In addition to Ricky Carmichael helping develop the first Triumph motocrosser since the 1974 TR5MX Avenger, Triumph is also getting back into the pure-enduro market. While the Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE has off-road capabilities, it is still a nearly 500-pound motorcycle with less than 10 inches of suspension travel. True enduro motorcycles are something altogether different from street-bike-based scramblers. Steve McQueen famously competed in the International Six Day Trial (later the ISDE) on a twin-cylinder Triumph TR6SC in 1964.
Iván Cervantes has been brought in to help develop the Triumph enduro motorcycle. Cervantes has four FIM Enduro World Championship titles to his credit and an FIM Indoor Enduro World Cup championship in the 2008-9 season. He won the 2003 International Six Day Enduro (ISDE) and is a three-time finisher in the Dakar Rally.
“I have loved Triumph motorcycles right from being a small kid,” Cervantes explains, “seeing them in films and on television. So, to be working with Triumph from the beginning of this project is an amazing opportunity for me, not just because it is working with one of the world’s greatest motorcycle brands, but also for being part of building something from zero. It is a dream come true for any racer. Like me, everyone I am working with at Triumph is focused to make the bikes the best they can be. I cannot wait to see the bikes competing at a world level, but I also look forward to when I can stand in a Triumph dealer and know I was part of this very special project.”
Triumph Motorcycles CEO Nick Bloor is enthusiastic about the project, as one would expect. “We are 100% committed to making a long-lasting impact in this highly competitive and demanding world,” Bloor says, “with a single-minded ambition to deliver a winning motorcycle line-up for a whole new generation of Triumph riders.”
