Triumph

TRIUMPH

New Bikes '95

BRIT-BIKES BACK IN THE U.S. OF A.

SCRATCH AN AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE enthusiast and you will find that on one level or another, Triumph motorcycles are magic to him. A revitalized Triumph Motorcycles America Ltd. aims to cash-in on that magic. As of late October, its line of born-again and thoroughly modern Triumphs, first shown in Europe four years ago, will go on sale in the U.S.

The bikes will be those Triumph has sold in Europe, with one significant addition and one not-so-important deletion.

The addition is the Thunderbird 900, a mix of old-time Triumph styling cues with modem engineering and performance. That the bike’s introduction at Germany’s IFMA Show in Cologne in early October coincides with Triumph’s American re-launch is no coincidence.

“We know about the passions Triumphs inspire in the U.S.,” said Michael Lock,

Triumph’s international marketing manager.

“We wanted a bike that would bridge what Triumph is doing now and what we did before.

We’re a modem company, but we don’t want to deny our heritage.”

The Thunderbird 900-+ is that bridge. It looks like every Triumph enthusiast’s fondest dream-right down to its “garden-gate” gas-tank logo.

“We put a lot of effort into researching things that were hallmarks of the old Triumph-the curve of the tank, the shape from different angles, the crankcase covers-all those shapes were very emotive, and we tried to translate them into a modem motorcycle while not making a bike that feels like a 1950s or 1960s bike, a bike with very great limitations in terms of braking, suspension and cornering,” explained Lock.

The Thunderbird-Triumphs bearing that model name first appeared in 1949-uses the same steel backbone frame as the rest of the line, but with a modified subframe aimed at reducing seat height. And while the bike uses essentially the same inline-Triple that powers other Triumphs, important changes were made there, too.

Ah, that engine. It may look air-cooled, but look again. Those cast-in fins are merely for appearance. Look carefully and you’ll see the slim-line radiator that identifies this bike as being liquid-cooled. The crankcases and heads are allnew, designed to provide just the right look. Cast by Cosworth Engineering, these pieces are also said to be very light in weight, and due to the engine’s reduced power output, some of the internal webbing is different from that of similar Triumph designs. Engine internals are mostly unchanged, but tuning is altered to redistribute power and torque toward the low and middle parts of the rpm range, while making a claimed peak of about 75 horsepower.

“But it still has the distinctive exhaust note and power curve of the other Triples,” promises Lock.

The Thunderbird owes few other pieces to the rest of the

Triumph line-just the front part of its frame and instruments from the Speed Triple. The clocks are finished in chrome, instead of black as on the Speed Triple.

The revised subframe is mated to a single-shock rear suspension and a spoked, 16-inch rear wheel. “We did that in part for the look, but also to lower the bike a bit,” Lock said. A spoked, 19-inch rim is used up front.

So, how much lower is the Thunderbird than the rest of the bikes in the Triumph line? No one’s for sure yet, as final specifications were not available at presstime.

Brakes are modern-single discs front and rear, with a four-piston caliper up front and a two-piston caliper at the rear. The bike’s seat shape is evocative of Triumphs past, and its fenders are steel.

“We tried to use as much metal as possible to make the components as right as possible. It’s more expensive, but I don’t believe people looking for this style of bike are that price-sensitive,” Lock explained.

Time will tell. The Thunderbird will retail for $9995,

about a third of the way up Triumph’s price scale, which ranges from $7900 for the Trident 900 standard to $14,000 for the Daytona Super III repli-racer.

Of the existing models, the only one not coming to the U.S. will be the 750 Trident. All the rest of the line-the Speed Triple 900, Sprint 900, Tiger 900, Trophy 900 and 1200, Daytona 900 and 1200 and Daytona Super III 900-are U.S.-bound, though the Super III will not be available in California. Lock said that only the Thunderbird will suffer a delayed intro date, becoming available in January.

By plugging into the same nostalgia-with-modernmechanicals concept that has spelled success for HarleyDavidson, the new Triumph America hopes to sell between 1500 and 2000 motorcycles in its first year of business in the U.S. -Jon. F. Thompson