Received this from Tampa dealer and link to Daily Herald ( UK)

Bondysbike · Jul 24, 2018

scot in exile said:
Sustainability
i must be pretty lucky to live in an area that has a vast motorcycle knowledge in fact I know I am as I see posts about members getting a hard on when they see another rocket on the road, I get concerned if i do not see at least two or three other Rockets daily where I live. When I visit my local dealers each salesman knows the Rockets pretty well and like them just would not own one.
Sustainability? I know a lot of you guys are new to the Rocket but it has been around for fourteen years now and that in any line up is a long time, we can all say what we want to about HD but they have a great marketing program which they invest pretty heavily into, now Triumph is a very small company compared to the big four so it stands to reason that it has a LOT fewer dealers and a LOT less advertising, nothing wrong with being all romantic over certain models but if they DO not make money you can not keep them going might sound cruel but business is business.

HD is a great example they have had an appalling run of compound sales decreases for several years. They have seen an uptick in sales following a massive revamp of all of their line up. The acid test will be 2019. You completely missed the point on sustainability.
Triumph and it’s re-emergence has been built on its cruisers , the touring / expedition line up. The Speedmaster for example has been a phenomenal success. The spike in sales being enjoyed now is as much to do with ‘fashion’ and the Cafe racer craze as it does Triumphs merits. This is a case of all eggs in one basket if you ask me. Even the dealers will acknowledge the current Triumph model line up is confusing with many models not having a USP over the next...I hope I’m wrong but going narrow and deep to this extent is a very courageous or stupid decision, we will soon see. Meanwhile the largest market in the world remains a blind spot for the Leicestershire folks..”m ‘ duck “

Bondysbike · Jul 24, 2018

barbagris said:
How on earth do you get drunk on a triple soy peppermint latte?. And thank you so much, America, for destroying coffee.

Lest we forget - real Rockers, who arguably made Triumph (in)famous with Marlon's help - went to cafés to drink coffee (well OK probably tea). Not booze.

Hipsters - on scooters ------------------------------ Hmmmmm. Remind anybody of anything?. This time maybe they win!

It is ALL about surviving a huge dip in sales.

We (well me anyway) are all Dinosaurs - destined like the T-Rex to be converted into fossil fuels in a few million years.
Many of us, on here, are most certainly NOT the future. One or two are very much PAST IT.
Sorry but we no longer interest companies with a 10 year plan. Coz some of us will be in the conversion phase.

I bought the R3 to do "A" job. I looked at masses of other bikes before arriving (by accident really - because they were NOT on my list at all) at the door of Triumph.
So what does that say about me - Yup - I am odd, fussy and do not fit into pigeonholes with a lifestyle attached.
This is my destiny - to embrace the obscure - and suffer for it.

Since then it has only had to perform it's original purpose a handful of times as Mrs B. has pretty much abandoned passenger-ship.
I got VERY close to going to a Trophy - but that has now gone - and if I am honest - I am not entirely surprised. Annoyed? - yes a bit.

Really...what did the UK do for coffee in the last 50 years...Starbucks created an availability of gourmet coffee as opposed to the crap available out of home before them. If you are adding peppermint cyrup to a latte then you’re not an expert on coffee lol

Bondysbike · Jul 24, 2018

Claviger said:
Indeed. I don't usually drink and ride, my career is over with a single DUI, so it's not really an option.

Triumph is dead to me now, no Daytona, no Rocket, nothing but a sea of little bikes fit for drunkards and hipsters.

What happened to Triumphs being actual performance bikes... apparently those days are gone and this is my reaction to them being positioned to move 100% of bike assembly to India (only the R3 and special models are still assembled in Hinkley):

I’m with you...I fear they decided in haste and will repent at leisure...let me know how to remove the badges lol...

PaddyO · Jul 24, 2018

rocketjohn said:
While I agree the Rocket is not broadly known...they are hardly ugly. Everyone who saw mine walked round and round and oohed and ahhed. Granted the touring model owes much style wise to the Road King, but that's the basic kind of tourer Americans expect.

