I may be a heretic for saying this on a America/Speedmaster forum, but what attracted me to Triumph (again) was the 790 motor. I was looking for something smaller, nimble and simple. The only reason I looked at the America/Speedmaster was that at 6'2"/230#, they fit me better. I liked the Silver/Graphite on the America better than the Speedmaster colors, so here I am. The dealer carried Triumph, Ducati and Royal Enfield. The lone salesman had been there for years and it was one of his Triumphs that you saw parked out front. The Parts/Service Department faced the showroom and the whole operation felt like a motorcycle shop. Emphasis on motorcycle (even thought they had a large inventory of accessories).
I wish I saw more Triumphs on the street. The motomags rate them highly. But here, the (only) dealer relegates them to a separate building. To get there, you have to pass by probably 125 Honda motorcycles, a row of ATVs, a display of generators and through a hole in the wall that unless you were a regular, you wouldn't know led to another showroom. There you'll find a dozen or so Triumphs blended in with maybe 2 Guzzis, 25 Vespas and a handful of Syms. Back in a dark corner, you'll see maybe 6 T-shirts ranging from S to L and priced at $40 each. Maybe a dozen assorted pieces of chrome and the same set of dusty tank pads that have been on the rack for years. This is their entire Triumph "experience" to support Triumph's line of cruisers, retro's, sportbikes and tourers. If you go back there to look, you'll have a solid 15 minutes before the most junior salesperson wanders in - which makes me wonder if there's a major difference in the commission paid on the sale of Honda vs. the other brands. Usually she (not trying to be sexist here) knows zilch about motorcycles and goes into the standard "Oooh, you'd look good riding that. Do you ride a motorcycle now?" BS. C'mon, I'm almost 60 and you're maybe 20. That s#it doesn't work anymore! That's one of my bikes in the parking lot and do you think I'm carrying this helmet just to look the part? Really?! If I were a new (or returning) rider looking for a motorcycle, I wouldn't even give Triumph a second thought. And I live in a city of over 1 million people and year round riding weather. I actually wish this dealer would drop the Triumph line because they don't give it any respect. I'd rather see Triumph being sold by the small independent high performance/repair shops.
Okay, rant over. Are you listening Mr. Bloor?
