2016, A Record Year For Triumph Motorcycles

The Hinckley, UK manufacturer announced bike sales increasing 4.5 percent, from 53,800 to 56,300 units. Profits doubled from $10.5 million to $20.5 million. A Triumph spokesperson stated :“Triumph has performed strongly against a backdrop of challenging currency, economic and motorcycle market conditions. Triumph has a long-term vision which requires ongoing investment in people, facilities, and great product.” Big part of Triumph’s sales and profits increase is attributed to its “Modern Classics”, the Bonneville & Thruxton models.

22 Responses to “2016, A Record Year For Triumph Motorcycles”


  1. 1 highrpm Dec 31st, 2016 at 11:11 am

    how much of the excess profits did corporate share with the line worker hourly rate employees?

  2. 2 richards Dec 31st, 2016 at 11:56 am

    Glad to hear that Triumph is doing well. Keep up the good work.

  3. 3 Tom Maioli Dec 31st, 2016 at 12:34 pm

    Excess profits? ? ? What does that mean?

  4. 4 BobS Dec 31st, 2016 at 1:25 pm

    I can help you out with that highrpm, the answer is none. Sort of. Profit comes after expenses including payroll and only get’s “shared” with stockholders. Does not in anyway tell us if Truimph is doing right by the workers that do so much to generate that profit, they may very well pay abover average wages. I suspect a 100% increase in profit on a 4.5% increase in sales means there was a lot of cost cutting going on so they probably aren’t paying very well but that’s just a guess and neither here nor there. This report shows Triumph is building bikes people want to buy and generating a handsome profit doing it. That’s to be commended. If they’re screwing their workforce like the leader in American bikes is then that’s a separate issue and they should only be criticized upon confirmation.

  5. 5 James just another crazy kiwi Dec 31st, 2016 at 2:40 pm

    Triumph are very regimented in their hours and it looks like they pay is fair to good and they only work half a day on friday, biggest complaint is that there is not allot of socalising between staff.
    But Remember England is quite different socialy to the USA
    There are allot of laws in place protecting staff from bad employers in England as there are in most western countries though not so much in the states.
    Their increase in profit will come from them finaly grasping the retro market which at one stage the management wanted nothing to do with.(DUH)
    The Bobber apperantly has 10% more power than the T120 and handles well too.
    I see HD sales have gone up in Australasia and there are a few Indian sales too but the reality is it is a great time to be a MotorCyclist with so many good choices out there.
    As we dinasouurs age lighter bikes will be much easier to handle…..like Triumphs !!

  6. 6 Dale Jan 1st, 2017 at 7:59 am

    Great brand and they are creating some great bikes while staying true to their heritage. Keep it up!

  7. 7 Adam Jan 1st, 2017 at 10:41 am

    Always great to see one of the Triumph doing well. Not just for them, but also for the rest of the motorcycling industry

  8. 8 Bill Jan 1st, 2017 at 11:22 am

    Tom, please define what ‘excess’ profit is. Based on the figures in the article, the average profit per bike is just under $365 and that is double what it was last year. Doesn’t seem like much to me but I would like to know their net sales for the year so we can see their profit percentage.

    And if a company is not profitable, where do the get the money to develop new models, enhance their existing ones, and for that matter, stay in business so their employees remain employed?

  9. 9 Guy Jan 1st, 2017 at 11:25 am

    Great Bikes, Great British, Privately owned company, well done Mr John Bloor and his Son Nick,. What a shame that some People, who clearly don’t know what they are talking about, go on about excess profits and not sharing with the workers instead of congratulating success. A successful Motorcycle company is good for us all whatever we ride. More Bikes on the road, less chance of the powers that be can get rid of us. Strength in numbers.

  10. 10 richards Jan 1st, 2017 at 11:29 am

    Bob S….You said “If they’re screwing their workforce like the leader in American bikes is then that’s a separate issue and they should only be criticized upon confirmation”. WTF? Do you know what the salary range is, by job description is for the “leader in American bikes” are? How about their health plan costs, there paid vacation schedule, their paid sick days off, are you aware of their expense ratio, overhead, State and Federal taxes obligations etc. I’m sure they make significant investment in new production equipment and in Product Development every year also. If you know these operating/cost variables you would have some awareness of weather the company is, or is not “screwing their workforce” or not. If you don’t, you shouldn’t be making these kinds of biased remarks about the “leader in American bikes”.

