Triumph Factory

Heres a video showing the Hinckley factory
It reminded me of something I read recently, that all motorcycles are essentially handbuilt.
I see the handbuilt claim on the 961 getting used as an excuse for slipshod assembly and even design ( no trans vent?), but really the handbuilt problem is a potential with every motorcycle.
With more human hands, as with an assembly line, there is even more potential for human error.
So then it's down to quality control.



And a more recent factory vid from Thailand

Thanks Glen for showing how our motorcycles are made and put together, its good that a manufacture is proud to show off its facilities, I have been very happy with my 2 Thruxtons, my 2013 is still going as good as the day I rolled out of the dealers and the same with my 1200S.

Ashley

On Australian SBS TV last night, there was an episode of Michael Portillo and Great British Railway Journeys. It showed the Hinckley factory building Triumphs . It also showed the Triumph Museum, which was very interesting. The episode is the one which begins at Manchester and ends at Stoke On Trent.

You should be able to see the episode on 'SBS On Demand', but there might be zoning problems.

ashman said:

Thanks Glen for showing how our motorcycles are made and put together, its good that a manufacture is proud to show off its facilities, I have been very happy with my 2 Thruxtons, my 2013 is still going as good as the day I rolled out of the dealers and the same with my 1200S.

Ashley

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Ashley, I've had a similar experience with my two modern Triumphs.
Oddly, I did not buy either of those bikes for the name on the tank. I think there is a lot of danger in doing that. You might be getting a name and a pack of trouble!
The old Triumph was never of much interest to me. Owning a new Triumph is no more appealing to my sense of nostalgia/ego/ call it what you will, than owning a new Japanese bike.
If Kawasaki, Honda, Yamaha or Suzuki had come up with the Thruxton R instead of Triumph , provided it had exactly that power delivery, handling and looks, I would have happily plunked down the cash. Neither the Japanese nor the Europeans have come up with a bike like the Thruxton 1200. When they try they end up with something that looks like a Transformer (BMWR9t and countless Japanese retro bikes)

It was the same with the Daytona, although there it was mainly just the ergonomics that Triumph had over the others. I wanted a litre sportbike and tried the big four but found them painful to sit on, nevermind ride. I also didn't care for the Transformers inspired bodywork on the Japanese bikes or the tiny Triumph 675 Daytona. The 955 Daytona has curvy bodywork which looks right to me.
The big Daytona was also pretty comfy, so that worked.
It didn't hurt that the Triumph triple has a reputation of being nearly bulletproof and sounds like a Maserati V12!

Glen

I don't doubt the modern Triumphs are excellent, but having owned about ten Triumphs when I was a kid, I would never buy one for the name.

Hi Glen, my love of British bikes started at a young age, I brought my Norton when everyone was buying Honda 4s and they couldn't workout why, but the Norton looked better, handled better and was 1/2 the weight when riding, I have had a few Triumphs and one of the best ones was my 1981 Thunderbird it was so reliable and I done a lot of miles on that one and it never let me down once, sold it to buy a Harley, yes I know I regetted that one ever since, the Harley only lasted me 3 years before selling it, I had another Thriumph Bonnie that I bought off my brother in law but it wasn't as smooth or reliable as the old Thunderbird.
I always liked the look of the Thruxton from the first time they came on the market but it was 2013 when I decided to buy one new and the Brooklands Green did it for me, then when the 1200S Thruxton Compertition Green came out I fell in love with it and every time I went to get my oil filters from the dealer I had to walk pass it all the time in the show room to get to the parts desk, one day I couldn't resist asking as they had one old stock 2016 model on the floor and I asked for cash price today and they dropped the price even more than what they already had on it and I went straight to the bank, it had the fairing kit on it.
The only change I did straight away was to put the stock risers, a duel comfy seat on it and the Meerkat as well getting the stock mufflers open up by Peter at Meerkat, I think this will be the last new bike I will buy till the day I die, but then I said that when I brought the 2013 Thruxton lol.
Have 6 bikes in my shed 5 of them mine and in the next day or so got to pick up another Norton to do some work on it for another member, so going to have to make some room for it today and one day I will start back on the Manxman project bike and get that finished, by the way my old Thruxton is going to my daughter when she pulls her finger out and get her bike licence.
Al if you jumped on a modern Thriumph you would never look back again, since owning the 1200 Thruxton my old Norton sat in the corner for over 1 year till about two weeks ago I fired it up and took it out, I still love it but the new bike is now my everyday ride, its that good.

Ashley

I've solved the old/new problem.
The old bikes are all plated under a collector multiplate full year insurance package.
When the good weather comes ( it's here)
I leave the modern bike uninsured for at least two months during which I'm forced to ride the old ones. Forced might be too strong of a word. I was just out for a toot on the Commando and decided to sell the rest, it's the best.
I do that on every ride on every bike ( except the BSA!)

