From November 1, 2017, Triumph enthusiasts from around the world have the opportunity to tour a factory visitor centre located at the company’s headquarters in Leicestershire, UK. The centre will allow visitors to see a collection of rare and distinctive exhibits “centred around the design, engineering and manufacture of Triumph’s most iconic models” as the company puts it, all at no cost. And visitors can even book a 90-minute tour of the factory to see how these motorcycles are put together for a fee of 15 GBP.

Some of the exhibits on display at the visitor centre will include famous movie bikes such as the painstakingly restored Bonneville used by Steve McQueen in The Great Escape, as well as Tom Cruise’s Speed Triple from the heart-pounding chase sequence in Mission Impossible 2. Apart from this, also open to visitors is the very first Triumph No1 built in 1902 as well as the prototype of the race engine the company has built to power the 2019 Moto2 World Championship.

Apart from these, the display pieces include some rather unique models such as the 1919 Triumph ‘Trusty’ Model H from World War 1, the 1959 Bonneville that took the world by storm, along with legendary motorcycles such as the Hurricane X75, T595 Trident and original '94 Speed Triple. Race bikes on display include the original 1920s TT racer, alongside legends from the American and British competitions of the 1950s and '60s, as well as Gary Johnson’s 2014 Isle of Man Supersports TT winning Triumph Daytona 675.

Speaking at the launch, Paul Stroud, Chief Commercial Officer at Triumph, commented, “We are very proud and excited to be able to invite Triumph and motorcycling fans from around the world to come and experience our brand first-hand, here at the factory where every Triumph starts its life. With so many important and rare bikes on display, the Visitor Experience will be a must for motorcycle and movie fans alike, but also an opportunity to help us celebrate our proud heritage and our passion for building great motorcycles. We hope this will reward and inspire every fan of the brand, and ignite a love for Triumph in a whole new generation.’’

When done checking out all the exhibits, visitors can relax at the Triumph 1902 café or even purchase some branded merchandise, clothing and some limited-edition Visitor Experience souvenirs.

A meaner, blacked-out look and more advanced mechanicals make the Bobber Black the more premium sibling to the standard Bobber.

Triumph has taken the wraps off a new blacked-out version of its highly popular Bonneville Bobber named the Bonneville Bobber Black. The British bike maker has taken it a step ahead with simple visual updates and some significant mechanical changes as well. But first, let's take a look at the list of changes that give this bike its name.

Visual updates

The Bobber Black builds on the lines of the standard Bobber and retains all the features that made the original such a handsome motorcycle. That means it continues with the lovely hard-tail look where the rear monoshock is cleverly hidden beneath the cantilevered single seat. All other clever touches like the retro-themed battery box, rear drum-style wheel hub, flat bars, wire-spoked wheels and steel mudguards are carried forward.

Triumph took the Bobber base and applied copious amounts of black to give the bike a meaner, more sinister look. A large number of parts have been blacked out and we’ve got the full list below:

•           Black-painted exhaust (silencers, headers and upper finned casting)
•           Black-anodised brake pedal and footrests 
•           Black-anodised gear lever
•           Black-plated gear linkage
•           Black-anodised brake and clutch levers
•           Black-painted handlebars, with black anodised risers and clamps
•           Black-painted seat pan
•           Black powder-coated engine covers, cam cover and sprocket cover
•           Black chrome-plated headlight rim
•           Black-painted wheel hubs

However, the visual changes go beyond the black treatment and many of these updates are to the mechanical bits. So, here's what's new: 

Mechanical changes

The Bonneville Bobber Black receives a huge overhaul of the front end, starting with the new 16-inch rim and a fat 130-section tyre. This is a big change from the 19-inch rim and 100-section tyre on the standard Bobber, and along with the newly developed Avon Cobra rubber, the new Bobber gets a more slammed stance. Braking gets a boost too, as Triumph has added a second disc brake to the front end. Both discs span 310mm and are slowed by new 2-piston Brembo calipers. Finally, the forks have been updated from the 41mm KYBs to chunky 47mm units by Showa. Crowning it all is a powerful new, full-LED headlamp which was previously offered as an optional accessory on the Bobber.

Ride-by-wire throttle continues, but the Bobber Black now gets Cruise Control as standard fitment. As before, the bike offers ABS and switchable traction control as well as two riding modes – Road and Rain. The Bobber Black continues with the same tune for the 1,200cc parallel-twin engine, producing 77hp at 6,100rpm and an impressive 106Nm at 4,000rpm. Twin slash-cut exhausts belt out a carefully tuned exhaust note that is deep, powerful and befitting a custom-looking bike like the Bobber Black. Dry weight has gone up from 228kg on the standard Bobber to 237.5kg.

The Bobber Black is available in two shades, Jet Black and Matt Black. As before, Triumph offers a huge range of over 120 accessories, including everything from seats to controls to exhausts and multiple visual trims.

An India launch is currently under consideration and the bike could arrive in small numbers. If it does, expect the Bobber Black to cost a good deal over the standard Bonneville Bobber which is priced at Rs Rs 9.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai).