Triumph, which bases its American operations in Atlanta, was once the coolest transportation on two wheels.
Steve McQueen (or his stunt double) jumped barbed wire on a Triumph in "The Great Escape." Marlon Brando terrorized a small town aboard a Triumph in "The Wild One." Evel Knievel flew the bike at Caesars Palace.
A bankruptcy in 1983 put the brakes on Triumph, but British entrepreneur John Bloor relaunched the company. This year Triumph has has the biggest new-model launch in the company's history, according to spokesman John Bower, and those models include the Street Twin, chosen by Motorcyclist magazine as the motorcycle of the year.
Contemporary riders will like the retro look of the new Triumph, which calls to mind the glory days of the ’60s, said Zack Courts, Motorcyclist magazine’s senior editor.
For young riders, “this motorcycle is a modern interpretation of the baddest bike on the block when their dads were their age,” Courts said.
Outside of its looks, the motorcycle is also approachable, Courts said. “Functionally it’s very good, light, easy to ride welcoming, reliable.”
(And, in the "everything old is new again" vein, "Finding Steve McQueen," a heist movie that name-checks the iconic film star and avid motorcyclist, is filming in Atlanta.)
The British bike's North American headquarters moved to office space near Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in 2012.
Motorcyclist names the Triumph motorcycle of the year in its November issue.
