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this is an e mail I got from my Rat pack Leader in Wales written by RAT coordinator


Hello all



Some of you will have been hearing rumours regarding R.A.T. and my position as R.A.T. coordinator, and I would like to clarify exactly what is happening.



For those of you who do not know I am soon to be made redundant from Triumph. I still haven’t officially been made redundant and I was waiting until this was official for me to announce this to you all, but the R.A.T. drums have been banging and rumours have been flying so I thought it was time to explain what is happening.



Last week Triumph announced to me that the R.A.T. UK coordinator position was being made redundant and I am at risk of also being made redundant. I am currently in what's called the consultation period, which is the time Triumph legally has to give me to warn me that I may be made redundant. I don’t exactly know when the official announcement will be but it should be in the next couple of weeks.



A coordinator is now not required any more because of the lack work. All membership administration is done on the website by the members, National Raids will finish after this year, this is because they take a lot of time and effort to put together but only reach a couple of hundred members a year. The Torque (Triumph) magazine will be put together by a professional publishing house, so there will be nothing for me to write every quarter, and all Pack Leaders and dealers will soon get a login and a password to add events direct on to the Triumph website.



Dealers will now be solely responsible running the Packs and dealers that do run a Pack will still receive more bonuses at the end of the year from those who don’t. The dealers will now be monitored and motivated by the area sales managers.

For those who have already booked the Dragon, Highlands and the EOSP, these will still be going ahead. I'm not sure who will be coordinating these but Bobin is the obvious choice.



Some of you will think this is the end of R.A.T. and with that attitude it will be, you need to carry on with what your doing keep the Packs running successfully like they are now. It’s a shame about the national Raids but there's nothing stopping one of the Packs arranging the 08 Dragon Raid, they just need to book somewhere like Ruthin castle, email all the Pack Leaders and Dealers advertising the event. Put the event onto the website and advertise through the dealer, you would easily fill it. The association is still a very important part of Triumph. Just yesterday Bruno Tagliaferri stood up in front of the dealer network and showed figures of how much more likely an active R.A.T. member was to buy another Triumph and recommend their dealer then someone who isn’t involved with R.A.T..



Triumph have been excellent to me in the way they have handled this, they delayed this announcement to me due to the birth of Hayden and Christmas, although there's never a good time to tell someone they’re losing their job. They have been very good with trying to find me something within the company although there's nothing currently available and they are being very fair with paying me what is owed. I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing at the moment, I am applying for various jobs and I've also thought about going on my own which is something I've always wanted to do. I have absolutely no issues or problems with Triumph, and this has not put me off the brand whatsoever, I am looking forward to hunting around for a cheap 595 with high level carbon can.



As I say there's nothing officially announced yet, I just wanted to stop the rumours and hopefully put some of your minds at rest about the situation with R.A.T..

I have tried to copy all Pack Leaders and some of the regular R.A.T. members. Please do not be offended if you are reading this second hand, I don’t have everyone’s email address, and I could have easily missed someone off.

I have made loads of very good friends within R.A.T. since I joined in 2003 and I will do my best to keep in touch. When I get my 595 I will be joining in with various Pack events and I will do my best to get to the Dragon, Highlands and EOSP, this time as a customer!!!



Kind Regards



Ben Gray

Riders Association of Triumph

Interseting letter. I guess we will just have to see what the future brings.Thanks Grzegorz

That's unfortunate to hear about the National Raids. I am recently new to the Triumph family and was looking forward to many years of RAT Raids.

This may be a little off topic but how does someone get their hands on this "Tourque" magazine?

Ceuls

IMHO, you could see this coming. RAT and Torque will be used by Triumph as a marketing tool. They probably want more control of how Triumph is perceived. I also think that Triumph is going after the young generation and they want to gear marketing at them. The national raids probably appeal more to the older cruiser and classic riders.

I’m just glad we have BA.COM and can do are own thing. We can organize rallies and rides any place and any time we want. "We can go our own way"

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This may be a little off topic but how does someone get their hands on this "Tourque" magazine?

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https://www.triumph.co.uk/usa/ratRegForm.aspx

Ya know, Dwight, I'd rather have the high tech shopping process than how you get tackled by several salesman the second you set foot in some American motorcycle dealerships.

You hit the nail on the head there Dwight(I resisted the urge to say "spot on" my bikes British I'm not).

I refuse to use the automated check outs at places like Home Depot or Shaws or just about any of the big chain stores. I look at it like thats a job that some human who needs a paycheck should be doing.

Well Friar John,

I like to look into the eyes of the people I talk(or say "I'm just lookin'") to. I've always thought that it's a little bit better than having to ask HAL(with that one little beady red "eye") to..."Please open the Pod-Bay Door"!

Cheers,
Dwight
(yeah...I KNOW...some of them there Harley salesmen have TWO little beady red eyes, don't they?)

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I’m just glad we have BA.COM and can do are own thing. We can organize rallies and rides any place and any time we want. "We can go our own way"

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RAT has seemed lame to me anyway.

Luddite!

(Look it up.)

Triumph's made in thailand, No Triumph displays at the national shows, now the end of RAT, It sounds like a perfect recipe for failure.
-Tommy-

Nope, not me, I dont believe in the Global Warming Hoax.

Dealer here in Villa Park sells copies of Torque.

Guess this means I should not bother to renew membership.

My question is, is this ALL of RAT, or just EuroRAT?

Hey Matt W., you out there?

i think this is a bad move for triumph I've met with ben and think he is a really nice guy. the rocket run last year was a brilliant day and am sorry that events like that will be non existant in the futture. If triumph are now relying on the local packs to run events for them and use the pack leaders as "none paid" promoters of triumph then they got a shock coming to them.

Al,

I believe the analogy of the H.O.G. organization that you appear to be using as a model for any attempt Triumph Ltd. would operate, is precisely what Mr.Bloor's operatives had in mind to begin with when they started RAT. But, I believe the "numbers" just don't, and never really did, "add up". There are hundreds, if not thousands of Harley owners for every Triumph owner out there presently, and even considering that not all Harley owners are active H.O.G. members, there is still "strength" in their numbers.

Besides the fact that Triumph owners tend to, as has been mentioned on this site many times before, "Go their own way", which I believe means a "Club Atmosphere"(a la H.O.G.) in a way goes against the grain for many people who may view themselves as "independent" and "individualistic" enough to purchase a Triumph in the first place, I think the sheer numbers(or lack there of) dictate that an "official" riding organization comprised solely of Triumph owners and riders would be hard to establish(I don't think RAT ever really "took off" to begin with) and grow in the future, and so I think the honchos at Triumph probably saw this and decided that a "grass-roots" movement might be more cost-effect in the long run.

Cheers,
Dwight

Here is the thing The HOG groups basically have the same bike There is some differences but the facts are they are all cruisers Triumph is all over the place. The in common factor is not in our brand. And quite frankly our local RAT group kinda suxs.They ride once a month, maybe, there web site has not had a change in two years. When they do ride I cant even ride with them because its only a Saturday thing.
I met the guy in charge of our local and quite frankly when I said I road a America I got the ohh one of those looks. If its done right local RATS could be something special Charity events meet things at the dealership that could promote our bikes but its not its a breakfast club for basically the sportbikes. Thats why it does not work,
enough said

No doubt a good assessment. I guess the number of cruiser riders just isnt' there compared to HOG. There are more HOG members in our little rural HD dealer than in all of RAT in MD combined.

Good point, Chris.

I never really thought about it, but you're right. Triumph makes....sportbikes(675, Speed Triple, Sprint), "classic retro models(standard Bonneville, Truxton, Scrambler), crusiers(BA, Speedies,) "adventure" bikes(Tiger), and even "monster bikes"(RocketIII).

So with a much wider model range than H-D, and the subsequent "differences" in those riders' mindset, as compared to the vast majority of H.O.G. members owning crusiers, I can see why there never seems to be any cohesive and common thread among the riders themselves that runs through this brand.

Anybody remember the "controversy" a while back around here when the "British Iron Rockers"(or whatever the heck their name is) had a "little problem" adjusting to the fact that not all Triumph Riders think a modern "Cafe Racer" Triumph is the only "real" Triumph to own? Evidently those gentlemen tend to think that what Americans did to their Triumph back in the day(like bobbing them, chopping them, making "desert-sleds or flattrackers out of them) was/is an "abomination" to the breed.(the closed-minded little suckers)

And so with all these permutations of this hallowed brand, and as I noted earlier regarding the lack of same among H-D owners in general...mostly crusiers, remember?) and with all the differences that each "permutation" brings to the mindset of many Triumph owners themselves......WHAT did we EXPECT, anyway?! One big happy Triumph FAMILY???!!!

