I HAVE to tell someone!

**shafty** · 16th March 2010, 20:13

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was stoked to meet and have coffee with John Bloor, Owner of Triumph Motorcycles, and Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham at the Bahrain Ritz Carlton on the weekend.

(John recently asked Digby to be Chairman of Triumph, and he also does Ambassadorial work for JCB and Jaguar.)

They were here to attend the Formula 1 at the invitation of HRH Prince of Bahrain - who I believe is a petrolhead as well, and owns a Triumph amongst other toys.

John and Digby were taking the opportunity to look at opportunities for Triumph here in the Gulf and a few of us were invited to have a chat.

What a great couple of Blokes, and a buzz to have an informal chat with.

Shafty

Click image for larger version.

Name: Couchsurfer 1 063&#.jpg
Views: 72
Size: 770.1 KB
ID: 200639

**Virago** · 16th March 2010, 20:19

Awesome. Random opportunities like that give you a real buzz.

**Sable** · 16th March 2010, 20:20

Joy to the world.

**HenryDorsetCase** · 18th March 2010, 15:58

Originally Posted by shafty

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was stoked to meet and have coffee with John Bloor, Owner of Triumph Motorcycles, and Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham at the Bahrain Ritz Carlton on the weekend.

(John recently asked Digby to be Chairman of Triumph, and he also does Ambassadorial work for JCB and Jaguar.)

They were here to attend the Formula 1 at the invitation of HRH Prince of Bahrain - who I believe is a petrolhead as well, and owns a Triumph amongst other toys.

John and Digby were taking the opportunity to look at opportunities for Triumph here in the Gulf and a few of us were invited to have a chat.

What a great couple of Blokes, and a buzz to have an informal chat with.

Shafty

Thats cool. !!

**nadroj** · 18th March 2010, 16:09

What did they taste like?

**avgas** · 18th March 2010, 16:17

Wanker - I hate you.

(this is envy)

**shafty** · 18th March 2010, 16:40

Trust you Nadroj!

John told the story of how he came to buy the intellectual property of Triumph - a story we know, but is was nice to hear it from him - and how 850 of their 1700 employees are now in Thailand "because everyone else is doing it, so we've got to too".

He mentioned that warranty claims (24 month warranty) account for only 1% of the ex factory price, and even then it is usually down to a supplier, not the factory itself!

**AllanB** · 18th March 2010, 16:52

Bloody name dropper.

I saw a picture on the internet of Brittany Spears fanny as she got out of a limo.

Sorry - best I have.

**YellowDog** · 18th March 2010, 17:28

You could dine out of this story forever...............

**Blackbird** · 18th March 2010, 18:30

Impressed enough to buy a Triumph then Shafty?

**shafty** · 18th March 2010, 18:40

I did buy a new 900 Trophy several years ago - great bike, but found it didn't bounce well at 100 k's having taken a 2 metre drop off the road on to railway tracks lol

I have also toured the Hinckley factory in 2002 when I was over there with work -very impressive, and they do all their own casting of engines in house now. As my name eludes, I do prefer shaft drive, (hmmmm..... Rocket III?) but I would still have a Triumph any day of the week.

**shafty** · 28th May 2010, 21:22

From The Observer.....

Triumph rides high as UK bestseller takes on Harley-DavidsonTriumph Motorcycles overtakes Honda as Britain's top bike over 500cc and sets its sights on Harley-Davidson's heartland

The Observer, Sunday 23 May 2010 Article history

Taking on Harley in the US: the Triumph Thunderbird.

Triumph Motorcycles has ridden the recovery in UK manufacturing to a victory over key rival Honda and is now setting its sights on American adversary Harley-Davidson.

The Leicestershire-based bike maker has revealed that booming sales in April made its brand the best-selling in Britain in the over-500cc sector, overtaking Honda. It wants to make that ranking permanent this year as it continues to increase its market share following record UK sales in 2009.

Chairman Lord Digby Jones says part of the boost has come from a strong yen, which has raised the prices of Japanese rivals in the UK market.

While the recession knocked back overall sales of new motorcycles by 20% in Britain last year, UK motorcycle production actually grew, according to the Motor Cycle Industry Association.

But beyond currency effects Jones also cites Triumph's strong brand, new products and a big push at domestic and overseas sales. Of the 46,000 bikes Triumph will make this year, just 9,000 will be sold in Britain.

"We really want to get hold of America," said Jones, former head of industry group the CBI. "We have launched the Thunderbird straight into the middle of Harley-Davidson's market and it has just been voted bike of the year in America, right in Harley-Davidson's backyard," he adds, referring to an award from a US magazine.

Twenty years since resurfacing from receivership, the manufacturer also has its eye on more sales in the Gulf, where the Prince of Bahrain has a Triumph, as well as in Asia more generally.

In Britain it is launching a string of upmarket dealerships, including one this month on home turf in Leicester.

"What we want to do is make Triumph number one in the UK market, year in, year out," says Jones