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I worked as an apprentice at the old Meriden factory. To say the old 1970's and 1980's engines were superior to the current Hinckley products.....well......I can tell you a different story !!!



Yep! I bet you could at THAT, Steve.

Okay newby, err, "silli"...here's the deal:

I own a 1970 Triumph Twin AND a 2002 Bonneville America AND I love 'em both and can appreciate each of 'em for what they "bring to the table", okay...for what they "bring to the road"!

HOWEVER, that latter one I mentioned above(that's the Bonneville America, once again) is LIGHT YEARS ahead of the former when it comes to reliability, smoooooooothness(thanks to that balance shaft tucked inside of it) and oil-tightness(thanks to its horizonally-split engine cases), among many other comparative aspects.

You SEE my new friend, all one has to do here is the MATH in order to get an idea of some sort of "relatively" in this matter.

So, let's take 2001, the modern Hinckley-built Triumph Twin's 1st year of manufacture, minus 1937, the 1st year of manufacture of Ed Turner's at the time innovative engine design...WAIT A MINUTE...that was made in Coventry, NOT Meriden, and you said "Meriden" here, didn't ya....okay, in that case let's take 2001 minus 1963, the 1st year of manufacture of the MERIDEN-built unit-construction engines. and so we end up with a difference of 38 years there, RIGHT?!

Okay...OKAY!!! So MAYBE the technology of my MODERN Hinckley-built Triumph ISN'T "Light years" ahead of my older Triumph, BUT I'd say 38 friggin' years IS a long long time when it comes to that there technology stuff, wouldn't ya SAY???!!!

And, I'm ALSO thinkin' that IF those fellas in Meriden who controlled the purse strings back then would've "maybe" invested "a little" in the modernization of their engines by "maybe" the late 1960s OR the early 1970s, then "maybe" they could've competed "a little" better against those fellas from JAPAN with their more modern-tech motorcycles at that time, and then "maybe" there would've been "a little" less of an un-interrupted chain in the years of manufacturing this hallowed brand of motorcycle known as TRIUMPH.

(...but yeah, come to THINK of it, and then "maybe" they'd still be manufactured in Meriden and NOT Hinckley, HUH???!!!)

Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)