THREE NEW TRIUMPHS FOR 2006 Ending months of speculation Triumph will unveil three exciting new models in Phoenix, Arizona this weekend (September 18th) during the company’s annual North American dealer conference. The Rocket III Classic While the original model has won the hearts of the power-cruiser crowd the Rocket III Classic is aimed squarely at those who favour a more relaxed approach to riding. Firmly focused on rider and pillion comfort, the Rocket III Classic comes with rider footboards, pull-back bars and a comfy stitched touring seat as standard. All subtle but significant touches that add to the bike’s already impressive long haul abilities. The Rocket III Classic shares the same incredibly flexible engine and composed chassis as the Rocket III, so effortless riding whether two-up, fully-loaded with luggage, or solo comes guaranteed. Two luxurious, two-tone paint schemes, pinstriped by hand; a deep-chromed cam cover that contrasts handsomely with the black-finished engine and cone silencer end finishers add the final touches to what is already a distinctive and uniquely styled machine. The Scrambler The twin-cylinder Scrambler adds a new twist to the Modern Classics range. A fresh take on Triumph’s past, the Scrambler is a redefinition of the bikes made famous by 50’s thrill-seekers such as Steve McQueen into a contemporary urban context. A ‘do anything, go anywhere’ kind of bike, inspired in part by the relaxed culture of sunny California and in part by the stylishness of southern European scooter aficionados, the Scrambler has been specifically developed for a particular group of riders currently underserved in the market. While diverse in their demographics and riding experience these riders share the view that motorcycling is great fun, socially acceptable and a liberating experience. Crucially though, they aren’t interested in riding fast and are not motivated by performance or other benchmark figures. As a result these riders desire a bike that’s easy and unintimidating to ride, with or without a passenger, in the rough and smooth parts of town or out and about on a longer jaunt. Added to this is a wish for the bike’s design to make a distinctive, personal statement that appeals to and is understood by both their biking and non-biking peers. Enter the Scrambler. Very few motorcycles can claim to be unique but the Scrambler, thanks to authentic styling cues such as the flat seat, small headlight, knobby tyres and upswept pipes, is certainly one of them. Only Triumph, with the brand’s strength and sense of its own history, could credibly produce such a machine, creating a whole new niche of motorcycle in the process. The Daytona 675 Triple One of the most eagerly awaited bikes of 2006, the triple-cylinder Daytona 675 Triple in one single stroke redefines just how a middleweight sports bike should perform, packing as it does a large amount of power and torque into a small, nimble package. The first three-cylinder middleweight, the Daytona 675 stands apart immediately with its inimitable, spine-tingling sound and feel. Integral to this is the triple’s inherent advantage of masses of bottom-end torque, linked to a heavy mid-range punch that’s topped with a searing burst of peak power. The strong, torquey three-cylinder, 12-valve unit is extremely compact and narrow, contributing to the overall slimness of the bike, and features a stacked, close ratio, six-speed gearbox, Keihin closed-loop fuel-injection system and a free-flowing exhaust with an underseat silencer. Designed around the Daytona 675’s engine the spars of the fabricated, open-back, aluminium cast frame wrap over the top of the motor, accentuating further the benefits of the narrow three-cylinder design. The USD front forks and piggy-back rear are fully adjustable for spring preload and rebound and compression damping. The front brakes use a radial master cylinder as well as twin radial four-piston calipers, while the new wheels are a lightweight five-spoke design. With the Daytona 675 Triumph aimed to create an exciting bike that owners will never tire of owning and, above all else, riding. It sits within a class of one, delivering an incredible performance with its exciting, powerful engine and intuitive, razor-sharp chassis. It also looks and sounds like nothing else. All quite deliberate and driven by a single, solitary word that underpinned the whole concept; ‘incomparable’. Not many motorcycles are genuinely mould-breaking but the Daytona 675 Triple is definitely one of them.