RAT Membership and Triumph's business strategy in my opinion.
When I bought the 03 Bonnie, I got the membership to RAT. That included the magazine, Torque, a membership card, stick pin and a nice RAT 3 dimensional stick on thingie for your windshield. Same thing for another year then the dissolution and you had to sign up on line. I did and got a few issues of Torque, which did become just a mere advertising vehicle like we are all going out every quarter and buying another bike, yeah, right. Oh well. We all have our Rocket site. It's more fun anyway. I considered navigating the on line membership sign up tedious at best so I'll let the whole fiasco rest in peace.
Triumph has some piss poor marketing strategy here in the United States and I suspect abroad. One reason HD has prospered in the past is their marketing technique and their 'after the sale' continued marketing with company sponsored activities like the Harley Owners Group, sponsored factory tours and other activities. Other motorcycles manufacturers have emulated HD's strategy to their financial benefit but Triumph seems to want to rest on it's laurels from the years preceding the Bloor takeover even though those years, especially the later years were checkered with failures at best.
If Triumph wants to compete and grow in the North American market and the world market, they'd better change their marketing technique or they will always stay a niche bike manufacturer, only sold and serviced at dealers who are multi-line. There are few dealers who can survive exclusively floor planning Triumph motorcycles and accessories. To see the truth in that, just go to the dealer locater on the Triumph site and check them out. I did. One or two are exclusively triumph. That's it.
Interestingly, the dealer application for Triumph states that the company desires an exclusive relationship with a minimum 250K down payment but Triumph seems not very interested in perpetuating any exclusive agreement with dealer support, advertising and ancillary activities aimed at moving bikes and accessories out their dealers doors.
To saddle the already under supported dealers with all the RAT Pack activities, when those activities should be corporate sponsored is another poor decision on Triumph's part. I also understand that Triumph, NA, in Newman, Georgia is nothing more than a rented office with a receptionist and a couple of office cubicles. Another interesting business approach. When my dealer was still in business in South Toledo, Triumph would hold their technical seminars at that dealership simply because the dealership was centrally located, had ample room and up to date equipment and because the parent company had no facilities in which to have a tech seminar. Strange outfit, this Triumph company. Selling motorcycles globally and operating on a shoestring. It equates to maximum profit, but alienates the end user which, eventually, will effect the parent company's bottom line....negatively.
A very interesting business approach at best. Not one that I, if I had 250K to invest in a business venture, would enter into.