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A more introspective question (X-post from main forum)

5K views 59 replies 32 participants last post by  vzshadow 
#1 ·
Hey guys!

I posted this in the main forum and was told to repost it here.

So I've been lurking here a couple weeks, but I'm breaking my silence with this post (well, the first one).

I have a couple (possibly random) questions that I wanted to ask:

--which Triumph do you own and what do you consider to be the defining characteristics of a Triumph owner/rider? That is, what do you think separates a Triumph owner/rider from a sportbike rider, or a person who owns a HD, or someone who does ADV touring?

--what kind of things to use your Triumph for? Commuting? Track? Touring? Purely A to B? Sunday afternoon pleasure cruises?

Also: no, I do not work for Triumph and no, I am not in marketing. I am just a sport bike rider with some free time at work who spends time longingly looking at pictures of Triumphs--especially that Thruxton. One day...
 
#2 ·
If the Triumph rider rides a Daytona 675, or just about any of the Tigers, nothing separates them from a sportbike or ADV rider, respectively, because that's what those bikes are. As a Street Triple rider, the only thing that separates me from other sporty-standardish riders is the name on the tank.
 
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#6 ·
The Twins are owned by settled older dudes who can afford a toy but aren't rich who want a standard bike primarily and remember the Triumph brand fondly secondarily. In general. They ride them for recreation, and some travel and some commute. They do not care what you think.

Triumph is desperately trying to change that and get the dudes Lefty is talking about to ride the to coffee shops. They are desperate for anyone that ever hung a Steve McQueen poster on their dorm room wall to buy one and ride it to a coffee shop. Even there clothing line is designed to only fit those skinny little bearded twerps and their skinny bored-looking girlfriends.

All that advertising and wank would drive the first crowd away, but again, they don't care.
 
#14 ·
Yep. That's me in the first paragraph. I have a Triumph twin because it reminds me of my misspent youth, is fun to ride, and gives me something to do.
 
#11 ·
It's interesting as I fit in almost all of the crowds mentioned. I wanted a Triumph because growing up my dad had a 1969 Triumph Spitfire and it gave us many good memories of father and son riding to the beach or karate or a drive in burger joint. The name brings all of those feelings and memories back to me.

I do have a beard, however it is not the iconic hipster beard. I love flannel because it's thick and warm. And I wear wolverine 1000 mile boots because they are meant to last. I also purchased an Aero leather jacket for the same reason.

I love my Bonneville because it reminds me of a time that, being born in the 80s, I missed out on. A time when things were not so disposable and when people gathered together in person and not online. I wanted something that I could build the same kind of memories with as I did with my dad in his Triumph.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#12 ·
OP, I use my bikes as my main mode of transport. So... Commuting, trips, you name it. If the weather isn't hellish, I'm on one of them. Mostly my Thruxton bc it's a better in town bike than the Speed Four.

No clue what makes a rider. Well, besides a killer beard.
 
#26 ·
My hunch exactly. What defines a Triumph rider is the fact that a Triumph rider rides a Triumph. Same as what defines a bus driver or an airline pilot.

But to tell you what you want to hear:

- Grow a beard. A luxuriant one. An inconveniently full one. Add some Grey to it so you seem more interesting.

- Pull money out of your home so you can afford to eat/drink only fair trade, conflict free, organic goods. Don't hesitate to constantly remind everyone that those necessary adjectives are important to you.

- Drink terrible beer because it makes you more ironic and therefore more interesting.

- Drink craft beer only because you feel like you should.

- Rack up 200 miles a year. Post a photo of your bike with you in front of it looking off into the distant sunset three times a week.

- Become a graphic designer.

You're welcome
 
#20 ·
A serious question from a newbie turns into, well, I don't know what one might call all of this gibberish, but I'm damn sure happy to see you guys are up to your old tricks! :grin2:
 
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#24 ·
BB, Lefty, thanks...it has been a crazy 18 or so months for me. More about that later....I wouldn't want to hijack a thread or anything. :Naughty

I just came back to see which of you Bonneville guys are buying into that whole water cooled twin thing. I might have to go over to those new sub-forums, make some trouble and talk a little treason. I'll probably find over there that Forchetto has taken one completely apart and rebuilt it already, complete with pics and notations and long informative posts about thread pitches and such.
 
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#30 ·
I've bought into the water-cooled Twins (apart from the actual buying) because I'm smart and progressive. I did have to get beard plugs, though, so I could fit in with the bros at Caribou Coffee (Starbucks is so passé).

BonnieBlack hasn't bought into the water-cooled Twins because he's old and dumb and his flat cap is too tight. :tongue
 
#29 ·
What happened to the OP? I think Juni scared him off...

Either that or Doberperson is right about him and he found out about the Suxton Jonk built, and he's working on his own Honton.





The Suxton, the only real "sport bike" Thruxton.




Nort
 
#31 ·
Nice, Lefty...I see you are still the master at bringing a hijacked thread back to the OP's original question on style.


Are beard plugs similar to butt plugs? I just don't know much about either of those products.
 
#34 ·
We're an anarchistic sarcastic bunch who love to take the piss out of anybody and anything . You name it we all have an opinion on it and you are all welcome to listen to my inane ramblings anytime anywhere anyplace . I ride a Triumph because well that's what I own right now , yes I do have a certain level of brand loyalty , just not blind faith that Triumph will get it right every time . Have to go now those nice doctors are bringing my straight jacket back .
 
#35 ·
Speed Triple.

I like, and remember, the Triumph brand fondly from my high school years ('68 - '72).....so there's the old brand I identify with.

Being an engineer, I enjoy the newer things with newer technology. But (and this is very individual and subjective) there is a certain aesthetic sensibility that must be satisfied....all function and no art is a no-go for me.

I like a spirited sport ride. My riding is reserved for weekends and lonely two-lane roads when I can be spirited. Corners are far more important than a straight line any day.

I like the ability to cover hundreds of miles in reasonable comfort should the need, or desire, arise.

Reliability is important. I couldn't care less about my lack of mechanical skills.

I like....really like....acceleration.

....and that's why I have a Speed Triple.
 
#37 ·
I'm new to the whole Triumph thing, I picked up a 2004 Thruxton a few weeks ago. That being said, the main difference, for me, is that the two Suzukis I owned since 2006 never inspired me to buy Suzuki branded anything. Since picking up the Thruxton, I already bought two Triumph jackets and an overpriced Triumph t-shirt. My beard game is pretty weak though.

99% of my riding is my daily commute, which became a lot more fun after selling my old man VStrom.
 
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