Looks ace. Love to have a blast on one.
it looks terrible. dont like it at all. they should stick to making washing powder!
When Ariel came out with The Leader, a 250cc two stroking twin, some thought they’d they teamed up with the other Ariel folk and reinvented the wheel washing machine. Reminiscent of chickens and eggs others pondered on which came first the Leader or the washing machine :ermm:
Every decade or so a Yank property developer or a Hedge Fund squillionaire thinks " I’m fed up playing golf all day and me yacht is making me sea sick - I know! I’ll become a motorcycle manufacturer!!!" ( that’s what they call a “Vanity Project”)
So off he toddles and looks up a revered and respected old brand name that’s on the shelf (much better than using his own name - Abramavich or whatever.)
Problem is,
They usually compromise somewhere - buying in parts like engines and transmissions, frames whateverSo not only has the bike zero to do with the old name, it has none of the distinction and quality of the old bikes ( The ‘reborn’ Vincent with a four cylinder Honda engine for example)They necessarily have to chuck them together (in an old warehouse in San Diego) in small numbers) hence…They cost ££££silly £35 to £50k or so - for a bike that is basically a Fireblade but badly designed, thought out and put togetherThey are so much so that only other Sqaudrillionaires can buy emThey sell 20 - to their matesThey fold
Examples are Vincent, Brough Superior, Hesketh (the reborn one ) BSA (Gold Star Lookalikey with Yam single ) and in a different way Lotus Engineering - all chucking out 35-40k bikes that , if bought, do about 100 miles then straight into a millionaires garage…
I suppose at least they try - the dream of reviving an old name is pretty strong.
So hats of to Mr Bloor - he revived Triumph AND made them affordable - that’s rare
I wish he’d buy the BSA name off of BSA Regal in Hampshire (they make heating appliances (!) and bring that name back too (for the smaller Trumpets)
But he has said no, no, no and no again… hes’s a pretty hard headed practical business guy - maybe that’s why Triumph goes from strength 25 odd years later…