Triumph Factory Visitor Experience Review

[KTMsm]

I struggled to find info on the Triumph Factory Visitor Experience so I thought I'd do a quick write up

Obviously it's in Hinkley but take a look on Google Maps before you go as it's not where the postcode says it is !

I went today - £25 for a guided tour which lasts 1hr40 and I thought was pretty good

Add in a (free) look around the small Museum (make sure you go to both floors) and with a look in the shop and a coffee and you can happily fill 3hrs

No cameras allowed on the tour which is understandable but a bit of a shame

You're first met by huge racks of bikes and parts then you see the cranks being machined, how the plastic prototypes are made, the semi automated paint shop, the dyno and the (quite small) production line

Apparently they are ramping up production in Hinkley so if you go in future you may see more

I found it very interesting, there are approx 12 on a tour but you get an earpiece so you can easily hear the guide throughout

If you're in the area you can just drop into the free museum and cafe, there are also bike nights in the summer - plenty of free parking

Worth a trip IMO

[trickywoo]

KTMsm said:

Apparently they are ramping up production in Hinkley so if you go in future you may see more

I’d question that as they have spent years moving everything to Thailand. If they are bringing things back it’s an admission that strategy hasn’t worked.

I briefly had a Thailand built street triple which had some very serious issues.

[KTMsm]

trickywoo said:

I’d question that as they have spent years moving everything to Thailand. If they are bringing things back it’s an admission that strategy hasn’t worked.

Apparently they are selling more bikes and Hinckley is intended to supply all the European bikes

There was space ear marked for more machines and he said they were intending to triple production from Hinckley

[bgunn]

trickywoo said:

I’d question that as they have spent years moving everything to Thailand. If they are bringing things back it’s an admission that strategy hasn’t worked.

I briefly had a Thailand built street triple which had some very serious issues.

I'd heard (read, can't remember where) that's exactly the reason why they were moving stuff back, because the quality was not up to scratch + COVID + the landscape of global trade changing somewhat since that policy was conceived.

[Wacky Racer]

I did the factory tour around fifteen years ago, I found it very enjoyable and interesting, the factory was spotless and very Hi tech with expensive precision machinery, a far cry from conditions at Meriden, which I also looked around in the early seventies,

John Bloor deserves a medal for starting the new Triumph company completely from scratch, against all odds.

Just three of my old machines which originated from Hinckley, (I have had five in total)

[Krikkit]

Thanks for the write up KTMsm, sounds like a good do for so little.

If they start building the Striple on the UK I'll be highly tempted!

[black-k1]

As above - thanks for the good write-up. A trip I may make when the weather improves.

[spaximus]

I did this last year and it was an excellent day out. Well worth the entrance fee

[Speed addicted]

KTMsm said:

I struggled to find info on the Triumph Factory Visitor Experience so I thought I'd do a quick write up

Obviously it's in Hinkley but take a look on Google Maps before you go as it's not where the postcode says it is !

I went today - £25 for a guided tour which lasts 1hr40 and I thought was pretty good

Add in a (free) look around the small Museum (make sure you go to both floors) and with a look in the shop and a coffee and you can happily fill 3hrs

No cameras allowed on the tour which is understandable but a bit of a shame

You're first met by huge racks of bikes and parts then you see the cranks being machined, how the plastic prototypes are made, the semi automated paint shop, the dyno and the (quite small) production line

Apparently they are ramping up production in Hinkley so if you go in future you may see more

I found it very interesting, there are approx 12 on a tour but you get an earpiece so you can easily hear the guide throughout

If you're in the area you can just drop into the free museum and cafe, there are also bike nights in the summer - plenty of free parking

Worth a trip IMO

Did you have to book well in advance? I looked at this a few years ago and couldn’t get a slot.

[KTMsm]

Speed addicted said:

Did you have to book well in advance? I looked at this a few years ago and couldn’t get a slot.

I booked about 2 weeks ahead - it just popped up on my FB

[Speed addicted]

KTMsm said:

Speed addicted said:

Did you have to book well in advance? I looked at this a few years ago and couldn’t get a slot.

I booked about 2 weeks ahead - it just popped up on my FB

I’ll maybe try again if I’m ever heading that way, it’s a bit of a trek from Aberdeen!

[Speed addicted]

bgunn said:

trickywoo said:

I’d question that as they have spent years moving everything to Thailand. If they are bringing things back it’s an admission that strategy hasn’t worked.

I briefly had a Thailand built street triple which had some very serious issues.

I'd heard (read, can't remember where) that's exactly the reason why they were moving stuff back, because the quality was not up to scratch + COVID + the landscape of global trade changing somewhat since that policy was conceived.

I didn’t think that moving production away from the UK would change how I felt about Triumph as long as the quality didn’t change, but it really put me off them for some reason.
I’m not particularly patriotic although I’m on my third Triumph, but it just seemed to cheapen them somehow.

[CHLEMCBH]

trickywoo said:

If they are bringing things back it’s an admission that strategy hasn’t worked.

Not really. It's further demonstration that they are agile and flex with the global market AFAICS.

[rodericb]

CHLEMCBH said:

trickywoo said:

If they are bringing things back it’s an admission that strategy hasn’t worked.

Not really. It's further demonstration that they are agile and flex with the global market AFAICS.

Not really, it's an indication of unimaginative management.

[KTMsm]

rodericb said:

CHLEMCBH said:

trickywoo said:

If they are bringing things back it’s an admission that strategy hasn’t worked.

Not really. It's further demonstration that they are agile and flex with the global market AFAICS.

Not really, it's an indication of unimaginative management.

Let those that have done better than self made billionaire John Bloor, feel free to criticise him

So successful in his first career that he could rebuild a company that he loved into a huge success, against the odds

[Derventio]

I did this tour with my Dad and I certainly enjoyed it.

I also had a bit of a drool over John Bloor's personal absolutely pristine, all black, original Street triple that they had in storage. The one that looks like this:


(Not the actual bike but a photo for illustration)

[trickywoo]

Derventio said:

I did this tour with my Dad and I certainly enjoyed it.

I also had a bit of a drool over John Bloor's personal absolutely pristine, all black, original Street triple that they had in storage. The one that looks like this:


(Not the actual bike but a photo for illustration)

The front wheel speedo cable has always bugged me on those. Bit like an unsightly mole on an otherwise attractive woman.

[Derventio]

trickywoo said:

Derventio said:

I did this tour with my Dad and I certainly enjoyed it.

I also had a bit of a drool over John Bloor's personal absolutely pristine, all black, original Street triple that they had in storage. The one that looks like this:


(Not the actual bike but a photo for illustration)

The front wheel speedo cable has always bugged me on those. Bit like an unsightly mole on an otherwise attractive woman.

To be fair, it is barely a Phoebe Tonkin* sized mole.

*Hayley Marshall from the TV show "The Originals"