  11. 11 BobS Jan 1st, 2017 at 1:25 pm

    Richards, here’s what I know, which is more than enough. Over the last few years, especially under Keith Wendell, Harley on more than one occasion laid off workers, one year it was over 700 in York PA just in time for Christmas, only to hire them back as temps (with a dubious skirting of the laws surrounding temp labor) paying them half what they used to make without any benefits. Right about now I suspect you are reading to reply and not actually listening to what I’m saying so heads up, here comes the important part: Keith did NOT do this to save the company, Harley reported nearly 600 million in profits the same year. And while the employees took a huge hit, good il Keith got a 10 million dollar bonus. No, Harley did not do this for any business related purpose. The employees who built the bikes that made Harley a legend got screwed so the non riding cost cutting corporate shark could redistribute their wealth to himself and retire early with a golden parachute. Back when this country had balls he’d be tarred, feathered, and run out of town for such reprehensible stewardship of a formerly great company.

  12. 12 Charles Erickson Jan 1st, 2017 at 1:48 pm

    BobS: If that’s true, that’s pretty lousy. I’d hate to think a bike that made its name on the working class was screwing said working class. I don’t know if it’s true, I would have to do a lot of research, and there are two sides to every story. But thanks for the heads up, anyway.

  13. 13 richards Jan 1st, 2017 at 5:08 pm

    Bob s…Actually, I did read your position and did listen to what you had to say. So, it looks like you actually can’t answer my questions…not surprising. Your reply makes me believe you’re “cherry Picking” and not looking at the entire picture. Incidentally, laying off people when demand is down is something a business must do when demand and sales are down…you know what I mean don’t you? Inflated inventories and production costs will result in really bad losses. With respect to the bonus situation…IF what you say is true the $10 million dollars bonus, which you categorized as not done for any “business related purpose”appears to be a bad assumption. I would characterize it as a very good business investment if it generated a $600million profit in a mostly down sales year. Oh yeah…that “formerly great company” you refer to is still the largest producer of MC over 600cc in the world with about 50% of the worlds market.

  14. 14 BobS Jan 1st, 2017 at 8:44 pm

    I’m sorry Richards but you’re trying to talk your way around the facts. We’re talking about rising sales and profits, not business hardships that require cuts. If cuts are necessary the the CEO’s bonus and the stockholder’s dividends should not be going up. If you like Harley motorcycles that’s fine, so do I. That’s no reason to make excuses for screwing hard working Americans and their families. No, i am not cherry picking. Facts are plain to see, Wandell had the power to raise his wealth by taking it from the men and women who make the bikes plain and simple. He screwed them just like he screwed the entire IT department by eliminating the department and contracting it to an Indian company who abuses the H1B visa program to replace those hard working Americans. Again while the company was making record profits. He screwed Americans to line his pockets and then he left. Yes, formerly great company. Greatness means more than high sales.

  15. 15 BadMonkeyMW Jan 1st, 2017 at 11:28 pm

    The smoke behind their tires is fake, photoshopped. LoL.

    Otherwise, good for Triumph. More success for them is good for the motorcycle buying public overall. More choices than ever for cruiser type bikes between H-D, Victory, Indian, Triumph, et al.

  16. 16 Jerrman Jan 2nd, 2017 at 12:41 pm

    Wow! How did a good sales report by Triumph even begin to suggest they underpay or are unfair to their workers? And, even more to the point, how did this report turn into a debate on HDs worker labor practices and pay schedules? I’ve read it over a few times and all I see are just a few nice sentences on Triumph’s “triumphs” this past year, which we should all be applauding as it’s good for the motorcycle market if, in fact, it increases interest and ridership.

  17. 17 JohnnySpeed Jan 2nd, 2017 at 5:47 pm

    Those “bobbers” are so dam lame! One of those next to a Thruxton is like seeing Justin Bieber next to The Beatles.lol

  18. 18 Blackmax Jan 2nd, 2017 at 5:58 pm

    Looking forward to seeing them in person,
    as the “Brutal Beauty tour comes to my town this week !!

  19. 19 hacksaws garage Jan 2nd, 2017 at 9:27 pm

    i like the bobbers and i like the beatles. i dont like the name bobber, but the bikes are pretty cool. u say that having built my own bobbers. bsa , triumphs, etc.

    much of the classics line is built in thailand. which makes all this corporate wage bashing nothing more than the usual uninformed leftist rant against profitable companies.
    anyone remember the Meriden Triumph co operative? failed socialism.

  20. 20 nicker Jan 7th, 2017 at 12:18 am

    Smoking the rear tires simply requires a VERY small engine sprocket.
    Had a 60’s T120R that could spin the rear wheel and pull the front end at the same time…
    Not a particularly difficult trick.

    -nicker-

  21. 21 pete yuckly Jan 9th, 2017 at 7:37 am

    Triumph is doing something right…

  22. 22 Cooldaddy51 Jan 9th, 2017 at 10:26 am

    Increased profits smaller margins for dealers,dealer “shared”
    Marketing costs,large restocking fees,forced inventory stock.consumer direct accessory and apparel sales.
    Its not all roses for the dealers.

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Cyril Huze