Riding high: Triumph looks forward after five years of success in China

Triumph, the largest British-owned motorcycle manufacturer, sees "good potential" in China, one of the largest motorcycle markets in the world, said senior executives.

"We recognize the growing importance of China in the motorcycle world and especially in the big motorbikes," said CEO Nick Bloor.

Since its arrival in 2019, Triumph has sold nearly 20,000 motorbikes to Chinese customers via a sales network of 28 dealers across the country.

"It has been a huge success for us… And I would go as far to say it is probably one of our best networks anywhere in the world," said Bloor.

He made the remarks when he flew with other senior executives to Shanghai to celebrate the company's fifth anniversary in China with around 300 Triumph motorbike owners earlier this month.

At the event, it showcased five classic models, from the 1938 Tiger 90 to the 1959 Bonneville T120, shipped to Shanghai from its museum in the UK, allowing its fans and customers the opportunity to experience the history of the 122-year-old brand.

What made them even more excited was the brand's largest ever product launch in China of 12 models, ranging from the Icon Editions to the Rocket 3 Storm.

As riding is emerging as a lifestyle for a growing number of middle-class Chinese, Triumph has seen its popularity rise rapidly in the country.

"We've started five years ago, and we've grown our market share within China to 10 percent, which is as good as, if not better than, what we achieve in Europe, so there's clearly a resonance here with the Triumph brand," said Chief Commercial Officer Paul Stroud.

"Our focus now is to effectively work with our dealer partners to deliver mutual profitable growth for Triumph and also for business models and to bring the Triumph brand and the experience to even more than that," he said.

Stroud said the Chinese market is already one of the largest motorcycle markets in the world, and one can't ignore the overall potential of the market evolving over time as the Chinese economy grows.

He was quick to add that Chinese motorbike riders appreciate the authentic British style, which he said includes premium quality and distinctive designing.

The appreciation can be seen from its most popular series in China, the modern classics, such as the Bonneville Bobber.

Compared with its customers in other major markets, Stroud said Chinese customers are slightly younger and very style conscious.

"The image that I have of our Triumph customers here in China was when we were visiting some of our business partners. We went into the store and it was an absolutely beautiful young lady and she was taking delivery of a Trident 660.

"There she was, pride and joy, and you wouldn't typically see that elsewhere in the world. So, it's a lovely memory," said Stroud.

But Triumph's customers in China have a lot in common with those in other parts of the world as well, he added.

"They really value authentic brands such as Triumph that offer a distinctive style, they value premium quality, they value a great riding experience. I would say that's the same all over the world," said Stroud.

Last year, Triumph delivered 84,985 motorbikes across the world. It now has a global sales network of over 800 dealerships.

lifusheng@chinadaily.com.cn