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More than two years after they announced their intention to form a partnership, Triumph Motorcycles and Bajaj Auto India announced today they've formalized that agreement and plan to produce "new engine and vehicle platforms in the mid-capacity range" between 200 cc and 750 cc.
The agreement formally links the British manufacturer with the Indian company that is the third-largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world and the second-largest in India, with $4.6 billion in revenue in its previous fiscal year. More than a decade ago, Bajaj took a minority equity stake in Austrian manufacturer KTM, but the Triumph arrangement was described as a long-term partnership with no equity stake.
The news release announcing the deal said that Bajaj will begin distributing Triumphs in India. The new motorcycles produced by the partnership will be badged as Triumphs and will be distributed through existing Triumph dealers in countries where Triumph is already doing business. Elsewhere, Bajaj will handle distribution of the new models in countries where it is already established and Triumph is not.
The range from 200 cc to 750 cc is no coincidence. Though Bajaj produces millions of motorcycles, most of them are under 200 cc. (The exception in the India market is the Dominar 400, which Bajaj produces in addition to building the similar KTM 390 Duke.) Meanwhile, Triumph's least expensive motorcycle is its Street Twin, still 900 cc in displacement and costing more $9,300 in the United States. A new range of models between 200 cc and 750 cc wouldn't overlap the existing Bajaj or Triumph models but would give current Bajaj riders in India and elsewhere a step up to aspire to. In Europe and the United States, smaller and more affordable bikes would provide an entry into the Triumph brand for younger riders and would tap into the current popularity of smaller bikes.
Triumph Motorcycles CEO Nick Bloor outlined those goals, stating in the news release that “the products that will come out of the partnership will also help attract a younger, but still discerning, customer audience and is another step in our ambitions to expand globally, particularly in the fast-growing markets of South East Asia, but also driving growth in more mature territories like Europe.”
Yes, we do expect to see at least some of these new models come to the U.S. market. Bajaj CEO Rajiv Bajaj has said as much in the past. Maybe Spurgeon will finally see the Tiger Cub he's been lobbying Triumph to issue.
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