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Old 05-22-2006   #1 (permalink)
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I have seen some gossip on the Delphi Bonneville forum that Triumph are to start manufacturing Bonnevilles in.... wait for it... Thailand!

Can anyone substantiate this? It would seem like a real blow to the Cool Brittannia image and to some of the following who value the 'Made in Britain' standards of the Bonneville.

Any comments?
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Old 05-22-2006   #2 (permalink)
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I heard this too, assembled in Tailand. I think they already have a factory there.
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Old 05-22-2006   #3 (permalink)
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Yes - I think they outsource some parts to a factory in Thailand. Not sure I lik ethe idea of assembling bikes there - other automotive manufacturers have tried it and quality is often an issue (like VW in Mexico)
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Old 05-22-2006   #4 (permalink)
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They do this with guitars. fenders lower reissue like for example has gone to mexico. And amazingly they are great. I have one i swear id better than the USA reissues. But others they've sent to various countries ahve been disasterous, tho only the abvsloutle low end stuff. But for the most part the results have been great.

However, do this to my friggin Triumph and i may not buy another one !!! Part of what i love about them is the british heritage, and i barley got over the shock of finding some parts were sources from Japan. But i lived with the electrics because Lucas.....well, you know. Now this ! This is just one step closer to making triumph a asian bike no different than a honda or yamaha except in design.It would make the kawasaki clone as much a triumph. Don't do it triumph !
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Old 05-22-2006   #5 (permalink)
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Yep - we could do without the Lucas (aka Prince of Darkness) electrics - but I totally agree - making Bonnies in Thailand would be a complete sacrilege! No racial slur intended - this is a heritage thing.
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Old 05-22-2006   #6 (permalink)
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This is a silly rumor that has been going around for an age. The Thailand plant is a wholly owned metal fabrication shop that makes frames, mufflers etc. It is not a motorcycle assembly plant. Intertestingly enough its almost right next door to a similar operation owned by BMW motorcycles.

Click here for some more info - from back in 2003
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Old 05-22-2006   #7 (permalink)
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Quote:
On 2006-05-22 08:11, dazco wrote:
They do this with guitars. fenders lower reissue like for example has gone to mexico. And amazingly they are great. I have one i swear id better than the USA reissues. But others they've sent to various countries ahve been disasterous, tho only the abvsloutle low end stuff. But for the most part the results have been great.

However, do this to my friggin Triumph and i may not buy another one !!! Part of what i love about them is the british heritage, and i barley got over the shock of finding some parts were sources from Japan. But i lived with the electrics because Lucas.....well, you know. Now this ! This is just one step closer to making triumph a asian bike no different than a honda or yamaha except in design.It would make the kawasaki clone as much a triumph. Don't do it triumph !
I feel the same way. A large part of my buying decision was based on the legendary British Triumph heritage. I was told by the sales rep Triumph were designed, engineered and assembled in the UK. If they were not made in a british factory, I would NOT have bought the bike. I inquired further about where the parts are made and was told they are sourced from the UK and around the world. In todays competitive global economy, I could live with that.

But this Thailand plant has me thinking about what makes Triumph a british bike? e.g., location of Headquarters/mgt, the population/race that makes the parts, the population/race that puts the parts together. What about location? Is a british owned, british managed plant in asia the same as buying parts to Triumph specs from an asian supplier?
Also, assembly could eventually mean putting decals, grips, pegs and wheels on a bike that is 99% completed before it arrives for "assembly".

I'll stop now, my head hurts.


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Old 05-22-2006   #8 (permalink)
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Interesting.... if you click on the link in the above extract it says the place is expanding - to include 'wetpainting and assembly'. I wonder what they are assembling there....
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Old 05-22-2006   #9 (permalink)
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Well, to me it's the fact that it's made in England by English people. And english people like any other reigon have thier own unique ways and personalities which is what the triumph was first born of. Ask yourself this....if your current triumph was built in japan 100%, all parts made there, everything......would you then feel you owned a triumph just because the design is typical of british bikes? If your answer is yes, then the Kawasaki is as much as triumph as ours will be if they keep this up !

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Old 05-22-2006   #10 (permalink)
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I also own a Ford Diesel pickup. You guys are starting to sound like the guys who freaked when they found out that Ford had a Super Duty plant in Mexico.

Strangely the Mexican truck were never shown to be of any less quality.

You gotta be global to compete in this world. As long as the quality doesn't go down, I don't care who builds it.
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