Triumph’s second try at the made-in-India production model (designed by Triumph, built by Bajaj) is about to be revealed, says the motor journalists from that country. When it comes, the buzz is that the new machine will be a single-cylinder in the 200-250 range, and probably a retro.
Or, make that two retros. Last winter, we had a glimpse of some spy pics out of the UK, supposedly showing these made-in-India Triumphs undergoing testing on British roads. One was sort of a roadster, the other was a scrambler.
Those are supposed to both be revealed in the near future, says India’s moto-press. So far, except for that UK sneak peek, we haven’t seen the bikes, which is rare. Usually, any machine under development in India shows up in spy photos months, even years, before its release.
While these bikes are intended for Europe, it’s likely the Indian domestic market is equally as important, maybe even more important. Motorcycles made outside India are subjected to massive tariffs when imported, which is why almost every manufacturer with an eye on that market works out a deal to build their bikes inside its borders. Triumph, with its Brit bike cachet, would be a massive hit if it offered a decent bike at an affordable price. And with a billion people on the Indian subcontinent, there would be buyers even if the price wasn’t affordable.
Triumph’s team-up with Bajaj is supposed to result in more than these two models. Down the road, a larger engine, in the 300-400 class, is also expected. If the initial Bajaj-built bike isn’t coming to western markets, it’s almost a certainty the second, larger bike will be coming. And, judging by past history, Triumph might be reluctant to bring that first, smaller machine to the UK/EU/Canada/US. A decade back, it was working on a similar 250 design but canceled the project over concerns of little customer interest. Does it think there are new buyers now? We’ll see soon, if India’s journos are correct.
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