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2008 Triumph Model Line Press Launch

Posted by Kenn Stamp
Friday, 18 April 2008
Page 1 of 3 Writings by: Kenn Stamp Images by: Brian Nelson and Tom Riles Mother Nature is a fickle mistress. Sometimes she smiles upon you and bestows blue cloudless skies with wonderful high 70’s temperatures; the perfect riding weather. Other times she throws a fit and makes you ride through rain and cool temperatures just to remind you who really wears the pants in the relationship. Apparently, Mother Nature decided that one of the journalists in the second wave of Triumph’s 2008 Model Launch offended her. She retaliated by lowering the temperature and increasing the wetness for the day that we’d be riding. Oh joy. Even during inclement weather there are few places on earth that are more beautiful than the Smokey Mountains/Blue Ridge Mountains. Combine beautiful scenery with some of the best curves on the continent and the result is a Mecca for motorcyclists of all types. This fact was not lost on Triumph as they chose to host their 2008 Model Press Launch in Eastern Tennessee right on the TN/NC border. This provided prime riding roads if not prime riding weather. This was not a full line press launch but a limited one for some of their hottest bikes. In attendance and waiting to be flogged were the 2008 Speed Triple, Sprint ST, Daytona 675, and the Tiger 1050. There were multiples of each bike and each one had something different done to it. Using the Sprint ST as an example (there were 3): one was stripped of all bags and had Triumph’s performance exhaust can and attendant remapping done to it, one had the stock bags with other assorted bits added, and the third one had the triple-bag set-up with heated grips. Similar things were done with the rest of the models with some being stock, some with carbon fiber bodywork, some with Triumph’s aftermarket exhaust, and some with an Arrow aftermarket exhaust. It would prove impossible to get bored while riding the 150 (approx) mile loop that was planned for us as we were instructed to try as many bikes as possible. Once this was said you could see the killer gleam in some of our eyes so the Triumph reps quickly added that resorting to physical violence to ride a particular bike was discouraged. It soon became the norm to just walk up to the bike you wanted and if no one was sitting on it you jumped on and rode away. It was like some kind of communist motorcycle utopia; everyone was equal and everything was shared equally. The entire whirlwind adventure was to take place over a three day period with one day to get there, one day riding, and one day heading home. My wife decided to accompany me for the trip once she saw the place that we would be staying. Since we had to be at the Buckberry Lodge no later than 6pm on the first day, I set a 4am departure time from home. That almost convinced her not to go but one more look at the brochure and a loud sigh and off we went. Ten and a half hours later we pulled into the parking lot and went to check in. My wife and I both love the mountains (I converted her from a beach girl about 5 years ago) so we were really excited about spending time there again. I had ridden these roads before so I was excited about that as well. All in all I was really looking forward to the next day. But first there was the “social hour” and dinner to get through. Moto-Journalists are a cliquish lot and being the new kid on the block it is sometimes hard to gain acceptance. Luckily for me, for every stand-offish journalist there is at least one who is a genuinely nice guy and willing to make new friends. This press launch was no exception and I quickly reconnected with people I knew and made some new contacts as well. Dinner, by the way, was delicious; just so you know. << Start < Prev 1 2 3 Next > End >>

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