Triumph Thunderbird Motorcycles in Farmington, page #22

Moto blog

Looking after number 1

There was a time when a rider’s number indicated his position from the previous season, with the ultimate accolade being the number 1 emblazoned on the front of the champion's bike. The rise of branding in MotoGP and a rider wanting to market themselves, born from Barry Sheene and his retention of no.7, saw riders decide against displaying their finish from the year before. Rossi, who on winning his numerous championships, stuck with his famous #46 in defence of his titles, instead of stamping a great number 1 on his bikes.

MPG or BHP?

If you were a child of the seventies, you may remember Craig Vetter’s name from his previous work as a stylist (Triumph Hurricane) or his huge fairing business, Vetter Fairings.  Since then, the 69 year-old industrial designer has become obsessed by fuel consumption - or rather highlighting how poor motorcycles are delivering impressive figures. He originally ran a series of fuel challenges in the eighties and now the economy has taken a nose dive, he has resurrected the competition, figuring that the time is now right to highlight these issues again. According to Vetter, three of every four American gallons of petrol is imported – reason enough to devote his time to raising awareness.

Best of British

Enigma 1050 is a new, all-British motorbike based around a Triumph 1050 Speed Triple engine. It's being put together by a small team of people headed by former MCN editor and lifelong fan of British engineering, Jim Lindsay. "The driving force behind the project," says Lindsay, "Is to showcase some of the amazing expertise that exists in the British motorcycle industry." Enigma is being designed as a sharp-handling road bike with all-day comfort as one of the key goals.

Triumph Reports 2011 Financial results

Triumph reported a 7% increase in unit sales and a 47.8% increase in operating profit for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2011. According to Triumph, the British manufacturer sold 48,684 units over the year, a 7% increase from the 45,501 units sold the previous year. Operating income totaled 22.3 million pounds (US$35.0 million), a large jump from the operating income of 15.1 million pounds (US$23.7 million) reported last year thanks to a more efficient use of working capital and reduced costs.

Top 10 EICMA Show Bikes You May Have Missed

Interesting motorcycles you probably didn't see1 of 11Next Last There’s no cave deep, mountain high or rock heavy enough to have thwarted news of Ducati’s 1199 Panigale superbike launch at the 2012 EICMA show in Milan, Italy. And a few models such as Honda’s NC700S and X, Kawasaki’s Versys 1000 and CRP’s Energica were unveiled without heavy prior fanfare, but gasps of surprise weren’t heard when the wraps were taken off Triumph’s Tiger 1200 Explorer, Husqvarna’s Nuda or MV Augusta’s F3 675 among others, whose existences were revealed months in advance of the show. What we’ve comprised below is our list Top 10 Bikes unveiled at EICMA that didn’t receive top billing but are certainly worthy of your attention.

The future. But we can't have it

It's no secret that we motorcyclists are getting older. We're ageing because less people are passing their bike test each year (roughly 30,000 last year compared to 50,000 for the 10 years before the new two-part test) and so not only is the pool not growing it's not even being replenished and so the average age isn't being diluted down by yoof. When the going gets tough in any situation, you really get to see who's got their shit-sorted and who's light enough on their feet to adapt to change.

2012 Triumph Speed Triple R Unveiled at EICMA

Triumph’s legendary Speed Triple receives the ‘R’ treatment for 2012, which means it comes equipped with top-shelf parts like Öhlins suspension and Pirelli Supercorsa SP rubber. Judging from its looks alone, it’s plain to see that this is no ordinary Speed Triple. Triumph worked in close collaboration with Öhlins, to fine tune the NIX30 43mm fork and TTX36 shock to work specifically for the Speed Triple R.

2012 Triumph Tiger Explorer Unveiled at EICMA

Powered by an all-new 1215cc three-cylinder engine producing a class-leading 135bhp with 89lb-ft. of torque, the Tiger Explorer sports a high specification that Triumph thinks will set a new benchmark in the adventure touring class. The thoroughly modern powerplant utilizes a new ride-by-wire electronic throttle system, allowing for a number of high-tech rider aids for added rider safety and comfort.

Rock ‘n’ Rollers’ Harleys and The Fonz’s Triumph Hitting the Auction Block

Matt Sorum with his customized 2008 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail. Sorum’s bike will go on auction Nov. 12 at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

French Moto Website Anticipates Versys 1000 at EICMA 2011

Musings of a liter-size engined Kawasaki Versys have circulated the web for a few years now, as loyalists of the likable Versys 650, as well as displacement-driven riders waiting in the wings, have pondered the potential of a more powerful adventure bike from Kawasaki that’s in the same league as BMW’s R1200GS and Yamaha’s Super Tenere. Alas, nothing of the sort has ever left the lips of Kawasaki, let alone go into production. Recently, however, the French motorcycle website, Moto-net.com, has produced convincing images that appear like photos of a complete Versys 1000, including matching hard luggage.