Cheers,
Dwight

I don't totally agree with Triumphs actions but this is not the end of RAT.

I have seen this on the cards for some time but Rat is all about the "riders".....i.e. "Riders assoc. of Triumph" and honest dealers are the one who should be encouraging more localisation of the runs and rides.

I don't know about you lot out there but I was NEVER going to be in line for one of the major "Raids"... very much cost prohibitive! But will still go to the factory on days and visits as a RAT member.

But am still Very keen on supporting local dealers and co-ord local runs. There is no real need to see this as the end of RAT just a regrouping on a more local level.
Things can change, we can only hope and pray for continued support from Triumph for the LOCAL Packs.

We have to be very carefull not to cause more problems by "Dissing" RAT and broadcasting comments like " RAT is finished" One way to loose all HQ support is to talk ourselves out of help, so keep on registering and going "LOCAL" RAT.

I still love the bikes and the marque and possibly always will.

This may only be an indicator of Triumphs climb higher into the major league ........ there is no company H.Q run Honda, Suzuki, Kawa and so on club so while we still have SOMETHING special as well as a great bike lets support the packs LOCALLY.

Just my two penneth!!!!
Cheers, Mike

Pat do I remember right you got some local flack from RAT when you had the northeastern, I seem to remember them telling you to make sure you did not use the RATT name with that run? Or was it the beer?

Just to completely hash you post..

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But am still Very keen on supporting local dealers and co-ord local runs. There is no real need to see this as the end of RAT just a regrouping on a more local level.
Things can change, we can only hope and pray for continued support from Triumph for the LOCAL Packs.

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I wish my local RAT (the one at the dealer that's about a mile away...) did something... I actually volunteered to help last month, but the Triumph saleman has only just taken over the brand, so doesn't really know what is happening there yet. He is gonna let me know...

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I don't know about you lot out there but I was NEVER going to be in line for one of the major "Raids"... very much cost prohibitive! But will still go to the factory on days and visits as a RAT member.

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I will eventually get a factory tour. And UK RAT raids are a little bit more than I like to pay....

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I still love the bikes and the marque and possibly always will.

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And that will always be the case for us all. That's why we get so worked up....

Nope, no issues with Triumph that I ever heard. In fact, a couple issues of Torque ago, there is even a picture of Me, Benny, Jaymo and biker working on bikes in my driveway at the previous year's NorEaster.
I have met Matt from RAT a couple times down in Georgia and he is a very standup kinda guy, as is Peter Carleo. They have always been very supportive of us, however not in print due to legal issues I'm sure you can figure out.
As for the previous RAT coordinator, we'll just let sleeping dogs lie.
Sincerely,
Pat Whitbeck and his New York Riding Buddies.

just like I said supported at dealership level and I think if you look a bit deeper it is probably only one or two (max) people to sadly be made redundant because that was the RAT dept..
I am also fairly sure that the red riders and star touring is not fully HQ lead..... like RAT has been.

I have felt the same "something smells bad around here" attitude when talking to some Triumph riders not riding Bonnevilles, TBA's or TBS's. In fact I have found most HD riders friendlier than some of the Triumph sport bike riders.

I ride differently than sport bike riders and go different places so it breaks down more to type of bike than brand.

My dealer handles BMW's and Triumphs and TBA's and TBS seem to be way down the food chain. Maybe it has something to do with sales commission-our bikes are the cheapest in the line.

But at the end of the day, I will go my own way with my own kind-Bonneville's and all her children.

I hear you! I'm glad I'm retired but I fear for my kids and grandchildren. The western countries can't survive as service economies-and that is the way it is all heading. If I hear the term 'outsource' which this appears to be once more...

Post deleted by Grump

Is this the start of the demise of RAT as we know it, first they stop charging for membership and producing patches and badeges. Makes you wonder if they are cutting back on the overheads, are we looking at another recession of the 1980s and Triumph going to the wall after a barracade by the workers Gosh I like the sound of my own voice

RAT who? Who cares actually? They have done absolutely nothing for me in my city. RAT does not sell bikes, dealers do. The sport bikes are the ones in Cycle World etc. that are catching on.

If you need a factory guy to tell you where to go, do you know how to go your own way?