British motorcycle manufacturer Triumph is planning to enter the Indian motorcycle market in a big way, say officials from that country.
According to a story on Visordown yesterday, government officials from the country’s Karnataka region are saying Triumph is looking to buy 30 acres of land to build a manufacturing facility, to be operational by 2015. The Business Standard says they’re investing £100 million in the venture.
Triumph is hoping to build 250,000 bikes a year in the project’s initial phase, then boost that production to 500,000 machines annually; to put that in perspective, Triumph currently manufactures about 50,000 bikes a year between its factories in the U.K. and Thailand.
The factory won’t likely be building bikes from Triumph’s current lineup; most motorcycles on the road in India are relatively small, usually between 100cc and 200cc. Supposedly, Triumph is working on a small-displacement single-cylinder machine that will be affordable for Indian buyers, possibly with more than one variation. It’s supposed to have an engine between 250cc and 350cc, with liquid cooling and a four-valve head.
This would mesh with rumours that have been flying for months now, that Triumph is working on an entry-level beginner bike; perhaps Triumph is also planning to bring their Indian-manufactured machine back to the western world as a low-priced machine for new riders.
This is good news! A 350cc Thumper from Triumph would be a nice addition to their line-up and one that I hope would eventually be available in Canada!