Triumphrat

kdguy · 03-21-2004

OK, the 2005 model year is coming up quick. What would you like to see in a new Speed Triple?

Newer stying? More Power? More color options?

Any Ideas?

KD

Windchill · 03-22-2004

USD fronts. Factory option bibkini fairing, or something like my Laminar speedscreen to go with the "pod" they do at the moment.

Put the oil cooler somewhee tidy!

mbeebe900 · 03-22-2004

I'd like to see a hugger standard or at least some kind of guard for the rear shock.

I don't know about USD forks however. Some have argued that they really don't offer any extra rigidity, and that they sacrifice integrity for style. Also, I know in many cases they only add weight. This is the reason why Honda went with 45mm tubes and conventional forks on the CBR600RR. They could have more easily gone with USD forks at no extra cost but chose not to.

My biggest concern would be that blown fork seals are a way bigger deal when gravity's working against you. If you live in New England and drive these roads you _will_ have blown fork seals. I'm sure in other parts of the country it's the same.

MickMaguire · 03-22-2004

My mind is starting to turn towards the question of if they will produce a 2005 Speed 3 as opposed to what they will produce. Rumors abound that the Daytona 955 is selling very poorly now and that Triumph are looking to move out of the sports bike market. I wonder if the Speed 3 will survive this. It must surely be a better seller than the Daytona (you seem to see more on the road). But the magazines are starting to call the design old - would sales justify a new speed3 if there weren't a corresponding Daytona to share the parts?

mbeebe900 · 03-22-2004

I had heard that Triumph would be moving away from the sports sector too, but more recently read that Triumph will actually continue to produce sport bikes, however will not chase the big four in the liter sport bike class.
Personally I think whoever is advising Triumph to do this seriously needs to have his/her head checked. People buy sport bikes because of numbers. If Triumph decides to back out of the rat race they will be making the same mistake they made back in the early seventies when their accountants decided the quadrant project was too expensive (if anything, it was a few years late).
The current boom in motorcycling is not going to last forever. And when it begins to hemorrhage, only companies at the forefront of technology (or marketing) are going to survive, because those will be the bikes the kids will buy.
If they get rid of the Speed Triple, who wants to go with me to England to fat-five the doofs that cancelled the model? Seriously though, getting rid of the S3 could only hurt the company in the long run I think.
:-D

[ This message was edited by: mbeebe900 on 2004-03-22 10:27 ]

MickMaguire · 03-22-2004

I think so too, the speed 3 is a very important bike, and very well loved. I hope that they can come up with soemthing new to keep it going.

All I know about who is "advising" them is that they spent a huge amount of money on focus groups and canvassign customer opinion to try to shape the company's direction... henceforth we got the Rocket 3 pushed out to 2.3 litres (apparently it's what the market wants). I just hope there was enough demand to wrrant reinvestemnt in the speed 3 too. If nothing else 'cos I want to be able to buy one at some point! :-D

03-22-2004

The latest talks of Triumph in the British bike press is that no , they will not wage a race rep war with the japs , although they have stated that they will indeed update for 2005 . The idea that if they dont update the Datona then no new S3 is a little silly as with the market success of the S3 (its completely sold out for 04 from the factory)
its more like a new Dayto would borrow from a new S3.
Personally I ride more on the road than a track and the 595's are still quite good in the "real world". I would be suprised if 1/100th of R1/CBRR/ZX10 riders can use %50 of the potential of thoes machines. Triumph arent for number geeks anyway , they are for individuals that covet style as well as oomph.

MickMaguire · 03-22-2004

Quote:

On 2004-03-22 15:37, EggandChips wrote:
The idea that if they dint update the Daytona then no new S3 is a little silly as with the market success of the S3 (its completely sold out for 04 from the factory)
its more like a new Daytona would borrow from a new S3.

Agreed, but I am thinking about combined sales not who borrows from who. I was questioning whether if there were no other machine sharing the frame and running gear whether the model would be viable (especially in a new incarnation).

kdguy · 03-22-2004

Here's what I would like to see:

1. A real fairing!. I'm getting tired of the highway wind blast. That fly screen is marginal at best.

2. More power. I plan to change the gearing to improve the acceleration.

3. Stainless brake lines. Com'on Triumph, the bike deserves them!

4. Analog gages. OK, call me an old fart, but I like the looks of the old gage cluster.

That would do it for me...

KD

beers2u · 03-22-2004

Quote:

3. Stainless brake lines. Com'on Triumph, the bike deserves them!

It already has stainless lines, under the rubber cover. Go ahead, cut yours open and see. :razz:

Quote:

4. Analog gages. OK, call me an old fart, but I like the looks of the old gage cluster.

OK, you're an old fart! :-D Seriously, that old gage cluster sucked IMO.