Triumph Motorcycles, Meriden Documentary 1983 Part 1

[SarahSoulFood]

I live in Meriden. Found two brand new engine casings when we moved in. We've yet to find a good home for them.

[crumplezone1]

Thanks for sharing a piece of history, those lads skilled tradesmen let down by a tinpot Goverment that could of invested in people and manufacturing but instead wanted to create service industries how damn stupid!.

[silver760]

The UK government did its best to destroy all UK industry and move over to a cash shoveling economy.The middle finger was shown to industry and every thing that could be done to remove what the government saw as a "Troublesome" industry was done.The gov were more interested in banking and finance as it was the "in" thing.What was done to what was the biggest and best manufacturing industry in the world by the governments of the time was criminal.The UK became a wasteland while london thrived.

[BeetleBerlin]

Bonneville TSX.

[67genxer]

We do it to ourselves and hate and point at everyone else when it's us that's to blame. Long live the Meriden Triumph. God bless and thanks for posting this interesting video. I am going out to buy a 1976 Trident to add to my '67 BSA Spitfire! I also own a 2006 HD Streetbob with a springer fork, a 1991 Evo FXSTS and a 1984 Kawasaki Z1100R Lawson, 1980 Honda CX500. As you can see I am objective and not predudice

[67genxer]

Harley Davidson, of whom I work for, is increasingly reflecting our effed up culture here in the USA with an alarmingly increasing number of Taiwanese , Chinese and Japanese parts on their "all american" motorcycle. I have a problem with the flag wavers going down the highway on their late model bikes with old glory waving in the wind but I guess that the bike reflects us at this point in time...not very pretty and rather pathetic.

[67genxer]

I want the real thing because anyone who knows what's its like to ride a real Triumph knows, there is no subsitute and you can be proud when you have sorted all the bugs out of it and no the XS650 is not the triumph that triumph should have built, it's the triumph that Yamaha built, it's still faceless, without character and irrelevent and the Triumph will still kick it's ass. Another point,

[67genxer]

and it's made in America etc etc so it's still American Pie" I find it sickening...I prefer products from places that refect the cultures of those countries...A British bike or Italian or German is so much like looking at that countries passion or lack of it and that's where Japan comes in, there is no passion it's just business as usual and that's why they do well and why we don't when we not only create the products we won't buy but then we don't buy them either! interestingly,

[67genxer]

contd from previous post ... when we know our factories are struggling and then we buy into the "built in the USA" KIA's, Hyundais etc and have no problem sticking a American flag in our back window and tooting how clever we are to our friends and coworkers that we got wise and switched to foreign cars when we are the same people building, designing, managing and living in our culture by buying foreign, it's the same exact problem that created the poorly assembled car. .

[67genxer]

the new engine looks a bit like the 1985 Kawasaki GPZ900 motor?

Did Kawasaki copy this design? Triumph must have been developing this engine years before 1983. this is what Japan is good at, copy and perfect I wonder what we are going to do and what kind of machines we will get once Japan's competition is gone. The only reason American's get the Japanese automobiles they get, excellent ones, is because Detroit sets the bar and because of the American culture.... contd.

[67genxer]

@67genxer because of the American culture of mismanagement, lazy careless Factory workers/ builders, rude incompetent dealers service depts, designers and engineers overrided by bean counters etc , it's easy for the Japanese to improve on our designs with their Japanses type culture of attention to detail, commitment and ability to see the big picture...coupled with our culture is that we in the West seem to have no problem or guilt buying Japan's products even

[meriden4ever]

For what REALLY happened in the end, read John Rosamond's unadulterated account in 'Save The Triumph Bonneville ! The Inside Story Of The Meriden Workers' Co-Op' (Veloce 2009)

[hankedful]

I still have my last bike, a Triumph, serial number indicates it was made in Meriden, in april 1970.

[StaircaseFolly]

I thought the Hinkley factory "mysteriously" burned down and then they moved production to Malaysia.

[TriumphRob1]

Nope. The original factory was rebuilt and a new plant also constructed at Hinckley.

There is also a plant in Thailand that makes some componentry and assemble some of the Bonneville range for the far east and Australasian markets.

[StaircaseFolly]

That's good to know. I had the misunderstanding that foul play was at work so they could move everything to Asia. I'll reconsider buying a new Triumph.

[Zer0kbps]

i pray the Hinckley factory will never suffer the same fate

[jonnightrain]

great history,my 71 bsa is nearly a triumph. still learning the history around the bike.

[IewiIewi]

Simply ace video thanks for sharing !!!!!

[SpeedTriple59]

this is like all the greats of this once leading country,ie technology industry all gone,its so sad to have seen all industry in this isle gone,gone to a tin pot country like china,mase in china has a cheap ring to the name,long live triumph ..(hinckley)

[360jeepboy]

Is there anywhere I could buy this video?

[davytriumph]

Sorry,

I recorded this from the telly in 1983 and only recently transferred it to DVD for personal use.

[Motosadik]

@davytriumph

Thank you for sheering it with us .

[Sparky9507]

Thanks for posting this video, I grew up in Millisons wood right next to the factory, the video brings back fond memories of growing up next to it . . . used to love the White Helmets show every year when they picked up their new bikes

[LordWham]

Definately very interesting. As far as where are the workers now....? I know of one with a small shop in Colorado. He'll be rebuilding the top-end of my '79 T140E next week..!

[zaizer]

thanx for posting this. very interesting.

Cesare

[meriden4ever]

Absolutely brilliant and Twenty-Five years since the end of the Real Triumph factory ...Surely, the most legendary motorcycle ever on Earth ? Why did Meriden have to close (sob !) ?

Wonder where the workers are all now ?

[Bullettube]

Thanks for posting this.  Hearing and seeing the people involved really puts it all in perspective.