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"Yes. Every Triumph has either a "J" or "T" in the 11th postition of the VIN. J = Jacknell Road, Hinkley, England. T = Chonburi, Thailand."
I know that's the accepted explanation in the Twins forum, but what I wonder is if there any source that officially confirms this?
Thanks for the clarification as to which model of Rocket you saw. Since the Rocket required a separate assembly line at Hinckley due to its size, and that line should not be overly strained at current sales levels, I would be surprised to see them moving Rocket production offshore.
(For that matter, I marvel at there being any economic benefit in shipping finished bikes from Thailand to North America. It's over twice the distance. Fuel costs for transportation are about equally high anywhere in the world. It requires a little over three hours to assemble and test any Triumph from basic parts on the assembly line, so the labor cost differential per unit wouldn't seem like enough savings to offset the transportation. I've read that they can't expand the factories further in Hinckley, but there are other places in the world with educated workforces and cheap factory sites and/or tax advantages. Ireland springs to mind, but if Mr Bloor doesn't care for the Irish, I could point him toward a 2.5 square mile industrial estate near Savannah that was prepared at taxpayer expense for a Daimler-Chrysler plant which never came to be. With the ever-sinking dollar, US labor is distinctly cheaper than UK labor. And almost no translators would be required, as many people in the South also speak English!
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