MOTORCYCLES
New Triumph importer shifts strategy
Flagship Gauteng dealership is put on hold, while new Cape Town dealer and two new bike launches are planned for 2019
It was all change for Triumph motorcycles in SA in 2018 when the brand was taken over from longtime importers Kawasaki Motorcycles SA, and handed to the Fury Motor Group in a joint venture with automotive industry veteran Bruce Allen. It was part of the British brand’s efforts to portray a more upscale new corporate worldwide image in single, larger dealerships in cities rather than the previous smaller dealers scattered about suburbia. The plan to showcase this smart image in a new flagship Triumph World Black facility in Woodmead has been put on hold after SA motorcycle sales took another big dip in 2018 and, for now, the importer has decided to continue selling bikes from its existing Sandton dealership, with smaller service and repair facilities around the country. It’s been a rough ride for SA’s motorcycle industry in the past few years, particularly in the over-500cc market, which has dropped from 9,000 units sold in 2014 to 4,800 in 2018, and last year the market was down 26%...
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