Triumph's One-Two Punch?

TRIUMPH'S ONE-TWO PUNCH?

TRIUMPH IS TEAMING with Cosworth, maker of championship-winning Formula One and Indy Car engines, to create a line of single- and twin-cylinder motors, say insiders.

Triumph will confirm none of this, but European and British sources insist a 750cc, liquid-cooled, eight-valve vertical-Twin will appear next year in a Bonneville sportbike with a Ducati-style trellis frame.

Other street and dual-purpose motorcycles are expected to be built around the engine, which could apparently be made in larger-or smaller-displacement. The new Twin is said to be based on a Cosworth engine used in the Norton-funded Quantel, which won several races in 1988, including the Daytona Battle of the Twins.

Details are sketchy about Triumph’s plans for a singlecylinder motorcycle, which likely would compete with BMW’s hot-selling F650, Cagiva’s new Canyon and others.

Bob O’Neill, Triumph America’s vice president, says numerous options are open, but nothing has been finalized. “There are a lot of engines, frames and technologies being evaluated but there are no decisions about production,” he says.

Michael Lock, Triumph's international marketing manager, has said that with the company now at its production capacity, it makes sense to only build large-displacement motorcycles, which are more profitable than less expensive bikes with smaller engines. That said Triumph is building a new factory with an undetermined opening date that will be more than four times bigger than the current plant.

Alan Cathcart