A new Triumph model will debut at the opening of the firm’s recently-completed visitor centre on 3 October. But at the moment the details of the bike remain a secret.
There’s strong evidence to suggest that the mystery new Triumph will be the new Bobber-based cruiser. At the moment, survivors of the old air-cooled Bonnie range include the old America and Speedmaster. Surely they’re hot favourites to be replaced sooner rather than later.
The water-cooled Bonneville range is a huge success and each additional model boosts sales. It already encompasses 900cc and 1200cc engines in a variety of tunes and covers a wide range of markets. But it hasn’t attacked the traditional cruiser market yet.
The existing Bobber already provides the ideal basis for a new cruiser. Its false-hardtail chassis design neatly hides the rear suspension and gives a classic look. But the Bobber style means it’s a strict single-seater, and the riding position is a far cry from the stretched-out pose of a traditional cruiser. However, the bike that will replace the America and Speedmaster solves those problems.
It shares the same chassis but gains a more traditional look. It swaps the Bobber’s 19in front wheel for a smaller, wider rim and there’s a new subframe that supports a pillion, luggage rack and a sissy bar. Triumph will surely offer several versions of the upcoming cruiser; with and without luggage, with different bars and different wheels.
What about the Scrambler?
The 865cc, air-cooled Scrambler is also outdated and due for replacement. It’s hard to imagine many buyers opting for the old bike since the launch of the new, water-cooled Street Scrambler. However, by opting to use the 900cc engine and the ‘Street’ name, Triumph has left the door open to make a larger-capacity, 1200cc Scrambler using the T120 Bonneville engine.
The Triumph visitor centre, at the main factory in Hinckley, Leicestershire, will include a museum, a café and a shop.