A Pearl Among Swine

[Colonel Nikolai]

Sorry, couldn't resist taking this picture at the HD dealer (getting parts for the Buell rebuild)

[tazshido]

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

You should see the looks I get when I ride my Tiger onto the parking lot of our local H-D/Honda/Can-Am stealership. I'ts a strange mix of loathing and envy. I especially peeve them if I mention that Triumph is the ONLY motorcycle company that has continuously produced bikes, that pre-dates H-D. They want to "turn again and rend me"!  

[Colonel Nikolai]

I especially peeve them if I mention that Triumph is the ONLY motorcycle company that has continuously produced bikes, that pre-dates H-D.

Didn't know that! I just thought it was ironic that it was a white street triple (pearl) among all those HD hogs (swine)  :lol:

[Mustang]

even though there was still a licensed company you could'nt really buy a triumph in the late eighties as Bloor hadn't started selling them yet and Les Harris was no longer making the bonnies .
There were a few years where there just wasn't any triumphs produced for john q public .

But yeah basically Triumph has been around longer than hardley ableson..... :D

[cosmo]

Triumph started building bicycles in 1885.
Minerva-engined motorcycles in 1902. 500 were sold.
Triumph made their own engine in 1903.
The rest goes from superlative to superlative. And the odd Tina.

H-D.
Built two prototype motorcycles in 1903. Many problems ensued with the first, including frame breakage. Time for another, better prototype.
Three sold in 1904.
Five in 1905.
49 in '06.
152 in '07.

Harley's first twin was built and sold during 1909.

Harley's sales may not yet have approached Triumph levels.

Cosmo

[tazshido]

Even though Triumph was in receivership for several years, one of thier parts suppliers was licensed to build bikes under the Triumph name. There has never been a year Since 1907 that Triumph has not sold at least 50 motorcycles.

[Mustang]

There has never been a year Since 1907 that Triumph has not sold at least 50 motorcycles.

not quite true

Bloor licenses Les Harris, of Racing Spares, in Newton Abbott, Devon, to continue to produce the Bonnie in small numbers for five years, 1983-1988. Due to problems with liability insurance, the Harris Bonnevilles were never imported into the USA. About 14 were built a week in peak production.

1988

The last Harris Bonneville is produced and Harris decides not to renew his manufacturing licence.

1989
no motorcycles produced for sale

Production tools arrive for John Bloor's new company. Estimates of the company's capitalization range from 40-80 million pounds ($60-$120 million USD), all of it from Bloor himself, without bank financing. Bloor starts to set up his dealer network this year.

1990

Triumph lives again. At the Cologne Motor Cycle Show, six new Triumph models are shown, powered by three- and four-cylinder DOHC engines with high horsepower and torque, all liquid-cooled: Trident 750 and 900; Trophy 900 and 1200; Daytona 750 and 1000. 2,390 machines are sold this year, 974 into the UK.

source
http://www.ianchadwick.com/motorcycles/triumph/

like I said no motorcycles were produced for sale in the late eighties

[CoolHandLuke]

even though there was still a licensed company you could'nt really buy a triumph in the late eighties as Bloor hadn't started selling them yet and Les Harris was no longer making the bonnies .
There were a few years where there just wasn't any triumphs produced for john q public .

But yeah basically Triumph has been around longer than hardley ableson..... :D

Given that Harley V-Twins (their bread and butter) were not properly introduced until 1911, I think it we can call it evens :)

Their first V-Twin in 1909 (copying Indian Motorcycles who invented the V-Twin in 1906) had a lot of issues, hence the delay to 1911.

The 45 degree angle of the engine was born from the necessity of fitting two pistons into the 'V' of a bicycle frame.  Unfortunately, a 45 degree crank has inherent vibrations that can never be balanced out - hence, the goddam awful vibration you get from any Harley.