It has been decades since British motorcycle brand Triumph was last seen in the world of Motocross, and in one of the biggest surprises of the year, the company has announced it plans to not only return to the MX world but also to take aim at the enduro sector as well!
In a statement released overnight, Triumph said that development is already well underway on a comprehensive range of all-new competition Motocross and Enduro motorcycles. The all-new competition MX and Enduro family will bring all of Triumph’s engineering expertise to the dirt for the first time in nearly 50-years.
As part of the development of the new bikes and with the aim to race and win at the highest level in the sport, Triumph also announced that global Motocross legend Ricky Carmichael and five-times Enduro World Champion Iván Cervantes have joined the Triumph family as active partners in both bike testing and preparation for racing. That expertise will be invaluable for Triumph.
“Today’s announcement marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Triumph brand, which everyone at Triumph is incredibly excited to be part of," Triumph's CEO John Bloor says.
"We are 100% committed to making a long-lasting impact in this highly competitive and demanding world, with a single-minded ambition to deliver a winning motorcycle line-up for a whole new generation of Triumph riders”
An announcement of the timetable for the launch and reveal of the motorcycles, as well as the racing programme and the full story behind the new Triumph MX and Enduro offerings, are expected to come in the coming months.
Considered the Greatest Of All Time in MX circles, Triumph clearly isn't messing around with the addition of Ricky Carmichael to the team.
"This is an incredible opportunity for me to join this historic brand, and I am honoured and humbled to be a part of the development and release of their off-road motorcycles, the GOAT says.
"Building something from the ground up is something that really is intriguing to me at this stage of my career. What is impressive to me is Triumph's dedication, and passion to develop a top of the class product. Everyone that I have been involved within this project from the engineers, design groups, R&D dept., etc., have shown extreme passion for what they are doing and that is a recipe for success and something that I love being a part of.
We all share that same passion, and that's to be the best.
If you are familiar with the Triumph brand, you already know the quality of craftsmanship is top shelf, and the off-road models will follow suit to their past!
Not only are these exciting times for me, but it's an exciting time for the off-road industry to be adding another brand to the mix and the opportunities that lie ahead for all off-road consumers. I can’t wait to see the reactions when these models hit the dealer's showroom floors.”
We're super excited by the idea of Triumph branching out into the dirt sector. It's kind of a return to Triumph's roots in a way considering MX racing was originally done on old British twins in the 50s and 60s. The possibilities are seemingly endless for Triumph as well. With a set of enduro bikes, could we see Triumph Motorcycles eventually head into the desert and take on the Dakar Rally? That would be cool to see.