24 • May 2024 • Powersports Business

BY GLENN HANSEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“ I hope these bikes are not too small ,” I thought to myself ( I ’ m 6−ft . 2−in . tall ) before spending a day riding the new Triumph Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 motorcycles at the company ’ s press event in Spain in January . And Dave Zelinski , sales associate at Moon Motorsports , a Triumph dealer in Monticello , Minnesota , told me the same thing when I called in March to discuss the new bikes .

“ They did it right by making them nottoo small ,” says Zelinski . “ And the build quality is just right , with the look of the Triumph classics . Our pre-sale was strong and we ’ ve delivered some to customers already .” Is that due to early spring or the strength of these new well-priced Triumphs ?

EXPERIENCING TRIUMPH ’ S ENTRY-LEVEL EFFORTS

Triumph announced the new Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 in 2023 , and moto journalists from around the world rode the new models at the recent event in Valencia , Spain . Motorcycles in this price category – around $ 5,000 ( USD ) – have been strong sellers in the U . S . throughout 2023 . Smalldisplacement motorcycles , both dual-sport and sportbike , are among the strongest sellers in the U . S . They ’ re likely even more popular in Europe and Asia .

Riding bikes like this is nearly always enjoyable . That cliché is true : it ’ s more fun to ride a slow bike fast . But the new Triumph 400s are more than just pleasing and affordable , and much more than just surprisingly “ not too small .”

All the moto journalists I rode with at the event ( many with more riding experience than me ) noted the high-quality fit-and-finish and the attention to detail on these two new motorcycles . The hardware used around the cylinders and exhaust . The mostly invisible wiring . The high-quality paint and striping . The well-designed radiator . One word – premium – kept coming up in conversations about the build of these bikes . They both feature construction and design details that seem surprising at their price points – $ 4,995 for the Speed 400 and $ 5,595 for the Scrambler 400 .

Both bikes are manufactured by Bajaj , a manufacturer of motorcycles , three-wheelers and automobiles based in India . Triumph is quick to point out that these new motorcycles are engineered and designed at the company ’ s headquarters in Hinckley , England , not to disregard Bajaj ’ s impact , but to state that Triumph maintains its design heritage , and trusts the partnership of Bajaj for manufacturing alone .

Ride wise , the two motorcycles are impressive . The new 398cc single-cylinder engine – fuel injected and liquid cooled – makes ample power , especially in the midrange of the curve . I had power to pass at freeway speeds , not showy power but enough . You will not get in trouble riding these bikes , but you ’ ll have fun trying . The Speed 400 , with its smaller wheelbase , was pure joy on the twisty mountain roads above Valencia . And the larger Scrambler with its wider bars was no slouch . Our ride leaders found a dirt road to give us a little look at the Scrambler ’ s off-pavement abilities . It ’ s not a trail bike but felt planted and controllable on gravel .

Both Triumph 400s surprised me with their performance , features and comfort . For a more detailed ride review , check Allison Parker ’ s take on the sibling Triumphs . An editor at Rider magazine , Parker says , “ Triumph has a reputation for quality and sophistication , so seeing models that are priced several thousand dollars below any other on-road model in the Triumph lineup led us to wonder if the lower price would reveal itself in lower quality components or poorer fit and finish . We ’ re happy to report that these two models look and feel like quality products that we ’ d expect from Triumph . It ’ s refreshing to see Triumph providing more accessible options that are affordable and inviting while still delivering the quality and riding experience of a premium brand .”

TRIUMPH KEEPS BUILDING Our story is as much about the business of Triumph , and for that we spoke with Rod Lopusnak , general manager of Triumph North America . I asked Lopusnak about the growth goals of Triumph in America . “ It ’ s exciting to work with Triumph as we go from a niche premium brand to become a much larger brand ,” he says . “ It ’ s about being the biggest . Our goal is to give even more motorcycles dealers and riders the premium Triumph experience .”

To do that , Triumph has launched several brand-new motorcycles this year , according

Chief Product Officer Steve Sargent covered design details at the press launch in Valencia , Spain , and says that production capacity at the Bajaj manufacturing plant can be 5000 per month , “ and then can go higher .”

The Triumph Scrambler 400 handles twisty mountain roads with confidence , even for a 6-ft-plus pilot .

It ’ s not a dirt bike , but it can take a gravelly road without fanfare , and the traction control can be switched off .

to Lopusnak . “ The two new 400s , our 250 motocross bike , the Daytona 660 ,” he says , “ plus we ’ ve updated the Scramblers and the Rocket , and totally updated the Tiger 900 , along with new updates to the 1200 coming . And we have the 450 MX bike to come .”

Lopusnak is a motorcycle industry veteran who grew up working in an East Coast shop before moving west to work for Suzuki motorcycle / ATV . ( Full disclosure , Lopusnak and I worked together at Suzuki for a few years .) He has a brain for the industry and a heart for motorcycle dealers . And when I asked him about the launch of the off-road bikes and Triumph ’ s entry into SX competition in America , he immediately thought of Triumph dealers . “ We have Triumph-only dealers , our Flagship dealers , and they ’ ve never sold off-road bikes ,” he says . “ The off-road market has probably doubled in size over the last few years , and that makes big opportunity now for our dealers . A lot of motorcycle customers have been driving by their dealerships for years , and now they can stop in .”

“ As much as 10 million people watch Supercross on TV ,” he says , “ And now for me to see a five-year-old kid wearing a Triumph T-shirt . Our average owner age is about 47 years , and the SX off-road buyer is much younger . And our website is getting massive traffic .”

With two riders competing in the SX East Coast circuit , Triumph started conservatively and performed well . Plus , the brand earned a podium finish in the first race of the MXGP race series . “ It ’ s been fun going to the SX races and hearing the old Triumph motorcycle fans say how excited they are to see the Triumph brand competing here . This is just stage one for us .”

Back to the new Speed and Scrambler 400 , Triumph and Lopusnak are excited to compete in this popular class of street motorcycles . He points to competitors like the Royal Enfield Classic , the BMW G 310 and the Yamaha MT−03 , among others .

“ And we can do MSF training now ,” says Lopusnak . “ Thousands of people take an MSF course , and if you do your learning and your test on a Triumph , you ’ re going to have that brand in mind . And that ’ s what we ’ re building here , a brand that sells , not just great motorcycles .”

Triumph , Lopusnak says , remains focused on building motorcycles that are “ distinctive , cool , authentic , and premium .” He repeated those words a few times during our conversation , and so I asked him about that . “ These are like the pillars of the Triumph brand . Each product needs to fit those descriptions . Even our clothing . This makes the brand .”

Those terms apply even to the new and entry-level Speed and Scrambler 400 . We ’ ll keep watching to see if other new products do as well .