brand. They have made some of the most beloved motorcycles on the planet. The brand appeared in 1877 after two years of importing bicycles and started making motorcycles in 1902. By 1918, Triumph was Britain’s largest motorcycle manufacturer, and cars followed soon after. Various owners held the marque over time, and a restructure split 2-wheels from 4. BMW obtained the car brand as part of the 1994 Rover purchase, and it is now dormant. In 1991, billionaire home builder John Bloor rebooted the bikes, leaning into its heritage, the invigorated company started making a series of twins and triples based on their legacy.
Current ownership shows an astute ability to cater to the desires of the public. Having captured the learner market, they are a prominent player in sports and adventure machines, and the large and ultra-cruiser segment. Now they have their eyes set on the Motocross and electric markets. They already make the largest production motorcycle in existence, the incredible 2.5L Rocket 3 I reviewed six months ago. Triumph underlined its race pedigree by becoming the exclusive engine supplier to the Moto 2 world championship in 2019. The road-going Street Triple model provides the 765 cc standardised engine, and the wealth of learning feeds back to the road bikes. Triumph has also won prestigious events such as the Isle of Man TT and Daytona. It’s the stuff legends are made of. They recognised this and have created an experience for fans.
I had the opportunity to take this Factory Visitor Experience that opened in 2019 at the Hinckley head office, 100 miles north of London. Here they build, paint, and refine every Triumph bike. It is an impressive place. Raw components go in one end and big, beautiful bikes roar out at the other. Highlights for me included the environmentally controlled area where every crank and engine receives precise calibration to minimise vibration, and the paint shop, which we were able to tour because it was not operating on the weekend.
The display of historic bikes is as impressive as the tour. Triumph has leaned into screen time and actual bikes straight from set are right here. Steve McQueen’s Great Escape bike, Tom Cruise’s ride in M:I:III, 007’s bike used in No Time to Die? Check. Check. Check.
The combination of the factory tour and the impressive museum creates an unmissable pilgrimage for any motorcycle fan. My group of twenty or so fellow devotees and I lapped it all up, from history to engineering, to finishing. My only regret was not being able to leave on one of these iconic machines myself after such an inspiring visit.