A brief history of Triumph motorcycles
Currently celebrating 110 years of motorcycle production, it’s interesting to note Triumph, the great British manufacturer, was actually founded by Siegfried Bettman, a German who moved to the UK in 1884 and sold bicycles. A fellow German, Mauritz Schulte, an engineer, later joins Bettman and the now Triumph Cycle Company at its Coventry factory.
In 1902, Triumph’s first motorcycle appears and is basically a reinforced bicycle with a sub-3bhp engine powering it. From this point on, new models are introduced regularly until the first completely built ‘in-house’ Triumph was produced in 1905. The next big event was Schulte designing the first clutch-assisted bike to allow standing start drive-away.
During WWII, Triumph supplied over 28,000 bikes to the British military all based around the four-stroke single-cylinder Model H. From this, Triumph grew and introduced even more models including small capacity two-strokes. However, in 1937, Triumph released the 5T Speed Twin – a 500cc parallel twin that set the tone for all future Triumph twins.
WWII left its mark on Triumph when the Coventry factory was blitzed. A new factory was built in Meriden, where ‘Meriden Triumphs’ were soon to be produced.
By 1973, the writing was on the wall for the British bike industry – the Japanese were making inroads with powerful and reliable machinery. Triumph limped on, run by a workers co-operative until 1983, when the factory gates were closed for the last time.
However, one man quietly bought the Triumph name and set about building a new factory in Hinckley, Leicestershire. Fresh designs were drawn, new technology was employed and suddenly, in 1990, a range of six new Triumphs were unveiled at the Cologne Show. John Bloor’s Triumph is an instant and continuing success…
Triumph’s range of motorcycles
- Adventure
There are three models in the line-up and all very good. The Tiger 1050 is adventure-based, but has sports-like levels of handling and performance. The Tiger 800/800XC are direct rivals to BMW’s F800 GS, while the new 1251cc Tiger Explorer is more than a match for the Bee-Em R1200 GS.
- Sport
There is one supersport bike but two versions are available: Daytona 675 and 675R. The 675cc triple-cylinder engine delivers enough torque and power to make it one of the easiest to ride middleweight sports bikes ever made.
- Classic
Triumph Bonneville bikes were one of the coolest bikes ever built and today’s versions – all five of them – are equally appealing twin-cylinder bikes because of their retro style combined with modern engineering. The other two classic models are the sportier Thruxton and trail-inspired Scrambler.
- Roadsters
Naked, agile, punchy, comfy, does everything, fun… every descriptive word used for the naked Triumph 675cc Street Triple and 1050cc Speed Triple is justified – they really are that good. There are also sportier R-models available, too.
- Custom
Triumph has a broad range of custom cruisers. You can opt for the mild mannered and stylish America and Speedmaster. Or you can opt for the biggest capacity production cruiser of 2,294cc in the shape of the three-cylinder Rocket III. In between are the 1,597cc and 1,699cc parallel-twin versions of the latest Thunderbird model.
- Touring
It’s big at 1,050cc but it’s fast, comfortable, and has quality panniers. This is the Sprint GT (Gran Turismo) and Triumph’s answer to the touring blues.
Triumph motorcycles are very popular with vintage motorcycle enthusiasts. Read our Guide to Classic Bikes to find out more.
How Bennetts provide insurance to Triumph owners
There is no doubt you are or will be proud of your Triumph motorcycle. We call upon our leading insurance underwriters and their wide range of Triumph motorcycle insurance services to get our best deal for you and your Triumph motorcycle.
We also know that second-hand Triumph motorcycles are in demand. Therefore, we can use our extensive knowledge of 85 years experience to find our most competitive Triumph motorcycle insurance quote for whatever second-hand Triumph model you own.
How to get a quote for your Triumph motorcycle
Getting an insurance quote with Bennetts is easy. We search our panel of insurers to find you our best price for the cover you need.
Simply complete our online form or contact our dedicated customer service team by visiting our Contact Us page.
Sources of interest for Triumph owners and fans
Triumph's UK Website – Triumph’s website is loaded, as you’d expect, with everything geared to living in the pleasant world and times of Triumph ownership.
Triumphrat.net – a forum dedicated to Triumph products. News, views, tips and gossip neatly packaged in an easy to read and enjoyable format
Triumph Owners Club - The official Triumph Owners’ Motor Cycle Club
