Top Speed 2019 Triumph Buying Guide

Triumph Motorcycles Limited is currently the U.K.'s largest bikebuilder according to sales numbers. Headquartered in Hinckley, Leicestershire, the British giant competes on the world stage against the top manufacturers out of Europe, Asia, and North America, and it sets the standard for British bikes. Not only does the marque draw on its own deep roots for the looks of its Modern Classic line, but it also shows a willingness to embrace contemporary design elements as well as the performance expectations of the buyer base

Triumph History

Triumph, somewhat ironically, was fathered by a German by the name of Siegfried Bettmann who emigrated to Coventry, England in 1883. He began importing sewing machines and bicycles, and in 1887 he brought Mauritz Schulte aboard. After the most restrictive elements of the Locomotive Act – an act that restricted how fast road vehicles could travel -- was repealed at the end of the 19th century, Triumph hit the market with its “No.1” model that was, essentially, a pedal-bike with a two-horsepower Minerva powerplant. By 1907, the factory hit the 1,000-unit-per-year mark, and by 1911, the push-pedals were little more than a vestigial feature as the engine technology advanced.

The first World War saw 30,000 Triumph motorcycles in service, again ironically, on the side of the British in spite of the marque's German roots and manufacturing facilities. By 1927, the factory was up to 30,000 bikes per year, and the following years of peace saw more expansion and tech advances.

World War II forced the factory to focus on military production until the Coventry factory was bombed during the blitz in 1940, but by '42 the company was in business once more through its new plant in Meriden, England. The years of peace following the war were kind to the company, but again, disaster struck in 2002 in the form of a massive fire that consumed the main factory assembly plant. The fire turned out to perhaps be a blessing in disguise as the re-tooled factory produced the Daytona 600 model that went to claim victory at the Isle of Man TT in 2003. Triumph has since enjoyed uninterrupted operation, and continues to spread its footprint around the globe.

Triumph Motorcycle Models

Triumph Factory Custom

The “Triumph Factory Custom” name says it all. Like many of the top manufacturers, Triumph offers models that embody their own post-sale custom culture for a bona fide showroom-custom look. It all started with an internal challenge back in 2014. Two teams were formed, and the TFC1 and TFC2 were born of Triumph's Bobber and line. The hand-built elegance continues into 2019 with a choice between the café-tastic Thruxton TFC model and the power-cruiser Rocket 3 TFC.

Hand-laid paint and carbon fiber components make each one a unique creation, and a limited run of 750 units each adds an element of exclusivity to the mix. Also, the factory promises each TFC will ne'er again be produced which adds some urgency if you think you might like to own one of the current TFC models.

Model	Price	Displacement
Thruxton TFC	$21,500	1,200 cc
Rocket 3 TFC	$29,000	2,500 cc

Triumph Roadster & Supersport

Triumph toes the genre line with its roadsters and supersports, even though the MY2019 lineup doesn't actually offer any of the latter. The roadster lineup serves as the factory's naked-sportbike line. It leaves little to the imagination with a dearth of body cladding and nothing in the way of the superfluous to clutter up the look and weigh down the machine.

Power comes from a triple that acts as a compromise between the inline four-bangers coming out of Asia and the V-twins popular in the American market. The current roadsters come with a choice between the 765 cc in the “Street Triple” models in the mid-range and the 1,050 cc “Speed Triple” at the top-end. No matter which you pick, you can expect levels of ride-quality controls that start out with ABS and traction control, and improve with each successive model up the range.

Model	Price	Displacement
Speed Triple S	$14,350	1.050 cc
Speed Triple RS	$16,500	1,050 cc
Street Triple R	$11,250	765 cc
Street Triple R LRH	$11,250	765 cc
Street Triple RS	$12,550	765 cc
Street Triple S	$9,950	765 cc

Triumph Adventure

For the globetrotters out there, Triumph has assembled a handful of adventure models with choices to fit a variety of rider types within the ADV genre. Choose between the 800 cc-powered Tigers or the bikes with a 1,215 cc plant. The line divides further according to bias with the XR category built to navigate the urban jungle, and the XC category that comes with a definite preference for off-road work. Within each of those sub-categories are variants that offer ever-increasing levels of ride-quality and safety controls to bring something to the table for all.

Model	Price	Displacement
Tiger 800 XCa	$16,200	800 cc
Tiger 800 XCx	$14,600	800 cc
Tiger 800XR	$12,000	800 cc
Tiger 800 XRt	$15,700	800 cc
Tiger 800 XRx	$13,800	800 cc
Tiger 800 XRx Low	$13,800	800 cc
Tiger 1200 XCa	$22,000	1,215 cc
Tiger 1200 XCx	$19,700	1,215 cc
Tiger 1200 XR	$16,500	1,215 cc
Tiger 1200 XRt	$21,300	1,215 cc
Tiger 1200 XRx	$18,900	1,215 cc
Tiger 1200 XRx Low	$18,900	1,215 cc

Triumph Modern Classics

Currently the most-popular genre for Triumph, the Modern Classic line brings a variety of designs to the table to fit a wide range of tastes. There's the Bonneville Street Twin with a 900 cc mill and classic standard looks straight out of the '60s along with the 1,200 cc Speed Twin that carries itself with the same panache, just with more performance. The Bonneville T100 and T120 draw from the same era and look as well.

If café racers are more your thing, the Street Cup and Thruxton are your Huckleberries. Also hailing from yesteryear are a selection of scrambler models that offer a range of engine sizes and electronics packages to cover all the bases, but the real stars of this section are the Bonneville Bobber and Bonneville Speedmaster. Those two bikes utilize a “swing cage” rear end. Much like Harley-Davidson's Softail range, they use a pivot and shock to deliver a modern ride while maintaining a rigid-style look; a look that takes us all the way back to the '40s before swingarms and shocks were the standard. The Bobber and the Speedmaster are currently riding an immense wave of popularity, in fact the Bobber has set sales records for the marque.

Model	Price	Displacement
Bonneville Bobber	$11,950	1,200 cc
Bonneville Bobber Black	$13,150	1,200 cc
Bonneville Scrambler 1200 XC	$14,000	1,200 cc
Bonneville Scrambler 1200 XE	$15,400	1,200 cc
Bonneville Speed Twin	$12,100	1,200 cc
Bonneville Speedmaster	$13,150	1,200 cc
Bonneville Street Twin	$9,300	900 cc
Bonneville Street Cup	$10,500	900 cc
Bonneville Street Scrambler	$11,000	900 cc
Bonneville T100	$10,450	900 cc
Bonneville T100 Black	$10,450	900 cc
Bonneville T120	$11,850	1,200 cc
Bonneville T120 Black	$11,850	1,200 cc
Bonneville Thruxton 1200	$13,000	1,200 cc
Bonneville Thruxton 1200 R	$15,400	1,200 cc

Triumph Cruiser

The factory produces only one model under its cruiser banner for MY2019; the Rocket III. Aptly named, the Rocket packs a massive 2,294 cc inline triple which is currently the largest production motorcycle engine in the world (eclipsed only by the limited edition Rocket III TFC), and it produces a whopping 148 horsepower with 163 pound-feet of torque on tap. That's right, it's got oodles of power. Don't let the “cruiser” tag lull you into a false sense of complacency, 'cause this ride is a handful by anyone's standards. Certain design elements borrow from the American style machines but the Rocket maintains its British identity with unique touches that give it a look all its own. Agile in spite of its mass, the ABS feature represents the only electronic safety gear on the Rocket to leave it a rather essential ride.