Triumph Motorcycles is a rare success story in the British motor industry. Rescued from the abyss of bankruptcy in 1983 by property developer and self-made millionaire John Bloor, this company with roots reaching back to the 19th century is now producing some of the best bikes around.
To survive in one of the world's most competitive businesses, Bloor's new team visited Japan in the early '80s to learn modern production methods from the same motorcycle manufacturers that had nearly buried the company. They gave the three-cylinder motor — not unknown but rarely seen — a starring role in Triumph's new lineup, thereby carving out a unique niche for the company. And they took the lessons of fellow Englishman Charles Darwin to heart: evolve or go extinct.
The Triumph Tiger is a poster bike for adaptive evolution. First introduced in 1992 to compete with the mass-produced progeny of German and Japanese Paris-Dakar racers, the Tiger featured an 885cc inline triple motor and a desert-racer look with its round twin headlights, large fuel tank, spoke wheels, long-travel suspension, brush guards and bash plate.