TRIUMPH TEAMS WITH BAJAJ TO BREAK THE MARKET

Speed & Scrambler 400 Global Launch

By Robin Hartfiel

According to Celtic Folklore, foxes symbolize incomparable intelligence. In England foxes are honored for their wisdom and considered the ultimate guide in both the physical and spiritual worlds. Foxes are described in the ancient Vedas in India as well. In Hinduism, foxes are known as “vehicles of the gods.” The spiritual meaning of a fox in a dream is one of strength, cunning and opportunity. Seeing a fox in your dream symbolizes intuition, intelligence, agility and transformation.

So it was surrealistically appropriate that the three Amigos in London looking to fight off jet lag on the eve of the global launch of the Triumph/Bajaj joint venture should encounter a fox in the middle of the street… Right next to the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge a fox crossed our paths. You can’t make this stuff up (see Press Pass for the players in this fortuitous sighting).

Proving once again that good things come in small packages, a brand new 398.15cc Euro 5 compliant liquid cooled single delivers 40 hp in a distinctively “Triumph” manner, according to Paul Stroud, Triumph’s Chief Commercial Officer. “With that timeless silhouette and signature features that trace back to Triumph legends of the past,” stated Stroud from the stage at Bike Shed London. “From the first 1960s era roadsters and scramblers and all over again with the modern classics… this is Triumph’s iconic DNA.”

“With these two new 400cc options joining our Speed and Scrambler line-ups, we are welcoming a new era,” added Chief Product Officer Steve Sargent. “Firstly, these machines were conceived, designed and prototyped here in Hinkley, but from the beginning of this journey we saw the opportunity to collaborate as a powerful way of combining our respective engineering with Bajaj’s mass production expertise.”

From the beginning of the creation cycle, Bajaj and Triumph have been partners every step of the way, according to Sargent. “We have worked together over the last five years to deliver what you see here tonight. Specifically, based on Triumph’s concept and design, Bajaj has worked handin-hand with us to apply their world class expertise at engineering and large scale cost-effective manufacturing; sharing together the detailed engineering in testing and working between both facilities as one team. With regards to manufacturing, I am pleased to share that these bikes will be built by Bajaj in India and also built by Triumph in our factories in Thailand and Brazil.”

Aspirational Vs. Entry Level

Ride-by-wire, traction control, Bosch dual-channel ABS mated to 300mm disc brakes and a host of other up-spec features combined with the fact that it is a Triumph make this an aspirational bike on a global scale. But despite it being a small displacement thumper vs. Triumph’s traditional twins and triples (first single in the line up in 40 years) it is being presented as more than a beginner’s bike in the U.S. and other established markets.

“There’s actually different target groups for this motorcycle,” explained Sargent. “Quite clearly, there is an opportunity here for a younger audience to come into the Triumph brand. But we’re also seeing a lot of people who are coming into motorcycling a little bit later in life or maybe coming back to motorcycles who aren’t ready to jump onto a large capacity machine…. And I think for those people, this will be the perfect step for them back into motorcycling.”

“And then I think for some people like myself, for example, I would have this just as an additional bike in the garage because these are great, great fun bikes to ride. When you guys get an opportunity to ride them, you’ll experience how much fun they really are. It kind of takes me back to my youth when I first started riding motorcycles. That kind of experience is what you get riding these machines.”

Taking Coals To Newcastle?

The term “game changer” gets bandied about far too readily by the media. However the numbers don’t lie: the Triumph Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X received 10,000 orders in India within 10 days of the London reveal. Bajaj began accepting orders on July 5 and deliveries went to dealers by the end of the month. “We are excited by the overwhelming response we have received following the launch,” said Bajaj Executive Director Rakesh Sharma.

“A pre-order of 10,000 bikes within such a short span is unprecedented and a testament to the unwavering faith that riders have placed in Bajaj and Triumph Motorcycles,” he notes. “We are committed to our promise of manufacturing exceptional motorcycles that captivate riders with their performance, design and technology.”

To handle this flood of 400 sales, Triumph is set to add 100 dealerships in 80 cities across India by the end of the 2024 financial year... and this is above and beyond the 660+ Bajaj bike dealerships in the home market. As a point of reference, there were 15 stand-alone Triumph dealerships in India the day the 400s debuted, that number doubled to 30 by the end of July and is set for 50 within the next two months. A single model is anchoring an entire dealer network in the largest motorcycle market in the world.

But Will it Play In Peoria?

Closer to home, U.S. dealers are equally enthusiastic about the 400 singles. “This bike will annihilate the local market,” says Tampa Triumph GM Don Baker. “It will add a new clientele… and it is a good fit for the mountain roads in our area. I believe they will be a hit,” adds Herman Braver, whose family dealership has been selling Triumphs since 1863. “More accessible, more affordable, still cool, still quintessentially “Triumph” — I give the 400s a big thumbs up,” exclaims Baxter Cycles’ Jeremy Pendergast. “You can take that as an endorsement from a long-time Triumph dealer AND rider.”

In fact, none of the dozen dealers we asked about the bike’s prospects had anything negative to say. (See What They Said sidebar).

Looks like the fox being a harbinger of change is an apt indicator of the fact that Triumph and Bajaj have set the fox loose in the proverbial henhouse!