Britain’s Triumph Motorcycles and India’s Bajaj Auto Limited will be working together to produce Triumph motorcycles in the 200cc to 750cc range. The two companies are not merging, as this is a non-equity partnership.
Bajaj Auto is the third-largest producer of motorcycles in the world, and also makes three-wheeled vehicles and automobiles. Bajaj Auto sold five million motorcycles in 2019, with two million of those as exports.
More than just being slated to produce motorcycles for Triumph, Bajaj will be involved in the international distribution of Triumph motorcycles of all sizes. “Going forward, Bajaj will take over Triumph’s Indian distribution activities,” a Triumph spokesman told us, “leveraging their extensive knowledge of the Indian market. In their other key overseas markets, where Triumph is not currently present, Bajaj will represent Triumph and offer the new mid-capacity bikes as part of the full Triumph lineup.”
Bajaj currently builds the KTM 390 Duke, as well as the KTM Duke 125, which is not imported into the United States. Working with Bajaj, KTM has seen its sales in India go from fewer than 7,400 motorcycles in 2013 to 50,705 in 2019. India is now KTM’s largest market in the world.
“This is an important partnership for Triumph,” Triumph Motorcycles CEO Nick Bloor said, “and I am delighted that it has now formally commenced. As well as taking our brand into crucial new territories, 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.”
“The Triumph brand is an iconic one the world over,” Managing Director of Bajaj Auto Rajiv Bajaj noted. “So, we are confident that there will be a huge appetite in India and other emerging markets for these new products. We look forward to working alongside such a famous motorcycle company and to leveraging each other’s strengths and expertise to make the relationship a success for everyone.”
Triumph’s smallest displacement motorcycles are its high-performance 765cc triples, while it has only two motorcycles that sell for less than $10,000—the Street Twin and the base-level Street Triple. Perhaps we will see the return of iconic small-displacement Triumphs, such as the Tiger Cub 200 and Trophy 500.
