Triumph Closes In

TRIUMPH CLOSES IN

CONFIRMED: TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES will be sold on the North American continent in the 1994 model year. Richard Jette, vice president of marketing and sales at Eastern Marketing Ltd. in New Brunswick, Canada, told CW in a telephone interview the firm has concluded a distribution deal with Triumph Motorcycles Ltd. to sell Trident 750s and 900s, Tiger and Trident Sprint 900s, Daytona 900s and 1200s, and an as-yet-unannounced Speed Triple 900. Jette said the bikes will be priced to compete with BMWs and Ducatis through what he called “a limited number of dealers,” with the first machines arriving in Canada in November.

Though it’s too cold to ride in Canada in November, he said, this is the month in which Canadian enthusiasts traditionally put down their deposit money for bikes they expect to take delivery of for spring and summer riding.

Jette said he had no information about possible Triumph distribution in the U.S. Triumph Marketing Manager Michael Lock was quoted recently in a British publication as saying that Triumph’s second invasion of the U.S. motorcycle market is now being planned, with the opening sales shots expected to be fired late in 1994 for the 1995 model year, though no specifics were given.

Expect the bikes to bow in a limited market that could comprise California, Texas, New York, Florida, and just a few other states that enjoy high motorcycle sales numbers.

Jon F. Thompson