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I've had my eye on Triumph ever since the company reemerged. I like an underdog and was curious how serious a go they would have.
As for the bikes, the first that made an impression on me was the Daytona 1200 featured in the May '93 issue of Cycle World. Loved the clean lines, twin headlamps and lack of racer-boy graphics. It was an unappologetically big bike at a time when the liter class was going pee wee.
The bike that knocked my brains out was the 1997 Speed Triple. Way beyond my means at the time but I vowed to one day have one (and now I finally do, after 9 years of waiting!)
The first Triumph I owned was a '98 Trophy of all things. An atypical choice for a 27 year old! I was looking for a touring bike for my upcoming honeymoon and it was the right combination: great value, hard luggage, and not too close to the mega tourer side of the equation.
I've currently got an '04 S3 and an '06 Scrambler out in the garage. Plainly I'm a fan. Not blindly so - I always play the entire field when it comes time for a new bike, but Triumph seems to have the best answer every time. They've got Japanese reliabilty, European character and a spirit all their own.
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