One of the biggest success stories in motorcycling in recent years is the rebirth of the famous Triumph name. By the early 1970’s Triumph had all but disappeared, destroyed by competition from Japanese manufacturers. In 1990, led by businessman John Bloor, the company began development of bikes to compete in the contemporary market with machines such as the new Trident, the Trophy tourers and sporty Daytona models. Generally well received by the motorcycle press and most importantly by the buying public, more new models followed and famous names from Triumph’s history were revived including the Bonneville, Thunderbird and Thruxton. New models included the ST955i sports tourer, later to become the 1050ST and the incredible Rocket III cruiser, powered by a 2300cc inline 3-cylinder engine.
Other contemporary Triumphs include the Daytona 675, a 3-cylinder supersports bike which has been a huge success despite strong competion from the Japanese manufacturers, the Street Triple, a mid-size naked bike based on the Daytona 675, plus the 4 cylinder 1050cc Speed Triple factory streetfighter. Off road style Triumphs included the Tiger, available in 800, 1050 and now 1200cc versions, all of which have a strong following on the used bike market.