Triumph Motorcycles Limited - Assembly location

[Novocastrian]

Give us your views - poll results published in 14 days


Admin edit: Poll was ended and deleted prematurely by the OP, please now see:

https://www.triumph-trophy.com/index.php/topic,10438.0.html

[digital]

Sent my vote.

[RedMerle]

I’m not sure why it’s posed as a “What if?”, when it’s already happening.

[Ad™]

Last option is out of context.   

Whilst I appreciate the sentiment, I do find this a bit bizarre, as in this modern world just about every vehicle manufacturer uses a global approach to manufacturing as it makes more commercial sense to do so. I'm sure if Triumph stuck solely to the UK and then had to charge 20% extra on every bike produced then the attraction would soon wain.

[RedMerle]

All of the U.K. built bikes that I bought from them were priced competitively at the time and I haven't noticed any of the Thai produced bike being sold at anything less than premium prices.

[Mr. B.]

Just one word about a "british" bike or a "german" bike or a "american" car.
Years ago I heard of a study from a german university. They asked the german car builders how much value was added in Germany per model.
So the top car was one Porsche type and the value that was added in Germany was 51% or so. All other cars were below that.
My opinion:  There is no german car or british bike. The parts came from all over the world. And those companies don't build cars or bikes. They only assemble them.

[nervouswreck]

Originally Posted by Mr. B.

Just one word about a "british" bike or a "german" bike or a "american" car.
Years ago I heard of a study from a german university. They asked the german car builders how much value was added in Germany per model.
So the top car was one Porsche type and the value that was added in Germany was 51% or so. All other cars were below that.
My opinion:  There is no german car or british bike. The parts came from all over the world. And those companies don't build cars or bikes. They only assemble them.

Mr. B.  I think everyone here knows that manufacturing of components is entirely different than building/assembling /putting together of those components.  Outsourcing the manufacturing of components in the truck/automobile/ motorcycle  air conditioners you name it has been going longer than I am old whether the outsourcing is in country or out of country.   I believe the contention of all this hoopla is the announcement by Triumph that ALL motorcycles will be assembled/ built/and put together in this case, Thailand.  Motorcycling to most is a hobby and as such we are passionate about it.  Triumph moving ALL assembling of their motorcycles to Thailand leaves little to be passionate about.  When Honda decided to move the Gold Wing assembly from Marysville Ohio after roughly 30 years back to their new plant in Kumamoto Japan I thought well at least they brought it back home.  I wasn't  thrilled at the loss of jobs in the USA but If I were of a mind to purchase a Gold Wing I wouldn't let that move prevent me from doing so.  Triumph on the other hand will mass produce zero motorcycles in Great Britain and that in my opinion does damage to their relationship with the buying public. 

[RedMerle]

@Mr B.
It’s a pity that more people on here weren’t familiar with the Hinckley factory in the 1990’s. Car plants (which I’m pretty familiar with too) are assembly plants, but Hinckley used to do much more manufacturing on site than any car plant I’ve ever been too (Jaguar, MINI, Rover, Land Rover, Morgan) all of whom (with the slight exception of Morgan) were just assembly plants.
Triumph would take in raw engine castings and machine, finish and assemble engines from scratch. They even used to plasma nitride the crank cases on site manufacture their own connecting rods! Frames arrived as lengths of square and round section steel tubing and cut, bend, mitred, welded and powder coated on site. This was unlike any car plant I’ve ever seen.