Glen

We don't have that here only have duel or solo rego, the rego is the same its the 3rd party insurance thats the killer and each bike has to be regoed and 3rd party insurance, the insurence is 1/2 price for solo so have 2 bikes solo and the 1200 for duel, the Gov has just brought in classic rego but you have to be in a club to get it and you be restricked in how you ride them and not worth the BS to save a few $$$, our state Gov is broke and we pay the highest rego in Australia and even public transport we pay the highest cost to any other state, we are just being ripped off for Government mistakes and even harder when no longer working.

Ashley

How many guys have been pinged in Queensland for riding too far on classic rego ? I've never heard of it happening in Victoria.

Al we live in a police state and the police have a lot of power, we have had classic car rego here for a long time but by the rules can only drive them on club runs and less than 20 kms for test runs or going to get work done on them, a lot of people get away with driving them but if they have a accident and they are not on a club run there could be problems with insurance.
I like riding my bikes anytime so to me not worth the troubles having classic or club rego and now with patrol cars with rego recondition its easy for police to know what rego you have.

Ashley

What the video of the Hinckley assembly line does not show you is the tool racks, these are dumb idiot proof. Based on the bike in the station the required tool has a green light flashing next to it so the operator knows which tool to use, then the torque applied is monitored and once the correct figure is met the next tool gets its green flashing light and so on until the station operations are complete. If the wrong tool is picked a red light flashes until its put back down. The volumes allow for this type of setup as the investment is paid for by lower warranty costs, Norton's volumes do not, mistakes creep in and the first service or even earlier fixes are used to correct the errors.

If I lived in NSW or Queensland, I would be very suspicious of the police. Victoria Police seem to be a bit less corrupt. Even so, some of ours get involved in some really funny business. There is a high incidence of psych complaints amongst them. The bent guys make life difficult for the straight guys.

Al its not so much curruption these days its more the GOV using the police as a money making venture, when a Gov is broke inforcing rules is a big money revenue raising for them and speeding fines for just 1km over the speed limit what does that tell you, but now they are cracking down on rego, after JOHs days and the big investergation into police curruption its hard for police to be currupted, of course it will never be fully clean but its a lot harder for the bad cops these days and with rego reconition they can read hundreds of plates in front, side and rear and any cars or bikes or anything on the road in any direction, the Gov is investing a lot of money into these high tec devices but they soon pay for themselfs in the long run.
Up in Bundaberg the last 12 months they been trailing new speed cameras that are mounted up on light poles, you don't even know they are there till you get the ticket in the mail, they are small and compack as well wireless, you got to have a very good eye to spot them, then there are now the long range speed cameras mounted on trailers, we can't win and its got nothing about saving lives.

Ashley

Anyway back to the Triumph factories they look so well set up and as Kommando has said its hard to make mistakes but of course some do slip by with faults, thats where warranties come into play, they even hard on dealerships if they aren't up to scratch they soon loose the right to sell them, their show rooms and workshops have to be in top noch condition with fully trained tecnitions with full Triumph software and its not cheap, but their parts are a bit pricey but everything fits right straight out of the box.

Ashley

‘Ere boys you can’t blame me - JOH (John O’Hara)

Over here they are using more and more average speed cameras as the law says the cameras have to be visible to motorists (bright yellow) - no underhand sneakiness allowed - result of motorist blasting between cameras and then slowing down in the “flash” range.
Still catching the numpties who don’t understand “average speed” and still blast at 70 between the cameras in a 40 zone and then wonder why they get a ticket

Eljahara said:

‘Ere boys you can’t blame me - JOH (John O’Hara)

Over here they are using more and more average speed cameras as the law says the cameras have to be visible to motorists (bright yellow) - no underhand sneakiness allowed - result of motorist blasting between cameras and then slowing down in the “flash” range.
Still catching the numpties who don’t understand “average speed” and still blast at 70 between the cameras in a 40 zone and then wonder why they get a ticket

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Sorry Joh, back in my younger days we had a primier call Joh Belicepeterson ( not spelled right) who ran the state Gov with a iron fist back in the 70s and early 80s he used the police to qell any uprising and his Gov and police force where currupts at everything, he won elections with a gerrymander and always got in with less votes, he fed the chooks (media) but when his days finaly caught up with him and his Gov lots of people went down from ministers to croup police even the police commissioner was jailed, but things seem to run smoothly out in the open, but nothing was proved against Joh, he even tried to run for Prime Minister of Australia.
In the early days of speed cameras they had to be visial and signs showing they are there but they soon changed that and now hide them everywhere, they are even setting up old junk cars on the side of the road set up to catch you, they aren't playing fair but they do anything to make money and they make big money.

Ashley

I've had five Hinckley Triumphs. I really don't know why I still haven't got one.

ashman said:

. his Gov and police force where currupts at everything, he won elections with a gerrymander and always got in with less votes, he fed the chooks (media) but when his days finaly caught up with him and his Gov lots of people went down from ministers to croup police even the police commissioner was jailed, but things seem to run smoothly out in the open, but nothing was proved against Joh

Ashley

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Sounds like a prime candidate for President of USA
That’ll get our transatlantic friends going.....
Even with the old van trick, the police over here have to display a speed camera sign at least 100m before the camera.
John