Buy that Speed triple while you can!

[flstc2003]

I riped this from Tmw For Peter


TRIUMPH IS LOSING MONEY
03 January 2005
India Times

Latest accounts for Triumph Motorcycles show the privately owned UK motorcycle manufacturer posted a £665,000 pre-tax loss, against a profit of £4.1m last time, for the year ending June 30 2004. But on the good news front, turnover rose 13pc at £115m.

The 2004 performance did not include the previous year's £2.1m profit from an asset sale after a fire at its Hinckley plant in 2002. A £1.1m operating profit in 2004 was eliminated by a £1.8m interest bill. Employee levels were cut back by 12pc to 510 staff.

In December 2003 Triumph forecast that sales and production would increase by 25pc a year for the next five years - which seemed a touch optimistic for a niche market motorcycle maker, with no off-road bikes, ATVs, mopeds, scooters, mini-motos, or other high volume models within its range.

The company must naturally have high hopes for its Rocket III cruiser model, especially in the crucial North American market. But the recent near collapse of the US dollar against sterling surely means that another year of belt-tightening lies ahead for Triumph, even if the new Sprint ST spanks the VFR800 in a few key EU markets.

The bottom line for Triumph is that they have struggled to produce a serious rival to 600-1000cc Japanese sportbikes since their revival in the late 1980s. Triumph have no V-Twin cruiser model, no MX machine, no lightweight entry level/novice bike, in their range either. It also took the company too long to revive the Bonneville twin for the retro conscious US market.

A cold, hard look at the reality of the world bike market, the rising costs in manufacturing/bike distribution, the pension costs for staff, EU regulations, the strength of sterling etc adds up to a struggle for survival in the longer term

[Wildgift]

uh oh---well, so much for the speed triple.  i was also concerned that i couldnt use a tail bag, given those bitchin' high twin exhausts...

 maybe i'd better start eyeing that rebel 250, and move forward boldly into the past....

actually, i've thought a lot about this. i have heard bad stuff about the reliability of triumphs.  and though this is all totally thoretical, it's still fun to dream...

at this point, given that i just don't have the stones to buy a ducati (reliability concerns) (sorry april), it looks like the next bike would be either a honda vfr 800, a kawasaki z1000 or, if i go down the sportier route, a honda cbr6004fi or 919 naked, or a kawi zx-6 or an r-6.  i could also do an sv-1000s, but that would feel like a lateral step

this won't happen anytime soon, though...

[badnoodle]

Merde.

I love the looks of Triumph bikes. - it's such a stylistic change from the Italian makers and the Japanese.

[Wildgift]

yeah, me too...but if reliability is a problem...no thanks!

[aprilmaybe]

at this point, given that i just don't have the stones to buy a ducati (reliability concerns) (sorry april), it looks like the next bike would be either a honda vfr 800, a kawasaki z1000 or, if i go down the sportier route, a honda cbr6004fi or 919 naked, or a kawi zx-6 or an r-6.  i could also do an sv-1000s, but that would feel like a lateral step

this won't happen anytime soon, though...

FYI look into maintenance costs on that VFR. Valve adjustmants can run more than on a 2 valve Monster.