I agree. When considering what my next bike would be I could not find anything that checked the boxes the R3T did. Funny that you mentioned the Road King. If I were to look at HD, that would be the bike I would consider. I do not want my motorcycle covered in plastic. From an appearance perspective, I want a windshield, hard bags, fenders, and to be able to see the motor. Performance wise, there was nothing close to the power of the Rocket engine. This is my first Triumph. It will be sad if it is my last. However, as I age, I suspect my needs will change and something smaller than the R3T may become necessary. Until that day, I intend to continue to make this bike my own and fully enjoy what it gives me.

instant · Jul 24, 2018

Thedogsbollocks said:
Really...what did the UK do for coffee in the last 50 years...Starbucks created an availability of gourmet coffee as opposed to the crap available out of home before them. If you are adding peppermint cyrup to a latte then you’re not an expert on coffee lol

I will not bash on Starbucks coffee quality - I consider it poor to mediocre, but understand it may be OK for somebody else - but once they put it into one liter plastic cup, it can not be named gourmet. + if you are an coffee person, it can not be named coffee.

UK did nothing for coffee in last 250 years. Applause to them for not messing with it.

educational video follows:

daytonageo · Jul 24, 2018

The writing is on the wall folks. All who cheered the downhill slide of HD will soon be lamenting the downhill slide of their own marque. The true motorcyclists are dying in droves, and being replaced by whatever meager numbers they can find in the new generations......which are few and getting fewer all the time. Kids aren't interested in motorcycles. That is a fact. The companies will ride whatever small trend exists to sustain for the moment, and then downhill it will go. Dealers are closing daily. Triumph closed up shop in Daytona and Orlando. Very disappointing. I see a future of very few motorcycles and even fewer dealers. Get ready. It's coming to a town near you!

barbagris · Jul 24, 2018

Just as an aside - I actually counted the number of 2-wheelers today on the way to work. Commuters. So real bike riders - not week-enders.
2 maxi-Scooters, Two "nekeds" (a BMW Nine-T and a sporty looking Kwacker) and two "adventure" (A beemer and something red/white).
If I remember - I'll count bikes on our run to the coast for the weekend.

rng3 · Jul 24, 2018

Remember "You meet the nicest people on a Honda"?
That ad campaign at the time was said to generate more bike sales than any other campaign.
I do not watch TV and listen to little radio. However on line and other medias have seen ads for the most popular brands of three wheelers.
So I know they exist and it generated some interest.
Can not remember seeing a Triumph ad. In fact did not even know the Rocket existed till I was looking for a Harley and just for the heck of it stopped at a Triumph dealer. Mostly stopped out of loyalty as I bought my first Triumph in 72.
Image the interest an ad campaign and test ride program in the US would generate. Corvette did it with great success.
I believe there would be more Rocket sales if more people knew about them and test rode them.

Rick

Tripps · Jul 24, 2018

rng3 said:
Remember "You meet the nicest people on a Honda"?
That ad campaign at the time was said to generate more bike sales than any other campaign.
I do not watch TV and listen to little radio. However on line and other medias have seen ads for the most popular brands of three wheelers.
So I know they exist and it generated some interest.
Can not remember seeing a Triumph ad. In fact did not even know the Rocket existed till I was looking for a Harley and just for the heck of it stopped at a Triumph dealer. Mostly stopped out of loyalty as I bought my first Triumph in 72.
Image the interest an ad campaign and test ride program in the US would generate. Corvette did it with great success.
I believe there would be more Rocket sales if more people knew about them and test rode them.

Rick

Same here on almost everything

scot in exile · Jul 24, 2018

We can piss and hiss all we want but in reality Triumph is a privately owned company(John Bloor) so he does not have to answer to any shareholders or others who know eff all about making money in the motorcycle world and hopefully he keeps it that way, for British car/auto manufacturers have a less than desirable track record, for fcuks sake the mini is no longer British as the Germans own it.

Received this from Tampa dealer and link to Daily Herald ( UK)

Bondysbike

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Bondysbike

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PaddyO

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instant

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rng3

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Tripps

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