Triumph to shift Speed Triple, Tiger production from UK to Thailand
Production of the Triumph Speed Triple and Tiger 1200 - the last volume models still made in Hinckley - will shift to Thailand this year
Triumph Motorcycles has revealed it will be shifting production of its Speed Triple and Tiger 1200 models to Thailand in a restructure that will free up the Hinckley base for its premium ranges.
Though Triumph has maintained a successful British manufacturing heritage over the decades, its booming global business means it has spent the last two decades shifting the majority of its production overseas to Thailand where it can build models in greater numbers.
Triumph builds around 65,000 motorcycles a year, but only around 7,000 of these originate out of the UK and are mostly focused on the TFC models, with just the Speed Triple and Tiger 1200 still being constructed there.
However, with the launch of the new Tiger 1200 coming up, Triumph will formally shift production to the three plants it owns near Bangkok, leaving the UK base to work on TFC models solely, plus special projects.
The move could see up to 50 manufacturing jobs lost in the move as Hinckley scales down its production capabilities from 7,000 to around 4,500 motorcycles manufactured annually
“We are now preparing for Triumph’s next wave of strategic growth,” CEO Nick Bloor said in a statement. “We want to maximize the growth opportunity for the brand globally, particularly in the Asian markets. This is why we are increasing our design resources here in the UK and focusing our mass production capabilities in Thailand.
“There will still be manufacturing capability in the UK, but the role of our facility in Hinckley will be reconfigured to enable us to create a more flexible and high-value capability.”
Triumph in UK to focus more on R&D
While some may mourn the loss of more manufacturing from UK to Asia, Triumph is keen to position the Hinckley base the premium head office that will focus on the R&D for upcoming models, as well as give customers purchasing their high-end TFC bikes a more dedicated service.
Indeed, this move is coming hot on the heels of Triumph’s manufacturing deal with Bajaj Auto, which will see new models be produced in India to then be sold locally and exported globally.
Models anticipated in this deal include a smaller version of the Tiger ADV bike and more affordable versions of the Speed and Street models
